Page 45 - The Chief Culprit

22 y e Chief Culprit

the treaty in alliance with Britain. If Germany entered into war with Britain and France,
other countries would be pulled into the conflict as well. is was just what Stalin needed.
It did not at all follow from Mein Kampf that Hitler would advance to the east. In Mein
Kampf there is a mention of lands in the east, but no indication of when Germany needs to
conquer those lands. Hitler simply “pointed his finger” in the direction. He even said (in Part
1, Chapter III): “ e effort would have to be envisaged in terms of centuries; just as in all
problems of colonization, steady perseverance is a far more important element than the out-
put of energetic effort at the moment.” Hitler was planning to build a thousand-year Reich.
Even in the famous, repeatedly quoted passage, he speaks of centuries: “We want to return to
that point, at which our previous development stopped six hundred years ago.”
In order to return to that point, the Germans had to, as Hitler instructed, “halt the
constant German push to the south and the west of Europe.” is, Hitler was unable to do.
He was unable to do it because Mein Kampf contains an inherent fundamental contradiction.
In order to advance east, it was necessary to stop moving west. On the other hand, in order to
advance east, it was necessary to secure Germany’s safety from the mortal enemy, France, and
first go west. One does not need to have Stalin’s insight—anyone can clearly understand that
Hitler got confused in 1924. He set a trap for himself. He openly declared his intention to
go east, making enemies out of all those to the east of him. Any German movement “towards
the sun” could only go through Poland. erefore, Poland automatically became Hitler’s en-
emy. And not only Poland: “lands in the east” is a very foggy concept. is declaration could
have applied to anyone. If your neighbor proclaimed that he wants to rob you, would you
like him? One phrase in his book transformed Hitler into a source of fear for all his eastern
neighbors. is does not at all testify to his elevated mental capabilities.
It is not wise to disclose one’s political goals, if they are strictly criminal. It is not pru-
dent to make enemies with one’s neighbors. But Hitler not only openly proclaimed his desire
to advance eastward, he also declared that France was his mortal enemy. To this list he also
added the Jews. Hitler’s heavy load of enemies broke the camel’s back.
e book Mein Kampf clearly demonstrated the arrival of a man who was going to fight
against the world, the man whom the world was going to hate, the man against whom all
people would rise up, the man the whole world would declare war upon. e entire world’s
hatred would concentrate against Hitler and his followers. If Hitler unleashed a war, first
and foremost this war would be against anyone but the Soviet Union. If Hitler unleashed
a war, logic would demand the dissipation of German strength along the entire European
continent, and beyond. ose who fought against Hitler would be considered saviors and
liberators. is is exactly what Stalin needed. Stalin knew: if Hitler went to war against France
and Britain, the question of lands in the east would fade on its own.