The Truth Behind the Mask

                              The Truth Behind the Mask

         
          The audience is driven mad by the orator. A sense of euphoria and hope is present in the atmosphere as millions of people place their faith, hearts and highest hopes for a better tomorrow on one man: Adolf Hitler. Himmler and Goebbels sit nearby, observing the brilliance of their leader. Reinhard Heydrich is also amongst the audience, completely blown away by a sense of truest admiration and renewed strength. These people have found balance and hope in each other and sincerely believe in the righteousness of their actions. There is no doubt in their minds that National Socialism will heal the wounds of Germany, but….who are these people?

          Who is the dark-haired man whose impassioned speech has moved the hearts of millions and struck the chord of fear into the hearts of many others? That man is Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party. The caricature of the tyrannical leader is altogether rather familiar to the average person. One is tempted to say “well, everyone knows who Adolf Hitler is!” In truth, however, very few know who Adolf Hitler really was. The real Adolf Hitler lies behind the hardened look of those once-warm blue eyes, which Goebbels himself described to be “like stars”.

          Adolf Hitler was a tortured artist and a true genius; he was not an “evil man”. The misconception of him being “evil” is, unfortunately, one that is widely held in this modern era. It takes a truly open mind in order to understand the complexity of Adolf Hitler. He was a man who wished to save his Germany from the claws of inflation and famine. He was a product of his time because Vienna [the city in which he spent his most critical years in poverty] was an anti-Semitic city back then. Pamphlets accusing the Jews of numerous conspiracies and spreading the myth of the Nordic Aryan race were not uncommon back in that era. The politicians themselves used anti-Semitism in order to boost their careers and make it appear as though their anti-Semitism was solving social problems.

      Adolf Hitler’s most critical years were spent in the city of Vienna which was steaming with the tension that accompanies every social revolution. His later anti-Semitism was positively inevitable due to it being the standard attitude of that time and place. It is said by most historians that Adolf Hitler’s view of the world solidified in Vienna. Hitler himself states in Mein Kampf: “I owe it to that time period that I grew hard and am still capable of being hard.”  In Vienna, Adolf Hitler hit rock bottom and knew poverty and hunger. From that hunger rose hatred for the people whom the majority of the area felt were responsible for the social distress: The Jews. 

    His hatred for the Jewish people was not a crackpot creation of a single individual. It was a product of the instability of Vienna at the turn of the century combined with the distress of entering war due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The poor and the lower classes were the ones who supported sister parties of National Socialism and the myth of the Aryan Nordic Master Race. It was rather common for the economically troubled to read pamphlets on the supremacy of the Aryan race and the occult history of Aryanism. Adolf Hitler was one of the many readers of said pamphlets and he supported the ideology. He did not create National Socialism or Aryanism—the latter has been around since before Hitler was even born, and the party was not founded by Adolf Hitler. He merely took over it.

        Adolf Hitler was never an idealist—the ideas and views listed in Mein Kampf are merely restatements of the information that he read from numerous pamphlets and social views of the time. Hitler’s real talent was in the field of speech and politics. He was able to take the idea that he was given and [if he agreed with it] he could make it sound as if it was the most wonderful thing on the face of the planet. His words mattered, but they were overshadowed by the total charisma in his person and the popular magnetism that held his audience in a state of near hypnosis. That is the true power of Hitler. He was not an “antichrist” figure, as many believe him to be. He was a genius politician and National Socialist Germany was only an expected product of the tensions caused by a universal revolution in addition to the extremely restrictive conditions of the Versailles Treaty, which angered millions of Germans as the entire nation sank into poverty—undoubtedly, they would be prepared to do anything and believe in the word of a man who promised them salvation from the claws of hunger.  The main reason why Hitler appealed to anyone in Germany was because he himself had experienced poverty and despair—he was not an aloof politician, but rather the spirit of the German post-war sense of sorrow. Neither Hitler nor Germany had an ounce of evil within them—they were only in a state of confusion and desperation. When one is afflicted with hunger, one does not know of empathy nor of humanity—all they know is that their family is at home waiting to be fed and one is more than willing to do anything in order to spare them the suffering of famine.

    Joseph Goebbels was not an “evil man” either. He was a lonely soul whose only wish in life was to gain some sort of fulfillment. Goebbels had a club foot which crippled him [one leg was 2 inches shorter than the other] and as a result, he could perform average actions such as running. This physical disadvantage brought nothing but loneliness to the young Goebbels since no child wished to play with a cripple. As a result, Goebbels grew up withdrawn and with a sense of melancholy which would follow him throughout his entire life. His disability isolated him from others in a forced manner—he did not wish to be alone, it was others who did not wish to keep him company. This sense of loneliness was quieted only by reading and writing but even these proved only to be temporary distractions. Goebbels was not a pathological child. He did not choose to remain a “lone wolf”. He was not an anti-social adult. He often complained of loneliness and exclusion and it is only natural that he finally felt that he was included when he was granted an important position in the Nazi Party.

