“Hitler had been much impressed by a scrap of history he had learned from a delegation of distinguished Arabs. When the Mohammedans attempted to penetrate beyons France into Central Europe during the eighth century, his visitors had told him, they had been driven back at the Battle of Tour. Had the Arabs won the battle, the world would be Mohammedan today. For theirs was a religion that believed in spreading the faith by the sword and subjugating all nations to that faith. The Germanic peoples would have become heirs to that religion. Such a creed was perfectly suited to the Germanic temperament. Hitler said that the conquering Arabs, because of their racial inferiority, would in the long run have been unable to contend with the harsher climate and conditions of the country. They could not have kept down the more vigorous natives, so that ultimately not Arabs but Islamized Germans could have stood at the head of this Mohammedan empire.
Hitler usually concluded this historical speculation by remarking: ‘You see, it’s been our misfortune to have the wrong religion. Why didn’t we have the religion of the Japanese, who regard sacrifice for the Fatherland as the highest good? The Mohammedan religion too would have been much more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness?’ It is remarkable that even before the war he sometimes went on: “Today the Siberians, the White Russians, and the people of the steppes live extremely healthy lives. For this reason they are better equipped for development and in the long run biologically superior to the Germans.’ This was an idea he was destined to repeat in far more drastic tones during the last months of the war." [ Source: Albert Speer: Inside the Third Reich
]Mark Alexander
14 comments:
One can easily surmise that Hitler was greatly encouraged by the non-accountability(to this day even) attached to the Armenian Genocide earlier to organise the Holocaust afterwards.
~wits0~
Please decipher!
Very important to remember these connections Mark.
The Turkish genocide of Armenians that is the subject of dispute even in todays Turkey, for which they will not encounter nor apologize, and similarly, offenses against the Greek people.
Churchill and Britain's role in the Dardanelles is relevant as well.
It is worth noting that the Greek Resistance was implacable to the Nazi foe.
I think anon is referring to the "non-accountability" of these Turkish atrocities, ie, they got away with it, and thence Hitler felt he would get away with the genocide against the Jewish people.
Which he may well have done, but for Churchill and the Allies.
Saving gr:
Yes, I agree. It is important to remember these connections; and it is also good to understand why Hitler thought as he did. I'm sure you have seen the video clip of the visit to Hitler of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
Thank you for explaining Anonymous' comment. Now, I can see waht he was driving at.
Yes, Hitler must have thought that he would get away with the genocide against the Jews. Thank the Lord we had Churchill. Hitler clearly didn't bargain for that.
Adolf had much better dress sense than todays religious facists!
So you like the stern military look of the Nazis, eh?
Better than wearing sack-cloth and ashes, or improbable facial growth.
Mark, philologically, do you know of a connection between the old Spanish root 'barbe' and barbarian and even berber?
I guess old Adolf was just being very German with his dress sense, I much preferred the Churchillian casual country gent look. Indeed, Winston's lack of clothing snobbery must have rankled with the Nazis, who very rarely made a public appearance without having visited their tailors.
"Oooh, suits you, Sir!"
Norm:
I feel happy that you prefer the sportier look of the English aristocrat to the more officious look of the Nazi officer!
With regard to the connection between 'barbe', 'barbarian' and 'Berber', all I know is the following:
As far as I know, 'barbarian' comes from Latin. It means cruel and savage. 'Berber' comes from Arabic, I think. It refers to the people who inhabit North Africa, west of Egypt. Latin for beard is 'barba'; hence 'barber'.
Barbarous was used for “Saracens living in coastal North Africa”. Hence, the Barbary coast. Now whether they were referred to in this way because they sported beards, I cannot tell. It seems to me that there could be a link there somewhere, though.
Yes, Mark, saving gr, has explained the simple suspected connection.
Even today, Turkey hasn't admit to its Past. Why can't it when Germany could wrt the Holocaust? It seems that islamic countries(even those with a secular front) are still the worst deniers of their history.
West Pakistan, e.g., never accepted their responsibility for East Pakistan's genocide of '71, either. Indonesia never atoned for the '65 genocide of suspected "communists".
So when the next mega size earthquake or tsunami strikes again, we are always a bit less surprised than them.
~wits0~
Yes, Mark, saving gr, has explained the simple suspected connection.
Even today, Turkey hasn't admit to its Past. Why can't it when Germany could wrt the Holocaust? It seems that islamic countries(even those with a secular front) are still the worst deniers of their history.
West Pakistan, e.g., never accepted their responsibility for East Pakistan's genocide of '71, either. Indonesia never atoned for the '65 genocide of suspected "communists".
So when the next mega size earthquake or tsunami strikes again, we are always a bit less surprised than them.
~wits0~
witSo, it does seem very cruel of God to single out such Countries as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey etc. for more than there fair share of natural disasters.
But then, He does work in mysterious ways.
Ban Quran close all mosques
H bomb every 5 yeas in mecca medina iraq iran cairo
Anonymous:
That would take balls; and balls are what our politicians and leaders sadly lack!
"That would take balls..."
Um... it would also take the sort of oppression and mass murder that you seem to oppose in (rightly) condemning Islamists.
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