In reading the assigned chapters for this week I was fascinated by Kershaw’s discussion of Hitler’s hospitalization in Pasewalk at the end of the First World War. Kershaw, himself, finds it hard to analyse the different sources concerning Hitler’s time there, and concludes that it is not “easy to evaluate” (102) the extent to which Hitler’s time at the hospital affected the development of the “world view” he would later use in the political arena.
According to Hitler’s own account in ‘Mein Kampf’, the period in Pasewalk had a profound impact on himself politically: Apart from being devastated by the news of the end of the German monarchy, he also had time to “decide” he was going into politics, and also think up his stance on the culprits behind this tragic outcome- Jews and Marxists. As Kershaw points out, the decision to get involved in politics was not one for Hitler to make- at the end of the war he returned to Munich with no money, no family connections and no way to leverage any initial support.
The claim that this was the decisive period after which Hitler proclaimed that “whenever...harm befalls the German nation, a Jew is the culprit behind it” and therefore developed this idea as the key to his political outlook can be disputed. Firstly, having been questioned in the early 1920s on the accounts given in Mein Kampf, it is clear that Hitler’s responses have been varied, and on occasion even clouded in obviously falsified mysticism. Hence it would be false to conclude that his time in hospital amounted to such a strongly articulated idea, when in retrospect he is unaware of the circumstances of its occurrence. Secondly, after returning to Munich at the end of the stay in Pasewalk it does not seem like Hitler actively participates in the bringing down of the culprits he has presumably so clearly identified. He continues his aimless wandering around Munich at the beginning of 1919 and does not seem to be taking the “revenge” he so dearly hoped for. In fact, that period in his life barely covers a few pages in his own autobiography. How can one so enraged by the destruction of the state, and institution in which he so believed, be so complacent after deciding upon the culprits of the said occurrence?
Kershaw tentatively suggests that the full formation of Hitler’s “world view” and subsequent anti-Semitism developed later (summer 1919). I tend to agree with the suggestion due to the distorted testimonies presented by Hitler in the 1920s, yet I cannot but wonder about the reason for which Hitler might have pointed towards this incident in particular: Maybe he is himself unsure about the development of his “world view” and does not want to seem in any way unsure in front of his followers; maybe the presumable betrayal of the SDs is what angers him most and subsequent anti-Semitic views an exaggeration of his oratorical-hero Lueger’s tactics seen in Vienna.
I was drawn to this post because it shows the conflicting accounts about Hitler's antisemitism and its point of origin. This week's reading seemed like further proof that in the end, maybe we shouldn't concerned about how it started for Hitler, but how it started in general. Reading about Germany post WWI, it seems though the entire country was poised to turn the loss into hate of some kind. The disappointment and horror at the end of a war, especially for the losing parties creates this sort of hot-bed of emotion that only makes a people ready for one thing: more war.
ReplyDeleteI was also taken with Kershaw's discussion regarding Pasewalk and its role in Hitler's political/world view development, especially with the logical critiques Kershaw offers. It becomes clear that the moments spent in Pasewalk are ones Hitler is continuously drawn to, suggesting Pasewalk to have played an integral role in Hitler's development. However, I, like Maria, am unsure why he is so attached to this period in his life, alluding to it so singularly. As Kershaw suggests, Pasewalk certainly marks a crucial step towards the rationalization of his prejudices, but not to the extent of his time in Reichswehr. I think the ambiguity encompassed in the significance of Pasewalk is intriguing. Kershaw analyzes the accounts regarding Pasewalk’s importance critically and is very speculative about many, stating their implausibility, further increasing my own curiosity: why did Hitler refer to Pasewalk so recurrently?
ReplyDeleteI too was curious about the significance placed upon his time at Pasewalk considering how little factual evidence there is about it. Through the discussion of the development of his beliefs, and the subsequent ones of the German people it seems that the confusion and fear left after World War I were a perfect breeding ground for hatred. The progression of historical events from his time at Pasewalk onward also suggests that it is unlikely he developed these staunch views in the hospital instead of later. I agree with Maria that it is likely he attempted to pinpoint an exact time to show strength to his supporters, and the mystique about his time at Pasewalk probably gave him an opportunity to make such claims without others disputing him at the time. Either way, confusion and uncertainty seem to be at the base of these feelings, and much like with war the people wanted a specific outlet for their blame.
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