I don’t I think I ever quite understood the extent of Hitler’s narcissism, egocentrism, and plain lunacy until I read Mein Kampf. The ideas he presents are so unfathomably absurd; yet, through this book and the ideologies expressed in it, he was able to sway an entire population.
As Kirshaw has noted numerous times, Hitler’s accounts in Mein Kampf are often fabrications and exaggerations that serve to make him look greater than his reality, to provide for the public an all-powerful, all-knowing Fuhrer that knows no faults. Though most of the autobiographical content provides nothing more than a great mess of falsehoods, the book supplies an abundance of information and truths about the mentality of one of the most influential leaders the world has ever seen: Adolf Hitler.
I found that Hitler’s ideas about Nation and Race stood out to me among the reading this week. Evidence of Hitler’s “all-or-nothing” mentality frequently discussed in Kirshaw’s writing is present throughout the chapter as Hitler informs his readers about the ways of “Nature”. When discussing “Nature’s rule” about the segregation of living species, he states:
“Such mating is contrary to the will of Nature for a higher breeding of all life.The precondition for this does not lie in associating superior and inferior, but in the total victory of the former. The stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker, thus sacrificing his own greatness.”(285)
Hitler’s extremist mindset is especially present in his final thoughts relating to the mastery of the superior race (Aryan) over the inferior (Jewish). He is unwilling to compromise, and in this instance, states that Nature herself is, too. This suggests he knows, understands, and has been tasked with the implementation of Nature’s order, a power no mortal posses. Therefore, the claim that he has this knowledge relates him to a being of immortality, a figure above all the rest, a savior. He later discusses the effects of “racial crossing” as the “beginning of a slowly but surely progressing sickness,” and “to bring about such a development is, then, nothing else but to sin against the will of the eternal creator.”(286)
This poorly written book of Hitler’s accounts and ideologies gives us all a glimpse into a demented. Hitler’s hyperbolic and generally preposterous language reinforces the idea that Hitler’s rise to power was due more to the economic, political, and social state of Germany at the time than to his own abilities as a leader and ideologue.
While reading this passage, I found many of the inconsistencies Kershaw points out. For example, one of the obvious inconsistences that stood up was that he lied about being member number 7 instead of number 555. Furthermore Hitler claims “I am not one of those people who being something today and lay it down tomorrow, if possible taking up something else again” (p 223). This contradicts the way Hitler was portrayed in Kershaw’s account. It was mentioned that Hitler would start writing plays one day and the next day he would find another project to occupy himself with. Hitler also portrays himself as if he had a goal on how to shape his new party. In Kershaw’s account, Hitler calls himself the drummer, the one who rallies up the masses. However in Hitler’s account, he portrayed himself as a leader. Throughout Mein Kampf, Hitler is trying to cover up his past so he seems like the ideal politician, however, if you dig far enough, it is clear he is just trying to cover up who he really is because he became addicted to the power and command he has over the masses.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else see how insane Hitler is? Beginning on page 284, his thoughts tail spin in his own twisted idea of 'Nature' and natural selection (a very unnatural selection indeed). I am beginning to wonder if Hitler had ever taken a biology class. Hitler boldly and incorrectly states that "any crossing of two beings not at exactly the same level produces a medium between the level of the two parents" (285). This is obviously not true, even by Hitler's example regarding height of the offspring in relation to the parents. In fact, you may find a fox that will "show humanitarian tendencies toward geese" if such altruism benefits the propagation of the fox. This is evident in nature, not Hitler's "Nature."
ReplyDeleteI am led to believe that Hitler invented his own idea of natural selection and disregards the foundations of biology, most notably Darwinian principle. Hitler goes on and on about Nature, without a reference to any scientific proof, fact, or data. All is generated in his head and he assumes at everything that he says must be fact. Out of nowhere, Hitler makes the case that "all the results of art, science, and technology ... are almost exclusively the creative product of the Aryan" (290). Really, Hitler? How demented is your thinking? What evidence do you have for such a stupid leap?
Lan I really have to agree with your assessment on this point. Hitler's beliefs in Mein Kampf, as well as many he shared with those of the Social Darwinist movement reflected a very poor understanding of evolutionary progression.
ReplyDeleteAs Lauren pointed out, Hitler misinterpreted the principle of segregation of species to mean that nature reviled mating between members of different ethnic identities. The recognition that such a practice actually engenders a deeper gene pool was common biological knowledge at the time. He really twists the information to fit his own narrative instead of rethinking his narrative until it fits the information.
It seems that at best, he read lightly from Social Darwinist brochures off the streets. For all his justification of natural law, there's no mention of mutualism or interdependency. Hitler's xenophobia ignores the fact that species assert their dominance in nature for greater fitness (food and mating,) and not for demonstrations of superiority.