Did Ludendorff’s post-WW1 writings, particularly “Der Totale Krieg”, influence Hitler and Goebbels’ calls for total war in 1943?
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Ludendorff can be considered as First National Socialist or Proto Nazi according to some historians. He was the leading voice and image of German ultra nationalism and militarism and portion of society who could never accept , swallow or digest the defeat in November 1918 (which led Hitler’s obsession to avoid another negotated defeat and “Total Victory or Total Death” nihilism) It was Ludendorff who created “Stab in Back” myth in his memoirs after 1918 (according to him and his self obsessed perspective German Army was never defeated in front but stabbed back by civilian defeatist population at homefront) and one of initial leading supporters of National Socialist Party and Beer Hall putsch in 1920 before promoting and becoming follower of occult myths and legends that put German nation and race as superior folk.
So yes , in his writings he was the first leading supporter of Total War aspect and that was another aspect Hitler , Goebbels and Nazi Party implemented after February 1943 but not in scale of Allies.
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So do you think the Nazis’ focus on “Total War” largely came from Ludendorff’s writings, or was it just incidental agreement? Many Nazi officers came from Prussian aristocracy and they had the same traditional upbringings, so it would make sense for many of them to formulate very similar ideas and hold similar views promoting their “Total War.” One reason why I think it’s important is because I’m becoming more and more of a “continuationalist” as I follow this documentary series(as well as others), i.e., I’m starting to see WWI and WWII as a “second Thirty Years War.”
Prior to this period, “Total War” was strongly discouraged in Western Civilization, and in other civilizations as well at various points. There were elements of “Total War” in the American Civil War, but Total War was generally discouraged even in this conflict, and the “Total War” was largely carried out by militia groups and partisans. In the Interwar Period, suddenly we see Total War in the Russian Civil War carried out by military aristocrats like Sergey Kamenev and atrocities in the Spanish Civil War being carried out by both Republican(the Leftist faction in Spain) and Falangist elites. I think one reason why was because military aristocrats didn’t want the conditions of Total War and scorched Earth tactics to undermine their social positions. Suddenly, that seems to reverse in this 30 year period: suddenly, military aristocrats seem to tie their position in society to waging “Total War.”
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I don’t think Hitler was persuaded to this view by Ludendorff’s writings, as he was already strongly inclined to the nihilistic worldview. He certainly agreed with Ludendorff, and Ludendorff was a very valuable ally to Hitler in the early rise of the NSDAP.
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