Eager Hitler

Eager Hitler

What I found fascinating was early pictures of Adolf Hitler found in historical archives in the decades after his regime was destroyed.

I combined two here into a statement of Hitler's optimism before World War One.

In the one in the upper right hand corner Hitler is overjoyed at the prospect of war. That was not an unusual sentiment in Europe. The continent had not seen a devastating continental conflict since the Napoleonic Wars. There were regional wars among Prussia, Italy and Austria-Hungary since Napoleon. They had resulted in the unification of Italy from scattered medieval states and occupation of northeast Italy by Austria; the replacement of Austria as preeminent power in Germany by Prussia and the resultant unification of the medieval German states by militaristic Prussia into a German Empire. That Empire had the goaded Napoleons III's French Empire into a war and crushing defeat.

These short little wars created the most animosity between Germany and France. France was bent on vengeance and recovering lost territory. But Austria had no grudges in two lost wars with Germany. Hitler was Austrian and he relocated to Bavaria in the German Empire.

(The defeat of the Ottoman Turkish Empire just before WW1 by the Balkan states also set up the grudge match there)



There was this dysfunctional joy for this war. All assumed it would be short as bloody wars were so messy.

There were mass celebrations when Germany lined with Austria-Hungary and France took the British Empire in. Italy aligned with Germany switched sides.

In the upper right Hitler like everyone was ecstatic. Did he know what war was? We're all sure that trench warfare was not foreseen by him. Probably some medieval-like interpretation of hazy memories of the Franco Prussian War. Maybe he saw it as a chess game and was excited by a vision of a continent -wide ritualistic game. He certainly was bored having failed as an artist. I find boredom a great impetus for many historical wars.

So was Hitler cognizant of the possibility that Germany might lose or suffer? You cant see that in his eyes. Like the prevailing opinion among the optimistic masses he had tunnelvision. Perhaps few Europeans were thinking clearly.

The other photo where Hitler is on the extreme left shows him with fellow soldiers after enlistment They seem somber here maybe even jaded and cynical.They seem determined but resigned.Even here the possibility of disaster for Germany (and Europe) is not perceived.

So Hitler and many others were in denial of the obvious consequences of a continental war.

The expectation was so far from the reality that a German defeat shocked militaristic Germany to its core.

This shock could not be accepted so denial set in again. And the blame was placed on Jews and Communists because it was easy for simple minds to understand.

And so Hitler emerged from WW1 as a more damaged, jade, cynical, vengeful, hurt man. And the stars set up a clear road with few obstacles to glory, world conquest, genocide and WW 2.