The Churchill Series – Dec. 13, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Monday we read some of the logistical and strategic explanations Churchill offered for what historians generally agree was, if not the greatest blunder Hitler made during the war, certainly was of the greatest: his decision, announced to key aides in late Summre/early Fall 1940, to invade Russia the following Spring by which time Hitler knew and told his aides Germany would not yet have forced Britain out of the war.

Today let’s look at a psychological explanation for Hitler’s blunder: his pathological hatred of Bolsheviks. Hitler’s hatred of Bolshevik’s matched that of his hatred of Jews. He frequently grouped them together. In Mein Kampf he repeatedly refers to the “Judeo-Bolsheviks” and says the last phase of the great, European war he believed was inevitable must involve the destruction of the then Soviet Union.

In Their Finest Hour, volume two of his WW II history, Churchill includes a narrative of secret negotiations in late 1940 between Russia and Germany. Their stated purpose was the division of sphere’s of influence and “spoils” between the two nations as well as Hitler’s Axis partners: Italy and Japan.

For Hitler, however, the talks were really meant to lull the Russians while he prepared to annihilate them. So German offers to Russians were designed to keep Stalin talking and misguided as to German intentions. In reality, Churchill says:

Hitler’s heart was set on destroying the Bolsheviks, for whom his hatred was mortal. He believed that he had the force to gain his main life-aim. Thereafter all the rest would be added unto him. (pg. 587)

Few statesmen and few historian’s have understood Hitler as well as Churchill.

The Wikipedia Mein Kampf entry is reliable. It provides a good content summery as well as some very interesting information about the book’s publishing history.