Get Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich PDF and Learn About the Nazi Supernatural Imaginary
Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich
Have you ever wondered how a modern and civilized nation like Germany could fall under the spell of a genocidal dictatorship that was obsessed with occultism, paganism, and pseudoscience? If so, you might want to read Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich, a fascinating book by Eric Kurlander that explores how supernatural thinking shaped Nazi ideology, policy, and warfare.
HitlersMonstersASupernaturalHistoryoftheThirdReichbookpdf
Eric Kurlander is a professor of history at Stetson University who specializes in modern German history. He has written several books and articles on topics such as German liberalism, conservatism, Catholicism, nationalism, antisemitism, colonialism, and fascism. In this book, he draws on a wide range of sources, including archival documents, memoirs, diaries, newspapers, magazines, films, novels, paintings, posters, photographs, and artifacts, to reveal how the Nazis engaged with the occult ideas, esoteric sciences, and pagan religions that were popular in Germany and Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The main argument of Hitler's Monsters is that we cannot understand National Socialism without taking into account the role played by the supernatural in Nazi Germany. Kurlander argues that the Nazis were not simply irrational fanatics who exploited or manipulated the occult for political purposes, but rather they were deeply influenced by a "supernatural imaginary" that pervaded German culture and society. This supernatural imaginary consisted of a vast array of beliefs and practices that challenged or transcended the boundaries of mainstream science and religion, such as astrology, clairvoyance, divination, witchcraft, demonology, Ario-Germanic mythology, Indo-Aryan spirituality, Germanic folklore, border science, and miracle weapons. Kurlander shows how the Nazis used this supernatural imaginary to create a new ideological and discursive space in which they could justify their racial utopia, imperial expansion, and mass murder.
The book is divided into five parts, each covering a different aspect of the Nazi supernatural imaginary. The first part traces the origins and development of Nazism in relation to the occult revival, Ario-Germanic religion, and border science in Weimar Germany. The second part examines how the Nazis tried to control, suppress, or appropriate occultism, astrology, and border science in the Third Reich. The third part explores how the Nazis promoted Ario-Germanic paganism and alternative religions as substitutes for Christianity. The fourth part analyzes how the Nazis used folklore and border science in their foreign policy, propaganda, and military operations. The fifth part discusses how the Nazis faced their impending defeat by resorting to miracle weapons, supernatural partisans, and apocalyptic visions.
Part I: The Supernatural Roots of Nazism
The first part of Hitler's Monsters provides a historical background for understanding how Nazism emerged from the supernatural milieu of Weimar Germany. Kurlander argues that Nazism was not a sudden or aberrant phenomenon, but rather a product of a long-standing tradition of Ario-Germanic religion, border science, and occultism that dated back to the late nineteenth century.
Kurlander begins by examining how various völkisch groups and movements revived or invented Ario-Germanic religion as a way of expressing their nationalist, racist, and anti-Semitic sentiments. He focuses on the role of Guido von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels, two influential occultists who combined Nordic mythology, Indo-Aryan spirituality, Theosophy, and Ariosophy to create a new syncretic religion that glorified the Aryan race and demonized the Jews and other inferior races. He also discusses how other völkisch organizations, such as the Germanenorden, the Thule Society, and the Artamanen, adopted or adapted List's and Lanz's ideas and rituals to promote their own agendas.
Next, Kurlander explores how border science, a term he uses to describe various pseudoscientific theories and practices that claimed to reveal hidden or paranormal aspects of nature and reality, flourished in Weimar Germany. He shows how border science appealed to many Germans who were dissatisfied with the limitations or failures of mainstream science and religion, especially after the trauma of World War I and the social and economic crises of the Weimar Republic. He surveys some of the most popular forms of border science, such as parapsychology, life reform, cosmobiology, biodynamic agriculture, free energy, World Ice Theory, radiesthesia, geomancy, and telepathy, and explains how they offered alternative or holistic worldviews that challenged or complemented conventional scientific paradigms.
