In our opinion, we feel that Hitler's leadership abilities is the main reason for Hitler's rise to power. Though there were many circumstances too that lead to the rise of Hitler into power, such as the Hyperinflation in the 1924s, and the Great Depression in the 1929s. This events too weakened the Weimar Government, however Hitler's leadership abilities further helped Hitler to rise to power. As leadership skills such as charisma and oratorical skills were present in Hitler, it allowed him to succeed as leader as he managed to gain support of millions, which was very useful in overthrowing the government. To be a leader, one needs to have leadership skills in order to obtain support from the public, something a leader need to have to lead the country without any problem
Saturday 28 June 2014
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| Hitler himself |
Adolf Hitler managed to form a connection with millions of German people through generating a level of charismatic attraction that was efficient in attracting support.
Adolf Hitler
Charisma exists only in a connection between the individual who is perceived as charismatic and their audience. Due to the aftermath of Germany’s defeat in the First World War, Hitler was able to gain support in a dramatic way.
In the words of Hans Frank, who heard Hitler speak in a Beer Hall in 1920, ‘he uttered what was in the consciousness of all those present’.
Beer Hall Putsch
Charismatic leaders hate detailed policies. There is an element of personal conviction, associated with the decision making process of a person with charisma – a magic the committee room destroys. And Hitler took this idea to extremes, outlining an idea based on race and hatred in which ‘racially pure’ Germans were a superior people – a broad-brush vision that many citizens found inspiring.
Hitler’s ability to connect with a large audience of supporters, often by reinforcing and then heightening their existing beliefs, combined with him not able to interact in a normal way with individuals, helped create Hitler’s ‘charisma’ as a leader. Hitler, almost incredibly, could be both intimate with an audience and distant with an individual.
Hitler was always certain in his views – he quarreled with nobody. During the 1920s and early 1930s he insisted that he would be made Chancellor – even though some doubted it would ever happen. But events proved Hitler right, and after he was made Chancellor in January 1933 many people subsequently believed he was unbeatable in his judgment. ‘The Führer is always right’ almost became the motto of the whole Nazi state.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of enemies to a charismatic leader. Hitler was never in doubt about the single category of people he hated above all others – the Jews.
In his fantasy world the Jews were to blame for Communism, the excesses of Capitalism, liberalism, Germany’s economic woes and a whole list of other problems. It was all lies, the Jews were a small but defined and innocent group in Germany, but the remaining millions of others were content to kill them.
Strange as it might seem to us today, Hitler was perceived by many as an optimistic figure during the 1920s and 1930s. He promised a world where Germans – other than German Jews, - could recover their honour after the defeat of the First World War and in which its economy would be able to flourish. After hearing him speak in the early 1930s, Albert Speer, for example, concluded that there was hope if Hitler would become leader.
Max Weber, the German social theorist who first analyzed ‘charismatic leadership’, wrote that leaders can only retain their charismatic appeal in the long term if they preside over a series of successes. And Hitler’s career is similar to Weber’s theory. Whilst belief in Hitler’s charisma grew as a result of his foreign policy successes in the 1930s, and increased even further after the German defeat of France in 1940, it decreased drastically after the German loss at Stalingrad (USSR) in February 1943.
At the end, the general view of Hitler was summed up by one anonymous German civilian, whose views were recorded in a Nazi intelligence report in 1944: ‘It’s always claimed that the Führer was sent to us from God. I don’t doubt it. The Führer was sent to us from God - though not in order to save Germany but to ruin it.’
Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20237437
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laurence-rees/7-secrets-of-hitlers-charisma_b_3104664.html
Oratorical Skills
Hitler, despite his unheroic appearance, did not lack in charisma. There was an intensity about him that suprised many people who met with him, and repelled others. When Hitler spoke publically, he was able of transmitting this charisma through whatever medium he was using, whether it was movie footage, radio, or in person. While this was special, it was not one that Hitler left to change. He did practice his speeches, and his movements, working to find a style that would capture the imagination and hearts of the listeners.
