Hitlers Weltanschauung (World View) Essay Example For Students

Hitlers Weltanschauung (World View) Essay name = Glen R. Heesemail = SigmaChi25publish = yessubject = World CivIItitle = Hitlers Weltanschauung (World View)In the early quarter of the twentieth century, a young man wasbeginning to fill his mind with ideas of a unification of all Germanic countries. That young man was Adolf Hitler, and what he learned in his youth would surfaceagain as he struggled to become the leader of this movement. Hitler formedviews of countries and even certain cities early in his life, those views oftenaffecting his dictation of foreign policy as he grew older.What was Hitlersview of the world before the Nazi Party came to power? Based in large parton incidents occurring in his boyhood, Hitlers view included the belief thatJews should be eliminated, and that European countries were merely pawns forhim to use in his game of world dominion. Adolf Hitler grew up the son ofa respectable imperial customhouse official, who refused to let his son dowhat he was most interested inart. Hitler never excelled in school, andtook interest only in art, gymnastics and a casual interest in geography andhistory due to a liking he had taken to his teacher. It was his history teacherwho would fill Adolfs mind with a simple thought: ?The day will come, thatall of us, of German descent, will once more belong to one mighty Teutonicnation that will stretch from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, just like theEmpire of the Middle Ages, and that will stand supreme among the peoples ofthis earth.?Already the young Adolf could envision himself in such a position. Much of the ideology that Adolf Hitler used was not original by any means. There were many thinkers and writers who laid the groundwork for what wouldbecome not just Hitlers, but the Nazi Partys Weltanschauung (world view). Three primary writers were Dietrich Eckart, editor of a harshly anti-Semiticperiodical, Auf gut deutsch (Agd), Alfred Rosenberg, a Baltic German and contributorto Agd, and Gottfried Feder, an opponent of finance capitalism. These threemen molded the political outlook of the German Workers Party before Hitlerencountered it in 1919, and would become quite influential in Adolfs ideology. Rosenberg contributed largely to Hitlers view of the Jews on an internationalperspective, suggesting the existence of a Jewish conspiracy to overthrow establishednation-states on a worldwide scale. In 1924, Hitler proclaimed that he haddeparted from Vienna as an absolute anti-Semitic, a deadly enemy of the wholeMarxist outlook, and as a Pan-German in his political persuasion. The Pan-Germanmovement was dedicated to achieving the defense and fortification of the GermanVolk (people) everywhere in the world. The elimination of the Jews wasbut one item on Hitlers agenda, however. Hitler wanted to do away with theVersailles Treaty which he saw as criminal. He also believed that Germanyshould not ally itself with any other nation, except perhaps Italy and England. Italy, because of its Fascist regime under Mussolini, and England, becauseit could be considered a Nordic region.While he would go on to ally himselfwith Italy, his views of these two nations would change drastically later. As for other European nations, Hitlers idea of expansionism laid the groundworkfor his relations with them. Lebensraum or living-space, which Hitler mentionedin his book Mein Kampf, had been a key concept for German National Socialists. It was an old concept, not inconsistent with beliefs held since the middleages. Hitler believed that an increase in his countrys living-space wouldeffectively improve the health and well-being of his Volk.As Hitler statedin his Secret Book: ?A healthy foreign policy therefore will always keepthe winning of the basis of a peoples sustenance immovably in sight as itsultimate goal.? Hitler was very hostile towards France and saw the Frenchas a hereditary enemy that was always looking for a chance to annex the leftbank of the Rhine so as to have a ?natural? frontier with Germany. Hitlerwas ready to support a war against France at any time and any cost. Englandwas portrayed as one of Germanys absolute enemies, even though Hitler hadconsidered making an alliance at one point. Hitler thought that England hadbeen the Weltmacht, or world power for too long and was not a worthy ally becausethey assisted the Jewish cause and had allowed Jews to hold influential positionswithin the state. Hitler also said that the British people had a reason tobe proud though, because even though they were only a people of a few million,they ruled practically 1/5 of the earth. This, Hitler claimed, had to do withracial purity, British national feeling, and its ability to turn conqueredenemies into friends. He was especially impressed with the British idea that?might makes right.? In contrast, Russia was not considered an absoluteenemy of Germany, but was rather an enemy because of unfortunate situationson their part. Hitler maintained that war had never really been necessarybetween Russia and Germany, that there was no real conflict of interests. He also maintained that Russia had become Germanys enemy only because of Austriaand the failure to renew Bismarcks Reinsurance Treaty with the Russians. Although Hitler did not see Russia as an absolute enemy, he did despise theRussians, whom he saw as inferior people because of their Slavic origins. Hitler saw the government run by Jewish capital ists as well, which only madehim despise them more. Don Juan EssayB. Body1. Background Information(a) Adolf growing up, and influences(b)First idea for new German Empire2. Groundwork for Ideology(a)Prior thinkersi. Rosenberg, Feder, and Eckart(b) The Pan-Germanmovement3. Basic Ideas of Hitler(a) Elimination of Jews(b)Versailles Treaty(c) Alliances(d) Expansionism (Lebensraum)4. Hitlers View of Major Powers in Europe, and America(a) France(b)England(c) Russia(d) Italy(e) America(f) JapanC. Conclusion1. Weltanschauung due to Pan-German propaganda2. ForeignPolicy3. World Dominion