Finally, Kurlander investigates how occultism, the practice of seeking hidden or secret knowledge through various forms of magic or divination, influenced the early development of Nazism. He argues that occultism was not a marginal or insignificant factor in Nazi history, but rather a crucial element that shaped Nazi ideology, symbolism, and ritual. He traces the origins of the Nazi Party to the Austro-German occult milieu, especially the Thule Society, a secret völkisch group that was involved in the Munich Soviet Republic and the Beer Hall Putsch. He also examines how Hitler and other Nazi leaders used occult symbols, such as the swastika, the runic alphabet, and the SS sig runes, to create a powerful visual identity for their movement. He also reveals how Hitler and other Nazi leaders relied on occult practices, such as astrology, clairvoyance, and divination, to guide their political decisions and actions.
Part II: The Third Reich's War on the Occult
The second part of Hitler's Monsters examines how the Nazis tried to control, suppress, or appropriate occultism, astrology, and border science in Nazi Germany. Kurlander argues that the Nazis had a complex and ambivalent relationship with the supernatural, and how they dealt with the contradictions and tensions that arose from their involvement with the occult. He shows that the Nazis were not a monolithic bloc when it came to their views and practices of the supernatural, but rather they had different and sometimes conflicting approaches and agendas. Kurlander begins by analyzing how the Nazis launched a campaign against occultism, astrology, and border science in Nazi Germany, especially after the rise of Heinrich Himmler as the head of the SS and the police. He explains how the Nazis banned or restricted various occult and astrological publications, associations, and activities, and how they persecuted or imprisoned many occultists and astrologers on charges of fraud, subversion, or treason. He also describes how the Nazis tried to purge or regulate border science from academic institutions, research centers, and public agencies, and how they imposed strict criteria and standards for scientific validity and ideological conformity. Next, Kurlander explores how the Nazis tried to appropriate or exploit occultism, astrology, and border science for their own purposes, especially after the outbreak of World War II. He reveals how some Nazi leaders, such as Rudolf Hess, Hermann Göring, Joseph Goebbels, and Martin Bormann, consulted astrologers and occultists for personal or political guidance, and how they used astrological and occult propaganda to influence public opinion and morale. He also examines how some Nazi agencies, such as the SS-Ahnenerbe, the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), and the Reich Ministry of Armaments and War Production (RMBM), supported or sponsored border scientific research and experiments on topics such as parapsychology, biodynamics, free energy, World Ice Theory, radiesthesia, geomancy, and telepathy. Finally, Kurlander investigates how the Nazis tried to resolve or reconcile their involvement with occultism, astrology, and border science with their official ideology and policy. He argues that the Nazis adopted a pragmatic and opportunistic attitude towards the supernatural, using it when it suited their interests and discarding it when it did not. He also suggests that the Nazis developed a dualistic worldview that distinguished between "good" and "bad" forms of occultism, astrology, and border science, depending on whether they served or threatened the Nazi cause. He also proposes that the Nazis rationalized their engagement with the supernatural by invoking concepts such as "positive Christianity", "Germanic science", "border science", "Aryan occultism", and "Nordic astrology", which aimed to legitimize or harmonize their supernatural beliefs and practices with their racial ideology and political agenda. Part III: Ario-Germanic Paganism and Alternative Religions
The third part of Hitler's Monsters examines how the Nazis promoted Ario-Germanic paganism and alternative religions as substitutes for Christianity in Nazi Germany. Kurlander argues that the Nazis had a hostile and antagonistic relationship with Christianity, especially with its universalist, egalitarian, and pacifist teachings, which they regarded as incompatible with their völkisch, racist, and militarist ideology. He shows how the Nazis tried to undermine, replace, or transform Christianity by reviving or inventing Ario-Germanic religion and spirituality, which they considered as more authentic, natural, and suitable for their Aryan race and Nazi state.
Kurlander begins by exploring how various völkisch groups and movements developed or propagated Ario-Germanic religion and spirituality in Weimar Germany. He focuses on the role of Jakob Wilhelm Hauer, a professor of religious studies who founded the German Faith Movement (Deutsche Glaubensbewegung), a neo-pagan organization that aimed to create a new German religion based on Indo-Aryan spirituality, Germanic mythology, and Nordic folklore. He also discusses how other völkisch organizations, such as the Artamanen, the Germanenorden, the Thule Society, and the Nordic Ring (Nordischer Ring), promoted or practiced Ario-Germanic religion and spirituality in various forms, such as sun worship, nature worship, blood rituals, runes, and festivals.
