Reading Mein Kampf

While I was aware of Hitler's writings, it was, for me at least, difficult to find them. I had read parts of Mein Kampf when I was in college, but I had never found the complete work. I found the complete text at a site called Hitler.Org.

I am not enthused about a site on Hitler that is "unbiased" but such a site is probably best for finding the historical documents associated with this madman.

Having only read the first chapter so far, I have found one passage that got me thinking about another situation entirely:

Only a handful of Germans in the Reich had the slightest conception of the eternal and merciless struggle for the German language, German schools, and a German way of life. Only today, when the same deplorable misery is forced on many millions of Germans from the Reich, who under foreign rule dream of their common fatherland and strive, amid their longing, at least to preserve their holy right to their mother tongue, do wider circles understand what it means to be forced to fight for one's nationality. Today perhaps some can appreciate the greatness of the Germans in the Reich's old Ostmark, who, with no one but themselves to depend on, for centuries protected the Reich against incursions from the East, and finally carried on an exhausting guerrilla warfare to maintain the German language frontier, at a time when the Reich was highly interested in colonies, but not in its own flesh and blood at its very doorstep.

As everywhere and always, in every struggle, there were, in this fight for the language in old Austria, three strata:

The fighters, the lukewarm and the traitors.

This sifting process began at school. For the remarkable fact about the language struggle is that its waves strike hardest perhaps in the school, since it is the seed-bed of the coming generation. It is a struggle for the soul of the child, and to the child its first appeal is addressed:

'German boy, do not forget you are a German,' and, 'Little girl, remember that you are to become a German mother.'

What occured to me is what some imigrants from Mexico are saying amongst themselves and their talk of La Raza. It sends a small shiver down my spine.

I read of his Realschule history teacher, Dr. Leopold Potsch, who inspired him so much, and I wonder if this guy had any clue of what he was creating as he taught German history to young Adolph Hitler. Especially when Hitler included these words:

This teacher made history my favorite subject.

And indeed, though he had no such intention, it was then that I became a little revolutionary.

What also troubles me is that much of what he says is a twisting and misapplication of things that are, in and of themselves, good things: love of your people, land, culture and language. He used them as an excuse to hate what was outside of it. I also note that in the 1st chapter at least, the cosmic evil is not the Jews but the Slavs, whom he believed to be corrupting the Germans who were forced to live in Austria.

I may comment on further chapters as I read them, if I find it worthwhile.

Update 10:09 As I ate supper I thought about what I had read and several things occured to me.

1) Hitler defined nationality solely on blood or ethnicity. America is a nation that (supposedly) has a common ideal rather than a common ethnicity. I wonder what Hitler thought of that. I suppose I'll find out later. I have read that some "leaders" say America is not truly a legitimate nation because there is no American ethnicity.

2) Hitler's insistence that all Germans, regardless of where they were, were to form one Reich with one ruler reminds me of the idea of one Caliphate under one law (Sharia). Similarities begin to abound even with the first chapter.