Civilization #54: The German Will to Power

What explains the rise of Adolf Hitler? In this talk to his Beijing high school students, Jiang Xueqin explains that Hitler was a manifestation of the German obsession with the unity of will. After the humiliating defeat of World War I and amidst the economic turmoil of the Weimar Republic, Germans sought salvation and redemption in their civilization, especially the music of Richard Wagner and the philosophy of Frederick Nietzsche. They longed for an "ubermensch" to emerge, and Hitler rose to the occasion. References: 1. The World as Will and Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer 2. The Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner 3. The Genealogy of Morals by Frederick Nietzsche 4. Tragedy and Hope by Carroll Quigley 5. The Speeches of Adolf Hitler