Hitlers Table Talk 1941-1944 - Term Paper Example

Hitler’s table talk reveals a lot about the personality of the German leader during the Second WorldWar as they show what he genuinely thought about the world around him. It also reveals his attitude towards religion as well as the various political leaders and races in the world. In these interviews, there is a revelation concerning what Hitler actually thought about the future of Germany and its people as how they would come to world dominance. When one looks at these interviews, one concludes that Hitler did not believe that Germany would lose the war, and that; in fact, he was already making plans on how to implement his brand all over the world. They are extremely eye-opening interviews because they allow one to consider what would have happened had the German Reich, and it allies won the war. In this paper, some of the topics discussed by Hitler shall be analyzed as an attempt to understand what Hitler thought of different races, countries and leaders. Through examining his conversations, one will find that despite the fact that Hitler and Stalin were on opposite sides during the war, as he was a keen admirer of the latter. He believed that under Stalin’s rule Russia had achieved a semblance of order. Hitler felt that Stalin was the best thing that had happened to Russia because of the fact that he ruled the country from his office using a bureaucracy, which did everything as he commanded it. Hitler declares that Stalin is a ruthless man who was willing to sacrifice anything to ensure that he remained in power. In fact, Hitler suggests that were the Russians to be overwhelmed by the Germans, Stalin would not hesitate to abandon European Russia and move beyond the Ural mountain range. In the interviews, one also finds that Hitler was a devoted admirer of Benito Mussolini of Italy, whose Fascist movement he considers having been the inspiration behind the success of his own Nazi movement in Germany. He states that had Mussolini not succeeded in Italy then it would have been impossible for the Nazis to Succeed in Germany. Hitler takes particular not of the March on Rome, stating that it was one of the events that changed history. Hitler considers this march to have been an act of extraordinary courage on the part of Mussolini as this enabled him to come to power in Italy. He further states that if it was not for the success of the March on Rome, then nobody in Germany would have taken the Nazis seriously, most especially the government (Cameron and Stevens 10). Hitler remarks that Mussolini was good for Italy because he managed to bring the country back to the greatness it had during the Roman Empire. Hitler goes further to state that Mussolini resembles some of the busts of the former Caesars. He uses this as a justification of his belief that Mussolini is indeed the heir to the Caesars and that he will eventually come to restore the power that once belonged to the Roman Empire. In addition, the interviews reveal Hitler’s belief that Christianity was the worst thing that had ever happened to the Western world. He justifies this by stating that had Christianity not come into existence, then the civilization would have advanced much faster under the leadership of the Germanic race. The coming of Christianity placed civilization on a halt for more than one thousand five hundred years, and that it was only during the renaissance that the wheels of civilization started turning once more. Hitler states that Christianity was a corruption of the true teachings of Jesus and that Paul corrupted this religion in the interests of the Jewish domination. Had it not been for the rise of Christianity, then Islam would not have come into existence. Furthermore, Hitler states that Bolshevism is an illegitimate offshoot of Christianity, which was created by the Jews to achieve world domination. Moreover, Hitler states that the Church and the German Reich could not coexist because they are incompatible (Ruff 252). The influence of the church is all about having power over the people who adhere to its doctrines and that whenever its interests different from that of the state, then it is possible that the church will lead a rebellion. To remedy this, Hitler suggests that the state does not interfere in the affairs of the church because it will eventually destroy itself due to internal struggles (Cameron and Stevens 7). This would leave the Reich as the dominant power as it is based more on order and advancement than absolute dominance over the minds of the people. Furthermore, Hitler believed that the Germanic race was the most superior in the world and that because of its superiority; it was the motivator of civilization. He states that if Christianity had not come to influence this race, then civilization would have developed at an even faster rate than it already had. The superiority of the Germanic race was not only based on intelligence, but also on the fact that its members were also extremely hard working, hence ensuring its swift advancement. He contrasts this race with the Slavic race stating that they are a lazy lot who can only be brought to work under the influence of the Orthodox Church (Cameron and Stevens 4). Hitler states that Slavs tend to lean more towards anarchy and that only under autocratic leadership could they be brought under a semblance of order. He states that it is because of the anarchical nature of the Slavs that they have not advanced as the Germanic race has and that if they had not been under autocratic leaders, then their region would be a place of complete chaos (Franzen). In addition, Hitler contrasts the English with the Germans stating that what distinguishes them is the fact that the former are immensely proud. He attributes this to their long history of domination and of giving orders to others. In order to be at an equal footing with the English, Hitler states that the Germans have to be able to defeat them during the war as this would earn the Germans the respect of the English. In conclusion, it can be said of the interviews that Hitler recognized and respected men of talent, even though some of them may have been against him during the war. Moreover, these interviews reveal that he did not have any respect for either Christianity or Bolshevism, believing that they were creations of the Jews. Lastly, Hitler’s opinion of the other peoples of Europe is as he shows his contempt for the Slavs while showing his admiration for the English. Works Cited Cameron, Norman and Stevens, R.H. Hitler’s Table Talk 1941 – 1944: His Private Conversations. London: Enigma Books, 2000. Franzen, Ernst-Ulrich. "Attack Launched Historys Greatest Land War Hitlers Invasion of USSR Changed Course of Conflict, Added to Debate Over US Role." Milwaukee Sentinel: 1. Jun 03 1991. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 10 Dec. 2012 . Ruff, Mark Edward. "The Nazis Religionspolitik: An Assessment of Recent Literature." The Catholic Historical Review 92.3 (2006): 252-67. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. Read More