    For Goebbels, being a propaganda minister was not merely a profession. Often described as a workaholic, Goebbels would labor until the early hours of the morning on a frequent basis. To the outsider, this would be merely a sense of fanatism, but to one that truly understands Goebbels, the “workaholic” behavior holds an even deeper meaning. Working and serving the Reich was Goebbels’ way of “making up” for his inability to fight in the First World War [due to his club foot, he was rejected from the army]. It was also his way to show his appreciation for Adolf Hitler, whom he always held in highest esteem. Said appreciation was due to the fact that Hitler allowed Goebbels to thrive in the field of propaganda and feel included and needed for the first time in his life.

      As for his lack of empathy and harshness, these feelings are only natural in one such as Goebbels. Being a cripple, he was never showed any sort of empathy, but was shunned by his peers and doomed to a life of loneliness and sorrow without having committed any sort of wrong while so young in life. This was the humanity that Goebbels was shown, and how can one know what was never given to them? Children are born knowing nothing and “humanity” is a learned behavior, thus if it had never been shown to Goebbels by the people who surrounded him, how can he be expected to show it to people outside of himself [or to himself]? Joseph Goebbels was not a maniacally evil propagandist who twisted the truth for his own macabre purposes. If one wishes to understand Goebbels, one must realize that everything Goebbels did was out of love for Adolf Hitler. His entire career’s purpose was to do nothing except please the man whom he so loved, admired and worshipped. He owed Hitler his life, he felt, and he would show no one else such a strong degree of loyalty.

      Heinrich Himmler as Reichsfuehrer-SS was almost entirely a product of his childhood. Since an early age, Himmler had a fascination with Nordic mythology and German history, which would stay with him for the rest of his life. Himmler was an overweight child who excelled in the field of academics but succeeded in little else [children like him were known as “Stern” (German for Star) in Bavaria]. As a result of his overall plumpness, Himmler was a complete and total failure in physical education. His teacher, who was not known for his kindness to small children, would act in a merciless manner towards Himmler and the rest of the class watched with glee as the tyrant remorselessly humiliated the young Himmler. This treatment was frequently endured by Himmler and he undoubtedly grew feelings of resentment towards humanity based on his experiences. Although he was physically unfit, Himmler desired to serve in the Army as soon as the war broke out. He was too young to accompany his brother Gerhard in battle, however, he joined a military-aid youth league. The war was over before Himmler could do anything of importance to help his nation and this gave him a sense of disappointment because his dream could not be fulfilled.

      Himmler decided to help Germany in other ways, mainly by joining the National Socialist German Worker’s Party. Post-war Germany was a complete disgrace and it was in a state of near anarchy as the forced democracy failed to solve even the smallest of problems. The German people were headed for nothing but ruin and there was no sun on the horizon, a tragic fact which troubled Himmler. He wished to help his nation and at this time of helplessness and social chaos that Germany was facing, there seemed to be only one beacon of light: Adolf Hitler.

      Himmler was quick to join Adolf Hitler’s cause and he served as one of his most loyal followers for the majority of the time period that the Reich lasted. In a way, serving Hitler was like serving an army general to Himmler. He was living out his unfulfilled dream through Hitler and through the Reich. He was following the orders of his superior “Hitler” and questioning any order would be treason punishable by death. Some may say that Himmler was sadistic and enjoyed violence, but actual evidence proves contrary to these claims. While visiting one of the concentration camps, Himmler witnessed one of the customary camp shootings [before the installment of the gas chambers]. He was utterly sickened by it to a degree where he had to vomit, whereas the rest of the men were not moved in any way by the execution that had just taken place. Himmler never ordered anything that he did not feel was necessary to the well-being of the Reich. His actions were not those of pointless malevolence but rather what he thought would best help the German people. 

        Heinrich Himmler was never a true leader. He was always a follower of some sort, playing the part of “noble loyal soldier” until the very end of his career. His loyalty was an example to many within the SS, who were like the comrades in battle he never had. The entire existence of the ss was a combination of Himmler’s loves: History, [expeditions taken by the SS to various parts of the world in order to trace Germanic history] Mysticism [the ss was deeply influenced by occultism and its double Sigel runes are occult symbols] Mythology [initially, the only men allowed to join the SS were Nordic Aryans, who were believed to be the nobles of the Master Race] and the Military [the SS, although at first not a true military organization, was organized in hierarchies and later developed its own military branch known as the Waffen-SS]. 

