Chapter 1, prelude: Hitler becomes an anti-Semite:
Chapter 1, prelude: Hitler becomes an anti-Semite:
Hitler’s perception on Jewish people was a critical factor in his later politics and his success as a rule of Germany. When he was brought up in Austria he had Jewish friends and while anti-semitism was common, nothing suggested Hitler had any extraordinary beliefs. However, Hitler writes in his memoirs on his first appreciation of anti-semitism:
"Once, as I was strolling through the inner city, I suddenly encountered an apparition in a black caftan and black hair locks. Is this a Jew? was my first thought."
"For, to be sure, they had not looked like that in Linz. I observed the man furtively and cautiously, but the longer I stared at this foreign face, scrutinizing feature for feature, the more my first question assumed a new form: is this a German?"
To answer his own question, he immersed himself in anti-Semitic literature. Then he went out and studied Jews as they passed by.
"...the more I saw, the more sharply they became distinguished in my eyes from the rest of humanity..."
"For me this was the time of the greatest spiritual upheaval I have ever had to go through. I had ceased to be a weak-kneed cosmopolitan and become an anti-Semite."
One of the few pictures from Hitlers early life in Vienna.
It seems likely from later events that seeing Jewish people in this way profoundly influenced Hitler’s interpretation of nationalism, later foreign politics and ultimately the outcome of the war. Hitler was from then on interested in politics, admired anti-Semitic politicians, and took this debate with him into the trenches of WW1. It was here in the mud, prompted by the introduction of mechanized warfare, Marxism in the ranks, the inexplicable participation of the United States, that Hitler developed his remarkable stance on geo-politics.
[Explanatory remarks:
There is no POD in this first chapter, but an introduction to the main character of the TL and the revelation that this quote is not taken from Mein Kampf as IOTL and that Hitler did get to write his memoirs. Also, while you will see a number of changes, this is as IOTL a deeply anti-Semitic Hitler confusing personal prejudice with world-politics.
Hitler’s perception on Jewish people was a critical factor in his later politics and his success as a rule of Germany. When he was brought up in Austria he had Jewish friends and while anti-semitism was common, nothing suggested Hitler had any extraordinary beliefs. However, Hitler writes in his memoirs on his first appreciation of anti-semitism:
"Once, as I was strolling through the inner city, I suddenly encountered an apparition in a black caftan and black hair locks. Is this a Jew? was my first thought."
"For, to be sure, they had not looked like that in Linz. I observed the man furtively and cautiously, but the longer I stared at this foreign face, scrutinizing feature for feature, the more my first question assumed a new form: is this a German?"
To answer his own question, he immersed himself in anti-Semitic literature. Then he went out and studied Jews as they passed by.
"...the more I saw, the more sharply they became distinguished in my eyes from the rest of humanity..."
"For me this was the time of the greatest spiritual upheaval I have ever had to go through. I had ceased to be a weak-kneed cosmopolitan and become an anti-Semite."
One of the few pictures from Hitlers early life in Vienna.
It seems likely from later events that seeing Jewish people in this way profoundly influenced Hitler’s interpretation of nationalism, later foreign politics and ultimately the outcome of the war. Hitler was from then on interested in politics, admired anti-Semitic politicians, and took this debate with him into the trenches of WW1. It was here in the mud, prompted by the introduction of mechanized warfare, Marxism in the ranks, the inexplicable participation of the United States, that Hitler developed his remarkable stance on geo-politics.
[Explanatory remarks:
There is no POD in this first chapter, but an introduction to the main character of the TL and the revelation that this quote is not taken from Mein Kampf as IOTL and that Hitler did get to write his memoirs. Also, while you will see a number of changes, this is as IOTL a deeply anti-Semitic Hitler confusing personal prejudice with world-politics.
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