Hitler dedicated Mein Kampf to the man he shared his cell with in the Bavarian fortress at Landsberg, Rudolph Hess. In the first few chapters of Volume 1, it gives a brief but significant sketch of the early years of Hitler's life. Born in 1889, at Branau, Austria, Hitler felt himself to be a German more than an Austrian and despised the easygoing people of Vienna. According to the book, his first years were ones of deprivation, poverty and suffering. His formal schooling ended at thirteen and he lost both parents at about the same time. His struggles to become an artist (in Vienna) and an architect were lost because of his lack of schooling. Hitler states in the book that he read a lot about history in Vienna and was inspired by a book on the Franco-Prussian war (1870). This gave him the impression of the superiority of the German race and at the same time how much he despised the Jews (blaming them for the loss of World War 1 and the lack of jobs for the German people). Finally in 1912 after years in Vienna, Hitler settled in Munich, Germany. At the beginning of World War 1, He enlisted into the Bavarian army and was promoted to Corporal after time.
Hitler became head of the Nazi political party with 27,000 party members in 1923. In November ot tha year, Hitler led a Putsch or uprising in Munich against the Postwar Weimar Republic, proclaiming himself Chancellor of a new authorisation regime. Without military support however, the Putsch collapsed. As a leader of the plot, Hitler was sentenced to five years imprisonment and served nine months in which he spent dictating Mein Kampf. When he was released in December 1924, he rebuilt his political party without interference and realised he would have to spread his word legally by becoming head of Government. The Nazi's gained more and more seats in the Government as they promised a wealthier and stronger Germany (aided by the fact that 6 million people were unemployed due to the Wall Street crash in 1929).
The remainder of Mein Kampf deals with race superiority, and race supremacy. Interestingly in the book Hitler never attempted to define race. He states that mankind is divided into three groups: the culture-creators (meaning Aryans (Germans)), the culture bearers (the Japanese) and the culture destroyers (Jews and Negroes). This is a clear indication of Hitler's racial views towards different cultures. One good example of this racism is his views towards Africans. In the book he states that "It is criminal lunacy to keep on drilling a born half ape until people think they have made a Lawyer out of him, while millions of members of the highest culture-race must remain in entirely unworthy positions; it is a sin against the will of the Eternal Creator if most gifted beings by the hundreds and hundreds of thousands are allowed to degenerate in the present proletarian morass, while Hottentots and Zulu Kaffirs are trained for intellectual professions". He explains in Mein Kampf how some cultures are created superior to others (meaning Germans) and points out how the world's strongest race (Germans) should rule over inferior races on Earth.
In the book, Hitler talks about other Countries, and identifies both his friends and enemies there. Mostly though, these chapters end up as attacks on the Jews. He talks about the Bolshvization of Germany or the attempts by the Jewish Intelligentsia to make possible the sweating of the German working class under the yolk of Jewish world finance. All of this, and Hitler’s craving for Lebensraum or living space for the Germans were more or less the goals Hitler set for World War 2. Mein Kampf helped in all of this because Hitler needed support to achieve these ambitions and Mein Kampf was used to get the support of the German people.
In this way Hitler used Mein Kampf as a sort of Propaganda. He described it as one of the Nazi's most impressive techniques and he was right as it obviously worked. Hitler’s faith in propaganda was illustrated in this statement "It is possible by means of shrewd and unremitting propaganda, to make people believe that Heaven is Hell- and Hell is Heaven". Hitler blueprinted his plans for Germany in Mein Kampf but the book wasn't even fully translated fully uncensored in English until 1939, so not everything about Hitler’s plans was to be known by the Allies.
Although it has such glaring defects, Mein Kampf is considered to be one of the most extraordinary historical documents of all time. It is the world's misfortune that Hitler's ideas didn't die with him as many still follow his ways in Germany and in other places. Dictators everywhere will continue to seek advice in Mein Kampf for their evil purposes.
Short Questions
1 Bibliography
Books
Downs, R, B. Books That Changed the World. Mentor, New York, 1956.
Fee, G and Hartigan, M. Europe 1870-1970, Recent Times, School and College Publishing, Dublin, 1997.
Rosenbaum, R. Explaining Hitler, Macmillan, London, 1999.
Keegan, J. Who's Who in World War 2, Oxford, 1986.
Townley, E. The Complete A-Z 20th Century European History Handbook, Hoddar & Stoughton, London, 1990.
Farrington, K. Witness to World War 2, Blitz Editions, London, 1993.
Internet/Electronic
http://encarta.msn.com
Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2000
2 Reasons why it was worth studying
1. Mein Kampf played a significant part in World War 2, as it fed the Nazi's and all of Hitler's other followers with hatred and propaganda.
2. I was able to gain first hand information about Hitler and the ideas he believed in.
3. The book Mein Kampf gave the world a warning as to what Hitler's plans were. What is interesting, is that the British and American politicians chose to ignore this warning.
4. The book gives us a fairly detailed (and biased account) of Hitler's life and struggles.
3 Review
One of the sources used was to write this essay was a Book named 'Books That Changed the World' which was written by R. B Downs. Mentor published this book in New York 1956.
The book was a good source because:
1. It dealt with the early life of Adolf Hitler up until he wrote Mein Kampf in the Bavarian fortress at Landsberg. As such it gives a good backround to the writing of the book.
2- It tells the story of all of Hitler's plans for Lebensraum for the Aryan race.
3- It tells of Hitler's plans for all the people he considered inferior such as the Jews and Negroes.
4- It contains a reasonable amount of primary source material.
5- It contains a good Bibliography, which was used for other sources.
While reading for this essay the issue of bias and subjectivity arose. This source however seemed to give a balanced view of the topic. This impression was given by checking dates,while clearly showing Hitler's views, the author was very careful to show the racist nature of them facts, and comments against the other sources read.
4 Experience
1. I learned how to seek information from books in local libraries. (Research skills)
2. I learned how to find information by using the Internet. (Research skills)
3. I learned how to read primary and secondary sources before writing the essay. (Analysis skills)
4. I learned how to type the essay using Microsoft Word. (I.T. skills)