Notes on the Third Reich

I just discovered this publisher (arktos), and theyre awesome. Not only do they publish super rare works, but they do it with phenomenal quality and style. The materials, the cover art. Awesome. The footnotes are meticulous too, which can really come in handy in steering you toward other books to buy haha

A very short volume comprising less than 90 pages of compilations of critiques of German National Socialism by the Italian 'Traditionalist' thinker, Julius Evola, who spent time in Germany before and during the Second World War, and who had relationships with some in the more esoteric friendly wing of The SS. Evola was, of course, critical of what he described as 'crude populism, including appeals to those social elements of the population he looked down upon, being upper class, and a minor member of the Sicilian nobility. He disliked any empowerment or appreciation of the working classes as opposed to Aristocracy and the Priest class. His strongest critique of National Socialist thought, in this reviewer's opinion, is off the rather crude and inconsistent racialist ideology of the regime, its arbitrary policies towards Jews and neighboring European peoples, especially Slavs in the territories Germany conquered during the second world war. Evola felt the ideal of a folkish society, in German, 'Volksgemeinschaft, as leveling and egalitarian, skewed towards the interests of the lower classes. This and crude populist racialism seem his most significant critiques in this slim volume. He made similar critical evaluations of Italian Fascism in his slim booklet on Traditionalism and Fascism.

Notes On The Third Reich is a short and succinct treatise brought to us by the author in the name of Julius Evola. Mr. Evola is known for his Fascist studies, criticisms and followings. Evola is a right wing personality who studied not only the Fascism of Italy of the 1930’s and onto WWII, but he was a student of the twelve year reign of Nazism in Germany. This work is but a peek at the organization that terrorized the world albeit in a short twelve year span but nevertheless changed the course of World History forever. In Evola’s study he is very objective as to why it was organized in the manner that it was. He briefly explains the history of Germany from the 1st Reich to the 2nd Reich onto how the past formed the 3rd Reich. Most of the summary presented is a matter of common knowledge to the student of 20th century history as the books and secrets of what transpired has been widely disseminated and studied. One thing that was new to me was Adolph Hitler’s assessment of what a German was and what a German citizen was. In the doctrine of Nazism a German was considered that of the heritage of the Volk who in fact was of Aryan descent. A citizen of Germany does not have to be a German but only a person who abides by the government of Germany. Nazism considered that the German was the primary person to forge the thousand year Reich. The book is a good outline of the essence of how the Nazi’s thought and governed and why they did what they did. However, in this outline at times I found paragraphs going on for two pages without a break leaving the reader to wander off in a vapor of words and thus having to reread the thoughts of the author. Poor writing organization and boring prose hamper this otherwise good synopsis of a historical but short lived regime.

Interesting. Of course the writer was aThinker of these times.Although this is more like a pamphlet than a book which has given me pause whether I want to spend money on more pamphlets versus books. Probably a little overpriced but kinda rare.

Julius Evola was a very creative thinker in the last century. He is hard to fit into a nice neat category. He clearly had little use for parliamentary democracy. The value of this book is that he is able to look at National Socialism from an analytical point of view. He is sharply critical of many things but is also favorable towards other matters. I don't agree with a lot of what he has to say. However, the book is worth reading because it has a detached perspective from the point of view of a philosopher. Evola also wrote a similar book on Italian Fascism  Fascism Viewed from the Right  . Both these books stem a great deal of access to senior people of both regimes.

I will read almost anything by Julius Evola, and this interested me greatly. He is most definitely not a Nazi. His great complaints about the dictatorship of Hitler and is a traditionalist who believes in the divine right of kings and the caste system, but the oppression brought about by the regime of the 3rd race he surly skewers on a spit of impeccable logic

An interesting look at the Third Reich from a traditionalist viewpoint, not an apologist for Hitler. Worthwhile and thought provoking.

Best appraisal of Germany under the tragic Hitler period I have read so far. Is honest and objective which makes this work an important primary source of the Hitler era.

Curious dissection of National Socialist Germany. Focusing not on historic contingencies, but more on the ethos of Hitler's order.

Great book, recommended for everyone looking for a concise history and critique of Hitler's Germany. Evola approaches the topic from a perspective of a radical traditionalist who admires the certain aspects of the Third Reich, such as the support and protection the German peasants received in Germany compared to the exploration in the rest of the Europe, the "Third Way" that the Germany formed, avoiding Evola's hated democracy and capitalism, or the ideals that the SS was supposed to represent.On the other hand, Evola attacks the Nazi blood laws, the war crimes committed during the war and criticizes Hitler's dictatorship and inability to create a line of succession, arguing that the Hitler's Germany would have died with him.Personally, I like the ascetics of this edition. There are also numerous footnotes which I found helpful in navigating the, let's just say, complex politics of interbellum Germany.Should be read after or parallel with the "Fascism viewed from the Right" as Evola makes quite a few remarks connected to that book.