THE THIRD REICH – the history of National Socialism

Helene Bechstein was not merely the wife of a rich industrialist in the first half of the 20th century, but one of the early and highly influential supporters of the Nazi movement, who, through her personal relationship, had a significant impact on Adolf Hitler’s life and political career. Several historians have pointed out that Helene’s role went far beyond mere financial support: she was the one who introduced the young politician to the world of the social elite, shaped his manners and appearance, and provided him with “maternal” support on numerous occasions.

During the First World War, many women volunteered to provide clothing, hand-knitted socks, food, and cigarettes for soldiers at the front. Hoffmann volunteered and was assigned to a soldier named Adolf Hitler.

This relationship is documented in postcards and letters, proving that she corresponded regularly with Hitler as early as 1914.

Hitler wrote in pencil:

“Dear Madam Director! After the fiercest battles at Geluveld, right on the front line, I was promoted to corporal, and as if by miracle, I remained unharmed. Now we have three days’ leave; it’s time to paint the church at Beselare (Hitler writes ‘Bezeluere’). Once again, heartfelt thanks.” Respectfully, Adolf Hitler, Gefr.”

The philosopher Hannah Arendt spoke of the “growing admiration of the good and wealthy classes for the underworld” in the 19th century. She noted that “this wealthy class gradually yielded to every moral question and began to favor anarchic cynicism.” In simpler terms, an immoral lifestyle and the underworld became fashionable.

This also characterized the fin de siècle period at the end of the 19th century. Arendt pointed out the astonishing affinity between populist right-wing ideology and the ideology of bourgeois society.

Contrary to the claim that he was a man of absolute self-confidence, we know of numerous documented cases in which he displayed the exact opposite behavior. At such times he acted surprisingly helpless, even submissive, as in the 1920s when he met aristocrats and influential people.

But even when he was already in power, for example in encounters with Hindenburg or even Marshal Pétain, his body language expressed helplessness and confusion. Walter Langer, as a psychological expert, noted that he often did not know where to put his hands in such moments.

Hitler made submissive gestures, such as kissing Hindenburg’s hand as though he were a servant. Hanfstaengl recalls situations where Hitler said nothing at all and stammered in nervousness when facing an aristocrat. He had particular difficulty dealing with members of the royal family.

Thus says Hans Frank, Hitler’s personal lawyer, who was a witness from the very beginning and accompanied Hitler. In his analysis of Hitler and the regime in the work Im Angesicht des Galgens (In the Face of the Gallows), Hans Frank recounts how, as a student, he went from one political event to another, and how Hitler’s speeches stood out far above the rest. It was not so much the content that attracted, but the way he spoke, which clearly distinguished him from others.

But not to forget that people mostly saw Hitler through propaganda. Psychologist Walter Langer points out Hitler’s unremarkable appearance. His looks were rather poor, small, unsportsmanlike, disproportionate—he was not the type of legendary hero from the Nibelungen saga, not a Siegfried or an Arminius, the great Hermann, the victor over the Romans, such as the one we can see at the Hermannsdenkmal monument in the Teutoburg Forest, which the Prussians erected in the mid-19th century to demonstrate their new power.

However, in 1924 a crucial turning point came. After the failed Beer Hall Putsch and the trial in Munich, Hitler was imprisoned in the Landsberg fortress. There, behind the prison walls, his self-perception was transformed. According to numerous testimonies, including that of his close associate Rudolf Hess, it was in Landsberg that Hitler ceased to be just an agitator and became something more: “Führer.” It was Hess who first publicly used this title for him, and Hitler accepted it without any resistance.

Karl Brandt and his wife Anni were as the Albert Speer and his wife members of Hitler's inner circle in Berchtesgaden, where Hitler maintained his private residence known as the Berghof. This highly exclusive group functioned as Hitler's de facto family circle.

As members of this inner circle, the Brandts had a residence near the Berghof and spent a lot of time there when Hitler was present.

There was real competition for the leader's affection around this Berghof residence, everyone wanted to be close to him to expand his power or simply to gain advantages - to build a villa, to go on vacation.

Brandt was a careerist who was involved in serious crimes such as the Aktion T4 euthanasia program. - 1939

Dr. Eduard Bloch was a humble yet compassionate physician practicing in Linz, Austria, during Adolf Hitler’s youth. As the family doctor to the Hitlers, Bloch cared for young Adolf and his siblings, notably providing dedicated care during the illness of Hitler’s beloved mother, Klara.

Despite the turbulent times and Hitler’s later infamy, Dr. Bloch—who was Jewish—was remembered by Hitler with unusual respect and gratitude, a rare exception.

The first important biographer is Konrad Heiden, who wrote a biography while Hitler was still alive. It was the first comprehensive and critical work that a German author was able to write without censorship, as he fled into exile immediately after the Nazis came to power in 1933.

As a Social Democratic journalist, he had been writing about the Munich right-wing extremist political scene since his early twenties. He soon became the leading expert and a staunch opponent of the Nazi movement and Adolf Hitler. In addition, he was of Jewish descent on his mother's side, so he had two reasons for leaving the country.

We're trying to shed light on the undoubtedly most important figure of National Socialism.

It's not hard to guess that it's about Adolf Hitler we are talking about.

My approach will be as follows: first, I'll look at who told us something about Hitler and what their theses were.

It sounds dry, but I'm trying to find a compromise between science and entertainment, which is my motto in general, while at the same time trying to present the topic as objectively as possible.

Few people have been written about and speculated about as much as he has.

Biographies are popular because everyone can relate to them its about life the most interesting thing on earth.

In this episode, I'm trying to answer the question:

What do we know about Hitler? From whom and from where?

The most important biographers of Adolf Hitler will also be mentioned later on.

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