Kekcroc



MEIN KAMPF

my father's library, I stumbled upon various books on mili-

tary subjects, and among them I found a popular edition

dealing with the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. These

were two volumes of an illustrated journal of the period

which now became my favorite reading matter. Before

long that great heroic campaign had become my greatest

spiritual experience. From then on I raved more and more

about everything connected with war or with militarism.

Since Hitler's outlook and policies are rooted in Austrian ex-

perience (it is sometimes said that he 'made Germany an Aus-

trian's province') some remarks on the general situation in his

home land may be helpful. The Austria-Hungary of the last

three decades of the nineteenth century was only the remnant

of a Habsburg Empire that had once included most of western

Europe. It was a 'dual monarchy,' the crown belonging to the

monarch as Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. Since

most of Germany had been welded together (1871) by Bis-

marck in an empire ruled by the Hohenzollern kings of Prussia,

the Germans who remained in Austria-Hungary constituted a

minority, even though most of the important bureaucratic

positions were still in their hands. The position obtained by

Hungary made their lot no easier. For soon every ' nationality '

wished to secure comparable advantages for itself.

The monarchy itself had suffered many a reverse. Under

Frederick the Great and Bismarck, the Prussians had inflicted

several major defeats upon their Austrian rivals. While the

revolutionary liberalism of 1848 was successfully put down at

the cost of severe fighting, the power of the bureaucratic State

was none the less seriously undermined and the eventual

triumph of 'constitutionalism* in 1860-61 was assured. In

addition the unification of Italy was achieved at the cost of

Austrian prestige and possessions. And though the Partition of

Poland had added Galicia to the Habsburg domains, it was

always doubtful who ruled the province the Poles or the

Austrians. Galicia was also the home of large Jewish com-

munities, from which strong contingents moved to Vienna

and other important cities.

AT HOME 9

But this was to prove of importance to me in another

direction as well. For the first time the question confronted

me I was a bit confused, perhaps if and what differ-

ence there was between those Germans fighting these bat-

tles and the others. Why was it that Austria had not taken

part also in this war, why not my father, and why not all

the others? -<

Are we not the same as all the other Germans?