Adolf Hitler is one of the most infamous individuals in human history. He is responsible for millions of deaths and many would argue that he is responsible for World War II. Have you ever wondered what happened to him as a child? Who created this monster? He lived an abused childhood and had a troubled upbringing. As an adolescent, he experienced a confusing relationship with his mother and other women. Then, as a young adult, he began to develop hatred toward individuals from different religions and races. Hitler’s environment and experiences greatly affected his moral psychological development.
Adolf Hitler was born April 20, 1889, in Austria, in a town called Baunau. It is known that Hitler’s father was a short-tempered and brutal man who frequently beat him. Hitler’s father’s mission was to prevent him from going down the same path as his older half-brother who went to prison for theft. As a result he was particularly strict with him. (Contributing Public, 2011). There is substantial proof that child abuse has severe psychological effects that cannot be reversed. The effects include, but are not limited to anger, hatred, aggressiveness, hostility, poor school performance and poor relationships with peers and/or the opposite sex. Many victims of child abuse often become offenders in violent crimes (Dunning, 2004).
When Adolf Hitler was 11 years old, his younger brother died of measles. This affected him greatly. Before this, even he was an exceptional student who showed a lot of confidence in himself and what he did. After this, he became quiet, detached and his grades began to fall (Contributing Public, 2011). The psychological effects of losing a sibling in one’s childhood are severe. There is no way to fully understand the gravity of these effects at this time. But we do know that this trauma will usually lead to feelings of guilt, anger, anxiety and vulnerability (White, 2011).
Alois Hitler, Adolf’s father, wanted Adolf to follow in his footsteps and become a customs official. However, Adolf had developed an interest in becoming an artist. His father greatly disapproved and they argued frequently over this matter. Adolf wanted to attend a classical high school to study to become an artist. His father, however, objected and sent him to a technical high school. In an attempt to show his father how unfit he was for this area of study, he failed his first year of school in hopes that his father would then allow him to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. This tactic was fruitless. Adolf’s resentment toward his father only grew, fueling his growing hatred. (Contributing Public, 2011).
Conversely to his relationship with his father, Adolf Hitler was extremely close to his mother. His mother had lost several children before him and, as a result, doted over him. It is believed that Adolf’s father required much of his mother’s time and, as a result, his disdain for his father was only heightened. The combination of the excessive affection from his mother and severe hatred towards his father resulted in Oedipus complex. He hated his father more and more as he grew up and became more and more dependent on the affection of his mother. In turn, the more he loved his mother, the more he feared his father’s vengeance.
An event that took a significant psychological toll of Adolf was the discovering of his parents having sexual intercourse. This even he would never forget and it brought him great confusion, anger and resentment. He viewed this as a brutal assault on his mother. He was indignant toward his father for this, and toward his mother for not resisting him. He also experienced feelings of helplessness for not being able to intervene. Adolf felt betrayed by his mother and this affected his relationship with women for the rest of his life. (The Nizkor Project, 2011).
Adolf Hitler’s early childhood through his adolescence was encompassed by a negative environment that instilled in him hatred, anger, confusion and self-loathing. He spent his early life seeking a suitable mentor that would approve of him and guide him. This he was never able to find. He became neurotic, seeking out people that were perfect. He would often find someone he felt was perfect and he would put them on a pedestal. At the first sign of imperfection, however, Hitler was greatly disappointed and would then treat them in a disgraceful manner. (The Nizkor Project, 2011).
Alois Hitler caused psychological damage to Adolf Hitler from every angle. As a result, he spent his life defying his father’s wishes, even long after his father passed away. Adolf’s father worked for the Austrian government and expressed loyalty to it until the day he died. Hence, in an effort to defy his father, Adolf defied the Austrian government by expressing loyalty to the German government.
When reviewing Hitler’s childhood from Eric Ericson’s viewpoint of the eight stages of life, it is clear to see that he was unable to complete any of the stages successfully to allow for a solid foundation for the next stage of life. Stage one of Hitler’s life probably resulted in partial success. I theorize that he was able to feel trust toward his mother and mistrust toward his father. During his second stage of life, he probably developed shame instead of autonomy due to the fact that his father was so hard on him and there is no evidence that he ever approved of anything he did. He probably was just starting to see this in stage two. This, I believe, would’ve lead to guilt in stage three. This guilt would’ve laid a poor foundation for stage four and the evidence suggests that this lead to inferiority complex as opposed to industry. I think it’s safe to say that by the time he completed his adolescent stage he was suffered from identity confusion. (Cherry, 2011). This laid the foundation for his murderous hatred that fueled the Holocaust.
References
Cherry, K. (2011). Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved Sept. 20, 2011, from About.com: http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial.htm
Contributing Public. (2011, Sept. 18). Adolf Hitler-Childhood. Retrieved Sept. 18, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler#Childhood
Dunning, M. M. (2004). Psychological Effects of Child Abuse. Retrieved Sept. 19, 2011, from LisaDunningMft.com: http://www.lisadunningmft.com/psychological_effects_child_abuse.htm
The Nizkor Project. (2011). Hitler-Psychological Analysis & Reconstruction. Retrieved Sept. 20, 2011, from Nizkor.org: http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/h/hitler-adolf/oss-papers/text/oss-profile-05-03.html
White, P. P. (2011). Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sibling Loss. Retrieved Sept. 19, 2011, from CounselingStLouis.net: http://counselingstlouis.net/effects.html