Editing Karl Haushofer (section)

==Relationship with Nazi leaders==

Biographers of both Haushofer and of Hitler disagree somewhat on the extent of Haushofer's influence on Hitler: [[Ian Kershaw]] writes that "[his] influence was probably greater than the Munich professor was later prepared to acknowledge,"<ref>[[Ian Kershaw|Kershaw, Ian]] ''Hitler: 1889-1936: Hubris.'' New York: Norton, 1998. pp. 248-249. {{ISBN|0-393-04671-0}}</ref> while [[Joachim C. Fest]] says that Haushofer's contributions to Hitler's ideation were important, but that "Hitler's version of [Haushofer's] ideas was distinctly his own."<ref>[[Joachim C, Fest|Fest, Joachim C.]], [[Richard and Clara Winston|Winston, Richard, and Winston, Clara]] (trans.) ''Hitler''. New York: Vantage, 1975 (orig. published in German in 1973), p. 217. {{ISBN|0-394-72023-7}}</ref> Haushofer told Walsh that he viewed Hitler as a half-educated man who never correctly understood the ''Geopolitik'' principles explained by Hess, and saw Foreign Minister [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]] (in office: 1938-1945) as the principal distorter of geopolitik in Hitler's mind.<ref>Walsh (1949), p. 15</ref>

Most writers on Haushofer agree that at the very least, through his teaching and his writing, he gave to Hitler and the Nazis intellectual legitimacy - providing Hitler and his cronies with a political and philosophical vocabulary that they would use to justify the goals that they pursued with war and terror.  After [[World War II]], Haushofer would deny that he had taught Hitler, and claimed that the [[National Socialist German Workers Party|National Socialist Party]] perverted Hess's study of geopolitik.

Although Haushofer accompanied Hess on numerous [[propaganda]] missions and participated in consultations between Nazis and Japanese leaders, he claimed that Hitler and the Nazis only seized upon half-developed ideas and [[Catchphrase|catchwords]].<ref>Walsh (1949), p.8</ref> Furthermore, the Nazi party and government lacked any official organ that was receptive to geopolitik, leading to selective adoption and poor interpretation of Haushofer's theories. Ultimately, Hess and [[Konstantin von Neurath]], the German Minister of Foreign Affairs (in office: 1932-1938), were the only officials Haushofer would admit had a proper understanding of geopolitik.<ref>Walsh (1949), pp.35–36</ref>

Father [[Edmund A. Walsh]], professor of [[geopolitics]] and [[dean (education)|dean]] at [[Georgetown University]], who interviewed Haushofer after [[V-E Day|Allied victory]] in preparation for the [[Nuremberg trials]], disagreed with Haushofer's assessment that Hitler and the Nazis terribly distorted geopolitik.<ref name = Walsh41>Walsh (1949), p.41</ref> He cites Hitler's speeches declaring that small states have no right to exist, and the Nazi use of Haushofer's maps, language and arguments. Even if distorted somewhat, Walsh felt that was enough to implicate Haushofer's geopolitik.<ref>Walsh (1949), pp.41, 17</ref>

Various more damning allegations about Haushofer's involvement with political extremism have been presented over the years.  [[Louis Pauwels]], in his book ''Monsieur Gurdjieff'', describes Haushofer as a former student of the Greek-Russian mystic [[George Gurdjieff]]. Others, including Pauwels, claimed that Haushofer created a [[Vril#Vril Society|Vril society]] and that he was a secret member of the [[Thule Society]].<ref>Pauwels, Louis and Bergier, Jacques. ''The Morning of the Magicians''. Avon Books, 1973</ref>  It was theorized that Haushofer had co-written, or helped to write, ''Mein Kampf''.  Rumors floated that Haushofer was Hess's father, or, conversely, that the two men were lovers.  Holger dismisses these unproven allegations as "mythmaking" and "rumors."<ref>Holger Herwig, "THE DAEMON OF GEOPOLITICS" (lecture), p. 11</ref>

