Hitler the Fascinating.
Yes, I admit, I am fascinated by Adolf Hitler. Lenin had passion, personality and the courage of his convictions; fortunately he died before he could do any more serious damage to the people of Russia. Stalin picked up where Lenin left off; however, it was his ruthlessness, fearmongering and paranoia that kept his sheep in line, long enough for him to be responsible for the deaths of some 25 million Russians.
With Hitler, you have a fascinating mix of hubris, indignation, courage of conviction, opportunism and calculated risk. You also have willful ignorance, waffling opponents and western countries who did not take him seriously until it was too late. My favourite question regarding the Holocaust and even the Second World War in general is: how? How could one person convince an entire nation it's a great idea to throw themselves into another "Great" War and destroy an entire race while they're at it? Despite some grumbling and outright protesting of the Nazi regime, the majority of Germans stood behind Hitler, waved their flags and willfully died for their country. I read to find a solution to this mystery.
I've just started Mein Kampf. My father-in-law gave me a 1939 copy of the English translation. Tedious? You bet. Fascinating? To me, it is.
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Good morning, Life with Cats,
Have you read Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi? This book really helped me to understand how Hitler was able to do what he did. She describes the everyday people, how they had suffered in the aftermath of WWI and were just trying to get by. The youth groups took the kids and indoctrinated them and it all filtered out into the populace. Some people were believers, some were apathetic, some were afraid to make a stand. It seems about the most plausible explanation.
Have a good day, Matriarch
Thanks Matriarch, I was hoping you'd suggest a book! I will check this one out. Mein Kampf is a hard slog; I'm reading it in bits and pieces. I have read books on Berlin before and after the war, but your recommendation sounds more broad in scope. Thank you!
LWC