[00010249.GIF Page 243: Title Page]

Hitler's Probable Behavior in the Future

[00010250.GIF Page 244]

As the tide of battle turns against Hitler it may be well to 
consider very briefly the possibilities of his future behavior 
and the effect that each would have on the German people as 
well as on ourselves.
 
1. Hitler may die of natural causes.
 
This is only a remote possibility since, as far as we know, 
he is in fairly good health except for his stomach ailment 
which is, in all probability, a psychosomatic disturbance. 
The effect such an event would have on the German people 
would depend on the nature of the illness which brought about 
his death. If he would die from whooping cough, mumps, or 
some other ridiculous disease, it would be a material help in 
breaking the myth of his supernatural origins.
 
2. Hitler might seek refuge in a neutral country.
 
This is extremely unlikely in view of his great concern about 
his immortality. Nothing would break the myth more effectively 
than to have the leader run away at the critical moment. Hitler 
knows this and has frequently condemned the Kaiser for his flight 
to Holland at the close of the last war. Hitler might want to escape 
as he has escaped from other unpleasant situations, but it seems 
almost certain that he would restrain himself.

3. Hitler might get killed in battle.

This is a real possibility. When he is convinced that he cannot 
win, he may lead his troops into battle and expose himself as 
the fearless [00010251.GIF Page 245]
and fanatical leader. This would be most undesirable from
our point of view because his death would serve as an example to 
his followers to fight on with fanatical, death-defying determination 
to the bitter end. This would be what Hitler would want for he has 
predicted that:

"We shall not capitulate...no, never.
We my be destroyed, but if we are, we
shall drag a world with us...a world
in flames."                                                 .

"But even if we could not conquer them,
we should drag half the world into
destruction with us and leave no one to
triumph over Germany. There will not
be another 1918."

At a certain point he could do more towards the achievement
of this goal by dying heroicily than he could by living.
Furthermore, death of this kind would do more to bind the 
German people to the Hitler legend and insure his immortality 
than any other course he could pursue.

4. Hitler might be assassinated.

Although Hitler is extremely well protected there is a possibility 
that someone may assassinate him. Hitler is afraid of this possibility 
and has expressed the opinion that:

"His own friends would one day stab him mortally in the back... 
And it would be just before the last and greatest victory, at the 
moment of supreme tension. Once more Hagen would slay Siegfried. 
Once more Hermann the Liberator would be murdered by his own 
kinsmen. The eternal destiny of the German nation must be fulfilled 
yet again, for the last time."

This possibility too, would be undesirable from our point of view 
inasmuch as it would make a martyr of him and strengthen the legend.

[00010252.GIF Page 246]

It would be even more undesirable if the assassin were a Jew for this 
would convince  the German people of Hitler's infallibility and 
strengthen the fanaticism of the German troops and people. Needless 
to say, it would be followed by the complete extermination or all 
Jews in Germany and the occupied countries.

5. Hitler may go insane. 

Hitler has many characteristics which border on the schizophrenic. 
It is possible that when faced with defeat his psychological structure 
may collapse and leave him at the mercy of his unconscious forces. The 
possibilities of such an outcome diminish as he becomes older, but they 
should not be entirely excluded. This would not be an undesirable 
eventuality from our point of view since it would do much to undermine 
he Hitler legend in the minds of the German people.

6. German military might revolt and seize him.

This seems unlikely in view of the unique position Hitler holds in the 
minds of the German people. From all the evidence it would seem that 
Hitler alone is able to rouse the troops, as well as the people to greater 
efforts and as the road becomes more difficult this should be an 
important factor. One could imagine, however, that as defeat 
approaches Hitler's behavior may become more and more neurotic 
and reach a point where it would be well for the military to confine 
him. In this case, however, the German people would probably never 
know about it.

[00010253.GIF Page 247]

If they discovered it, it would be a desirable end from our point of 
view because it would puncture the myth of the loved and 
invincible leader.

The only other possibility in this connection would be that the 
German military should decide, in the face of defeat, that it 
might be wiser to dethrone Hitler and set up a puppet government 
to sue for peace. This would probably cause great internal strife 
in Germany. What the ultimate outcome might be would depend 
largely on the manner in which it was handled and what was done 
with Hitler. At the present time the possibility seems extremely remote.

7. Hitler may fall into our hands.

This is the most unlikely possibility of all. Knowing his fear of 
being placed in the role of the vanquished, we can imagine that 
he would do his utmost to avoid such a fate. From our point of 
view it would not be undesirable.

8. Hitler might commit suicide.

This is the most plausible outcome. Not only has he frequently 
threatened to commit suicide, but from what we know of his 
psychology it is the most likely possibility. It is probably true 
that he has an inordinate fear of death, but being an hysteric 
he could undoubtedly screw  himself up into the super-man 
character and perform the deed. In all porbability, however, 
it would not be a simple suicide. He has too much of the dramatic 
for that and since immortailty is one of his dominant motives we can
[00010254.GIF Page 248]
imagine that he would stage the most dramatic and effective 
death scene he could possibly think of. He knows how to bind 
the people to him and if he cannot have the bond in life he will 
certainly do his utmost to achieve it in death. He might even 
engage some other fanatic to do the final killing at his orders.

Hitler has already envisaged a death of this kind, for he has 
said to Rauschning:                                                      

"Yes, in the hour of supreme peril I must sacrifice myself 
for the people."

This would be extremely undesirable from our point of view 
because if it is cleverly done it would establish the Hitler 
legend so firmly in the minds of the German people that it
might take generations to eradicate it.

Whatever else happens, we my be reasonably sure that
as Germany suffers successive defeats Hitler will become more
and more neurotic. Each defeat will shake his confidence still
further and limit his opportunities for proving his own greatness
to himself. In consequence he will feel himself more and more
vulnerable to attack from his associates and his rages will
increase in frequency. He will probably try to compensate for
his vulnerability on this side by continually stressing his 
brutality and ruthlessness.

His public appearances will become less and less for,
as we have seen, he is unable to face a critical audience. He
will probably seek solace in his Eagle's Nest on the Kehlstein 
near Berchtsegaden. There among the ice-capped peaks he will
[00010255.GIF Page 249]
wait for his "inner voice" to guide him. Meanwhile, his nightmares 
will probably increase in frequency and intensity and drive him 
closer to a nervous collapse. It is not wholly improbably that in 
the end he might lock himself into this symbolic womb and defy 
the world to get him.

In any case, his mental condition will continue to deteriorate. 
He will fight as long as he can with any weapon or technique 
that can be conjured up to meet the emergency. The course he will 
follow will almost certainly be the one which seems to him to be 
the surest road to immortality and at the same time drag the 
world down in flames.

Home ·  Site Map ·  What's New? ·  Search Nizkor