Walter C. Langer (1899–1981)

A quite unknown but wildly interesting little book. The idea was that the folks who ran the earliest versions of America's intelligence organizations wanted a psychologist to conduct an arms-length assessment of Hitler, in hopes it would come in handy predicting his behavior or in negotiating with him. It's a tall task, and one not many folks in the psychology profession would undertake because you don't have the target's cooperation and input. But this is essentially an early work of show more behavioral analysis, and it's chilling how accurate the end product ends up being. Indeed, upon its publication many years later, another psychologist analyzes the report to see how it bears up with the historical record - the original report essentially predicted almost all of the characteristics of Hitler's suicide years before it happened.

The author puts a diagnosis to Hitler, with some added neuroses, and they bear out over time, even though the professions has morphed some of the diagnostic terms. Most interestingly, it's amazing how similar Hitler's pathologies are to a certain someone trying to resurrect a similar political ideology these days. The main difference, Hitler had one testicle, which is one more than the other guy.

5 bones!!!!!
Highly recommended!!!!! show less

At the height of the Second World War, Allied intelligence services grew increasingly interested in the personal life of the German Führer, Adolf Hitler. The British Special Operations Executive (SOE) spent months developing an elaborate series of plans to assassinate him. The American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which evolved into the CIA, had similar thoughts, and commissioned Harvard psychologist Walter C. Langer to do a full psychological profile of the German dictator. This show more short book is the result of his efforts.

Langer and his team worked over the course of five months, interviewed people who knew Hitler, read everything they could get their hands on, producing in the end this remarkable work. It should be said at the outset that it is a deeply flawed work, as they were not able to meet Hitler face to face, and relied on much rumour and hearsay. They were also constrained by a rather strict Freudian interpretation of Hitler's life and motivations. Langer, for example, is absolutely certain that Hitler witnessed his parents engaged in sexual intercourse -- only that could explain several features of Hitler's personality, he believed.

Some of his conclusions might strike us as odd today. For example, he is certain that Hitler was quite "feminine" and that the toxic masculinity of the Nazi movement and regime was his way of over-compensating for this. As proof of his femininity, Langer cites "his gait, his hands, his mannerisms and ways of thinking". Hitler was also characterised by his "extreme sentimentality, his emotionality, his occasional softness and his weeping". These conclusions led the OSS to consider some rather bizarre plans to bring him down (which Langer does not discuss).

But Langer's usefulness to the OSS and its legendary founder, "Wild Bill" Donovan, can be seen in his predictions and recommendations. Looking at eight possible ends to Hitler's rule over Germany, he concludes that suicide was most likely and is dismissive of other possibilities. As for assassinating Hitler, Langer opposed the idea. It "would be undesirable from our point of view," he wrote, "inasmuch as it would make a martyr of him and strengthen the legend." show less

Em 1943, com o intuito de propor aos estrategistas militares norte-americanos um perfil que pudesse contribuir para a derrota nazista na Segunda Guerra Mundial, o psicanalista Walter C. Langer foi imbuído da missão de decifrar um enigma chamado Ado Hitler. O resultado foi a mente de Adolf Hitler que, em curso original, ainda é o que é uma obra por se de uma biografia psicológica construída a partir de entrevistas com pessoas que vivem em conflito com o líder. Já foi escrito muito show more sobre a vida do professor, mas poucos estudantes se aprofundaram para entender tão seus padrões de comportamento e modos de pensar quanto Lang. A mente de Adolf Hitler é um fascinante documento histórico e peça fundamental para a compreensão do século XX. A perspectiva que emerge da obra é a de duas personalidades distintas que habitam o mesmo corpo e se alternam. A primeira é de uma pessoa muito frágil, sentimental e indecisa, que tem pouquíssima energia e só quer ser entretida, amada e cuidada. A outra é o contrário, uma pessoa dura, cruel e decidida, com energia exatamente – que parece saber o que quer e está para correr atrás e conseguir o que deseja, independentemente do custo. A maneira sem décadas revolucionárias, Walter C. , seguida do calvário moral expiação – ainda em curso atualmente, mais de 70 anos depois do fim da guerra e dos crimes contra a humanidade. O relatório de Langer possivelmente antecipa atitudes de Hitler que algumas vezes confirmam, como o seu objetivo – que, nas palavras do autor, seria “o desenlace mais plausível”. A mente de Adolf Hitler é, com tudo isso, um fascinante documento histórico e peça fundamental para a compreensão do século XX. show less

A psychological portrait of the German dictator and his following. A fair book left me asking more questions than it answered.