And yes, Hitler used propaganda very effectively. He could speak to his people about the Jews and how they betrayed the Volk (people), to businessmen about the need of controlling the spread of communism, and to the average worker about the need of a strong German economy. He appealed to both the powerful and to the selfish. In short, Hitler told people what they wanted to hear. And he offered the only realistic alternative to the extremism of the Communist party at the time.
And finally, yes, Goebbels did indeed help Hitler. But Goebbels bought wholeheartedly into Hitler's message and image, and worked non-stop to publicise Hitler to the German people. They both did such a good job, that Hitler was able to gain the position of Chancellor, allowing him to legally take over the government and complete his revolution.
Hitler wrote all his own speeches, in fact he only ever had pointers written on the paper in front of him, the rest was strictly made up on the spot.
He would begin by speaking very calmly and very thoughtfully, then he would gather momentum and begin to put emphasis in his voice and use gestures. This would build up to him shouting and raising the crowd’s enthusiasm and working himself into a frenzy, ending with the phrase "Sieg Heil" (Hail Victory). The crowd would then shout it back several times over as Hitler stood there saluting them. Through this methods was he able to gain the support of the citizens
Sources:
https://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090122125658AAj34li
Pictures: http://all-about-biz.blogspot.sg/2011/10/adolf-hitler.html
Friday 27 June 2014
Fears of Communism
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| The Communist Party of Germany's Logo |
Reorganization of the Nazi Party
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| Nazi Party Symbol |
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| Waffen SS |
ogy and prepare them for war. From 1928 and 1933, Hitler gained political support through democratic methods. The Nazi party only received 3% of the vote. The Weimar Republic fell on March 1930 because of their inability to solve the problems of the great depression. Hitler's new goal was to gain the title of Chancellor to gain absolute power.In the election of 1930 the Nazi Party increased their influence in the Reichstag, the German Parliament, from 12 to 107 members.
Skillfulness at making deals with politicians
Hitler travelled the country delivering numerous major speeches, attending meetings which were organized by Joseph Goebbels,who was the propaganda minister and Hitler's most loyal compatriot. He was one of the key reasons why Hitler became famous as he publicised Hitler to the public through speeches and posters.
Hitler understood that gaining and retaining power would be impossible without the support of the wealthy, the powerful and the Reichswehr (army). In the first weeks of 1932, Hitler busied himself by meeting notable figures from each group, asking them about their suggestions. In January 1932, he gave speeches to industrialists in the Ruhr (Coal Mine) and pledged his commitment to provide capital and state support for large corporations. Many used their power within the citizens to support Hitler, while some provided hefty political donations so the NSDAP could continue its propaganda campaign during the Great Depression. At a meeting with The Reichswehr (army) generals in February 1932, Hitler promised to expand and re-arm the military, opposing the restrictions imposed by Versailles.
Hitler offered a very important thing to everyone: work to the unemployed; prosperity to failed business people; profits to industry; expansion to the Army; social harmony and an end of class distinctions to idealistic young students; and restoration of German glory to those in despair. He promised to bring order amid chaos; a feeling of unity to all and the chance to belong. He would make Germany strong again; end payment of war reparations to the Allies; tear up the treaty of Versailles; stamp out corruption; keep down Marxism; and deal harshly with the Jews. Through this, he is able to gain the support of the citizens
Citation:
http://alphahistory.com/weimargermany/hitlers-path-to-power/
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/elect.htm
Hitler travelled the country delivering numerous major speeches, attending meetings which were organized by Joseph Goebbels,who was the propaganda minister and Hitler's most loyal compatriot. He was one of the key reasons why Hitler became famous as he publicised Hitler to the public through speeches and posters.
