AboutMichael FitzGerald Expertise I am an expert in German history between 1918 and 1945, particularly with regard to the Nazi era. I am also very knowledgeable about most areas of philosophy (I have an honours degree in the subject) and am able to answer questions on that subject too. In addition, I am very knowledgeable about poetry. One of my hobbies is also politics, mainly British and European though I follow the US political scene as well. Another one is the history of crime and punishment and British social history (the two often overlap!) I am willing to answer questions on all the above issues.
Experience Author of two published works, 'Storm Troopers of Satan,' an account of the lunatic fringes of Nazi ideology, and 'Adolf Hitler: A Portrait,' a biography of the German dictator. 'Adolf Hitler' was published in July 2006 by the top history publisher Spellmount and was named historical biography of the month by the Good Book Guide. I correspond with Ian Kershaw, Peter Stachura, Jeremy Noakes, Roger Moorhouse and Stan Lauryssens. I have undertaken research for radio, television, newspapers and magazines
Organizations Society of Authors
Education/Credentials I have an Honours degree in philosophy.
Awards and Honors LT prize for poetry
Historical Biography of the month, Good Book Guide
Question Hi,
I've been trying to understand why Hitler chose "Aryan" as his name for the superrace. As I understand it Aryans are Indo-Europeans and therefore not pure "white" (blond/blue eyes). It describes a class of languages, not a race.
Then I thought it might be related to Arianism, which was a heretical sect of early Christianity that was popular with the Germanic tribes. But it was popular with other non-Germanic tribes, such and the Polish and Moravians, whom Hitler tried to exterminate.
Can you help clarify? Thanks.
Answer Hi Pam,
Thanks for your interesting question. In the first place the term Aryan was coined by the German philologist Max Mueller in the 19th century to describe a family of language groups (not a race or group of races). I believe (though I wouldn't swear it as gospel) that the eccentric French aristocratic racist Gobineau was the first person to apply it to ethnic groups. Gobineau's ideas were picked up by Richard Wagner, a composer whom Hitler idolised, and himself an extreme anti-Semite and racist. Wagner even coined the term 'the final solution' in his rantings about 'the Jewish problem.'
As well as Wagner, Hitler was also influenced by two very powerful politicians in his native Austria, Karl Lueger and Georg von Schoenerer. Both were extreme anti-semites and racists. He was also influenced by a madman called Adolf Lanz who called from before the First World War for the physical extermination of the Jews.
Most of Hitler's other ideas on race came from the Estonian exile Alfred Rosenberg. Rosenberg was obsessed with the idea that Jews and blacks represented materialism whereas the Aryans represented the spirit.
It is also a curious fact that Nazi racism took some very strange forms. For example, the Romani (gypsies) were put to death in large numbers in spite of the fact that they were recognised as being 'Aryan.' The Tibetans, Indians, Iranians, Japanese and even the Semitic Arabs were all seen by the Nazi racial 'experts' as being 'Aryans.' Nor was this simply a matter of political convenience. The Nazi 'racial experts' may have been mad and disgusting but they were certainly sincere. The truth is that they were as mixed up as most of the other Nazis about racial issues. It did not help that Hitler, Goebbels, Himmler, Heydrich and many other top Nazis had Jewish and Slav blood in them - which they went to desperate lengths to conceal, in the case of Heydrich even desecrating his own parents' grave.
Arianism was a Christian heresy that derived from Bishop Arius. It had no connection with any use of the word 'Aryan.' Incidentally, in Sanscrit the word 'Aryan' means noble - what an ironic comment on the Nazis!
