Adolf Hitler
eine politische Biographie
Description:... Chronicles Hitler's life and the history of the Nazi party. Traces the development of his ideology, including his antisemitism, and its translation into programs and actions. In ch. 17 (pp. 477-495), "Vorkämpfer des Judenmords", concludes, from the formation of the Einsatzgruppen and from Hitler's table talk, that his decision to exterminate the Jews was taken at the time of the preparations for the invasion of the USSR. Argues that he would not have delegated such a decision to Himmler. Hitler took part in consultations and gave orders (although he was careful never to put them in writing). He pressured rulers of satellite states (such as Hungary) to speed up the deportation of their Jews. He saw himself as first among the Jew-haters, but his closest retinue as well as all who took part in the Holocaust shared this hatred. At the same time, he saw the usefulness of antisemitism in securing the solidarity of the German people.
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