Mein Kampf, or “My Struggle,” is a two part book written by the Nazi German leader himself, Adolf Hitler. The first volume came out in 1925, with the second coming out in 1926. The book became a widespread hit in Germany in around 1930.
The book is an autobiography of Adolf Hitler and it puts forth his socialist views as well as his hateful views of communists and Jews. It also pushed his beliefs of Aryan superiority. A censored English version was released in 1933 and in 1939 a direct English translation of the book was released. The book was considered the “Nazi Handbook,” as anyone looking to read/research the views of the Nazis and Hitler himself could take a read of Mein Kampf.
Some book critics call the book, Mein Kampf, dangerous and too powerful and they oppose the allowance of the book being sold publicly.
The book explicitly states, in multiple parts, Hitler's plans to exterminate Jews.
Quotes
In the book, The Book Thief, there are many instances where it talks about Mein Kampf and the un-humane views of Hitler…
“A blatant lie-he had nothing to do give, except maybe Mein Kampf, and there was no way he’d give such propaganda to a young German girl. That would be like the lamb handing a knife to the butcher.” – (Zusak, 221)
“There were the erased pages of Mein Kampf, gagging, suffocating under the paint as they turned.” – (Zusak, 237)
“Did they deserve any better, these people? How many had actively persecuted others, high on the scent of Hitler's gaze, repeating his sentences, his paragraphs, his opus? Was Rosa Hubermann responsible? The hider of a Jew? Or Hans? Did they all deserve to die? The children?” – (Zusak, 375)
Interesting Facts- · Hitler did not in fact write Mein Kampf himself, he actually told the story of his life to a man named Rudolf Hess who wrote the book
- · The book’s name was originally named “Four Years of Struggle against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice”, but was too long and shrinked to “Mein Kampf”
- · “Mein Kampf” was published in 1925, and by 1945 he had made 7.6m Reichsmarks from the book but had 405,500 Reichsmarks of tax debt (about 6 Million Euros, today's money)
- · He was even able to purchase a Mercedes-Benz from the book earnings, while he was still in jail
"Mein Kampf." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/mein-kampf-salem/mein-kampf>.
"Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERmein.htm>.
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2006. Trade paperback.
Fact Citations
BBC News. BBC, 17 Dec. 2004. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4105683.stm>.
"Mein Kampf." Mein Kampf. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Mein-Kampf-229832.html>.
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