Mein Kampf is a jarring glance into the mind of Adolf Hitler. Although very confusing and repetitive, with many moments of endless rambling, Mein Kampf is an incredibly detailed look into Hitler’s mentality and beliefs. Originally published in two separate volumes, Mein Kampf addressed both Hitler’s own life and his plans for the future. With many of his plans being put into action after his release from prison, Mein Kampf provides insight into the many unfortunate horrors that were to follow in the years to come.
Regarding Hitler’s personal life, there was a lot to unpack. Hitler was born in Braunau, Austria, in April 1889. Born into a complicated family, Hitler had many half-siblings from his father’s past relationships, both in past marriages and extramarital affairs. Furthermore, his grandfather was unknown to him, and many believe that there was a chance that his grandfather could have been Jewish, ironically. Only Hitler and one of his sisters survived past their early years, and his father later passed away when he was 13 years old.
Adolf allegedly had a poor school record, and he eventually left school when he was around 15 years old. Many of his teachers claimed he was lazy, but not necessarily “untalented.” Notably, however, Hitler had a surprising interest in history. A notable figure in his childhood was his teacher, Dr. Pötsch, who was an extreme German Nationalist. It seemed like Dr. Pötsch could have been one of Hitler’s first influences of extreme German Nationalism, with Hitler even naming him in Mein Kampf.
At 18, Hitler inherited his share of his father’s estate and moved to Vienna, where he applied to attend the Academy of the Arts, notably having a passion for art and architecture at the time. He was unfortunately denied admission to the school, and later that year, his mother passed away from breast cancer. He eventually ran out of money from his inheritance and became homeless. He sold drawings to get by and eventually ended up in a hostel, which was one of the moments that started his interest in politics.
Later, he enlisted to fight in World War I, specifically enlisting to be a volunteer in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. Here, he developed his passion for uniforms and militarism. He began gaining his political influence once he returned from the war in 1918.
Hitler began writing Mein Kampf in Landsberg Prison, where he was imprisoned for attempting to start a coup in 1923. More specifically, he was convicted of treason for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch, which was his attempt to gain control of the Bavarian government. During his time in jail, he was not in the most brutal conditions, having many gifts and guests during his time there. The first Volume, A Reckoning, was published in July 1925. Volume I discussed Hitler’s childhood, his experience in World War I, and the November Revolution of 1918. The second Volume, The National Socialist Movement, was published in December 1926. Volume II discussed his plans, specifically what the National Socialists had to do to gain and exercise power in Germany. In 1930, both volumes were combined and were published under the name Mein Kampf. By 1939, over 5 million copies were sold worldwide, with the book being translated into 11 different languages.
In 2015, Mein Kampf came out of copyright in Germany, allowing it to be sold to the public for the first time since it was withheld from publication in 1945 by the German state of Bavaria. Since then, there has been a discussion of whether or not the release of this book back into the German public was the best idea, with some arguing that there was a concern that the text would resonate with audiences today. Many others, however, have argued that it is important to teach the reality of what has happened and spread awareness of the truth of Germany’s past. Regardless, this text, which turned 100 years old this July, has been controversial and dangerous since the day it was written. To this day, it is one of the many bitter and painful reminders of what happened and will continue to do so for many generations to come.
References
“Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” is published | July 18, 1925 | HISTORY.” n.d. History.com. Accessed September 24, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-18/mein-kampf-is-published.
“Mein Kampf | Quotes, Summary, Banned, & Analysis.” 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mein-Kampf.
“Mein Kampf: The world’s most dangerous book?” 2015. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150113-the-worlds-most-dangerous-book.
Segal, Corinne. 2015. “Out of print for 70 years, Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ to go on sale in Germany.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/hitlers-mein-kampf-to-go-on-sale-in-germany.