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This pride of race is a quality which the German, fundamentally, does not possess. The reason for this is that for these last three centuries the country has been torn by internal dissension and religious wars and has been subjected to a variety of foreign influences, to the influence, for example, of Christianity-for Christianity is not a natural religion for the Germans, but a religion that has been imported and which strikes no responsive chord in their hearts and is foreign to the inherent genius of the race. (13th February 1945)

Adolf Hitler#138

ReligionCultureIdentityRaceDivisionNational identity

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About this quote

What does it mean?
The author argues Germans lack pride of race due to internal division and foreign religious influences like Christianity, which he claims are not natural to the German genius.
In plain terms
Germans lack racial pride because of past divisions and imported religions like Christianity.
What can you take from it?
Internal division and foreign influence weaken national identity.

Where it applies

  • critiquing national character
  • analyzing religious impact

Putting it to work

  • identifying cultural weaknesses

Questions to consider

  • How is national identity defined in terms of exclusion?

Another view

The argument relies on essentialist and exclusionary racial theories.

More from Adolf Hitler

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  2. Our racial pride is not aggressive except in so far as the Jewish race is concerned. We use the term Jewish race as a matter of convenience, for in reality and…

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  3. There is, then, no danger in the circumstances that anti-semitism will disappear, for it is the Jews themselves who add fuel to its flames and see that it is k…

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