Another Hitler/WW2 thread!

Ive often read writers interpretations of Hitlers true motivations for what he did. These interpretations are often times condridictory.

It seems some people think Hitler was in it for the total power and influence that comes with being a dictator, a la saddam, and some thing he truly believed he was advancing the cause of the true german people.

So whats your opinion of Hitlers true motivations, a power hungry guy looking out for number 1, a misguided patriot, or somewhere in between.

I think it was a little of both from what ive read. In his early days it seemed to be all about power, but once he got it he became more reflected and formed his crazy "vision" for germany. Mabey he started to believe in the idol worship he recieved, or mabey he did from the start?

Racism and bigotry in the years before WW2 was the norm rather than the exception, throughout the western world. Hitler wasn't paranoid (at least not at first) and he was the breed of a generation that had to live with the shame of defeat in WWI.

If it wasn't for Adolf, it would be someone else. The Nazis had several charismatic (as orators and demagogues) figures and if it wasn't for the nazis, there would emerge someone else.

The "crazy vision" for Germany was not excactly crazy, nor "his" vision: Germany ruling uber alles has been the main motivation for the Prussian kingdom for at least two centuries (and not only for the Prussians, the French had the same fixation until the humiliation of 1870).

WW2 was a historical necessity, because way too many issues remained unsettled from the previous war. Under that light, Hitler was a historical necessity as well.

A man of destiny, perhaps?

Well it didn't exactly have to be him, you know. Had he caught a stray bullet in that early and unsuccesful putsch of his, or had that one been actually succesful (in which case he wouldn't have sat in jail honing his ideas), things might have turned out very different. Historical inevitabilities are few and far between, and I don't think WW2 was one - but the aftermath of the Great War certainly was a recipe for some degree of trouble.

But that contrafactual speculation.

I've read Adolf was into all kinds of weird occultism and odd causes before his ascension to power - the Thule Society and all that, although he apparently never was an actual member - and almost certainly had the usual spate of ultranationalist frontsoldat ideas, so go figure. Chances are he was fairly loony even before he started ingesting his own Party dogmas.