The Rise of Hitler and His Views on Smoking
Adolf Hitler is remembered as a key figure in history because of his role in World War II. He was the leader of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, although the Nazis came to power in the 1920s and had a looming presence until the end of the war. Before he was even elected, his views on smoking and drinking had already been in the public eye.
Hitler was born in 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria. He was the fourth of six children and was raised in a modest household. His father was known to be a strict disciplinarian and both his parents had a fundamental religious background. In the early stages of his life, Hitler was very influenced by his upbringing and held very traditional views on life. He was known to be anti-smoking and anti-drinking from a very young age, even before his rise to power.
As he grew older, Hitler became more and more determined to remove alcohol, smoking, and drugs from German society. In 1933, he issued a ban on sales of any tobacco products in public places and also in exchange for food. He went even further in 1937 and enforced a law that all of the tobacco advertisements in newspapers and magazines had to be completely removed. This showed even further reluctance to separate German society from the use of drugs and alcohol.
Though popularly held beliefs in the West suggest that Hitler was a teetotaler, some historians disagree and point to records showing that Hitler had actually consumed alcohol on occasions. This is a contentious subject and there is no clear evidence on Hitler’s views on smoking cigarettes. Nevertheless, the extreme steps taken to remove tobacco from German society suggest that he was at least a partial opposition to the habit.
Hitler’s Views on Smoking Backed Up by Scientific Research?
Adolf Hitler was a man of great ambition and was driven to eradicate any social activities or practices he felt were detrimental to the people and his Nazi party. Therefore, it is no surprise that he was against the use of smoking and tobacco.
It has since been shown that a great deal of scientific research supports the concept that smoking is hazardous to one’s health. In the 1930s, Hitler cited the increasing studies and scientific evidence as a way to justify his drive to remove tobacco from German society. He felt that smoking presented a risk to public health and it was his thorough attempt to rid German citizens of such a risk.
Whether or not his sudden enthusiasm for anti-smoking was simply a personal opinion or backed up by scientific evidence is unclear. However, his iron fist and authoritative approach to dealing with the situation left little room for opinion from anyone else.
Analysis of Hitler’s Personal Views on Smoking
Apart from the scientific evidence, it is unclear what Hitler’s personal views on smoking were. This question has been asked for decades and still remains under debate.
Hitler’s personal doctor, Theodor Morell, wrote in his diary that Hitler was strictly against smoking and developed an immediate distaste for any room filled with cigarette smoke. Thus, it is possible that Hitler disliked smoking so much because of his strict upbringing.
It is also possible that Hitler did not care too much for the smell and taste of smoking, so he had it banned to get rid of any odours or unpleasantness associated with it. Whatever the case may be, it is safe to say that Hitler was sure to rid Germany of smoking – and any other vices deemed dangerous to its citizens.
Hitler’s Impact on the Smoking Habits of Germany
Hitler’s ban on smoking had a huge impact on Germany’s society. Before he issued this ban, Germany had one of the highest numbers of smokers in Europe, but it has now seen a dramatic decrease in its figures.
Smoking in Germany had always been socially accepted and was even seen as a badge of honour for men. By effectively removing tobacco from the public sphere and introducing strict rules against it, Hitler was able to transform the habits of the people.
It can be argued that the ban of smoking was firstly a financial decision, as cigarettes were a source of income for the Nazi party. But along with this, it was also part of Hitler’s fear that social smoking would lead to citizens engaging in other ‘unethical’ activities, such as drinking or drugs.
Hitler’s Influence on the Anti-smoking Movement
Hitler’s approach to banning smoking in Germany had long-lasting effects on many countries, particularly in the early days of the anti-smoking movement.
One of the biggest influences Hitler had on the movement was his effort to make smoking a social taboo, rather than a cultural norm. By enforcing strict laws on the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products, Hitler made smoking appear embarrassing and wrong. This idea was so powerful and effective that it was adopted in other countries in an effort to reduce smoking rates.
Despite the negative connotations attached to Hitler, it cannot be argued that his stance on smoking was effective in changing the place of smoking in German society. Although it was radical, it successfully reduced the number of smokers in Germany, which resulted in a reduction in smoking-related illnesses and death.
Hitler and the Global Decline in Smoking
Hitler was the first leader to use the concept of control to reduce the level of smoking in his country, but this concept quickly spread throughout the world. In the West, campaigns against smoking began to appear in the 1920s and 30s and were given further impetus in the wake of Hitler’s ban.
Since then, the rate of smoking around the world has drastically declined as more and more countries have adopted strategies to discourage smoking, such as increased taxation, restrictions on advertising and the implementation of smoke-free environments.
It has even been speculated that, if Hitler hadn’t issued his ban on smoking, the anti-smoking movement might never have gained momentum and could have taken even longer to reduce smoking levels in the world.
Disruption of Hitler’s Anti-smoking Campaign
Hitler’s ideals of a non-smoking Germany, which had influenced many countries, was almost destroyed in a single day. On March 25, 1945, Allied bombers destroyed much of Berlin, including many of the locations used to confiscate cigarettes from the people. Reports from the time show that hundreds of people rushed to the area in order to find cigarettes and smugglers began to smuggle in huge quantities of cigarettes from the East.
This brought about a tremendous amount of disruption to Hitler’s anti-smoking campaign as it allowed for vast amounts of cigarettes to penetrate the market. These actions helped to undo the tight regulations that Hitler had placed on smoking in the country and eventually, his efforts to remove tobacco from society were all but forgotten.
Hitler’s Legacy on the Smoking Movement
Hitler’s ban on smoking was one of his most successful social policies, resulting in an intense public outcry against smoking. His approach to smoking opened the door to the awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoke and had an immeasurable effect on the anti-smoking movement.
Hitler’s ban served as an example to the world that smoking is a dangerous habit and that governments and leaders can effectively intervene to reduce smoking in their own countries. The long-term effects of Hitler’s campaigns can still be seen in the social acceptance of smoking and the current movements around the world to further reduce smoking rates.
