Adolf Hitler started writing Mein Kampf- My Struggle- while in jail. The book discusses his childhood, aspirations, and the internal conflicts arising from his father’s expectations of him following his footsteps to become part of the civil service. As a child, Hitler did not feel challenged with school; however, he aspired to be an artist or painter but his father is not pleased about it. He gained interest in history; he started to study about the Germany-Austria history. Hitler studied Karl Marx and Jewish race theories, his hatred for the Jews starts to grow. In the book, it is explained how he get involved with the Social Democrats and how his opinion conflict with those of others. This conflict in ideas deeps his hatred for the Jews. Consequently, Hitler desires that Germany should comprise of only the Aryan race and the other races should be eliminated. As one reads on, the topics interchange from his education, military, to survival plans. Hitler believes in a pure German free of mixed races. On this note, this is an essay based on the life of Adolf Hitler as discussed in his autobiography Mein Kampf as compared to what John Lukacs has written on him in The Duel. In addition, the essay will briefly discus Winston Churchill to enhancing easy understanding of Hitler in the two books.
Winston Churchill was a British politician who served two terms as the prime minister of the United Kingdom between 1940-1945 and 1951-1955. He was wartime leader in the British Amy in the 20th century. In addition, Churchill was a historian, writer, and artist. Churchill and Hitler are the main characters discussed in the book-The Duel by John Lukacs.
As demonstrated in Mein Kampf, Adolf’s desires a pure German, where pure means single race.In The Duel, ‘pure German’ is evident, Hitler accrues power and uses it to rule and influence other nations. He feels less resistance because most people are convinced that itis dangerous to do be against him. People around Hitler who chose to commit to him feel the cold clarity of his ruthlessness. There were no much emanations of warmth from him. Consequently, he becomes a lonely person. On the other hand, Churchill, in The Duel, encompasses both hardness and softness what can be termed as being human. Principally, in this moment of history Hitler represents wrong tendency both in planning and in action. He uses brutality and organized force against his enemies.
The life of Hitler can be divided into two phases; as a solder and as a politician. The first phase of his life ends while in hospital in 1918 when he decides to become a politician. In essences, much of the first phase is in Mein Kampf. The next phase of his life is better explained in The Duel. Notably, his second phase of life become known to the public when he declares that becoming a politician meant a total transformation. Chronologically, Hitler becomes a solder, politician, national leader, statesman, and solder again in that order.
Hitler desire for an alliance is a common similarity between the two books discussed in this report. He wished an alliance with Britain since the start of his political career; however, Hitler resented France and the French. In his speech in Mein Kampf, he gives his opinion on William II and his government where he states that it was wrong to go into war with Britain. He further adds that the World one should have been directed eastward in territory expansion. As explains further by Lukacs, Hitler made several speeches directed to the British convicting German’s war with Britain. In essence, he admired the British Empire and forming an alliance would make him more powerful. In 1935, British accepted an offer from Hitler and together they formed Anglo-German naval agreement. He was scared of committing the same mistake as William II by getting into war with the British- that is- threatening his empire.
According to The Duel, 1938 is marked as the most successful year for Hitler; however, the worst for Churchill. Particularly, Adolf’s Third Reich was the most powerful in Europe. He united with Austria on the east making him possess a larger piece of Czechoslovakia. In essence, it becomes apparent to other nations that their existences depended on being in good terms with the German. As stated in The Duel, the main reason why Adolf, gained more power at this particular time was at the Munich where everyone gave in for him. Giving up for Hitler was considered as an act of statesmanship then. However, Churchill disagreed with the idea of giving the Munich to Adolf. Overall, Hitler had many supporters. Later Churchill realized British supported Hitler because, then, if they went into war, they risked losing.
In 1939, Hitler committed a mistake to annex Czechia further to Reich. This was wrong because after the Munich the remaining Czechia was a state. Consequently, Hitler broke one of the promises at the Munich causing a swift in revolution of public opinion of the British. However, Britain did not declare war but stated that it will in the next aggression of German. In the same year, 1939, Churchill was included Chamberlain in the war cabinet.
Amazingly, Churchill remained loyal to the chamberlain because of political calculation and being kept in the war Cabinet, disagreeing with the chamberlain will delay British war effort. Churchill compounded the effort of war by giving leadership guidance. Principally, his largeness of mind helped in understanding Hitler.
According to The Duel, Churchill understood Hitler better than the Chamberlain. Many statesmen like Pitt and Palmerstone had failed to make clear observation of Hitler. However, Churchill understanding of Hitler was different. Churchill had observed that Hitler was not separable from the German. It was noticeable that Hitler was much attached to the German cultural, politically and in ideology throughout his life and as demonstrated by in his persistence with disappointments from France in 1940.Churchill’s argument was drawn from the 1899 to 1904 where the British law which considered as potential adversary and France as a potential ally. During this time, German had an experienced and trained navy. However, Churchill knew a lot about navies and sea power having trained the British war in 1914. In addition, Churchill understood both the old and modern Hitler. He knew the old Hitler as reincarnation of evil and the new as untraditional and modern.
In essence, Churchill understood that Hitler was cable of starting a world war. He had recognized him in 1918-19 in war and Munich. While it is demonstrated that Hitler life made major changes in in the late 1918 as in the Mein Kampf and further charges in Munich as shown in The Duel it is convincing that his political ideology might have been conceived in Vienna. Apparently, Churchill’s understands of Hitler helps in explaining so characters of Hitler in a phenomenal manner. Hitler’s characters are few and as demonstrated above they incorporate symptoms of hypochondria.
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