Christopher Hitchens once stated that the three major issues of the twentieth century were imperialism, fascism, and Stalinism, all of which George Orwell accurately assessed.
Orwell’s foresight is evident in a fascinating book review he wrote in March 1940, critiquing Adolf Hitler’s infamous autobiography, Mein Kampf. In this review, Orwell astutely delves into the core of Hitler’s toxic charisma and foreshadows themes that would later emerge in his own masterpieces, Animal Farm and 1984.
“The fact is that there is something deeply appealing about him… Hitler… knows that human beings don’t only want comfort, safety, short working-hours, hygiene, birth control and, in general, common sense; they also, at least intermittently, want struggle and self-sacrifice, not to mention drums, flags, and loyalty-parades. However they may be as economic theories, Fascism and Nazism are psychologically far sounder than any hedonistic conception of life.”
Despite acknowledging Hitler’s appeal, Orwell was never a supporter of the dictator. In the review, he envisions a dystopian future if the Third Reich were to succeed, painting a grim picture of an empire built on brainless militarism.
The article was published at a time when the upper class was retracting its initial support for the Third Reich, as revealed by a revised edition of Mein Kampf. Orwell notes the significant shift in attitudes towards Hitler, from respectability to condemnation.
In March 1940, as the world nervously anticipated the unfolding events of WWII, Orwell made eerily accurate predictions about the course of the war, highlighting Hitler’s unyielding mindset and his strategic plans for dominating Europe.
“When one compares his utterances of a year or so ago with those made fifteen years earlier, a thing that strikes one is the rigidity of his mind, the way in which his world-view doesn’t develop. It is the fixed vision of a monomaniac and not likely to be much affected by the temporary manoeuvres of power politics.”
In 1941, Hitler’s ill-fated invasion of Russia proved Orwell’s insights correct, as Stalin was caught off guard by the unexpected betrayal. Orwell’s deep understanding of Mein Kampf foreshadowed the disastrous consequences of Hitler’s aggressive expansionism.
To read Orwell’s full book review, click here.
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Hear the Very First Adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 in a Radio Play Starring David Niven (1949)
Jonathan Crow is a writer and filmmaker whose work has appeared in Yahoo!, The Hollywood Reporter, and other publications. You can follow him at @jonccrow.
