[pierrem15]

I read somewhere that Hitler's comrades from WWI don't remember him as being particularly antisemitic: he received his Iron Cross citation from a Jewish officer.

I also read that he admired parliamentary democracy until he actually went to the gallery in Vienna to watch the Imperial parliament in action (or inaction): there was no official language requirement, so Czechs (in particular) would filibuster for hours in their own language without anyone else being able to understand. He supposedly went to Munich as the war started because he didn't want to serve with Slavs.

I often wonder now if his being gassed and suffering temporary blindness at the end of the war when combined with Germany's defeat didn't push him over the edge psychologically.

Whatever the case, he certainly acquired an almost Satanic ability to convert, as Thomas Mann put it, every characteristically German virtue into vice.

[faithhopecharity]

I see. That’s very interesting thanks. And yes there were ( and are) many virtues in German history and culture. It’s so easy to be critical of course after naziism and 45 million killed people. But I hold my critiques a bit now that we see in today’s USA just how easily a great nation with very positive elements on its history and culture can be subverted Into tyranny and support for islamoNazi terrorism all around the world.