Hitler - Adolf Hitler

Japanese: ヒトラー - ひとらー（英語表記）Adolf Hitler

German politician, Führer and Chancellor of the Third Reich, and leader of the Nazi Party.

[Murase Okio]

Young adulthood

He was born on April 20th in Braunau (now Austria) as the son of a customs official in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He lost his parents at a young age, and after a failed attempt to become a painter in Vienna, he stayed in a public facility in the city, painting and selling pictures, and living off his parents' inheritance. During that time, he experienced the psychology of the lower classes and the masses, which later helped him in his political activities. He became involved in the ethnic struggle within the Austro-Hungarian Empire and became a German national supremacist, hating internationalist Marxism, and hating Jews and Slavs. Unwilling to serve in the army in Austria, he fled to Munich, Germany in the spring of 1913, and when World War I began, he volunteered to join the German army, and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class for his distinguished service as a messenger. He came to believe that the spirit of comradeship, discipline, and unity in the military should be the norm for life. After the German Revolution (1918-1919), he attended political ideology seminars for soldiers in the army in Munich, where he solidified his nationalist ideas, and in September 1919 he joined the German Workers Party (later the National Socialist German Workers Party, or Nazis), a small party that combined nationalism and social reformism.

[Murase Okio]

Nazi Party Leader

He had a talent for eloquence and always enthralled his audiences at his speeches. He also engaged in energetic propaganda activities to expand the party's influence, and at the end of March 1920, he retired from the military to devote himself to political activities. In July 1921, he became the party's dictator, and in cooperation with the military and conservatives, he preached the reconstruction of a powerful Germany, the overthrow of the Treaty of Versailles, the overthrow of the democratic republic and the establishment of a dictatorship, and the exclusion of the Jews. He also appealed for the protection of the middle class, the improvement of social policies, and the establishment of an ethnic community, securing the support of all segments of the population, especially the middle class, and frequently held mass rallies to rapidly expand the party's influence. From November 8 to 9, 1923, he staged a putsch in Munich (the Hitler Putsch). However, he failed because he could not obtain the support of the Bavarian military and bureaucrats, whom he had relied on, and he remained in Landsberg Prison until December 20, 1924.

After his release from prison, he rebuilt the party and attempted to conquer the democratic republic from within through legal activism. He published Mein Kampf (1925-1926), which outlined a plan to conquer Eastern Europe and greatly expand the sphere of existence eastward. He also skillfully integrated various tendencies within the party, secured the support of all classes of the population, especially the middle class, and won a landslide victory in the general election of September 1930, propelling the Nazis to the second largest party. He refused an invitation to join a coalition government and demanded dictatorial rule by the Nazis, and won 36.8% (13.4 million votes) in the presidential election in the spring of 1932, but lost to Hindenburg. However, in the general election of July of the same year, the Nazis won 37.3% and became the largest party, and influential people from all levels of the ruling class began to support him, so he was appointed Prime Minister on January 30, 1933. With the support of conservatives and the general public, he suppressed the opposition and established a one-party dictatorship (Third Reich).

[Murase Okio]

President

In August 1934, after the death of Hindenburg, he became president and called himself "Führer und Reichskanzler" (Führer and Chancellor). He fully utilized the productive power and technology accumulated in Germany during the democratic republic era, and developed the country's power with the support of the ruling powers. He provided jobs to the unemployed, rebuilt industry and brought prosperity, greatly expanded the military, and developed the country's power, which laid the foundation for rapid success in diplomacy. Germany became the number one powerful country in Europe. Thanks to the efforts of the "German Labor Front", "Joyful Forces" and other workers' organizations, the standard of living of the people improved to some extent, and social customs were modernized, which led to widespread support from the people. However, severe repression and control, various volunteer activities, paramilitary training, and constant fundraising activities oppressed daily life and caused oppressive discomfort, so small rebellions against the government broke out everywhere, and phenomena such as political apathy and retreat to private life also spread.

