By: Charlie Buckreis
Mein Kampf is a strange book. Some chapters are very straightforward, while others are nearly incoherent, with an almost stream-of-consciousness-esque feel, jumping from topic-to-topic with seemingly no connection. Research has shown us that Hitler likely had some psychopathologies, such as schizophrenia (or another form of psychosis), bipolar, and PTSD. Schizophrenia, bipolar, or something similar are likely. After one of Hitler’s younger brothers died when he was about ten, Hitler reportedly began speaking out loud as if to people that nobody else could see — some people reported him as talking to trees — which sounds like he may have been having hallucinations, which is common for people with schizophrenia. Additionally, his grades began declining and his overall behavior changed, both things that are not uncommon in patients with psychoses or disorders like bipolar.
The book itself is divided into two volumes. The first is mainly his backstory, talking about his life in Austria, his political exploits up until then, and how he ended up in prison, just to name a few. He also discusses his ideologies and beliefs, including his belief in the “master race” theory, and blames Jews and Communists for Germany’s defeat in WWI.
The second volume, by contrast, is mainly about his desires for the German people and Germany as a country and as a whole. He talks about his dreams for creating a united germanic people under a greater germanic state. He discusses his belief that Germany needs to expand, as he believes that it will grow under his leadership and it’ll need more space. Regarding Germany as a whole, he calls for a dictatorship with himself at the head.