The Psychopathic God
Encyclopedia
The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler is a 1977 book written by Robert G. L. Waite
. It was republished in 1993 by Da Capo Press
of New York.
It is a psychohistorical
examination of German
dictator Adolf Hitler
explores the events "by documenting accounts of is behaviour, beliefs, tastes, fears and compulsions." (Da Capo Press, publisher)
among biographies of Hitler, instead creating a portrait of the dictator solely through his apparent motivations.
German handmaidens (as was the situation of Hitler's grandmother
), etc.
's poem, "September 1, 1939
":
The title of Auden's poem refers to the date that Hitler's tanks rolled into Poland
. This date is generally acknowledged as the beginning of World War II
.
Robert G. L. Waite
Robert George Leeson Waite was a historian, psychohistorian, and the Brown Professor of History at Williams College who specialized in the Nazi movement—particularly Adolf Hitler....
. It was republished in 1993 by Da Capo Press
Da Capo Press
Da Capo Press, is an American publishing company with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, as a division of Plenum Publishers. it had additional offices in offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Emeryville, California...
of New York.
It is a psychohistorical
Psychohistory
Psychohistory is the study of the psychological motivations of historical events. It attempts to combine the insights of psychotherapy with the research methodology of the social sciences to understand the emotional origin of the social and political behavior of groups and nations, past and present...
examination of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
dictator Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
explores the events "by documenting accounts of is behaviour, beliefs, tastes, fears and compulsions." (Da Capo Press, publisher)
Synopsis
This book foregoes many common topics of historicityHistoricity
Historicity may mean:*the quality of being part of recorded history, as opposed to prehistory*the quality of being part of history as opposed to being a historical myth or legend, for example:** Historicity of the Iliad**Historicity...
among biographies of Hitler, instead creating a portrait of the dictator solely through his apparent motivations.
Jewish ancestry
While questions have lingered as to whether Hitler had Jewish ancestry, and subsequent history has cast great doubt on the idea, Waite proposes that Hitler's own doubts as to this question was a fundamental catalyst of the dictator's political actions. The author attempts to show that Hitler was unaware as to the truth of this matter, made great efforts to covertly shed light on his ancestry, and was deeply affected by the lingering question. Waite's presents a plethora of evidence to consider: Hitler's fixation on blood (both his own and in his speeches on the topic of purity), craniometry, a law banning Jewish employers from having pre-menopausalMenopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
German handmaidens (as was the situation of Hitler's grandmother
Maria Schicklgruber
Maria Anna Schicklgruber was Adolf Hitler's paternal grandmother.- Family :Maria was born in the village of Strones in the Waldviertel area. She was the daughter of Theresia Pfeisinger , and farmer Johannes Schicklgruber...
), etc.
Origin of the Title
The title is taken from a passage in W. H. AudenW. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
's poem, "September 1, 1939
September 1, 1939
"September 1, 1939" is a poem by W. H. Auden written on the occasion of the outbreak of World War II. It was first published in The New Republic issue of October 18, 1939, and was first published in book form in Auden's collection Another Time ....
":
- Accurate scholarship can
- Unearth the whole offence
- From Luther
Martin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
until now- That has driven a culture mad,
- Find what occurred at Linz
LinzLinz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
,- What huge imago
ImagoIn biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete...
made- A psychopathic God:
- I and the public know
- What all schoolchildren learn,
- Those to whom evil is done
- Do evil in return.
The title of Auden's poem refers to the date that Hitler's tanks rolled into Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. This date is generally acknowledged as the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Citation
- Waite, Robert G. L. (1977). The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0465067433
See also
- PsychobiographyPsychobiographyPsychobiography aims to understand historically significant individuals such as artists, political leaders, and so on, through the application of psychological theory and research...
- List of Adolf Hitler books