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| Joseph Goebbels |
Hitler offered a very important thing to everyone: work to the unemployed; prosperity to failed business people; profits to industry; expansion to the Army; social harmony and an end of class distinctions to idealistic young students; and restoration of German glory to those in despair. He promised to bring order amid chaos; a feeling of unity to all and the chance to belong. He would make Germany strong again; end payment of war reparations to the Allies; tear up the treaty of Versailles; stamp out corruption; keep down Marxism; and deal harshly with the Jews. Through this, he is able to gain the support of the citizens
Citation:
http://alphahistory.com/weimargermany/hitlers-path-to-power/
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/elect.htm
Charisma
Adolf Hitler was an unlikely
leader but he still formed a connection with millions of German people,
generating a level of charismatic attraction that was almost without parallel.
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| Adolf Hitler |
Charisma exists only in a
connection between the individual who is perceived as charismatic and their
audience. Only because, in the aftermath of Germany’s defeat in the First World
War, Hitler was able to articulate in a dramatic way many of the fears and
prejudices already felt by his audience was he able to be successful.
In the words of Hans Frank, who
heard Hitler speak in a Beer Hall in 1920, ‘he uttered what was in the
consciousness of all those present’.
 |
| Beer Hall Putsch |
Charismatic leaders despise
detailed policy. There is an element of personal conviction, bordering on the
magical, associated with the decision making process of a person with charisma
– a magic the committee room destroys. And Hitler took this idea to extremes,
outlining a wild fantasy of a world based on race and hatred in which ‘racially
pure’ Germans were a superior people – a broad-brush vision that many found
inspiring.
Hitler’s ability to connect
with a large audience of supporters, often by reinforcing and then heightening
their existing beliefs, combined with his inability to interact in a normal
everyday way with individuals, helped create Hitler’s ‘charisma’ as a leader.
Hitler, almost incredibly, could be both intimate with an audience and distant
with an individual.
Hitler was always certain in
his views – he debated with nobody. During the 1920s and early 1930s he
insisted that he would be made Chancellor – even though some doubted it would
ever happen. But events proved Hitler right, and after he was made Chancellor
in January 1933 many people subsequently believed he was infallible in his
judgment. ‘The Führer is always right’ almost became the motto of the whole
Nazi state.
It is virtually impossible to
overestimate the importance of enemies to a charismatic leader. As Hitler
discovered, it is much easier for charismatic leaders to define themselves by
who they hate rather than by what they believe in. And Hitler was never in
doubt about the single category of people he hated above all others – the Jews.
In his fantasy world the Jews
were to blame for Communism, the excesses of Capitalism, liberalism, Germany’s
economic woes and a whole catalogue of other problems. It was all a lie, of
course, but because anti-Semitic prejudice already existed, and the Jews were a
small but defined group in Germany, then millions of others were content to
persecute them.
Strange as it might seem to us
today, Hitler was perceived by many as an optimistic figure during the 1920s
and 1930s. He promised a world where Germans – other than German Jews, of
course - could recover their honour after the defeat of the First World War and
in which the economy would flourish. After hearing him speak in the early
1930s, Albert Speer, for example, concluded that ‘here, it seemed to me, was
hope’.
Max Weber, the German social
theorist who first analyzed ‘charismatic leadership’, wrote that leaders can
only retain their charismatic appeal in the long term if they preside over a
series of successes. And Hitler’s career is proof of Weber’s theory. Whilst
belief in Hitler’s charisma grew as a result of his foreign policy successes in
the 1930s, and peaked after the German defeat of France in 1940, it waned after
the German loss at Stalingrad in February 1943.
At the end, the general view of
Hitler was summed up by one anonymous German civilian, whose views were
recorded in a Nazi intelligence report in 1944: ‘It’s always claimed that the
Führer was sent to us from God. I don’t doubt it. The Führer was sent to us
from God - though not in order to save Germany but to ruin it.’
Sources:
Oratorical Skills
Hitler, despite his unheroic
appearance, did not lack in charisma. There was an intensity about him that
mesmerized many people who came into contact with him, and repelled others.
When Hitler spoke publically, he had the knack of transmitting this charisma
through whatever medium he was using, whether it was movie footage, radio, or
in person. While this was an innate talent, it was not one that Hitler left to
chance. He did practice his speeches, and his movements, consciously working to
find a style that would capture the imagination and hearts of the listeners.