Next, Kurlander analyzes how some Nazi leaders and agencies supported or sponsored Ario-Germanic religion and spirituality in Nazi Germany. He reveals how Heinrich Himmler's SS-Ahnenerbe, a research institute that studied the ancestral heritage of the Germanic race, conducted or funded various projects and expeditions on topics such as Indo-Aryan religion, Germanic mythology, Nordic folklore, witchcraft, and the Holy Grail. He also examines how Alfred Rosenberg's Reich Ministry for Occupied Eastern Territories (Reichsministerium für die besetzten Ostgebiete), a government agency that administered the Nazi-occupied territories in Eastern Europe, promoted or implemented various policies and programs on topics such as Ario-Germanic colonization, ethnic cleansing, cultural assimilation, and religious conversion.
Finally, Kurlander investigates how some Nazi occultists and pagans interacted with other esoteric movements and alternative religions in Nazi Germany. He argues that the Nazi supernatural imaginary was not a closed or isolated system, but rather a dynamic and eclectic one that borrowed or adapted ideas and practices from various sources, such as Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Ariosophy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, and Eastern religions. He shows how some Nazi occultists and pagans, such as Karl Maria Wiligut, Otto Rahn, Karl Ernst Krafft, and Wilhelm Wulff, were influenced by or involved with these movements and religions, and how they tried to reconcile or harmonize them with their Nazi beliefs and practices.
Part IV: The Supernatural and the Second World War
The fourth part of Hitler's Monsters analyzes how the Nazis used folklore and border science in their foreign policy, propaganda, and military operations during the Second World War. Kurlander argues that the Nazis had a strategic and instrumental relationship with the supernatural, using it as a tool or weapon to advance their war aims and objectives. He shows how the Nazis exploited or manipulated folklore and border science to justify their aggression, to mobilize their population, to deceive their enemies, and to enhance their warfare.
Kurlander begins by examining how the Nazis used folklore and border science in their foreign policy and propaganda during the war. He explains how the Nazis invoked or fabricated folklore and border science to claim historical or racial ties with other countries or regions, such as Scandinavia, Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Finland, India, Tibet, Japan, and Iran. He also describes how the Nazis used folklore and border science to portray themselves as liberators or protectors of these countries or regions from their enemies, such as the Soviet Union, Britain, France, the United States, and the Jews. He also discusses how the Nazis used folklore and border science to demonize or dehumanize their enemies, such as the Soviet Union, Britain, France, the United States, and the Jews, by depicting them as monsters, beasts, demons, or aliens. Next, Kurlander explores how the Nazis used folklore and border science in their military operations during the war. He explains how the Nazis employed or experimented with various supernatural weapons and technologies that were supposed to give them an edge over their enemies, such as parapsychology, biodynamics, free energy, World Ice Theory, radiesthesia, geomancy, and telepathy. He also describes how the Nazis used folklore and border science to enhance their warfare capabilities, such as camouflage, deception, communication, navigation, intelligence, and sabotage. Finally, Kurlander investigates how the Nazis used folklore and border science in their warfare ethics and morality during the war. He argues that the Nazis used folklore and border science to justify or rationalize their warfare methods and tactics, such as blitzkrieg, total war, scorched earth, terror bombing, and genocide. He also suggests that the Nazis used folklore and border science to cope or deal with their warfare experiences and consequences, such as trauma, guilt, fear, and death. Part V: Nazi Twilight
The fifth and final part of Hitler's Monsters discusses how the Nazis faced their impending defeat by resorting to miracle weapons, supernatural partisans, and apocalyptic visions. Kurlander argues that the Nazis had a desperate and delusional relationship with the supernatural, using it as a last resort or a false hope to escape their doom or to inflict as much damage as possible on their enemies. He shows how the Nazis clung to or created miracle weapons, supernatural partisans, and apocalyptic visions to sustain their morale, to inspire their resistance, and to fulfill their prophecy.