Aware of some of these accusations, after the war Haushofer denied assisting Hitler in writing ''Mein Kampf'', saying that he only knew of it once it was in print, and that he never read it.<ref>Walsh (1949), p. 36</ref> But Walsh found, as scholars have since, that even if Haushofer did not directly assist Hitler, discernible new elements appeared in ''Mein Kampf'', as compared to previous speeches made by Hitler. Geopolitical ideas of lebensraum, space for [[Defence in depth|depth of defense]], appeals for [[natural frontier]]s, balancing land and seapower, and geographic analysis of [[military strategy]] entered Hitler's thought between his imprisonment and the publishing of ''Mein Kampf''.<ref name = Walsh41/> Chapter XIV, on German policy in [[Eastern Europe]], in particular displays the influence of the materials Haushofer brought Hitler and Hess while they were imprisoned.<ref>Walsh (1949), p.42</ref>  [[Hans Frank]], the governor general of wartime Poland, quoted Hitler as telling him, "Landsberg was my university education at state expense."<ref>Holger Herwig, "THE DAEMON OF GEOPOLITICS" (lecture), p. 10</ref>

Haushofer was never a member of the Nazi Party, and did voice disagreements with the party. Haushofer came under suspicion because of his contacts with left-wing socialist figures within the Nazi movement (led by [[Gregor Strasser]]) and because of his advocacy of essentially a German–Russian alliance. The Nazi left-wing had some connections to the [[Communist Party of Germany]] and some of its leaders, especially those who were influenced by the [[National Bolshevism|National Bolshevist]] philosophy of a German–Russian revolutionary alliance, as advocated by [[Ernst Niekisch]] (1889-1967), [[Julius Evola]] (1898-1974), [[Ernst Jünger]] (1895-1998), [[Friedrich Hielscher]] (1902-1990) and other figures of the "conservative revolution".{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} Haushofer did profess loyalty to the [[Führer]] and make [[anti-Semitism|anti-Semitic]] remarks. However, his emphasis was always on space over [[Race (classification of human beings)|race]]; he believed in [[Environmental determinism|environmental]] rather than racial determinism.<ref>Mattern, p.20.</ref> In contrast to his personal hostility towards Jews, he declined to associate himself with anti-Semitism as a state policy, especially because his wife was half-Jewish.<ref>Walsh (1949), pp.40, 35</ref> Haushofer claimed that after 1933 much of what he wrote was distorted under duress: his wife had to be protected by Hess's influence (who managed to have her awarded "honorary German" status).<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Spang
 |first1               = Christian W.
 |date                 = 2013-04-04
 |chapter              = Anhänge [Appendices]
 |title                = Karl Haushofer und Japan: Die Rezeption seiner geopolitischen Theorien in der deutschen und japanischen Politik
 |script-title         = 
 |trans-title          = Karl Haushofer and Japan: the reception of his geopolitical theories in German and Japanese politics
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=2rDrDAAAQBAJ
 |series               = Volume 52: Monographien aus dem Deutschen Institut für Japanstudien
 |language             = de
 |publication-place    = Munich
 |publisher            = IUDICIUM Verlag
 |page                 = 942
 |isbn                 = 9783862050406
 |access-date          = 2 October 2022
 |quote                = 1944 [...] 28. Juli – 29. August: „Ehrenhaft“ Karl Haushofers in Dachau im Zusammenhang mit dem Attentat auf Hitler (20.7.1944). [1944 ... 28 July to 29 August: 'Honorary' detention of Karl Haushofer in Dachau in connection with the attempted assassination of Hitler (20 July 1944).]
}} 
</ref>),
and his son and grandson were imprisoned for two and a half months.<ref>Walsh (1949), p.16</ref>

Several authors have explored more obscure angles on the contact between Haushofer and the Nazi establishment.<ref>for example:

*Berzin, Alexander. [http://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/history-culture/shambhala/the-nazi-connection-with-shambhala-and-tibet "The Nazi Connection with Shambhala and Tibet"] (May 2003)
*FitzGerald, Michael. ''Storm Troopers of Satan'' (Robert Hale, 1990)
*FitzGerald, Michael. ''Adolf Hitler: A Portrait'' (Spellmount, 2006)
*Sklar, Dusty. ''The Nazis and the Occult'' (Dorset Press, 1977)
*Webb, James. ''The Occult Establishment'' (Richard Drew, 1981)</ref> Suggestions such as Haushofer's connection to [[Gurdjieff]]'s occultism, or that he had studied [[Zen Buddhism]], or had been initiated at the hands of [[Tibet]]an [[lama]]s – are subject of debate.

The influence of Haushofer on Nazi ideology is dramatized in the 1943 short documentary propaganda film, ''[[Plan for Destruction]]'', which was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film|Academy Award]].