Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

HE IS BOTH TERRIBLE AND BANAL 47Adolf Hitler wanted to become something of this sort. The sharp,suspicious paternal eye may have penetrated the lack of seriousness ofthe youthful plan and wanted to anchor his son's frivolous mind in aserious profession.This was the source of the fights between father and son — this, andprobably all the other conflicts which can create strife between atwelve-year-old son and a father of sixty-four. It was Adolf Hitler's firstgreat struggle, and by his own admission he conducted it with greatfears, with lies and secretiveness, and with a degree of scheming thatwas almost suicidal. The struggle was not exactly glorious, but it didbring some success: ' . . . since, of course, I drew the short end, the oldgentleman began the relentless enforcement of his authority. In thefuture, therefore, I was silent...' He avoided blows. And why not, hereflected twenty-five years later: 'I had, to some extent, been able tokeep my private opinions to myself; I did not always have to contradicthim immediately. My own firm determination never to become a civilservant sufficed to give me complete inner peace.' He did not alwayshave to contradict immediately! He fought his father with lies andtrickery; but this does not seem to have been clear to the mature AdolfHitler when he inscribed the story of his childhood in pages full of selfpraiseand self-pity at the beginning of Mein Kampf. He decided, so hetells us, to punish his father by becoming frivolous and lazy: 'What gaveme pleasure I learned; what . . . was otherwise unattractive to me, Isabotaged completely.' Perhaps this is true; it is certainly true that hisbrilliant beginnings in school were soon reversed. In 1900, he entered asecondary school in Linz, and in the very first year made such a poorshowing that he was not promoted. To judge by his son's story, thefather must have been greatly grieved. One son was already in prison,and now the second was doing badly. But his weak mother took the sonwith the disquieting good-for-nothing propensities under her protection.On the morning of January 3, 1903, shordy before ten o'clock, AloisHitler suddenly collapsed in the street while taking his morning walk. Afriend found him and brought him to a near-by inn, the hostess ran intothe kitchen for wine and water, blood filled his mouth, and Alois diedquickly and peacefully in the arms of