Hans Mommsen: Difference between revisions
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He has led the functionalist school of [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] [[historiography]]. By the 1970s, there were two main schools of Hitler biography: the functionalists and the intentionalists. Functionalists saw Hitler as motivated by the exercise of power regardless of purpose, while the intentionalists focused on his specific vision. | He has led the functionalist school of [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] [[historiography]]. By the 1970s, there were two main schools of Hitler biography: the functionalists and the intentionalists. Functionalists saw Hitler as motivated by the exercise of power regardless of purpose, while the intentionalists focused on his specific vision. | ||
According to Machter, | According to Machter, Mommsen is the leader of the functionalists. He considered Hitler a "political counterfeiter" who succeeded because he was constantly overrated, extremely effective with propaganda but not in performance. <ref>Hans Mommsen. ''Hitlers Stellung im nationalsoczialistenschen Herrschaftsystem'', p. 144, ''quoted by'' Machter, p. 12</ref> Machter considers [[Ian Kershaw]] to be the leading current historian, attempting to unify the two schools. <ref>{{citation | ||
| title = The Hidden Hitler | | title = The Hidden Hitler | ||
| author = Lothar Machtan | | author = Lothar Machtan | ||
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| publisher = Basic Books | | publisher = Basic Books | ||
| date = 2001}}, pp. 1-15</ref> | | date = 2001}}, pp. 1-15</ref> | ||
Mommssen is among those who believes that while Hitler was clearly responsible for the [[The Holocaust]], he probably never issued an explicit, even oral, order for the [[Final Solution]]. He believes that an order that specific, for a matter that complex, would conflict with Hitler's anti-bureaucratic style. In contrast, he offers the [[Commissar Order]] as an example of something with sufficiently small scope for Hitler to make into a specific directive. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
Revision as of 10:49, 18 December 2010
'Hans Mommsen (1930-) is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the Ruhr University in Bochum, and a German historian who has written extensively, preferring articles and essays to books. He belongs to the Social Democratic Party and, from a left-wing perspective, has challenged the Hitler writing of the right-wing journalist and historian, Joachim Fest.
He has led the functionalist school of Hitler historiography. By the 1970s, there were two main schools of Hitler biography: the functionalists and the intentionalists. Functionalists saw Hitler as motivated by the exercise of power regardless of purpose, while the intentionalists focused on his specific vision.
According to Machter, Mommsen is the leader of the functionalists. He considered Hitler a "political counterfeiter" who succeeded because he was constantly overrated, extremely effective with propaganda but not in performance. [1] Machter considers Ian Kershaw to be the leading current historian, attempting to unify the two schools. [2]
Mommssen is among those who believes that while Hitler was clearly responsible for the The Holocaust, he probably never issued an explicit, even oral, order for the Final Solution. He believes that an order that specific, for a matter that complex, would conflict with Hitler's anti-bureaucratic style. In contrast, he offers the Commissar Order as an example of something with sufficiently small scope for Hitler to make into a specific directive.
References
- ↑ Hans Mommsen. Hitlers Stellung im nationalsoczialistenschen Herrschaftsystem, p. 144, quoted by Machter, p. 12
- ↑ Lothar Machtan (2001), The Hidden Hitler, Basic Books, pp. 1-15