In a free country, the man who reaches the position of leader is usually one of outstanding character and ability. Moreover, it is usually possible to foresee that he will reach such a position, since early in life one can see his qualities of character. But this is not always true in the case of a dictator. often he reachers his position of power through change, very often through the unhappy state of his country. It is possible that Hitler would never have become the leader of Germany if that country had not been driven to despair.
The passage seems to suggest that