Adolf Hitler: Anatomy of an Autocrat

Adolf Hitler: Anatomy of an Autocrat




Keywords: Jesus- figure, Christ  figure, authoritarianism, Leni Riefenstahl

Abstract

 This paper will draw some comparisons between Jesus- figures and Christ – figures as interpreted by Peter Malone "Screen Jesus: Portrayals of Christ in Television and Film" Lanham: Scarecrow Press. 2012. Now, I will talk a bit about different scenarios that encompass Jesus and Christ figures in ways that people may not have considered, either from a spiritual perspective, or an entertainment element when watching film. Secondly, having seen the excellent Leni Riefenstahl propaganda film, “Triumph of the Will,” I found a poignant comparison between The Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler through the prism of a Jesus and Christ – figures. Ultimately, this notion  seems blasphemous, though, prophetic when considering political leaders such as Pol Pot (Cambodia) and Mao Zedong (China.) Mao, Pol Pot, and  Josef Stalin commanded respect like the Roman’s during Jesus period, through brutal force. Spiritual leaders lead through doctrine that may inscribe followers towards an aggressive tack to accomplish individual goals despite the core teachings. We could see this recently with Islamic State, Al Qaeda, and their affiliates.

The examples provided by Malone do help to guide us in our choices of divine entities in film. When we consider religion it seems as though we revere religion as a higher power no matter the form that the religion takes.  With the current and now complete cycle (we hope) of Islamic 

State, there is the reminder that certain elements within any religion present challenges to officials within a particular religion and public agencies. Note, the Roman Catholic Church and the ongoing sexual abuse allegations concerning priests and within Buddhism among llamas, and teachers etc. to speak of two examples. 

Madrassas are schools that teach Islam to youths not unlike Christian Sunday schools; both provide inspiration and hope with a clear picture of the deity that governs each Christ- figure while the local priest/Imam/ llama offering rituals, portraying the Jesus- figure. 

Along the way, the arguments shift towards the notion of land and control over borders. Religion is a convenient pillar to use one Christ-figure against the other. In a Canadian event that pitted the Aboriginal community against land owners, the situation regarding the community of OKA Quebec, which in a sense pitted a Jesus – figure, Ronald “Lasagna” Cross, who represented the Mohawk community against the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) who can be considered a Christ-figure in their support for the government. This tells a story of how roles play a significant part in reality surrounding issues pitting one savior against another. Hence, this theme plays out on the big – screen with super-heroes, professional athletes; particular in the vernacular of professional wrestling where good versus evil can emanate from bout to bout and provide “gold, incense, and myrrh” to the victors. 

Triumph of the Will

 History has taught us to revile the Nazi Party and its Christ – figure: Adolf Hitler. If we take a look at Leni Riefenstahl’s classic propaganda film, “Triumph of the Will” which begins with Adolf Hitler being flown into Nuremberg above the clouds for that messianic effect before descending below the heavens, and ultimately, greeting many well wishers in his open motorcade along the way to the Nazi congress in a Jesus – figure role shift from  heaven to Earth. The Germans and Jewish community would see Hitler as a heathen -child, instead, in the years ahead.

Purely, Jesus – like is how the German people saw Hitler. He promised to  restore Germany's military in violation of  the Versailles Treaty. The German army was tripled in size, warships were constructed beyond the size limitation of Versailles, along with the manufacture of submarines, that was prohibited as part of  the Treaty.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsrwjxs/revision/4

Hitler provides a dualistic, if not, multi- layered personality that supports a superior Aryan race similar to Jesus, his disciples and apostles that support his cause similar to Joseph Goebbels (Propaganda Minister) and Heinrich Himmler (Head of the S.S.) Indeed, Hitler has to appeal to German interests that include the German people and his Cabinet, and his personal goals that include his family, creative endeavors, along with his general cynicism for the Jewish population. In this comparison we see Hitler as a Christ – figure within his holy trinity. 

Joseph MacCurdy, a Cambridge researcher, found that Hitler increasingly manifested a “messiah complex” and became a slave to religious delusions about the Jews as he was losing his grip on the war. MacCurdy explains: “The Jews are the incarnation of evil, while he is the incarnation of the spirit of good.”^[1]It would seem that Hitler’s delusions grew as he lost the Jesus – figure element of his persona, and was left only with the metaphysical Christ- figure component to sustain him psychologically, notwithstanding the physical battles Germany was losing to the Allies. 

Moreover, Strehle quotes Hitler to support his own claim that it is God’s will in his purpose as German Chancellor where Hitler “…constantly refers to fate, providence, the innermost will of nature, and the supreme or creative force.” ^[2] Indeed, Hitler, continues with his belief that humans are most important in pro-creating to strengthen the race where the youth continually support the organs of the Third Reich, which is the fountain for German society. Kozlovic’s points for film embody Hitler in the human elements though he claims that “feature films should be employed as part of postmodern religious education” seem inappropriate for this excellent historical and political narrative of Hitler and The Nazi Party. 

