Hitler and 'Lebensraum' in the East

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• 1. Idea of 'Lebensraum'
• 2. Pre-war intellectual fashion
• 3. Impetus during World War One
• 4. Influence on Hitler
• 5. Mein Kampf
• 6. Find out more
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Influence on Hitler

Hitler had already started his political career in 1919, and had been influenced by this kind of Pan-German thinking. But he was not yet clear about where the expansion should take place, nor about what alliances he would need in order to achieve it.

To begin with he was not hostile towards Russia, and saw Britain and France as Germany's main enemies. Indeed, during 1919, he blamed Germany's pre-war politicians for supporting Austria-Hungary against Russia.

But by 1920 he was arguing that 'an alliance between Russia and Germany can come about only when Jewry is removed', and, by 1924, when he came to write Mein Kampf, he had concluded that Russia would be the target for Germany's drive to acquire Lebensraum. So how did this change of approach come about?

Hitler's views on Russia during these early years were strongly influenced by Alfred Rosenberg, who had joined the Nazi party in 1920 and became the editor of its newspaper, the Völkischer Beobachter. Rosenberg was a Baltic German who was studying in Moscow when the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, and left Russia for Germany in November 1918.

Thus he had experienced the Bolshevik revolution at first hand and became convinced that it was the work of the Jews. Hitler considered Rosenberg an expert on Russia and became equally persuaded of the link between Bolshevism and the Jews.

'Hitler ... became equally persuaded of the link between Bolshevism and the Jews.'

By 1922, it was becoming apparent that the Bolshevik regime in Russia was there to stay. Indeed, it is clear from an interview Hitler gave in December 1922 that by then he had decided that an alliance with a Bolshevik Russia was out of the question. Germany would be better off working with Britain and Italy, which appeared to be resisting French hegemony in Europe, against Russia, which could in turn provide Germany's necessary Lebensraum.

Hitler's views on Russia had been further hardened by his contacts with Baltic German exiles in Munich. Notable among these was Max-Erwin von Scheubner-Richter, a contact of August Winnig, the German Commissioner in the Baltic provinces responsible for organising the Free Corps, and General Ludendorff, the former leader of Oberost.

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Published: 2004-05-11