Hitler

Posted on November 28, 2005 in Civic Responsibility Film Hatred

We watched Downfall over the weekend. The film depicts ten days in the assault on Berlin from the point of view of Hitler’s personal secretary, an SS doctor, a member of the Hitler Youth, and Hitler himself. Instead of resorting to caricature, Downfall attempts to recover the humanity of der Fuehrer and succeeds: which makes it a very frightening film indeed.

Our caricatures don’t answer the Big Question: just how did Hitler and Goebbels entice the German people into following them? The usual replies don’t work very well, either: mass psychosis, for example, because it is downright improbable. No one has diagnosed either a Hitler gene or a Hitler virus. The defective German world view thesis also comes perilously close to the eugenics theorizing which Hitler championed during his chancellorship. No one has been able to point to any specific and contributory German thought that has not been seen elsewhere.

While Hitler had his tantrums, I doubt that he was mentally ill. How easy it is to write him off as such. The convenience, like that of the “flawed German” theory of Hitler’s success, is that we don’t have to ever guard ourselves against similar manipulation or examine our own behavior and motives.

After seeing the film and considering the rest of my knowledge about the man, I have these conclusions to make: First, Hitler did not suffer from an organic brain dysfunction. He was far too functional for this diagnosis.

Second, Hitler probably did suffer from a personality disorder or two. My guesses would be antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. The narcissism explains his wanting to be at the center of all things German.
Antisocial personality disorder is also known as sociopathy. The sociopath makes up his own rules and attempts to seduce others into adopting them. When he does not get his way, he may throw tantrums or cry or lie or threaten. Hitler certainly knew how to work people, not only as crowds but as individuals. And it was the latter that was probably the most important.

It ensured that he had a loyal coterie.

I don’t think Hitler ever had the German people brainwashed to do his bidding. The majority of the German people never voted for him. Rather I see a situation which exists in many places: a charismatic, sociopathic figure manages to gather the support of a core group. Not all the members of this group are happy with the leader’s policies, but they go along either because of fear, personal ambition, feelings of awe in the presence of the leader, or their personal affection for the leader. Or just a desire not to lose their jobs.

In other words, Hitler happened in Germany because he could happen anywhere. All he needs to do is control the central infrastructure and promulgate a variety of “patriotism” which makes anyone who criticizes his regime a traitor. Think for a moment. You know of places where this happens here and now.

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The December 2005 issue of Harpers printed the following 1943 plan for dealing with Hitler after the fall of Germany. It supposes, of course, that Hitler did not commit suicide and that the Americans captured him:

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HITLER
AFTER THE DEFEAT OF GERMANY

Any one of the conventional punishments — a trial followed by execution, by life imprisonment, or by exile — will provide a tragic ending for the drama of Hitler’s sensational career, and thus contribute to the resurrection and perpetuation of the Hitlerian legend. What can the Allies do that will spoil the tragedy and thus kill the legend? As an answer to this question, the following plan is suggested. It should work if properly executed.

1. Commit Hitler to an insane asylum (such as St. Elizabeth’s, Washington D.C.) and house him in a comfortable dwelling specially built for his occupancy. Let the world know that he is being well-treated.
2. Appoint a committee of psychiatrists and psychologists to examine him and test his faculties at regular intervals. Unknown to him, have sound-films taken of his behavior. They will show his fits and tirades and condemnations of everyone in the world, including the German people.
3. Exhibit regularly to the entire world selected segments of these sound-reels, so that it can be seen how unbalanced he is, how mediocre his performance on the customary tests. If taken in a routine, scientific,and undramatic manner, the pictures will become quite tiresome after a while, and the people will get bored with Hitler in a year or two. (Trust science to take the drama out of anything.)
4. Hitler’s case should be presented to the world as a lesson: “This is what happens to crack-brained fanatics who try to dominate the world.” As such it could serve as a powerful deterrent to others with fantasies of world domination.

Teaching that Hitler is an anomaly — like Asimov’s “Mule” in the Foundation series — is the worst and most erroneous lesson we draw from the experience of Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

The danger exists now and always. The very best deterrent, I believe, is awareness of the makings of a sociopath, his methods, and guarding ourselves against becoming instruments of one.

Stop Hitlers before they rise to power. Protest and refuse to cooperate when they steal elections. Thwart the ones who arrogate leadership to themselves now.

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Site about the Nuremberg Trials