Is the excessive interest in all things related to Adolf Hitler damaging?

Question

The popular obsession with Hitler is demonstrated by the wide range of books and articles published about him every year. Is Adolf Hitler being made a scapegoat for human nature? Does the obsession with him interfere with students ability to understand the darker side of society by puting the ills of the twentieth century on the shoulders of one man?

Answer 1

D-amn straight, Chris. This question needed to be asked!!

A star for the best question I have seen here in a long time.

I see questions about Hitler in the History category of Yahoo! Answers nearly everyday (yours counts too!). After observing these questions, and the answers - I have to say YES. The excessive interest in all things related Hitler IS damaging.

I would say yes - for some people the obsession with Hitler narrows their focus, and detracts from a fuller understanding of not only the Second World War - but Politics too. All of the deaths that occurred in Europe from the time the Nazis gained power in Germany (1933) cannot be blamed on one man alone.

I have seen too many - including an answer that was just given to the question "Who do you think was the most evil person in the world?" question a few minutes ago - who make claims like "Hitler, he killed 11 million people."

Actually, you will find that many of the same people will put the ills of the 20th Century on the shoulders of Stalin, and Mao too. In the case of Mao, I think without understanding much Chinese history from 1900 on - one cannot understand the context of the Revolution, the Civil War, and what occurred after.

In any case, I say YES to both of your questions, and can offer real examples (such as the one character who asks dozens upon dozens of WW II questions with several Hitler/Stalin questions too - yet seems to not understand much about human nature at all) from Yahoo! Answers alone.

Answer 2

Whilst I agree we must never forget what a cultured and mature country descended to , I agree the interest is excessive. In part, at least here in the UK, I blame it on the National Curriculum, Key Stage 4 and I quote in part:-

'6) During the key stage, pupils should be taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through three British studies, a European study and two world studies....

A world study after 1900

13) A study of some of the significant individuals, events and developments from across the twentieth century, including the two World Wars, the Holocaust, the Cold War, and their impact on Britain, Europe and the wider world.'

Because history gets so little time, much of what is available is devoted to the World wars etc.

When I look in my local public library, history section, I also despair. 5 or 6 shelves on WWI and WW2 history, 1 or 2 on everything else.

Answer 3

historical past transformations with time and the Hitler syndrome is in basic terms too close to the form to be seen dispassionately. think of roughly Attila the Hun, or Genghis Khan, or maybe Alexandra the super. each of those persons became into in charge for thousands and thousands of deaths and suffering, and yet historical past basically considers their geographical achievements.no longer something is remembered with regard to the rapine, pillaging, torturing and extermination of entire peoples that went on.And so it will be with Adolf Hitler. historical past will in basic terms see a international chief in lots the comparable mild as Napoleon Bonaparte.

Answer 4

as an keen historian and a life student i find studying about Hitler and the third Reich is kind of fascinating not damaging you learn how one man's struggle in a society that was harder than the one we have today even one harder than the American depression. It's only damaging if people who read those books and digest everything in them it almost as contradictory as every American believing bush can stop terrorism which in reality will never happen so no i don't believe that delving into history is damaging if it was all university students wouldn't graduate history.

Answer 5

i guess all the nazi things receive more attention because of some morbid fascination with their regime
lots of documentaries, books, internet communities
i saw even on ya people asking about ww2 german generals
There something about nazi regime with their ideology, subculture, morbidity that makes people curious.
That includes Hitler The movies Das boot and Der untergang have a high rating on imdb..
I want to know a deeper answer of why this happens though.

Answer 6

I have always thought it was an infallible sign of a fifth-rate mind.