Hitler's Ideals Expressed in Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf:

As you read, reflect and write. What does his writing / thinking suggest about his background and political ideas? What possible ramifications does it have for Germany if he comes to power?

Volume one, chapter six of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf (My Struggle) demonstrates that Hitler considered propaganda to be an extremely useful political artifice. In excerpts from this chapter, Hitler criticizes the way Austrians and Germans made the enemy seem ridiculous and instead praises the war propaganda of the Americans and of the English.The allies represented the Germans to their own people as barbarians and Huns, thus preparing them for the terror of war. The Germans, on the other hand, were not strengthened by propaganda but instead lost courage. Hitler believed the function of propaganda was to always serve the Nazis, not the people. He believed that the purpose of propaganda was to call the masses' attention to certain facts. He instead claimed that people had little intelligence and easily forgot things. Based on this chapter, it seems highly likely that Hitler will use a great deal of propaganda with the German people if he comes to power.

Volume one, chapter ten of Mein Kampf discussed the causes of Germany's collapse. Hitler first blamed the evil war as the cause of Germany's problems. However, he then proceeded to blame the Jews. Hitler stated that only impudent Jews would blame the collapse solely on the military defeat and later called the Jews "unscrupulous" meaning unprincipled. Hitler also claimed that the Jews poison the nation. This chapter demonstrates an evident hatred for the Jews. As Hitler considered Jews to be inferior to "true" Germans, he used Jews as scapegoats on which to blame Germany's problems. Hitler's racism will later become front and center as the Jews become Hitler's main target during the Holocaust.

Volume one, chapter eleven of the book focuses on nation and race. Hitler emphasized that nature does not desire the mating of weaker (Jews) with stronger individuals (Germans), and he said that historical experience offered proof of this. Hitler explained that the Aryan people (pure Germans) were the "Master Race" and all other races especially the Jews were inferior to the Aryans. This suggests that Hitler may have been ashamed of his own background of being the son of a minor Austrian customs official, and this may have caused him to single out the inferior people in German society. This chapter once again highlights Hitler's hatred for all non-Aryans and how this will play a role in how he treats non-Germans.

Volume two, chapter fourteen focuses on Eastern orientation/Eastern policy. Hitler believed that Germans had to secure the land and the soil to which they were entitled. He stressed that Germany had to be a world power and acquire nations "doomed for destruction" or there would be no Germany. Hitler supported lebensraum which was the belief that Germans could expand into Poland and Russia to get 'living space.' This suggests that if Hitler comes to power, he will probably take over foreign countries and claim that it is Germany's right.