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posted by martyb on Monday October 10 2016, @07:53PM   Printer-friendly
from the Wer-hat-das-geschrieben? dept.

A biography of Adolf Hitler published two years before his autobiography Mein Kampf may also have been written by Hitler:

In the early fall of 1923, when Adolf Hitler was still mostly known for his frenzied speeches at Munich beer halls, a slim biography was published that lauded him as the savior of the German nation and even compared him to Jesus. The book, "Adolf Hitler: His Life and His Speeches," was credited to Baron Adolf Victor von Koerber, a German aristocrat and war hero. Scholars have said that Hitler sought Mr. von Koerber out for the biography because he needed a conservative figure without links to the Nazi Party to help legitimize him as a leader.

However, new research says Hitler penned the work himself. This suggests that Hitler had designs on taking power earlier than many historians have previously thought and manipulated public opinion to get there.

"Adolf Hitler: His Life and His Speeches" was published two years before "Mein Kampf," the autobiography and manifesto that historians consider the moment Hitler went from political propagandist to leader in waiting. The von Koerber biography was published shortly before Hitler helped lead a bungled coup in Munich known as the Beer Hall Putsch.

"It's 1923, and Hitler suddenly decides he needs to boost his national profile," said Thomas Weber, a professor of history and international affairs at the University of Aberdeen, in Scotland, who uncovered documents in Mr. von Koerber's archival papers that he argues reveals Hitler as the biography's true author. The documents included a sworn statement by the publisher's widow.

Dusty old Godwin meme.


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  • (Score: 2) by edIII on Monday October 10 2016, @08:19PM

    by edIII (791) on Monday October 10 2016, @08:19PM (#412617)

    Sure about that [fortune.com]?

    All political candidates use some spin to advance their cause. It is now so common that voters come to expect it. As a businessman, Donald Trump long practiced an extreme version of self-promotion he called “truthful hyperbole” to get what he wanted.

    He wrote his own medical report, why wouldn't he be just as controlling and micromanaging of his biographies?

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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 10 2016, @09:08PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 10 2016, @09:08PM (#412639)

    As a businessman, Donald Trump long practiced an extreme version of self-promotion he called “truthful hyperbole” to get what he wanted.

    He wrote his own medical report, why wouldn't he be just as controlling and micromanaging of his biographies?

    Because Trump wasn't even competent enough to come up with the term "truthful hyperbole" himself, his ghostwriter did [newyorker.com] because he needed a way to say "lie" without straight-up calling Trump a liar in his own autobiography. The man has the attention span of a gnat — read the article for how it was literally impossible for his ghostwriter to get Trump to focus for more than a few minutes.

    • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday October 11 2016, @03:07AM

      by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday October 11 2016, @03:07AM (#412780) Journal

      Have you read Mein Kampf???

      It makes Trumps rambling look deep, scholarly and thoughtful!

      Get a copy and try to read it: you can't.... honestly... it is baaaaaad. Hitler was probably ADHD to the max, or SOMETHING....

      ...baaaaaad.....

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      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 11 2016, @03:58AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 11 2016, @03:58AM (#412795)

        > Hitler was probably ADHD to the max, or SOMETHING....

        Well, Hitler was a meth addict. [usatoday.com]

        • (Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday October 11 2016, @11:40AM

          by LoRdTAW (3755) on Tuesday October 11 2016, @11:40AM (#412901) Journal

          Stop trying to smear Hitlers good name!