And yes, Hitler used propaganda
very effectively. He could speak to his people about the Jews and how they
betrayed the Volk (people), to businessmen about the need to control the spread
of communism, and to the average worker about the need for a strong German
economy. He appealed to both the patriotic and to the selfish. In short, Hitler
told people what they wanted to hear. And he offered the only realistic
alternative to the extremism of the Communist party at the time.
And finally, yes, Goebbels did
indeed help Hitler, though for a time Goebbels actually worked for a Nazi who
would become a foe of Hitler. But Goebbels bought wholeheartedly into Hitler's
message and image, and worked tirelessly to "sell" Hitler to the
German people. They both did such a good job, that Hitler was able to gain the
position of Chancellor, allowing him to legally take over the government and
complete his revolution.
Hitler wrote all his own
speeches, in fact he only ever had pointers written on the paper in front of
him, the rest was strictly off the cuff, exciting, exhilarating and
extemporaneous.
He would begin by speaking very
calmly and very thoughtfully, then he would gather momentum and begin to put
emphasis in his voice and use gestures. This would build up to him shouting and
raising the crowd’s enthusiasm and working himself into a frenzy, ending with
the phrase "Sieg Heil" (Hail Victory). The crowd would then shout it
back several times over as Hitler stood there saluting them.
Sources:
Here is a video to briefly summarise Nazi's Ideology
Racism and Restrictions
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| Top: Music Propaganda Above: Poster Propaganda |
Hitler and his party members restricted the freedom of speeches, they persecuted racial or sexual equality and social minorities.
- Censorship in Nazi Germany was implemented by the Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels. All media—literature, music, newspapers, and public events—were censored. Attempts were also made to censor private communications, such as mail and even private conversation. (Examples of Nazi's Propaganda music and posters are depicted at the side of this posts.)
- The aim of censorship under the Nazi regime was to reinforce Nazi power and to suppress opposing viewpoints and information. Punishments varied from banning of presentation, imprisonment, or even execution in a concentration camp.
- Hitler outlined his theory of propaganda and censorship in the Mein Kampf
- Hitler admired the British Empire as a shining example of Nordic genius. Racist theories were developed by British intellectuals in the 19th century to control the Indian people and other "savages." These methods were often copied by the Nazis. Therefore, Hitler wanted the superiority of the “True German Blood” of the “White Aryans” (The Jews was a threat as it was a race capable of superseding them). This theory of the Nordic Race being created by God by Alfred Rosenberg was the norm in the German Culture. Hitler and Himmler planned to use the SS as the basis for the racial "regeneration" of Europe following the final victory of Nazism. The SS was to be a racial elite chosen on the basis of "pure" Nordic qualities.
- Nazis developed an elaborate system of propaganda to diffuse these theories. Cinema was also used to promote racist theories. To preserve the "racial purity" of the German blood, after the beginning of the war the Nazis extended the race defilement law to include all foreigners under the race laws, sexual relations between Aryans and non-Aryans became punishable by law.
- During World War II, Germanization efforts were carried out in central and eastern Europe to cull those of "German blood" there. This started with the classification of people into the Volksliste. Those selected were either sent for Germanization, or killed to prevent "German blood" being used against the Nazis
- They felt that this race (master race) needed more living space, also known as Lebensraum.
Promises made by the Nazis (To gain support)
- The Nazis wanted to retake their honor and what was lost after the embarrassing surrender in the Treaty Versailles which contained hefty consequences.
- A few right-wing politicians and political parties in Europe welcomed the rise of fascism and the Nazis out of an intense aversion towards Communism.
- Wanted a dictatorial type of ruling
- Want politicians that do not surrender easily like the “November Criminals”
- Did not agree with the harsh terms in the “Treaty of Versailles” such as the war reparations
Ruling
- Their way of ruling, which is called “Nazism”, is similar with the ruling of Fascism in which is commonly used in Italy. Fascism is a system of governance which is controlled by a dictator, stringent to socio-economic controls and suppression of the radicals through terror and censorship.
