Was Adolf Hitler Born Evil

It is a timeless question many historians have grappled with; was Adolf Hitler born evil or did he become that way? The answer to this question is multifaceted and complex, one with no set answer. The truth is that the monstrosity Adolf Hitler became was the result of a combination of factors, not least of which were the seeds he was born with, the experiences he had in his life, and how he chose to react in response to them.

Adolf Hitler certainly did not come into the world wholly evil because infants are not born with such concrete thoughts and capacities. At birth, they are blank slates with the potential to shape their lives in either good or bad directions. Therefore, it is likely any evil tendencies Hitler had or developed came from his environment and the experiences he was exposed to.

Many have suggested Adolf Hitler was born a timid, insecure child due to his father, a domineering figure who strictly disciplined him and caused him to lose respect for all authority figures. In addition, his mother rarely showed him any affection and only gave him conditional love. It has been hypothesised that this upbringing caused Hitler to develop a sense of inferiority and intense hatred.

This hatred is further evidenced by the events of World War 2, in which Hitler sought to establish supremacy over European nations through destructive and oppressive means. Furthermore, his use of radical eugenics to exterminate certain population groups on grounds of racial ‘purity’ was not only an unfathomable evil, but symptomatic of a seriously twisted mind.

Ultimately, it is impossible to deny that Adolf Hitler was born with certain negative attributes, and it could be argued he didn’t need much influence to bring out the worst of these qualities. Robert Walters, a researcher on human psychology, believes strong evidence exists to suggest Hitler’s childhood experiences helped bring out this extreme dark side – an opinion shared by many experts in the field of psychology.

Finally, it is worth noting that the environment of a person can have a powerful holding over their inner and outer morals. Therefore, it is arguably the combination of Hitler’s upbringing and character flaws which has been debated for decades, leading to the conclusion that no single explanation can truly explore why he committed such heinous acts.

Genealogy of Evil

From Hitler’s early family life emerges further evidence of an evil lineage. As a young boy, Hitler was deprived of a loving father, as his own father abandoned him and the family shortly after birth. This event could be seen as a contributing factor to his sense of alienation and rage.

Furthermore, Hitler’s grandmother was said to have been promiscuous, lending further credence to the notion of hereditary depravity. Particularly, it is believed she frequently abused alcohol and had various relationships with multiple men. It is thought such behaviour could have left a strong impression on Hitler’s young mind, resulting in further hatred and backward thinking.

Even Hitler’s grandfather may have been a factor in his malevolent evolution. It was reported that his grandfather died in an asylum in a state of mental confusion. This could have provided an insight for the development of Hitler’s beliefs on the dominance of an ‘Aryan’ race, as this is believed to have been a factor in his grandfather’s end.

Finally, it is argued that lesser-known relatives of Hitler’s, such as Uncle Ernst and Uncle Ludwid, were criminals in their own right. Controversatively, it is purported that Adolf’s grandfather was the result of such a union between Ernst and Hitler’s Nan, Franzisa.

Political Agitations

It could be argued – and indeed many historians suggest – that Hitler’s political ideology was fashioned due to his experience in the trenches and his subsequent failure to rise in rank within the economic structures of post WW1 Germany. Perhaps if Hitler had been elected to a more lucrative position, we would not be discussing this issue today?

It could also be argued that Adolf Hitler’s political views were heavily influenced by readings of the anti-semite literature of the era, such as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Mein Kampf, which advocated the destruction of ‘bad’ races so that the ‘true’, ‘Aryan’ race could be preserved.

Hitler believed the Jews were conspiring to supplant the power of the German people, and so it is said he used his book as a platform to express his dismay against the Jews, who he felt were responsible for what was happening in Germany. Subsequently, this hatred eventually lead him to formulate his ‘final solution’, which was the extermination of the Jewish population – and with it, the Holocaust.

It is indubitable, then, that the events of World War 1, rampant anti-semitism and a need for a figure to channel the people’s frustrations all contributed to Hitler’s political agenda.

Psychology of An Egoist

It could be said that Adolf Hitler had a narcissistic, egotistical outlook on life, which was purportedly diagnosable according to present-day criteria of mental illness. This disorder is believed to have empowered him to undertake a mission of mass destruction without thought to the lives of his victims, as he was victim to a deeply-rooted need to feel powerful and important.

