The Meaning Of Hitler - Book Review

This book by Sebastian Haffner is not a biographical account to begin with. This book completely diverges from other well know detailed, well-referenced, chronological biographies of Hitler by the likes of Ian Kershaw, Joachim Fest or Ludolf Herbst in terms of its narrative style and structure. What caught my attention towards this book is that It is remarkably thin in its size but refreshingly thick in the original analysis in some respect. Sebastian Haffner was a noted German journalist and author renowned for his polemical writings on Nazi Germany. In fact Haffner was his nom de plume and his real name was Raimund Pretzel. He had adopted that pseudonym after he went into exile and emigrated to London with his Jewish wife in 1938 from Nazi Germany. 

Haffner is surprisingly even-handed in his analysis of Hitler in this book. His analysis is not marred by prejudices that you see in most of the biographies and Nazi literature that was published during the so called “Hitler wave” of the 70s. He successfully assays to give a perspective on this man, born out of the socio-political milieu, and his impact solely in terms of his ideology, misconceptions, his successes and errors. However, it is difficult to envisage a subject as complex as Hitler to be reduced to a mere personalization of human traits, character, idiosyncrasies etc. which the Haffner attempts daringly in this book and had been quite successful and convincing. There are some brilliant insights in this book and some lesser known facts which one is only able to find in a thoroughly researched or first hand account. 

Haffner begins with some of the most commonly known facets of Hitler’s early years in Vienna where his early concentration on politics became later his substitute for life and where a granite foundation for is political Ideology of National Socialism (or Nationalism or Anti- Semitism??) was laid which later developed into an obsession, an unnatural fixation to achieve an objective of setting up a greater German Reich which he had set out for himself from start and which he wanted to accomplish at any cost within his lifetime(!!). The author argues that after entering into politics and starting his own party NSDPA around the time of “November Crime” revolution to overthrow Weimar republic, Hitler’s domestic policy program was already complete (1918-1919), but his foreign policy slowly began taking shape during following 6-7 years after his decision to become der Führer, the position of absolute power. 

During the first 6 years of his 12 year reign is when Hitler discovered his mass mobilizing skill as an orator, a propagandist and enjoyed the reputation as a Damegogue. Haffner does not discount Hitler on his achievements. He argues that among his positive achievements, one which outshines all others was his economic miracle. After his becoming Reich chancellor in 1933, Germany was going through a great depression due to stock market crash of Oct. 1929 and around 6 mn. were unemployed. In mere 3 years, he achieved full employment. Hard to imagine, but that’s what became one of the factors which silenced many of his critiques who still rejected him. Likewise, his another achievement, argues Heffner, was re-militarization and rearmament of germany in first 6 years of his rule. Both proved to be vary effective economy boosting activities and important foreign policy initiatives, especially rearmament which had effectively invalidated Varsailles treaty. Moreover, he carried out a major social transformation in germany and called it “socialization of people”. Clearly socialism was a misnomer, and it was nothing but a forced socialization. Here author clearly differentiates that Hitler by no means socialized Production, as Marxists would see it, but he achieved it by pressing people into a collective “socialist” way of life, whether they liked it or not. 

Author distinguishes Hitler’s achievements from his unbroken successes, which he achieved from 1930 to1941 in his domestic and foreign policies. What changed between 1918- 23 and of 1933, author reasons, are Hitler’s opponents with whom he had to deal, which were never strong or tough. In 1920s, Weimar republic proved too strong for him to crack and that’s why he was a failure (Beer Hall putsch of 1923). Later in 1930-40 he dealt with weak opponents in terms of personalities and who lacked a political concept or were divided among themselves such as conservatives. He achieved his successes not by means of an efficiently working constitutional machinery and structured governmental hierarchy but by a chaotic bundle of uncoordinated mass organizations merely held together at the top by his own persons. Among Hitler’s foreign policy successes was ripping off the fetters of Versailles, as he called it, by remilitarization of Rhineland and incorporation of Austria and Sudeten area and was made possible due to Britain’s controversial “Appeasement” policy which France followed despite weak chances of its success. 