- A distinctive difference from this two rulings is that Nazism does not have a “national movement” unlike Fascism, which will export their ideas to other countries. Nazism also emphasizes on the hatred towards the Jews.
- The main problems that Hitler had to attend to was the restoration of German economic and military supremacy. To gain support and trust from the Germans, Hitler wrote a book named “Mein Kamf” which outlines the political ideology and future plans for Germany.
Competitiveness
Nazism and Communism emerged as two serious contenders for power in Germany after the First World War, particularly as the Weimar Republic became increasingly unstable.
Citation:
Hitler’s rise to power through The Great Depression
Here is a video to briefly summarise the situation during The Great Depression
Brief Introduction
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide
economic recession during the early 1930s. In most countries it started in 1930s
and lasted until the late or middle 1930s. The depression originated in the
United States of America (USA), after the fall in stock prices that began
around September 4, 1929, it became worldwide news with the stock market crash
of October 29, 1929.
How it affected most parts of the world
The Great Depression had catastrophic effects
in many countries. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped,
while international trade plunged by more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S.
rose to 25%, and in some countries rose as high as 33%. Cities all around the
world were hit hard, especially those dependent on the heavy industry.
Construction was virtually halted in many countries.
How the Great Depression affected Germany
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| NSDAP,otherwise known as Nazi's, flag |
The Great Depression in Germany's Weimar
Republic was hit hard by the depression, as American loans to help rebuild the
German economy now stopped. Unemployment soared up to 30% especially in larger
cities, and the political system veered towards the right and left wing parties,
increasing the support for the Nazi (NSDAP) and Communist (KPD) parties.
Repayments of the war reparations due by Germany were suspended in 1932
following the Lausanne Conference of 1932. Hitler and the Nazi Party came to
power in January 1933, establishing a totalitarian single-party state within
months and initiating the path towards World War II, the most devastating
conflict in world history. The economy of Germany was supported by the granting
of loans from the U.S. When American banks withdrew their loans to German
companies, the onset of severe unemployment could not be stopped by
conventional economic measures. The Nazi Party (NSDAP) entered the Reichstag
with 19% of the popular vote and made the fragile coalition system by which
every chancellor had governed unworkable. The rise of Hitler and its effects on
Germany played one of the most crucial roles in the rise to power of the Nazi
Party. At the September 1930 Reichstag elections, the Nazis won 18.3% of the
votes and became the second-largest party in the Reichstag after the SPD.
Sources:
Hyperinflation in Weimar Government
In the early 1920s Germany experienced one of the most severe inflations of all time. The inflation was not apparent in 1920, but began showing up in 1921. Thereafter it got steadily worse until it came to an abrupt halt at the end of 1923. At its worst in the second half of 1923, prices rose more than fivefold each week.
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Rate of Hyperinflation during the Weimar Government
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How did this crisis start? In order to pay the costs for WWI, the Government decide to take loans from other countries, a decision made worser due to the Treaty Of Versailles, where the Allies asked Germany to pay reparations worth US$31.4 billion (based on 1921 economy). Economists deemed that it would take Germany until 1988 to pay the full amount.
All this decreased the value of Germany's currency, the Reichmarks. Due to the war efforts alone, the prices of products in Germany went up by 140%. In 1921, prices increased about sixfold,that is, it took six marks at the end of the period to buy what one mark would have bought at the beginning. In 1923, in an extent to increase the value of the Reichmarks, the officials at the Reich bank decided to support the mark by purchasing it in the foreign exchange markets. However as the Weimar government was printing out currency at an alarming rate to pay the reparations.
