Adolf Hitler wrote Mein Kampf between 1923 and 1926, during much of which time he was in prison. The first volume was published in the Fall of 1925, while the second volume was published in December of 1926. Although the book, as a whole, gives an autobiographical account of Hitler's early life and Hitler's interpretation of the early years of the National Socialist party, much of the book describes the philosophy of the National Socialist movement, as dictated by Hitler. He says the destiny of Germany lies with National Socialism, for only through National Socialism can the Aryan (mainly German) race attain its "natural" and proper position of leadership and domination in the world.
What is most striking about Mein Kampf is that it ultimately contains a blueprint for what happened in Germany during Hitler's rule. While the other fascist movements in Europe at that time were also anti-semitic, they more or less used this idea to tap into the traditional anti-semitic feelings of many Europeans. Anti-semitism was a convenient device for blaming someone for Europe's ills at the time and for gaining popular support. If Mein Kampf is to be taken seriously, however, Hitler not only was anti-semitic in the traditional sense of the term, but also really believed that the Jews were the main evil force in the world. As such, they had to be dealt with in a serious fashion, lest they complete their goal of dominating the world. Hitler then combined this idea with that of social Darwinism, placing the Jews at the bottom of the "natural" order of the world and the Aryans at the top. This provided him with one more argument, saying that the Jews sought to upend the "natural" order established by the Creator.
Hitler attempts to establish the background of the National Socialist political philosophy by reviewing previous conceptions of the "state." Although never formally educated in political philosophy or college-level history, Hitler decided t...