Notes on the Third Reich

by Julius Evola, E. Christian Kopff (Introduction)

In the same manner as he critiqued Italian Fascism in Fascism Viewed from the Right, in this volume Evola analyses the German National Socialist movement, making a distinction between National Socialism as an ideology and the contingent circumstances which led to its defeat in the Second World War. He traces the origins of the movement among the veterans who returned from the trenches at the end of the First World War and who found themselves dissatisfied with the bourgeois, liberal society that arose in Germany during the Weimar Republic, and which in turn led to the rise of the paramilitary Freikorps units as well as the Conservative Revolutionary movement in intellectual circles. For Evola, all that was best in National Socialism had been inherited from this spirit. Overall, however, Evola takes the Third Reich to task for always remaining populist, for not establishing a genuine political order based on European traditions rather than a cult of personality, and for its misunderstanding of the issues of race and the Jews. All of this Evola attributes to a lack of connection to the transcendent and the traditional. Nevertheless, Evola recognises some good qualities in the Reich, and credits it with inculcating a strong warrior spirit and sense of the sacred in the German people, and for making efforts toward establishing an elite Order based on higher principles as embodied by the SS. While viewing the Reich as inadequate, Evola praises aspects of it for having been superior to the Europe which arose from its ashes, particularly when it represented pan-European impulses, as well as a rejection of both Communism and democracy in an effort to forge a political 'third way.' Julius Evola (1898-1974) was Italy's foremost traditionalist philosopher, as well as a metaphysician, social thinker and activist. Evola was an authority on the world's esoteric traditions and one of the greatest critics of modernity. He wrote extensively on the ancient civilisations of both East and West and the world of Tradition, and was also a critic of the political and spiritual movements of his own time from a traditional perspective.

Genres: Politics, History, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Germany, Religion, Race

109 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Julius Evola (19 May 1898 – 11 June 1974), born Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esoteric scholar. Born in Rome to a family of the Sicilian landed gentry, Evola was raised a strict Catholic. Despite this, his life was characterised by 'an anti-bourgeois approach' hostile to both 'the dominant tradition of the West—Christianity and Catholicism—and to contemporary civilization—the 'modern world' of democracy and materialism'.

By turns 'engineering student, artillery officer, Dadaist poet and painter, journalist, alpinist, scholar, linguist, Orientalist, and political commentator', he has been described as a 'rare example of universality in an age of specialization'. Yet behind it all lay a singular emphasis on, and pursuit of, a 'direct relationship to the Absolute'. For Evola, 'the center of all things was not man, but rather the Transcendent.' This metaphysical conviction can be seen to have determined both Evola's stance on socio-political issues, and his antipathetic attitude towards 'all professional, sentimental and family routines'.

The author of many books on esoteric, political and religious topics (including The Hermetic Tradition, The Doctrine of Awakening and Eros and the Mysteries of Love), his best-known work remains Revolt Against the Modern World, a trenchant critique of modern civilisation that has been described as 'the gateway to his thought'. Since his death, also in Rome, his writings have influenced right-wing, reactionary and conservative political thought not only in his native Italy, but throughout continental Europe and, increasingly, the English-speaking world. Nevertheless, he should not be considered primarily as a political thinker, but rather as an exponent of the wider Traditionalist School that encompasses the work of such individuals as René Guénon, Titus Burckhardt and Frithjof Schuon.

Reviews

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modest title for a fascinating read. Evola tells us what Hitler and his regime got very right and what they got disastrously wrong. The former includes Hitler’s political astuteness, inspirational leadership and harnessing of public opinion to rebuild the country and its shattered economy. The latter focuses particularly on policy and strategy in Eastern Europe, where the Reich should have been pushing at an open door but blew it with German arrogance and an out of control fanaticism. Evola does not downplay Nazi horrors but mentions Allied cruelty too - eg the handing over by the Americans to Stalin of those Ukrainians who had fought for the Reich. Interesting comparisons between German National Socialism and Italian Fascism.

One to re-read as there is so much here and I read it too quickly. The author’s sentences are often so long that this poor reader was frequently struggling to retain the gist of what was being said.

[Célis Nights dos Anzóis Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is quite short, being only an appendix to ’Fascism Viewed From The Right’. Its summary approach to such a complex theme is a little frustrating, which explains the four stars.

There is not much to salvage in national socialism. Its fundamental and irredeemable flaws sullied all contemporary right-wing movements and to this day encumbers any radical critique of liberal-democracy that is not left-leaning with anachronic disclaimers and apologies.

I found it a little surprising to read Evola’s straightforward condemnation of the Holocaust. Which, nevertheless comes accompanied by his usual defense of a ’positive racism’ of the soul (forma mentis) and the spirit (forma spiritualis).

Maybe Gottfried Feder’s works are worth the read even today, for what they inherited from a healthy lineage of catholic corporatism and anti-capitalist thought.

And the authors of the ’Konservative Revolution’ are timeless masters of traditionalism (notably, Spengler, Schmitt and Jünger), being unfortunate that their influence on national-socialism was almost nonexistent.

The Third Reich was a fire whirl, induced by the devilish magnetizing personality of Hitler, grown strong by his outstanding initial success and cursed by his narrowness of mind and cruelty of heart.

[OSCAR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buen estudio sobre el fenómeno del nacionalsocialismo que no cae ni en su condena ni en su alabanza supina. Y esto representa un desafío porque la propaganda aliada impide el estudio desapasionado del tema.