In the early period of the Third Reich, he appointed a conservative imperialist as foreign minister and implemented a relatively cooperative foreign policy as demanded by the mainstream ruling power, but as the country's power grew, the number of people in the country who advocated a hard-line diplomacy increased, and finally, in September 1939, he allowed German troops to invade Poland, and Germany entered World War II. He interfered in military operations, and his orders were effective in the war against France. In the German-Soviet War, when the Soviet counterattack caused chaos on the front lines at the end of 1941, he limited the defeat to a small scale by forbidding retreat, but from around the time of the defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad from November 1942 to January 1943, he issued orders that ignored reality, leading to repeated defeats. On July 20, 1944, generals and conservative politicians rebelled, but he maintained his personal popularity among the general public until the end of the war. He committed suicide on April 30, 1945, just before the fall of Berlin.

[Murase Okio]

person

He was single for a long time, but fell in love with his niece Angela Raubal (1908-1931), and after she committed suicide, he fell in love with Eva Braun (1912-1945), whom he married the day before her suicide, but Eva also committed suicide. He practiced vegetarianism, abstained from alcohol and tobacco, and stayed up until 3 or 4 in the morning, chatting with his aides. As a result, he was in bed until almost noon in the morning. He considered himself a lifelong patron of the arts, but he declared that modern literature and paintings were ``Jewish'' and ``Negro,'' and promoted 19th century art. He was hesitant about various policy decisions, and left many decisions to experts (the mainstream of the ruling power), so he made far fewer policies on his own than people think. He was independent of various pressure groups and interest groups, so he adopted policies such as allowing the ``German Labor Front'' to a certain extent to engage in worker-oriented activities, and was trusted by the people as an ``impartial'' leader. It is now said that he was neither insane nor a sexual deviant.

[Murase Okio]

"Hitler, volumes 1 and 2, by J.C. Fest, translated by Tatsuo Akabane, Kusuo Seki, Kiyohiko Nagai, and Masamori Sase (1975, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)" ▽ "Adolf Hitler, by Okio Murase (Chuko Shinsho)" ▽ "Mein Kampf, volumes 1 and 2, by A. Hitler, translated by Ichiro Hirano and Shigeru Masazumi (Kadokawa Bunko)"

[References] | Nazis | Hitler Putsch | Mein Kampf

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ドイツの政治家。第三帝国の総統兼首相、ナチスの指導者。

［村瀬興雄］

青壮年期

オーストリア・ハンガリー帝国の税関吏の子として4月20日ブラウナウ（現オーストリア）に生まれる。若くして両親を失い、ウィーンで画家になろうとして失敗し、同市の公営施設を定宿として、絵を描いて売ったり、両親の遺産に頼ったりして生活した。その間に下層社会や大衆の心理について体験したことが、のちに政治活動をするうえで役だった。オーストリア・ハンガリー帝国内の民族闘争に巻き込まれてドイツ民族至上主義者となり、国際主義的なマルクス主義を憎み、ユダヤ人とスラブ民族を憎むようになった。オーストリアで兵役につくことを嫌って1913年春にドイツのミュンヘンに逃れ、第一次世界大戦が始まるとドイツ軍に志願兵として入隊し、とくに伝令兵として功をたてて一級鉄十字章を受けた。軍隊内の戦友愛や規律、団結の精神が人生の規範となるべきだと考えるようになった。ドイツ革命（1918～1919）ののちにミュンヘンの軍隊内で、軍人のための政治思想講習会に出席して民族主義思想を固め、1919年9月、ドイツ労働者党（後の国家社会主義ドイツ労働者党、すなわちナチス）という国家主義と社会改良主義を結び付ける小党に入党した。

［村瀬興雄］

ナチス党首

雄弁の才能をもっており、いつも演説会で聴衆を熱狂させた。そして精力的に宣伝活動を行って党の勢力を拡張し、1920年3月末には軍隊を退いて政治活動に専念した。1921年7月には党内独裁者となり、軍部や保守派と結んで強大なドイツの再建、ベルサイユ条約の打破、民主共和制の打倒と独裁政治の確立、ユダヤ人排斥を説いたが、そのほかに中産階級の保護、社会政策の充実、民族共同体の樹立を訴えて、中産階級を中心とする国民各層の支持を確保し、大衆集会を頻繁に開いて党勢を急速に拡大した。1923年11月8日から9日にかけて、ミュンヘンで一揆(いっき)を起こした（ヒトラー一揆）。しかし、頼みとしていたバイエルン軍部と官僚の支持を得られずに失敗し、翌1924年12月20日までランツベルク獄中にいた。

