Was Hitler Insane?

[Fionnuala_Saoirse]

What is meant by insane in this instance?

Mentally disturbed

Now try defining that in a meaningful way

[Risottia]

He was insane enough to plot and enact various genocides, but not insane enough to excuse him for doing that.

But anti-Semite prejudice was rampant in his era, and he simply combined the common racism of his time with the common scientific beliefs of eugenics. This is the age of Kiev, Kielce, and Lwow after all. You can't really say he wasn't influenced by the political and scientific establishments of early 20th century Europe.

Yeah, I'm not contending that his policies weren't at least partly in line with a large chunk of his contemporaries. Hey, take the anti-miscegenation laws in the US for one, or the "paternalistic" colonialism of Britain (we're better than you because you're brown so do as we say for your own good); or the forced Italianization of South Tyrol and Dalmatia.
The point is that he took those tendencies up to such an anomaly (something that is outside the "rule") that makes him "insane", as in "incredibily deviant from the norm".
You know, there's a difference between the jerk who won't serve jews in his restaurant "because you killed our Lord" and someone who plans and enacts genocides.

edit: btw, let's use the proper term: anti-Jewish.


Also: there is also evidence that points out that Hitler was mentally disturbed also when it came to personal relationships. Still, he knew perfectly what he was doing, so, he's not excused by his state of mind.