Days 45-46 – 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Only 45 and a half weeks to go! Maybe by then I’ll have Mein Kampf finished! I did make more progress on it. I finished the last chapter of Volume 1, and the first chapter of Volume 2.

The last chapter of Volume 1 deals with the development of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Hitler goes through the numerous points/tactics that needed to be addressed for the formation of this party. As has become typical of his writing (and I suspect, his speaking) it was all very long and redundant.

Some points he made, which again should have raised some red flags to the population at large were things like point three: The nationalization of the broad masses can never be achieved by half-measures, by weakly emphasizing a so-called objective standpoint, but only by a ruthless and fanatically one-sided orientation toward the goal to be achieved” (page 337).

As with the last couple of chapters, we see him using the words “ruthless” and “fanatical” to describe the type of position he and his party need to take in order to bring the Reich back to its glory days. We also see him use words such as “weak” and “half-measured or half-hearted” or “poison” to describe those currently in charge.

Another red flag about his intentions shows up in point four. He talks about how this nationalization of the masses will only succeed when the “international poisoners are exterminated.” As he has stated in the previous chapters, he believes that these “international poisoners” are the Jewish people. To think that no one concluded what he meant by “exterminated” is frightening.

After more points about racial purity, he begins to address how the party should be organized. An interesting footnote is placed at point nine. This point is where Hitler lays out the organizational structure, leadership roles and such. In the footnote it says, “This is one of the few passages the sense of which has been radically changed in the second edition. By the time of the appearance of the second edition, Hitler had emerged victorious from the factional conflicts within the party. His authority was now uncontested” (page 344). Then he quotes the passage as it appears in the second edition.

The differences (I won’t lay them all out) are things like the first chairman is now appointed by the next highest leader; in version one, the first chairman was elected. Here you can see that Hitler was changing his own rules so that he had more power over who was actually in charge of things instead of leaving it to an election within the party.

As you continue through the chapter, you can see where these party factions were already coming into play (and the party hadn’t actually been fully established yet). Hitler talks about the lack of speaking skills of the two main leaders. Then, of course, he talks about how great a speaker he was and how his speeches brought in the masses. Despite his ego on this matter, it was true. He has always been touted as a very charismatic speaker (otherwise, I don’t think many would have followed him).

He discusses how their “meetings” were drawing not only more people, but more opposition – to the point of violence breaking out and some of the leaders not wanting to appear in public anymore. Then he says on page 357, “Terror is not broken by the mind, but by terror.”

Hitler gathered some of his comrades in arms and they began “taking care” of the opposition at the meetings.

The chapter ends (and the first volume) with the largest meeting of the group being held – with over 2000 people in attendance – and the formation of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.

Then we enter into Volume 2: The National Socialist Movement. Chapter one “Philosophy and Party” is pretty dry stuff. He recaps some of his major points of Volume 1, talks about the words “religion” and “folkish” and how neither word is fit for the basis of a movement; and of course, he talks about his belief that the Aryan race is the supreme race.

“We all sense” he says on page 384, “that in the distant future humanity must be faced by problems which only a highest race, become master people and supported by the means and possibilities of an entire globe, will be equipped to overcome.”

So now I get to read about all the ways he plans on creating his “master” race… only 310 pages left (and I already checked… chapter 2 is the longest chapter of Volume 2, so this could take a while!).

Anyway, enough about Hitler and onto another socialist: George Orwell. I re-read Animal Farm. I can’t remember if I read it back in high school or college… but it’s been a while. Orwell began writing this book in 1943, at about the time that Hitler’s forces were now no longer seemingly invincible. But Orwell wasn’t writing against Hitler, he was writing against the communists.

The story centers around a farm “Manor Farm” where the animals rebel against the humans, take over the farm and rename it “Animal Farm.” The leaders of the farm are the pigs Napoleon and Snowball who were based on Stalin and Trotsky. (Trotsky lead a failed opposition to Stalin in the 1920s for which he was kicked out of the Communist Party and deported from the Soviet Union).

After the animals take over, they come up with seven commandments that they are to live by:
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.

As the feuding between Napoleon and Snowball intensifies (and Snowball is kicked out of the farm)… the seven commandments change. For example, the “No animal shall sleep in a bed” is changed ever so slightly to, “No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.”

Of course, the other animals aren’t as learned as the pigs, and only a couple can barely read. With the help of Squealer, the other animals are reminded of what “really” happened and what the commandments really say… and reminded that if they don’t follow what Napoleon has set forth, the humans will come back – and they don’t want that to happen!

By the end of the story, all of the commandments have been changed and eventually broken down to just one: all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. The pigs have become tyrannical and murderous and have rejoined forces with the humans and have changed the name of the farm back to the original “Manor Farm.”

Orwell is quite masterful at his allegory. To see the evolution of the pigs (communism) and how it is carried out without the other animals catching on to the reality of what is happening (or not caring), is entertaining – at least until you remember that this really did happen (and still does happen).

The story is well written. You want to know what happens to your favorite animal(s), like Boxer, the “I will work harder” horse; or Benjamin, the silent but wise donkey; or you want to see if the humans get the farm back; or what the pigs are really up to inside the farmhouse. It does keep you guessing and wanting to know how it will end. Great story – and some great truths about human nature to be found within the pages.

Happy reading!