''The Occult Reich'' is a book about occultism during the Third Reich by J. H. Brennan. It was published in the United Kingdom in 1974 by Futura Publications, and published in New York the same year. Brennan advocates there being a meaningful connection between Nazism and occultism, and argues that

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

was a

Satanist Satanism refers to a group of religious, ideological, or philosophical beliefs based on Satan—particularly his worship or veneration. Because of the ties to the historical Abrahamic religious figure, Satanism—as well as other religious ...

and Nazism was a satanic enterprise.

Background

It was authored by J. H. Brennan. It was published by Futura Publications in London in 1974. This edition had 188 pages. The same year it was also published in the United States in New York with

New American Library The New American Library (also known as NAL) is an American publisher based in New York, founded in 1948. Its initial focus was affordable paperback reprints of classics and scholarly works as well as popular and pulp fiction, but it now publi ...

, in mass market paperback format.

Brennan, a believer in the truth of there being a meaningful connection between Nazism and occultism, argues that

was a

. As evidence for this, he brings up the fact that he had reversed the

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...

, which Brennan calls "an indication, for those who had eyes to see, of the satanic nature of the Occult Reich". He argues Hitler's appeal to the German people is connected to

Franz Mesmer Franz Anton Mesmer ( ; ; 23 May 1734 – 5 March 1815) was a German physician with an interest in astronomy. He theorized the existence of a process of natural Energy (esotericism), energy transference occurring between all animate and inanimat ...

's theory of

animal magnetism Animal magnetism, also known as mesmerism, is a theory invented by German doctor Franz Mesmer in the 18th century. It posits the existence of an invisible natural force (''Lebensmagnetismus'') possessed by all living things, including humans ...

. Towards the end of the war, Brennan argues, Hitler tried to make a deal with the devil which he fulfilled through military casualties and the mass murder of millions of Jews, before killing himself on a witch feast. It lacks notes, an index, or a bibliography.

Reception

Scholar and occultist Stephen E. Flowers was criticial. He called it mostly a "rehash" of ''

The Morning of the Magicians ''The Morning of the Magicians: Introduction to Fantastic Realism'' () is a 1960 book by the journalists Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier. As the authors disclaim in their preface, the book is intended to challenge readers' viewpoints on histori ...

'', and said it was "designed to capitalize on the occult Nazi craze of the early 1970s", prreceding through "the usual list of suspects" in the context of Nazi occultism. Robert H. West said that, as with most other works from believers, "Brennan holds that magical power is in proportion to the magician's intensity of conviction and passion of purpose", and that he did "not quite insist on devils as personal beings".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Occult Reich, The 1974 non-fiction books Books about occultism in Nazism British non-fiction books English-language non-fiction books New American Library books Works by James Herbert Brennan

Background

Contents

Reception

References