To what extent were Hitler's personality and charisma responsible for his rise to power?

Although Hitler's personality and charisma as an orator played and important role in his appeal and rise to power, they were not solely responsible. Political and economic factors at the time greatly helped in his rise to power. It was indeed a combination of charisma and the conditions of his time which lead to hiss rise. Firstly, Hitler was a very passionate orator, from beerhalls to the Reichstag, he had the amazing ability to sway and  "electrify" his crowds. He in fact studied Wagner's plays and was inspired to incorporate dramatic movements in his plays to make his speeches even more passionate. Finally he was one of the first politicians to use a plane to fly around Germany to attend rallies and speehes during electoral campaigns; something which all politicians do nowadays.

However political and economic factors also helped Hitler. Politically, the Treaty of Versailles had humiliated Germany. Even though it was theoretically based on Wilson's "14 points", only 40 of its 400 clauses were dedicated to "democratizing" Germany. The rest imposed enormous reparations, stripped it of land, greatly reduced the size and power of its army and demilitarized the Rhineland. The German "Volk" felt humiliated, and the French occupation of the Ruhr in 1923 added to this sentiment. Therefore the Germans wanted political change. Economically things were tough as well, for instance the French invasion in 1923 led to hyper-inflation. Also the Great Depression hit Germany badly, brought great poverty and unemployment. The economic crisis further strengthened Hitler's ability to use Germany's Jewish population as scapegoats. The German people wanted a strong leader to get rid of foreign dependancy imposed by the treaty of Versailles and liberate them from the economic crisis. Hitler used his oratory skills and personality to inspire the Germans to vote for him and believe that he would rid the country of its issues. Therefore it was a combination of the three that led to his rise.