The psychological effects of Adolf’s war-time experience and the pressure to carry out the Nazi ideology are suggested to have provided him with what can only be termed an inflated sense of self-importance. It is said that he became fixated on the idea of creating a Nazi utopia, and he was consumed by his own will to succeed in this mission.

Meanwhile, it could be argued that Hitler used propaganda to facilitate his diabolical intentions. Daniel Goldhagen, an expert in German holocaust studies, argues that Hitler capitalized on an existing anti-Semitic culture in Germany, using manipulative appeals to a populace traumatized by war-time losses and maligned by perceived ‘foreign threats.’

From this we can see that Hitler’s ambitions to own the world were not just based on his belief in Nazis superiority, but on his inability to be satisfied with anything less. As such, it is possible that Adolf had an excessive sense of entitlement.

Destroying Humanity’s Soul

Adolf Hitler’s psychology has often been analysed by experts, in order to captivate what it was that caused him to be so obsessed with conquering the world and exterminating minority groups. Many believe it was the effect of a traumatic experience in his early childhood, and a lack of affection from his father that caused Hitler to become ‘evil’, a person without a soul.

Hitler openly fed off his own people for who he wanted to be, which made him an even more calculating and desperate individual. His views on Jews and other minority groups showed that he wanted a world free of them, as he believed they were detrimental to his plans to establish a pure Aryan race.

It could also be said that Hitler’s destruction of humanity was fueled by a blatant disrespect for human life, as well as his own intolerance of anything or anyone he deemed to be below the Aryan standard. This could be linked back to his position as the ultimate ruler and the leader of a vast international conspiracy – his deranged mind set was more than likely exacerbated by his misguided desire to create a perfect world.

Hitler was also a pathological liar and a master propagandist, carefully constructing a convincing fantasy of supremacy about himself and his country. This enabled him to manipulate and deceive vast numbers of power hungry people and enterprises, craving an end to the Jewish population.

Psychological Factors at Play

Hitler’s psychological makeup is no less complex than his ideology. Though it is impossible to fully understand what was going through his mind during WW2 and his time as the leader of Nazi Germany, there are three distinct psychological ‘types’ which would explain much of his behaviour.

The first type is labelled as ‘malignant narcissism’, which put simply, is an individual who believes they are well deserving of having power over others and can manipulate them in order to gain it. This is said to be Hitler’s primary trait and how he maintained his power for so long.

The second type is ‘psychopathy’, suggesting Hitler often lacked remorse for his actions towards real and perceived enemies. This would be consistent with his war-time actions and his vocal hatred of the Jewish population.

Finally, the third type is labeled ‘paranoia’, indicating Hitler’s inability to trust ‘the other’, which led to his belief in the superiority of the ‘Aryan race’ over other groups. Furthermore, this trait could have enabled him to be as influential as he was during the Holocaust.

The Birth of An Ideology

In order to further examine why Hitler held such extreme views, it is pertinent to examine the very inception of these beliefs. How it all started remains a mystery, but it is suggested that his early years of poverty, insecurity and neglect could have implanted a sense of revulsion and inferiority in Hitler which caused him to be distrustful of the world around him.

Hitler’s belief in racial cleansing was fuelled not only by his own apprehensions about the ‘other’, but also by beliefs promulgated within the Nazi party itself. The Nazi’s utilised powerful rhetoric and language to create a strong ideological foundation for Hitler’s autocracy. Moreover, Nazi propaganda effectively played upon the long standing German traditions of racial and national superiority, by exaggerating the ‘threats’ posed by ‘inferior’ ethnic groups.

Ultimately, whether Hitler was born with a deep-rooted predisposition towards evil remains a unsolved quandary. Although this piece of writing cannot provide a definite answer, it is suggested that a combination of environmental and psychological factors drove Hitler’s horrific acts.

Elizabeth Baker is an experienced writer and historian with a focus on topics related to famous world dictators. She has over 10 years of experience researching, writing, and editing history books and articles. Elizabeth is passionate about uncovering lost stories from the past and sharing interesting facts about some of the most notorious dictators in history. In her writing, she emphasizes how dictators can still affect modern-day politics and society. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington where she continues to write and research for her latest projects.

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