Haffner discusses some of the misconceptions in Hitler’s personality and political ideology in subsequent chapter. He contends that it is not easy to place Hitler in a political right or even left wing. He was a different kind of politician, and here Haffner introduces term called “programmatician”, a setter of goals. Author also points out the inherent contradictions in Hitler’s notion of “State”, “nation” and “Race” which he frequently used to juggle in his thinking thus creating more confusion. Comparing with the accepted definitions of these terms, its still difficult to understand the real meaning behind Hitler’s idea of “Aryan Race” “supreme race” or “greater Germanic State” (Nation??). What really was his ideas and understanding about Jewry, a race, a nation or a religion? Heffner argues, Hitler never considered Jewry a religion which was an absolutely a contrarian view from the world and which he repeatedly justified. But whether it was a race or a nation, it seems he himself was not quite sure of. One thing which he was quite sure of was that Jews by their vary nature international are incapable of establishing a state and hence never limited territorially. He also introduces Hitlerism, the ideological edifice of Hitler the programmatician which mistakenly believes that all manifestation in world history are merely manifestation of the self preservation drive of races and in this drive nations wage war to gain a “living space” by permanently subjecting or annihilation the vanquished and achieving world domination. 

Inarguably most interesting chapter was “The Mistakes.” Today’s world, author argues whether we like it or not, is Hitler’s world. Without Hitler there would be no participation of Germany and Europe. Without him there would be no Israel; without him there would be no Americans and Russians in Berlin; subsequently there would be no de-colonization in such rapid pace; and no Asian, Arab or black African emancipation; without him there would be not “cold war” and subsequent emergence or Russian and American world powers. In those 12 years the world history revolved around only man and was dominated by him. Heffner recounts that in last few years , Hitler made many mistakes that eventually proved disastrous for him. First serious mistakes was his anti-semitism against german jews caused widespread humiliation amongst the population turning friends into enemies. His second biggest was when he attacked Russia and declared war on America. This was indeed a foolishly absurd decision. He simply waged the war on Britain and France in 1939 when both were not ready for such an active war either materially or psychologically. Russia was always on Hitler’s mental map as german “living space” and the time had come after victory over France to ring up the curtain for this main conquest. Haffner convincingly dissects the incomprehensible mistake of Hitler when he provoked war on America in 1941 and reason for Japan’s indifferent attitude towards Germany in her Russian conquest. 

In the last but one chapter on Hitler’s Crimes, Haffner recounts briefly about Hitler’s crimes against poles, Russians, Gypies and Invalids. He articulates that around 1942 there was widespread realization that Hitler’s mass murders were not ‘war crimes’ but crimes pure and simple. Unfortunately that awareness was later blurred by Nuremberg “war criminal” trials, an unfortunate performance which no one likes to remember. He remarks that in December 1941, Hitler had made his final choice between two incompatible aims which he had pursued from outset- German domination on world and extermination of Jews. Hitler abandoned the former due to his realization that it was now impossible given a strong and powerful opposition from the axis powers, he entirely concentrated on later. 

In the final chapter “Betrayal”, Haffner powerfully argues that Hitler inflicted far greater damage, in any objective view, on Germany. Thanks to Hitler, Germany not only suffered the diminution of status as all the other great powers of western Europe, but also lost almost one quarter of its nations territory and what was left was also divided. The book beautifully ends with these lines –

“For German history does not end with Hitler. Anyone believing that it does, and possibly even rejoicing at it, does not realize just how much he is thereby fulfilling Hitler’s last Will and Testament.” 

The book undoubtedly a jewel among the literature that is available on Nazi era. And highly recommended for anyone who is seeking the most concise and powerful objective analysis on Hitler.