Inside Hitler's Mind

Adolph Hitler was a very complex person whose troubles and beliefs went very deep.  His childhood was, in a word, traumatic.  This was when many of his problems started, and they continued to get worse as he got older.  

Hitler's father was very unloving.  He drank excessively, and could be violent with the children or their mother.  This caused many fights between the parents.  Growing up in this environment is difficult for any child, and Adolph Hitler was no exception. 

The character of a father has a very large influence on the children, particularly boys.  When a father shows consistent character, then the child has something to follow and can copy the father's actions.  But, as in Adolph's case, when the father shows an inconsistent character, the child gets confused and frustrated.  Hitler's father was a "mass of contradictions".  The very person who is supposed to give love, support, and security instead makes the child feel uneasy and anxious (Langer, 145). 

As a result, Hitler spent much of his early life trying to find that person who could replace his father as a life friend and guide.  When he joined the Military, he found something he liked.  In effect, he substituted military life for his missing home life.  Military life was very structured, and required him to submit to commands.  Hitler responded very effectively.  There isn't any record we have of him misbehaving during this period in his life (Langer, 147).  

Another thing that shaped his life considerably was how his mother spoiled him.  His mother had lost at least two (maybe even three) children before Adolph was born.  So, to her, he was a special child, and she did everything she could to keep him alive and happy (Langer, 150).  Since he was so spoiled, he viewed himself as special.  This never went away, and it was "while he was in the hospital suffering from hysterical blindness and mutism that he had the vision that he would liberate the Germans from their bondage" (Langer, 157).  His idea of fate came from this source.  Many children have ideas about how they will be a great leader, but as they get older, these ideas go away.  But, not in Adolph's case.  Hitler felt that 'Fate' had led him down this path, and he had a "firm belief in his own greatness" (Langer, 31).  He was on the earth to become the leader, liberator, and savior of Germany.  Hitler was very upset with the defeat that Germany had suffered in WWI.  He loved his adopted country, and he took the news hard.   

Return to Psychology of Genocide home page or read on about The Psychology Behind Genocide