This caused the value of Reichmarks to decrease. Workers were still given the same salaries. However the price of products started to increase rapidly in July to November of 1923, when prices increased by somewhere between a million and a billion times their previous level.This caused shop owners to not be able to buy stocks for their shops. On the other hand, business owners benefitted from this inflation the most, as all their debts were cleared away. Badly hit were the pensioners, whom with their pension, can only afford a cup of coffee and a slice of bread. Therefore, the hyperinflation period saw drops in standards of living, however also helped certain businessmen bring back their businesses debtless. As the French Government took away Coal mines in Ruhr and workers there were going on strike, the Weimar government were unable to rebuild their economy.Hence Hjalmar Schacht, the new currency commissioner of the Weimar Republic decided to end the period of hyperinflation by introducing a new currency called the Retenmarks. This ended the period of hyperinflation in Germany, and business was back to normal. The prices went down, not back to pre-war standards, but still affordable.
Here is a video to briefly summarise the situation during the Hyperinflation
Firstly, shown here is a video to give an idea on how Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party rose to power.
'Coat of Arms'
The Weimar Government was not supported by the ‘Rights’, which mainly refers to the German Army which fought during World War One.They strongly objected to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and surrendering in World War One and hence, this group believed that the army had been ‘betrayed’ by the Weimar Government as they could have continued fighting to victory in World War 1, and not bring shame to Germany. They were determined to obstruct the work of the Weimar Government.
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| Communist Republic of Germany Flag |
The Weimar Government was also unable to keep order in Germany and hence, they lost the support of the majority of the Germans. The German Government spent much of its time trying to control riots and foil attempts to overthrow the government.It relied heavily on the Freikorps(German volunteer military) to control tensions in Germany. Ironically, even the Freikorps tried to overthrow the government in the 1920 Kapp Putsch, which almost succeeded.To add on, in November 1923, Hitler himself attempted to overthrow the government in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch.
Members of the Weimar Government were targeted to be attacked.Between 1919 to 1922, 376 politicians were murdered. Germans were deeply shocked by the violence in their country and felt insecure.The Germans eventually lost confidence in the Weimar Government's ability to maintain law and order.
The Weimar Government also lacked support from the Middle Class. The Weimar Government was heavily in debt due to the war reparations to be compensated for The World War One. Germany’s problems were worsened by the hyperinflation, caused by the overprinting of money to make it easier for the government to pay off its debts.Many Germans lost their savings overnight as money no longer had its values anymore. Most Germans blame their government for their current situation. The situation harshly impacted the middle class and they stopped supporting the government as they thought that the government and its democratic system had failed.
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| Chancellor Gustav Stresemann |
Stresemann's death was a big blow to Germany, especially so when Germany’s economy recovery heavily depended on loans from America. This made Germany vulnerable as it depended on America to keep lending funds.When the Great Depression hit, America was badly affected and thus, loans from America to Germany came to an end.Germany suffered a crisis and was on the verge of collapse.
Soon after, the Germans hated the Weimar Government even more as Germany's economy worsened and many lost their jobs as there was no one capable to negotiate with different parties for assistance and solve problems,
Hitler found this moment the very right moment to take over Germany as supreme leader. He took advantage of these weaknesses and promised all Germans, who are now desperate for a reliable leader and government, jobs and a better economy. To the Germans, Hitler was the only option left and in such scenarios, people look for those who solve problems, and in this case Hitler and the Nazi Party seem to be the most reliable candidate to lead Germany, hence giving Germany and his Nazi Party the upper hand.
* Under the Dawes Plan, Germany’s annual reparation payments would be reduced, increasing over time as its economy improved, the full amount to be paid though.
Hitler found this moment the very right moment to take over Germany as supreme leader. He took advantage of these weaknesses and promised all Germans, who are now desperate for a reliable leader and government, jobs and a better economy. To the Germans, Hitler was the only option left and in such scenarios, people look for those who solve problems, and in this case Hitler and the Nazi Party seem to be the most reliable candidate to lead Germany, hence giving Germany and his Nazi Party the upper hand.
* Under the Dawes Plan, Germany’s annual reparation payments would be reduced, increasing over time as its economy improved, the full amount to be paid though.
* The Young Plan was to finalise and help overcome the German reparations problem.
Citations:
http://www.slideshare.net/missfateha/chapter4weakness-of-weimar-government,https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/dawes
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