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Mein Kampf

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*Mein Kampf* is an autobiographical and political manifesto written by Adolf Hitler. He was the leader of the Nazi Party in Germany. The work outlines his political ideology and his future plans for Germany and the world. It is divided into two volumes. Volume 1 was published in 1925. Volume 2 followed in 1926. The combined volumes contain approximately 750 pages. This book is considered highly controversial due to its racist content. It also details the ideas that led to the Holocaust and World War II.

Arabic Mein Kampf
Arabic Mein Kampf

Hitler began writing the text while he was a prisoner. He was held at Landsberg Prison following a failed coup in Munich in November 1923. He was tried for high treason in February 1924. The court gave him a sentence of five years in fortress confinement. While in prison, he devoted himself to the book. He realized the work would require two separate volumes. The prison governor noted that Hitler hoped the book would sell many editions. He wanted to use the money to pay expenses from his trial.

Several people assisted in the creation of the text. Emil Maurice, a member of the SS, was prominent in the early transcription. Later, Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, performed most of the editing. Hitler originally wanted a much longer title for the book. He suggested "Four and a Half Years [of Struggle] Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice." Max Amann, the head of the publisher Franz Eher Verlag, suggested the shorter title, *Mein Kampf*. This means "My Struggle" in English.

The book is organized into specific thematic sections. Volume 1 is titled "A Reckoning." It covers his life from his parents' house through his years in Vienna and Munich. It also discusses the World War and the beginning of his political activity. Volume 2 is titled "The National Socialist Movement." This part focuses on his political philosophy and the organization of the state. It details the role of the Sturmabteilung and German alliance policy. These chapters trace the development of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Hitler's writing contains many central, harmful theories. He used the concept of "the Jewish peril" to claim a Jewish conspiracy existed to gain world leadership. He described himself as becoming increasingly antisemitic and militaristic during his time in Vienna. He also promoted the idea of "Lebensraum," or "living space." He argued that Germans needed to expand their territory into the East. This included views on Slavic people, such as Czechs, Poles, and Russians. He believed the German element was necessary to organize these regions.

After Hitler rose to power in 1933, the book became a bestseller in Germany. By 1939, it had sold 5.2 million copies in eleven different languages. Hitler made about 250,000 marks from sales by 1933. At that time, the average annual income for a teacher was about 3,000 marks. He had also accumulated a tax debt of 400,000 marks from selling 240,000 copies. This debt was waived when he became chancellor. During his rule, the book was often given for free to newlyweds and soldiers.

Following Hitler's death, the copyright for the book was given to the state of Bavaria. For many years, the government refused to allow any copying or printing in Germany. In 2016, the copyright expired, and the book was republished in Germany. This caused significant public debate. To address the text's content, scholars published a two-volume annotated edition. This edition is almost 2,000 pages long and includes about 3,500 notes. A French edition was also released in 2021. This version contains nearly twice as much commentary as actual text.

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