Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf (German for "My Struggle") is a book written by Adolf Hitler, combining elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology of Nazism.

Popularity before World War II

Before Hitler's election in 1933, the book sold very slowly; but in 1933 alone it sold 1.5 million copies. Although the NSDAP (the National Socialist German Workers' Party) claimed that it was already a huge seller, documents revealed following World War II showed this to be false. Some historians have speculated that a wider reading might have alerted the world to the dangers Hitler would pose to peace in Europe and to the Holocaust that he would pursue. An abridged English translation was produced before World War II. However, the publisher removed some of the more anti-Semitic and militaristic statements. The publication of this version caused Alan Cranston, who was an American reporter for UPI in Germany and later senator from California, to publish his own abridged and annotated translation, which he believed to more truly reflect the contents of the book. In 1939 he was sued by Hitler's publisher for copyright infringement and a Connecticut judge ruled in Hitler's favor; the publication of Cranston's version had to be stopped after about 500,000 copies had been sold.

Related Topics:
1933 - NSDAP - World War II - Europe - The Holocaust - English - Alan Cranston - UPI - California - 1939 - Copyright - Connecticut

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After Hitler's rise to power, the book gained enormous popularity and virtually became the Bible of every Nazi. Every couple intending to get married was required to own a copy. Sales of Mein Kampf earned Hitler millions; however, many of those who purchased it barely read it, and many bought it simply to show their allegiance to Hitler, gain position in the NSDAP and avoid the attentions of the Gestapo. By the end of the war, about 10 million copies of the book had been distributed in Germany.

Related Topics:
NSDAP - Gestapo

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