　出獄後、党を再建し、合法運動によって民主共和制を内部から征服しようとした。『わが闘争』（1925～1926）を出版して、東ヨーロッパを征服して生存圏を東方に大拡張するプランを示した。また党内のいろいろな傾向を巧みにまとめ上げて、国民の各階層、とくに中産階級の支持を確保し、1930年9月の総選挙に大勝してナチスを第二党に躍進させた。連立内閣への誘いを断ってナチスの独裁支配を要求し、1932年春の大統領選挙では36.8％（1340万票）の支持を得たが、ヒンデンブルクに敗れた。しかし同年7月の総選挙ではナチスが37.3％を得て第一党となり、支配勢力各層の有力者が彼を支持するようになったので、1933年1月30日、首相に任命された。保守派と一般国民の支持の下に反対派を弾圧し、一党独裁体制を確立した（第三帝国）。

［村瀬興雄］

総統

1934年8月にはヒンデンブルクの死とともに大統領を兼ねて「総統兼首相（総統と略す）」Führer und Reichskanzlerと称した。民主共和制時代に蓄えられたドイツの生産力や技術をフルに活用し、支配勢力の支持を得て国力を発展させた。失業者に職を与え、工業を再建して繁栄をもたらし、軍備を大拡張し、国力を発展させたので、外交上で矢つぎばやに成功を収める基礎ができた。ドイツはヨーロッパ第一の強国となった。「ドイツ労働戦線」「歓喜力行団」その他の勤労者団体の努力によって国民の生活水準もいちおう向上し、社会習慣の近代化も行われたので、国民の広範な支持が生まれた。しかし厳しい弾圧と統制、各種の奉仕活動、準軍事訓練、絶え間ない募金活動が日常生活を圧迫し、重苦しい不快感を与えたため、政府に対する民衆の小さな反抗が至る所で起こり、政治的無関心と個人生活への退却などの現象もまた広がった。

　第三帝国の前期には、保守帝政派を外相に任じて、支配勢力主流の要求する比較的協調的な外交政策を展開したが、国力が強化されるにつれて強硬外交を主張する者が国内で増大し、ついに1939年9月ドイツ軍をポーランドに侵入させて、第二次世界大戦に突入した。彼は作戦に干渉し、その指令は対フランス戦においては効果をあげた。独ソ戦では、1941年末にソ連軍の反撃を受けて戦線が混乱したとき、退却を禁ずることによって敗北を小規模にとどめたが、1942年11月～1943年1月のスターリングラードの戦いにおける敗北の前後から、現実を無視した指令を出して敗戦を重ねた。1944年7月20日に将軍たちや保守政治家が反乱を起こしたが、大戦末期に至るまで、一般民衆の個人的人気はいちおう保っていた。1945年4月30日、ベルリン陥落直前に自殺した。

［村瀬興雄］

人物

長く独身であったが、姪(めい)のアンゲラ・ラウバルAngela Raubal（1908―1931）を愛し、彼女が自殺したあとでは、エバ・ブラウンEva Braun（1912―1945）を愛して、自殺の前日に結婚したが、エバもともに自殺した。菜食主義を実行し、酒とたばこを飲まず、夜は明け方の3時か4時ごろまで起きていて、側近と談笑した。したがって朝は正午近くまでベッドにいた。生涯を通じて芸術の保護者と自認したが、現代文学や絵画などは「ユダヤ的」「ニグロ的」と断定して、19世紀的芸術を推賞した。各種の政策決定には迷い抜いて、多くの決断は専門家（支配勢力の主流）にゆだねたので、独断で決定した政策は世上で考えられているよりもはるかに少ない。いろいろな圧力団体や利益団体からは独立した立場にいたので、「ドイツ労働戦線」の労働者本位の活動をある程度は許すなどの政策をとり、「公平な」指導者として国民に信頼された。狂気でも、性的異常者でもなかったと、いまでは説かれている。

［村瀬興雄］

『J・C・フェスト著、赤羽龍夫・関楠生・永井清彦・佐瀬昌盛訳『ヒトラー』上下（1975・河出書房新社）』▽『村瀬興雄著『アドルフ・ヒトラー』（中公新書）』▽『A・ヒトラー著、平野一郎・将積茂訳『わが闘争』上下（角川文庫）』

[参照項目] | ナチス | ヒトラー一揆 | わが闘争

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