        Heinrich Himmler was never the bloodthirsty tyrant that is portrayed in modern history books. He was a man who wished to help his country and who longed to belong to a cause for which to fight until the very end of life. He wanted a soldier’s life. He yearned for recognition and praise in order to escape the sorrow brought forth by the endless humiliation that filled his childhood. Adolf Hitler gave him all of these things: he was the means by which Himmler could achieve his dream of excelling and being useful to his nation. Heinrich Himmler was a man who was profoundly lost for the majority of his life and who lived amongst the lost of Germany during a time of disorder and uncertainty. It is due to the complete insecurity of his youth in post-war Germany, combined with his father’s strict upbringing that Himmler was known for his zealous organization skills. It was the only way in which he could feel as though he had control over something when everything around him was completely out of anyone’s control and there was nothing but hopelessness and fear in the atmosphere. Himmler, like many others, only longed for an escape to the turmoil within and was willing to do anything in order to escape such misery.

      Reinhard Heydrich was not a “hangman” as many like to describe him. He was not a “butcher” nor a “beast”, nor any of the other names which have been hastily bestowed upon this man. He was a human being with feelings, hopes and dreams, not a monster for whom empathy is impossible to achieve. The life of Heydrich is a short but complicated one, dealing with many secret sources of sadness. As a child, Heydrich was constantly taunted due to rumors of Jewish blood in the family. Children would heartlessly ridicule him by accusing him of being “Jewish” and thus not a true German, and sometimes would be beaten and slandered with anti-Jewish phrases and slurs by the children. Heydrich undoubtedly grew to be an anti-social youth. He would also suffer criticism on behalf of his peers due to his religion [Catholicism] in a mostly Protestant part of Germany. His physical self was not spared of torment either as schoolchildren taunted him for his above-average height and abnormally high voice. Initially, he was ostracized by those for whom he would later hold a great deal of hatred for—his so-called peers. Later on, however, the isolation was more out of personal choice than of circumstance [unlike Goebbels] and Heydrich would converse with teachers and other “superiors” more than he would with fellow alumni, whose intellect and mentality were far below his.   

      Heydrich felt more at ease conversing with those who had official authority rather than with “nobodies” and thus he strove to be associated with the more superior circle [a habit which would later bring him to the inner circle of Adolf Hitler]. These years of childhood torment and resentment created an inferiority complex in the mind of Reinhard Heydrich, which is why he always strove to prove himself superior to those around him in hopes that “the events would speak for themselves”. To the outside mind, this might seem as a “God-complex” or as “outright arrogance”, but in reality it is the complete opposite of those. Despite his success, Heydrich always felt himself to be inferior to others and was always a self-conscious man. The childhood torment would continue inside his mind and some of it followed him into his career in the ss. 

      In order to prove his lack of Jewish ancestry, Heydrich joined the Freikorps, which were an organization of right-wing former soldiers. He also developed an interest in the German Voelk movement [the movement which preached the supremacy of the Nordic Aryan blond-haired, blue-eyed race of Germanic peoples]. He joined the Navy [which was famous for its extremist views and strict routines] in order to find structure in his life, along with the prestige and education that came with joining it. Although Heydrich hoped that his escape into military service would also be an escape from childhood torments, he was met with nothing but animosity through horrible names such as “Billy Goat” [due to his peculiar laughter] and “Moses Handle” [once again due to the rumor of Jewish ancestry]. He showed his unworthy comrades a lesson by striving to become superior and in 1926 he became second lieutenant. It was in 1930 that the career came to a screeching halt due to sexual relations with the daughter of a shipyard director.

    His expulsion from the Navy brought back the lost demons of insecurity and inferiority. Heydrich was completely devastated and his ambitions to become an admiral were brought to an end. He then joined the ss after a talk with Lina von Osten [future wife] and through his dedication; he rose to the rank of Gruppenfuehrer. Envy was very alive amongst the members of the Nazi party and they did not hesitate to reintroduce those old rumors of Jewish ancestry that haunted Heydrich for the duration of his entire life. Himmler considered expelling him from the ss but Adolf Hitler stepped in and saved Heydrich from such a fate, although he commented that Heydrich would “obey blindly” due to his preservation in the ss. These rumors took their toll on Heydrich through eternal torment. His self-hatred went so far as him shooting [twice] a reflection of himself on one night, while saying to himself “filthy Jew!”

