Hammer of the Gods: The Thule Society and the Birth of Nazism

By David Luhrssen

Public interest in Adolf Hitler and all aspects of the Third Reich continues to grow as new generations ponder the moral questions surrounding Nazi Germany and its historical legacy. One aspect of Nazism that has not received sufficient attention from historians of the Third Reich is the doctrine's origins in the Thule Society and its covert activities. A Munich occult group with a political agenda, the Thule Society was led by Rudolf von Sebottendorff, a German commoner who had been adopted by nobility during a sojourn in the Ottoman Empire. After returning to Europe, Sebottendorff embraced a form of theosophy that stressed the racial superiority of Aryans. The Thule Society attempted to establish an anti-Semitic, working-class front for disseminating its esoteric ideas and founded the German Workers' Party, which Hitler would later transform into the National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party. Several of the society's members eventually assumed prestigious posts in the Third Reich. David Luhrssen has written the first comprehensive study of the society's activities, its cultural roots, and its postwar ramifications in a historical-critical context. Both general readers and academics concerned with European cultural and intellectual history will find that Hammer of the Gods opens new perspectives on nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1597978574
• ISBN13: 9781597978576
• Release Date: February 2012
• Publisher: Potomac Books
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Only Thules rush in and get the best seats.

I have read many references about the Thule Society. There have even been videos that mentioned the Thule Society. These references mostly said it is mysterious and had an underlying influence on Nazism. After reading this, Thule will never be the same. From the cover flap: David Luhrssen has written the first comprehensive study of the society’s activities, its cultural roots, and its postwar ramifications in a historical-critical context. Both general readers and academics concerned with European cultural and intellectual history will find that “Hammer of the Gods” opens new perspectives on nineteenth and twentieth-century Europe. This is the first book that is not fringe research that I have found. The last chapter tells us of the fate of the Thule Society. The biography is not that straightforward on Thule stuff. The notes are in the back of the book and not on the bottom of the page; you will have to keep a finger in the note section while reading.