Kurlander begins by examining how the Nazis clung to or created miracle weapons in their final days. He explains how the Nazis developed or deployed various advanced weapons and technologies that were supposed to turn the tide of the war or to inflict massive destruction on their enemies, such as jet fighters, rocket fighters, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, submarine missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, sound cannons, wind cannons, sun guns, atomic bombs, and flying saucers. He also describes how the Nazis propagated or exaggerated these weapons in their propaganda and mythology, creating a cult of Wunderwaffe (wonder weapons) that promised Vergeltung (vengeance) or Wunder (miracles).
Next, Kurlander explores how the Nazis resorted to or invented supernatural partisans in their final hours. He reveals how some Nazi leaders and agencies supported or sponsored various occult and pagan groups and movements that were supposed to fight behind enemy lines or to prepare for a future comeback, such as the Werwolf guerrillas, the Edelweiss pirates, the Black Order, the Green Cadre, and the Esoteric Hitlerists. He also examines how some Nazi occultists and pagans escaped or survived the Allied occupation or prosecution by hiding in remote locations or by fleeing to foreign countries, such as Karl Maria Wiligut, Otto Rahn, Karl Ernst Krafft, Wilhelm Wulff, and Miguel Serrano.
Finally, Kurlander investigates how the Nazis created or fulfilled apocalyptic visions in their final moments. He argues that the Nazis had a millenarian and messianic worldview that anticipated a cataclysmic end of the world or a glorious rebirth of a new world order. He shows how some Nazi leaders and agencies enacted or prepared for various apocalyptic scenarios or plans that were supposed to destroy their enemies or to save themselves, such as Operation Sea Lion, Operation Barbarossa, Operation Valkyrie, Operation Werwolf, Operation Clausewitz, and Operation Nordlicht. He also discusses how some Nazi occultists and pagans interpreted or prophesied various apocalyptic signs or events that were supposed to herald the end of times or the dawn of a new age, such as Nostradamus's quatrains, the Book of Revelation's seals, the Norse mythology's Ragnarök , and Hitler's resurrection.
Conclusion
In conclusion,Hitler's Monsters is a definitive history of the supernatural in Nazi Germany that offers a comprehensive and nuanced account of how supernatural thinking shaped Nazi ideology,policy,and warfare.Kurlander demonstrates that the Nazis were not simply irrational fanatics who exploited or manipulated the occult for political purposes,but rather they were deeply influenced by a supernatural imaginary that pervaded German culture and society.He also shows that the Nazis had a complex and ambivalent relationship with the supernatural,using it pragmatically,opportunistically,or desperately,depending on their interests and circumstances.
The book's main contribution is that it provides a new and original perspective on Nazism that challenges or complements existing interpretations and explanations. It reveals how the Nazis created or appropriated a new ideological and discursive space in which they could justify their racial utopia,imperial expansion,and mass murder.It also exposes how the Nazis exploited or manipulated folklore and border science to advance their war aims and objectives.It also explores how the Nazis promoted or implemented Ario-Germanic paganism and alternative religions as substitutes for Christianity.It also discusses how the Nazis faced their impending defeat by resorting to miracle weapons,supernatural partisans,and apocalyptic visions.
The book's main strength is that it is based on extensive and meticulous research that draws on a wide range of sources,including archival documents,memoirs,diaries,newspapers,magazines,films,novels,paintings,posters,photographs,and artifacts.It also uses an interdisciplinary and comparative approach that combines history,political science,philosophy,sociology,psychology,anthropology,and religious studies.It also engages with the relevant literature and debates on Nazism,occultism,paganism,and border science.
The book's main weakness is that it sometimes suffers from repetition or redundancy,since some of the topics or themes are covered in more than one chapter or section.It also sometimes lacks clarity or coherence,since some of the arguments or claims are not well explained or supported.It also sometimes overlooks or neglects some of the counter-evidence or alternative views that might challenge or qualify its conclusions.
The book's main implication is that it invites us to rethink or reevaluate our understanding of Nazism and its relationship to the supernatural.It