Conclusion

Triumph of the Will was compiled using many feet of film that would have been enough for three films; however, Riefenstahl painstakingly condensed the finished product to show a leader who was in total control and respected by his people. Nietzsche said that religion is dead and with that, the end of good and evil, true and false” that frees humankind to pursue more altruistic or individual goals.”^[3]However, Nietzsche’s proclamation is accepted, the reality is that human-beings have freedom of choice, which ultimately rests on personal interests first that may or may not be in the best interest of a larger group or association. Riefenstahl illustrates the Nazi Party and their followers along these lines; soldiers walking rigidly, expressionless, in unity and total subservience to Hitler and his messianic powers that he is transcending, brilliantly, through propaganda. Should propaganda films become part of mainstream filmography? I think with Riefenstahl’s attention to detail, they will serve all elements of society.

 'The Cult of Personality' pervades the political spectrum during each period from Julius Caesar (wars translated the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire) to Napoleon Bonaparte( approximately 3.7 million deaths during Napoleonic wars) to current leaders Kim Jong - un (120,000 inmates in four major political prisons in 2014, while the UN reports hundreds of thousands have died in these camps over the past 50 years), the Assad family in Syria (400,000 Syrians killed between 2011-2016 - UN Envoy for Syria), Xi Jinping of China, and Pol Pot of Cambodia who  led the Khmer Rouge (1.7 million - 2.2 million lives lost.) Mao Zedong of China ( Great Leap Forward: 1958-1962/ "at least 45 million were worked, starved, or beaten to death    [5] Suffice it to say, a Christ- figure and/or Jesus - figure remain steadfast in democratically elected nation -states, though the manipulation of the graft is the main threat to the electorate which can hinder the delivery and content of necessary programs. More critical are those nation - states that subscribe to authoritarianism to pursue concentrated wealth at the expense of the many and in doing so manipulate the mass media to create a sphere of influence around one particular individual or small group. While, Riefenstahl had creative license, Hitler held sway over the project that would not deem Triumph of the Will, state sponsored propaganda. Riefenstahl's genius is found in her editing and camera angles.

 In established democracies these nuances may be observed through the head of state (President/Prime Minister as a Jesus - figure)  , governments cabinet or elected officials. In the case of Canada and other Crown observing nation- states, the Queen represents the Christ - figure. Moreover, while The Holocaust is a grim reminder of unchecked political power and international inaction regarding regime change or intervention, the presence of Holocaust memorials represents a paradox: humans can never heal from this period, while people are profiting from these museums. Yet, if the memorials do not exist, the memory will fade allowing for new authoritarian leaders to emerge. The solution lies with limiting the number of memorials, mandatory teaching of The Holocaust through early educators, closing Auschwitz to respect the victims, aiding Palestine in statehood, while taking an active role against current leaders: the Assad's, Kim's, Xi's (Xinjiang/Tibet/Taiwan,) Putin's (Crimea/Balkan's,) and Trump's (Pacific/Trade,) that embody a messianic, Christ-figure to maintain control and support.

Adolf Hitler 

Number of Deaths

Group Number of Deaths

• Jews 6 million

• Soviet civilians around 7 million (including 1.3 Soviet Jewish civilians, who are included in the 6 million figure for Jews)

• Soviet prisoners of war around 3 million (including about 50,000 Jewish soldiers)

• Non-Jewish Polish civilians around 1.8 million (including between 50,000 and 100,000 members of the Polish elites)

• Serb civilians (on the territory of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 312,000

• People with disabilities living in institutions up to 250,000

• Roma (Gypsies) up to 250,000

• Jehovah's Witnesses around 1,900

• Repeat criminal offenders and so-called asocials at least 70,000

• German political opponents and resistance activists in Axis-occupied territory undetermined

• Homosexuals hundreds, possibly thousands (possibly also counted in part under the 70,000 repeat criminal offenders and so-called asocials noted above) [4]

Works Cited

^{[1]BBC NEWS. “WWII Adolf Hitler profile suggests ‘messiah complex.” 4 May 2012. 11 October 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17949037.>}

^[2]Strehle, Stephen.  “The Nazis And The German Metaphysical Tradition Of Voluntarism.” The Review of Metaphysics, vol. 65, No.1 (September 2011), 125-126. <https://www.jstor.org/stable/23055685.> 

^[3]Strehle, Stephen.  “The Nazis And The German Metaphysical Tradition Of Voluntarism.” The Review of Metaphysics, vol. 65, No.1 (September 2011), 120. <https://www.jstor.org/stable/23055685.> 

[4]United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "Documenting Numbers Of Victims of the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution." 4 February 2019 (updated). 5 August 2019. <https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/documenting-numbers-of-victims-of-the-holocaust-and-nazi-persecution>.

[5] Akbar, Arifa. "Mao's Great Leap Forward Killed 45 Million in Four Years." 17 September 2010. 5 August 2019. <https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/maos-great-leap-forward-killed-45-million-in-four-years-2081630.html>.  

 Triumph of the Will - original