When a National Leader Is Stark, Raving Mad
Adolf Hitler was stark, raving mad.
How do I define "mad"? This way: someone who is disconnected from reality.
The trouble is, anyone can misinterpret reality. But when he gets re-elected, a leader reflects a disconnected electorate.
Hitler did not get re-elected. He did not even get elected. Germans never voted the National Socialist Party into power -- almost, but not quite. President Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor on January 30, 1933. Then came the Enabling Act of March 24 after the Reichstag fire, which was set by a near-imbecile. The Reichstag voted for the Enabling Act. Wikipedia says:
Under the Act, the government had acquired the authority to pass laws without either parliamentary consent or control. These laws could (with certain exceptions) even deviate from the Constitution. The Act effectively eliminated the Reichstag as active players in German politics. While its existence was protected by the Enabling Act, for all intents and purposes it reduced the Reichstag to a mere stage for Hitler's speeches. It only met sporadically until the end of World War II, held no debates and enacted only a few laws. Within three months after the passage of the Enabling Act, all parties except the Nazi Party were banned or pressured into dissolving themselves, followed on 14 July by a law that made the Nazi Party the only legally permitted party in the country. With this, Hitler had fulfilled what he had promised in earlier campaign speeches: "I set for myself one aim ... to sweep these thirty parties out of Germany!"
So, the German people were not clinically mad, but they were politically angry. They resented the Versailles peace treaty of 1919. They wanted revenge. They wanted it so badly that they gave a respectful hearing to an Austrian demagogue. He got enough votes in early January 1933 to have a plurality. Then a doddering old man appointed him Chancellor. That, plus a fire, was all that he needed.
Did Germans believe him after 1933? Those who joined the Nazi Party did. Those who cheered his speeches did. They did not resist. They did not flee the country. They did not move into a rural setting, far from any bomb target.
A handful of Germans could have moved. Austrian School economist Hans Sennholz told me this story. He dated a young woman whose father had taught philosophy in a gymnasium (high school) in the city of Essen. As soon as Hitler came into power in 1933, he applied for a transfer. He also switched to mathematics -- not controversial. Within a couple of years, he got a teaching job far away in a rural district. He bought a small farm. He raised goats and taught math. The war never got there. He had food to eat. After the partition, he found himself on the West German side of the border -- just barely. Meanwhile, Essen became a primary bombing target -- its Krupp factory -- for three years. He saw that Germany's leader was a man driven by hate. He cleared out before that man became stark, raving mad.
This leads me to the case at hand. I was unaware of this a week ago.
I am working on my American history course for the Ron Paul Curriculum. Something occurred to me that I had never considered before. Why did Hitler declare war on the United States?
It was not because of the Tripartite Pact/Axis Pact. That was a defensive treaty. Japan had started the war. Hitler owed Japan nothing. I knew this. But I had never asked the question: "Did he say why he did it?"
I went looking on the Web for something I had never considered before: Hitler's justification. Did he give a speech? It turns out that he did.
HITLER'S DECLARATION OF WAR
There are two full translations of it on the Web. One is posted on a Jewish history site. The other is posted on the site of the Institute of Historical Review, a holocaust-denying site. The translations are slightly different. Take your pick.
As you read it, keep this in mind. Adolf Hitler was the greatest fool in the history of warfare. First, in May 1940, he let the British army escape from Dunkirk. Had the German army attacked as the escape began, this would have ended the war. The German army easily could have attacked. Hitler held back. Second, he commanded the invasion of the USSR on June 22, 1941, a decision that cost Germany the war on the eastern front. Hitler decided that he could defeat the legendary Russian generals: general mud, general dust, general fire, and general cold. These four generals had defeated Napoleon in 1812-13. Third, less than six months later, he started a war against the United States. This cost Germany the war on the Western front. The word "fool" does not do him justice. The word "madman" does.
When he gave the speech, the Russian winter had already set in. The army was a few miles from Moscow. It never got closer. The siege of Leningrad had begun. It lasted for almost 900 days.
On December 11, 1941, it was all over but the grave digging and the Gulag.
Prisoners of war, eastern front:
The West German government set up a Commission headed by Erich Maschke to investigate the fate of German POW in the war, in its report of 1974 they found that 3,060,000 German military personnel were taken prisoner by the USSR and that 1,094,250 died in captivity (549,360 from 1941-April 1945; 542,911 from May 1945 to June 1950 and 1,979 from July 1950 to 1955) According to German historian Rüdiger Overmans ca. 3,000,000 POW were taken by the USSR, he put the "maximum" number of German POW deaths in Soviet hands at 1.0 million. Based on his research, Overmans believes that the deaths of 363,000 POWs in Soviet captivity can be confirmed be the files of Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt). In addition he maintains that it seems entirely plausible, while not provable, that 700,000 German military personnel listed as missing actually died in Soviet custody.
Civilian deaths during the war include air raid deaths, estimates of German civilians killed only by Allied strategic bombing have ranged from around 350,000 to 500,000. Civilian deaths, due to the flight and expulsion of Germans and the forced labor of Germans in the Soviet Union are disputed and range from 500,000 to over 2.0 million.
It was all for this, according to Hitler.
Deputies, Men of the German Reichstag! A year of events of historical significance is drawing to an end. A year of the greatest decisions lies ahead. In these serious times, I speak to you, Deputies of the German Reichstag, as to the representatives of the German nation. Beyond and above that, the whole German people should take note of this glance into the past, as well as of the coming decisions the present and future impose upon us.
