Mein Kampf
- Author: Adolf Hitler
- Publisher: Pimlico
- Classification: European History, Politics, World War II
- Reviewed by: Shep
This book is many things. As a biography it has been criticised for it’s lack of reliability, possibly by people who ignore it’s part in the Hitler myth. As a political tract it has been criticised for being half-baked, possibly by people who forget that Hitler uses the words Jew and Marxist interchangeably, that the whole of Europe was terrified of a Marxist uprising, and that anti-Semitism was rampant throughout Europe and America. As a piece of writing, it has been criticised for being incoherent, possibly by people who don’t understand the difficulties of translating from German to English, or who ignore the fact that this book wasn’t aimed at the intelligentsia. As a manual on propaganda and manipulation of the masses, it has been criticised for being evil, possibly by people who ignore the actions and methods used by modern politicians. But most likely this book is being judged by the actions of the Nazi’s once in power, by people who subscribe to our comfortable view of history, which ignores the atrocities of the British Empire, the near eradication of the Native Americans, and the countless people murdered, executed, and starved by Stalin’s regime.
It may seem at this point that the reviewer is a Nazi sympathizer, but this is not the case. There are a number of historical facts that need to be considered when reading this book. First, Marxists had indeed infiltrated areas of German society, such as the trade unions. Second, Germany’s population was increasing by some 900,000 people per year. Lebensraum was a real issue. Third, the time between the two World Wars was just long enough for the next generation of soldiers to grow up. We choose to see these wars as separate events, though in reality the second was a continuation of the first. And finally, without Hitler, we may in fact be living in a Communist Europe now. That isn’t to say that this book isn’t at times horrific. Hitler at one point casually mentions that in order to exterminate a whole people, German’s need to be indoctrinated starting at around the age of 10. Mein Kampf does leave one feeling that the German people were as much victims of the Nazi’s as anyone else.
In the 1920′s and early 30′s, this book was ignored, and Hitler tolerated by the Allied politicians. Jews were removed from Germany, and we allowed it to happen. German children were indoctrinated, and we stood by, saying little. The British Empire cared little for Europe, until a European power grew strong enough to become a threat, as Hitler predicted. Mein Kampf should not be ignored. Read it, then look around the world. Iraq, Israel, India and Pakistan, the apathetic approach we have to politics at home, and how this leaves us vulnerable to extremist political movements. Mein Kampf may change the way you see things.
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