            As a result of the life-long rumors, Heydrich developed a strong sense of hatred towards most other human beings, particularly Jews. It is for this reason that he strove so hard to see to it that their destruction was achieved. He remained loving and loyal to Hitler until the tragic end of his life. Adolf Hitler had given him a place in which his career could flourish as well as providing him with the longed-for praise for his accomplishments and brilliance. Although Heydrich enjoyed the praise of the Fuehrer, other insecurities remained. The Jewish ancestry rumor mill was not the only thing tormenting the mind of Reinhard Heydrich. Sexuality issues also existed and as a result, Heydrich made public displays of being a “family man” and strove to express masculinity through athletic activities such as fencing and swimming. His affairs with numerous women served to reassure his manliness and to obscure his bisexuality. There were always rumors of homosexuality; however, nothing was ever given to “add fuel to the fire” as far as these were concerned. Everything was carefully performed in order to lead to the opposite conclusion and to mask the insecurity within. Reinhard Heydrich was a closeted bisexual whose sexuality, if discovered, would undoubtedly mark the end of his career. The internal agony suffered by Reinhard Heydrich due to his perceived “imperfections”, “inferiority” and “abominations” is unmatched by any others. Heydrich’s torment lied within, for even if physical enemies were exterminated, the internal voices of torment and insecurity would not be silenced until the moment of his death.  The life of Reinhard Heydrich was filled with countless insecurities and shames. His mind was the source of his brilliance as well as the source of his torment. It served as his ticket into the highest ranks of National Socialism and a high place in Hitler’s inner circle, but it also served as his eternal prison. Heydrich was not an evil man, he was a man trapped within himself and relentlessly taunted by those around him without any mercy. How can he be expected to act kindly towards others having never known kindness?

      None of these men were even close to being “evil”. Their lives were not Disney fairy tales; they were filled with anguish and uneasiness. Not one knew true happiness in the entirety of their lives, having lived the majority of it in a state of poverty and utter loneliness. Resentment towards fellow men is only a natural reaction when one is in these conditions for a large amount of time. Outsiders may attempt to minimize their suffering, but doing so would be dehumanizing them and would make them [the outsiders] into what they are attempting to stop [the dehumanization of fellow man].  If one truly wishes to prevent history from “repeating itself”, then one must attempt to understand the people who shaped our history in a sense worthy of a human being, not by merely demonizing them without trying to understand the true agony within.

        Hitler, Goebbels, Himmler and Heydrich were all human beings. They do not differ from any of the rest in any way, shape or form. Suggesting any sort of difference based on claims of “evil” is truly a preposterous claim brought forth by an individual whose empathy only reaches the limits of what is accepted by our modern society. The pity and understanding is given to the “victims” and not to the “perpetrators” based on whatever social stance the people of the times happen to be at in that age.  This sort of mechanical empathy is unacceptable and is not, in reality, empathy at all. True empathy and compassion knows no difference between Adolf Hitler and Elie Wiesel; both are human beings who may have committed mistakes but are worthy of being forgiven and understood, if nothing more. There are neither “pure” people, nor “evil” people because both of these terms provide a “black and white” view of life. Life is lived in shades of gray and the terms of good and evil are rather relative due to the fact that something that is “wrong” could be viewed as acceptable under varying circumstances.

      One must learn to look at history without prejudice for its figures. In our modern anti-Nazi age of daring mockery on one side and the feeble-minded neo-“Nazis” on the other, the true view of the Nazi figures is lost to the common man. If one does not go deeper [which is unfortunately the case with most people] into the lives of Hitler and the like, all one will know is either the “bloodthirsty killer” or the “exterminator of the Jewish filth”. Both of these pseudo-Hitlers are creations by propaganda of opposing sides and neither gives insight into Adolf Hitler as a person. One completely demonizes him and the other unrealistically glorifies him to an extent in which the figure has lost all humanity in the eyes of the masses. The same can be said for figures like Goebbels, Himmler and Heydrich.

        We are no longer fighting the Second World War. The time for propaganda-making on behalf or against Adolf Hitler and the other leading Nazi figures has come to an end. It is time for us as a whole to throw away these silly misconceptions of complete “good” and “evil” and of absolute “victim” and “perpetrator” because these provide an inaccurate “black and white” view of the world. The time has come to abandon the illogical rantings of neo-Nazis and the hypocritical pseudo-empathy and pseudo-humanity pleas of those who claim to be against everything that National Socialism embodies. It is time to see the truth behind the mask of modern, propaganda-infested “history”. Although it has long been postponed, it is time to know the real Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels and Reinhard Heydrich. It is time to look into ourselves.