Julius Evola mostró en este opúsculo los errores biologicistas, plebeyos y cesaristas del nacionalsocialismo, por lo cual no entiendo yo que haya nacionalsocialistas que llamen a leer los libros evolianos, cuando éstos son sumamente críticos con el movimiento hitleriano. Empero, tampoco gustará a la gente de mentalidad progresista porque no lo "condena" suficientemente.

El escritor italiano reveló su menosprecio por el nacionalsocialismo in toto, al ver ya sea en él un movimiento moderno cualquiera, ya sea por ver en algunas de sus expresiones vías contrainiciáticas o que llevaban a desviarse de la Tradición. Frente al fascismo, el nacionalsocialismo apareció ante los ojos de Evola como un movimiento demagógico.

Lo cierto es que en medio de la lucha partidista para crear memoria histórica, un texto como Evola resulta refrescante y peculiar.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, unique and compact overview of the third Reich from a often ignored point of view, that being: The opinions of Nazism from the right of it.

I found Evola's takes to be fair and charitable without being vitriolic and bitter or overly defensive like many other works on the subject. I feel as if a understanding of Evola's world view is pretty important in the comprehension of his critiques and endorsements as his views are not common nowadays, so I recommend reading this only after researching his opinions, other than that, I recommend anyone with a strong interest in Evola or ww2 to read this book.

[Radu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julius Evola gives a concise overview of Nazi Germany and the way Adolf Hitler rapidly transformed the country following his election as Chancellor at the tail end of the Weimar Republic. From the perspective of someone on the Traditional right, Evola's criticisms centre around the Third Reich's highly materialistic worldview and heavily centralised bureaucratic government that acted in direct circumvention of Germany's traditionally federalist form of government with more regional autonomy that the Nazis were willing to permit, as well as their reductionist view towards race.

Of particular note in this book is Evola's assessment of the SS and how it fell short of his expectations of becoming a modern-day Order of the Tectonic Knights.

[Hank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes on the Third Riech, skriven av Julius Evola, bör läsas i samband med en annan bok av samma författare, nämligen Fascism viewed form the Right. Anledningen till detta är att det existerar en hel del överlapp och en del förklaringsmodeller finns i antingen den ena eller den andra boken.

Evola synar Mustaschmannen och trettiotals-tyskarnas regim utifrån ett traditionalistiskt högerperspektiv (om ni vill veta mer om detta konceptet se våran recension av Fascism viewed from the Right). Vidare undersöker och utvärderar författaren vilka delar av regimen som, i hans tycke, utgick ifrån positiva principer och hade potential att förfinas samt rättas till om det andra världskriget hade slutat på ett annat sätt.

Boken inleds med ett par korta kapitel där Evola redogör för den historiska och politiska kontexten gällande perioden innan Hitlers maktövertagande. Här har bokens utgivare/redaktör John B. Morgan IV gjort ett fantastisk jobb med ett massivt antal expansiva fotnoter som gör det möjligt att följa med i en väl beläst författares tankebanor.

Vi gillade denna bok både för sitt perspektiv och för sin historiska signifikans. Avslutningsvis bjuder vi på ett citat från bokens senare delar:

”As we have already mentioned, it is frivolous to think that a regime utilising only terror and oppression could produce the unity that Germany demonstrated, the ensemble of achievements of which it was capable, and what made it a truly great world power after the collapse that followed the First World War and the Weimar Republic. His successes in the area of national reconstruction and foreign policy were Hitler’s trump card, because the state of affairs had created a situation where it was impossible to be against National Socialism without being anti-German. For Germany, as for Italy, only by resorting to conscious falsification could anyone maintain that the crowds of that period did not almost unconditionally, and often fanatically, support their leaders, although we have indicated that the recourse to populism and ‘mythology,’ instead of having the prestige of a higher tradition, made that adhesion one that would dissolve, almost without leaving a trace, when the tension broke. This is exactly what happened in the two nations after 1945.”

[Zorbosito · Rating 4 out of 5]

gonna be real some of those annotations are superfluous and mess with the reading rhythm but thats thanks to arktos coal publishing otherwise mr.Evola raises some very true and though inducing points about the nazism.
Definitely should read fascism viewed from the right first as this is more of an appendix but damn the former is way too expensive a bit of a shame but great read anyway ill definitely get back to it and get a better review in.

[Angel Veliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book!

It taught me about Himmler and his actions during the second world war. Its expansive text told me to keep reading and research more.

[Oolalaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

17/20

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical for fascism- not only calling their biggest guys communists, but also claiming that fascism doesn’t exist just because critics aren’t always consistent in what they mean by their use of the term. Why not just call yourself a neo- monarchist.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long winded sentences, but talked about what Hitler got right ... and very wrong. Very interesting read.

[EDM · Rating 3 out of 5]

More documentary than commentary.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evola's thoughts on the Third Reich and it's complicity with Fascism. It is often overlooked but he did try to convince Hitler to drop his anti-Semitism by pointing out that the very behavior that the Jewish people were accused of would of been picked up by someone else if they were to be replaced. I don't think Evola was by any means overly fond of Jewish culture but he was logical enough to understand the complexities of life and politics could not be categorized so simply as to designate good and evil by cultural or racial lines.

[IMPERIVM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat mediocre analysis of the proletarian character of Hitler's National Socialist rescue of Germany from Marxism.