Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf (English: My Fight) is a book written by Adolf Hitler and Rudolf Hess. Rudolf Hess helped Hitler write the book, but he is not mentioned as an author.

Parts

There are two parts to Mein Kampf. Hitler wrote the first while he was in jail in Landsberg am Lech. He had been put in jail after a failed putsch in 1923. He wrote the second part after his (early) release from jail. From 1926 to 1930, both volumes were sold separately, at the price of 12 Reichsmark each. Starting in 1930, both volumes were published as one book.

Importance

In the book, Hitler describes his view of greater Germany and his future plan for Jews. After coming to power in 1933, Hitler put some of those plans into action and initiated the Holocaust, the worst genocide in history. The book was given away for free at civil registry offices while the Nazis had power in Germany. In part, the book was propaganda, and giving it away free was a way to recruit members.

Mein Kampf has been called the "most evil book in history". Historians and journalists who have read it have also criticized the quality of Hitler's writing.

Editions

Several editions of Mein Kampf were published between 1925 and 1945. Each new edition included revised text intended to clarify information in past editions. Most likely, ghostwriters around Hitler did this work.

After the Second World War, it became illegal to reprint or sell new copies of Mein Kampf in Germany and Austria (Hitler's country of birth). It is not illegal to own the book, sell used copies, or buy used copies.^[source?]

Summary

• Hitler wanted to unite Austria with Germany. The annexation, or "Anschluß," happened in 1938. The Austrian government asked Hitler to annex Austria so they could be part of the "Großdeutsche Reich" (The Greater German Reich).
• Many antisemitic beliefs in the book are developed. Hitler talks about Marxism as something very bad which had been created by Jewish people.
• The idea of nationally oriented socialism (Nationalsozialismus). This is where the Allied word Nazi comes from as they did not call themselves Nazis. Hitler said war should be a war of races, not different classes of society against each other. Hitler hoped he could get sympathy and agreement from German working class people.
• The political system of the Soviet Union (called Bolshevism) should be split into parts. This should be done through a war of the races (Rassenkrieg in German).
• According to the book, there is not enough space for the German People to live. If they won the race war, the Aryan people would have more space to live (Lebensraum) in the east. At the time the book was written Germany was roughly the size of Texas.
• Germany should not fight a war on two fronts. England would then be a good strategic partner in a future war.^{[needs simplifying]}
• Parliamentary or Democratic governments should be replaced with a single leader making decisions. This was believed to be more in the interest of the people.
• The structure of the NSDAP is developed.
• Some autobiographic stories, and a history of the NSDAP, both till 1924.

Related pages

• Anti-Judaism and antisemitism
• The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

References