After the renewed refusal of my peace offer in January 1940 by the then British Prime Minister and the clique which supported or else dominated him, it became clear that this war-against all reasons of common, sense and necessity-must be fought to its end. You know me, my old Party companions: you know I have always been an enemy of half measures or weak decisions. If the Providence has so willed that the German people cannot be spared this fight, then I can only be grateful that it entrusted me with the leadership in this historic struggle which, for the next 500 or 1,000 years, will be described as decisive, not only for the history of Germany, but for the whole of Europe and indeed the whole world. The German people and their soldiers are working and fighting today, not only for the present, but for the coming, nay the most distant, generations. A historical revision on a unique scale has been imposed on us by the Creator. . . . .
Deputies and Men of the German Reichstag, I had to make this survey, for the fight which, in the first months of this year, gradually began to become clear, and of which the German Reich is this time called to be the leader also far exceeds the interests of our nation and country. Just as the Greeks once faced the Persians in war, and the Romans faced the Mongolians, the Spanish heroes defended not only Spain, but the whole of Europe against Africa, just so Germany is fighting today, not for herself, but for the entire Continent. And it is a fortunate symptom that this realization is today so deep in the subconscious of most European nations that, whether by taking up their position openly or whether by the stream of volunteers, they are sharing in this struggle. . . .
The beginning of winter only will now check this movement; at the beginning of summer it will again no longer be possible to stop the movement. On this day I do not want to mention any individual section of the Armed Forces, I do not want to praise any particular command; they have all made a supreme effort. And yet, understanding and justice compel me to state one thing again and again; amongst our German soldiers the heaviest burden is born today, as in the past, by our matchless German infantry. . . .
In the whole history of the German nation, of nearly 2,000 years, it has never been so united as today and, thanks to National Socialism it will remain united in the future. Probably it has never seen so clearly, and rarely been so conscious of its honour. I have therefore arranged for his passports to be handed to the American Chargé d'Affaires today, and the following ... [drowned in applause].
As a consequence of the further extension of President Roosevelt's policy, which is aimed at unrestricted world domination and dictatorship the U.S.A. together with England have not hesitated from using any means to dispute the rights of the German, Italian and Japanese nations to the basis of their natural existence. The Governments of the U.S.A. and of England have therefore resisted, not only now but also for all time, every just understanding meant to bring about a better New Order in the world. . . .
Ever since my last peace proposal of July 1940 was rejected, we have realized that this struggle has to be fought out to its last implications. That the Anglo-Saxon-Jewish-Capitalist World finds itself now in one and the same Front with Bolshevism does not surprise us National Socialists: we have always found them in company. We have concluded the struggle successfully inside Germany and have destroyed our adversaries after 16 years struggle for power. When, 23 years ago, I decided to enter political life and to lift this nation out of its decline, I was a nameless, unknown soldier. Many among you know how difficult were the first few years of this struggle. From the time when the Movement I consisted of seven men, until we took over power in January 1933, the path was so miraculous that only Providence itself with its blessing could have made this possible.
Today I am at the head of the strongest Army in the world, the most gigantic Air Force and of a proud Navy. Behind and around me stands the Party with which I became great and which has become great through me. The enemies I see before me are the same enemies as 20 years ago, but the path along which I look forward cannot be compared with that on which I look back. The German people recognizes the decisive hour of its existence millions of soldiers do their duty, millions of German peasants and workers, women and girls, produce bread for the home country and arms for the Front. We are allied with strong peoples, who in the same need are faced with the same enemies. The American President and his Plutocratic clique have mocked us as the Have-nots--that is true, but the Have-nots will see to it that they are not robbed of the little they have.
You, my fellow party members, know my unalterable determination to carry a fight once begun to its successful conclusion. You know my determination in such a struggle to be deterred by nothing, to break every resistance which must be broken. In September 1939 I assured you that neither force nor arms nor time would overcome Germany. I will assure my enemies that neither force of arms nor time nor any internal doubts, can make us waver in the performance of our duty. When we think of the sacrifices of our soldiers, any sacrifice made by the Home Front is completely unimportant. When we think of those who in past centuries have fallen for the Reich, then we realize the greatness of our duty. But anybody who tries to evade this duty has no claim to be regarded in our midst as a fellow German. Just as we were unmercifully hard in our struggle for power we shall be unmercifully hard in the struggle to maintain our nation.
At a time when thousands of our best men are dying nobody must expect to live who tries to depreciate the sacrifices made at the Front. Immaterial under what camouflage he tries to disturb this German Front, to undermine the resistance of our people, to weaken the authority of the regime, to sabotage the achievements of the Home Front, he shall die for it! But with the difference that this sacrifice brings the highest honour to the soldier at the Front, whereas the other dies dishonoured and disgraced.
Our enemies must not deceive themselves--in the 2,000 years of German history known to us, our people have never been more united than today. The Lord of the Universe has treated us so well in the past years that we bow in gratitude to a providence which has allowed us to be members of such a great nation. We thank Him that we also can be entered with honour into the ever-lasting book of German history!
Stark, raving mad.
The Pharaoh of the exodus was similarly afflicted.
Germany had no offsetting restraints: independent legislature or courts. The Nazis had paramilitary units. The Lutheran churches had been gutted by 150 years of theological liberalism and 400 years of ethical dualism: two kinds of knowledge, spiritual and judicial, forever divided. The churches were on the state's payroll. There was nothing like the Internet. Hitler controlled the media. It was a top-down system.
Under these conditions, the leader's word was the voice of God. "Heil Hitler" can be translated "Salvation Hitler." It was the end of the road for Germany. Two millennia of militarism finally were buried in the bombed-out ruins of Germany's cities. The desire for vengeance had backfired. Like a submarine whose torpedo circles back and sinks it, so was Hitler's Germany.
In today's world of decentralized communications and a loss of faith in politics, this kind of leadership is confined to North Korea and Zimbabwe. But not so long ago, it wasn't.