Myth and Reality

[Joe]

Herb

Please read the 2 volumn series on Hitler by Ian Kershaw. The first volumn covers the period from 1889 to 1936. Kershaw's research is serious and these books are interesting, but they read very slowly.


The author states, "The First World War made Hitler possible. Without the humiliation of defeat and the upheaval of revolution this failed artist and social drop out would not have discovered what to do with his life by entering politics......without the trauma of war, defeat and revolution, without the political radicalization of German society that this truma brought about, this demagogue would have been without an audience for his hate filled message". Without the War Hitler never would have become the leader of Germany.

During his early years as a painter [1908-13] in Vienna, Hitler attended many speeches given by anti semites and other purveyors of hate. They did not have fertile ground for their message to grow, at that time. The loss of the War and its aftermath in Germany gave Hitler an audience that was very receptive of his message.

I don't think the War changed Hitler, it was the social enviorment after the hostilities that changed the country, so they were willing to accept his idea of a "new" Germany.