Mein Kampf

Cover of French edition of Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf (English: My Fight) is a book written by Adolf Hitler and Rudolf Hess. Rudolf Hess helped Hitler write the book, but he is not mentioned as an author.

Parts

There are two parts to Mein Kampf. Hitler wrote the first while he was in jail in Landsberg am Lech. He had been put in jail after a failed putsch in 1923. He wrote the second part after his (early) release from jail.

From 1926 to 1930, both volumes were sold separately, at the price of 12 Reichsmark each. Starting in 1930, both volumes were published as one book.

Importance

In the book, Hitler describes his view of greater Germany and his future plan for Jews. After coming to power in 1933, Hitler put some of those plans into action and eventually led a genocide called the Holocaust.

The book was given away for free at civil registry offices while the Nazis had power in Germany. In part, the book was propaganda, and giving it away free was a way to recruit members.

Mein Kampf has been called the "most evil book in history". Historians and journalists who have read it have also criticized the quality of Hitler's writing.

Editions

Several editions of Mein Kampf were published between 1925 and 1945. Each new edition included revised text intended to clarify information in past editions. Most likely, ghostwriters around Hitler did this work.

After the Second World War, it became illegal to reprint or sell new copies of Mein Kampf in Germany and Austria (Hitler's country of birth). It is not illegal to own the book, sell used copies, or buy used copies.

The contents in short

• Hitler wanted to unite Austria with Germany. The annexation, or "Anschluß," took place in 1938. The sympathetic Austrian government asked Hitler to annex Austria to be part of the "Großdeutsche Reich" (The Greater German Reich).
• Several antisemitic beliefs in the book are developed. Special care is taken to portray Marxism as something very bad which had been a Jewish creation.
• The concept of nationally oriented socialism (Nationalsozialismus, which is where the Allied word Nazi (National Sozialistishe) comes from as they did not call themselves Nazi's). A war should be a war of races, not one of the different classes of society against each other. From this conflict, sympathy from German working class could be amassed.
• The political system of the Soviet Union referred to as Bolshevism should be split into parts. This should be done through what is called a war of the races (Rassenkrieg in German).
• According to the book there is not enough space for the German People to live. Winning such a race war would give the people (of "Aryan" blood) more space to live (Lebensraum), in the east. (At the time the book was written Germany was roughly the size of Texas).
• Germany should not fight a war on two fronts. Resultingly, England would be a good strategic partner in a war to come.
• Parliamentary or Democratic governments should be replaced with a state where a single leader makes decisions. This was believed to be more in the interest of the people.
• The structure of the NSDAP, as outlined in the second volume is developed.
• Some autobiographic stories, and a history of the NSDAP, both till 1924.