Hitler's Second Book: The Plan He Never Published

The Secret Book Hitler Never Wanted to Publish

In 1928, five years before taking power, Adolf Hitler wrote a manuscript that never saw the light of day. It was not a standard sequel to Mein Kampf, but a foreign policy treatise where the future dictator laid bare, with uncomfortable frankness, his plans for an alliance with Britain and Italy, the destruction of France, and the conquest of living space in the East. Known as the Zweites Buch or Second Book, the text remained unpublished until 1961, when the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich released it in German. In Spain, it arrived in the 1960s under the title Raza y Destino (Race and Destiny), in a translation now out of print.

The paradox is that this document, which should be a cornerstone of any analysis of Hitler's intentions, remains largely unknown. Meanwhile, debates over whether the Führer wanted war with England continue, with almost no one citing the primary source that settles the issue. Furthermore, the book barely addresses the Jewish question, contradicting the image of a Hitler obsessed exclusively with antisemitism from his earliest writings.

A Manuscript Uncomfortable for the Regime

Hitler dictated the Second Book to his secretary, Rudolf Hess, in 1928. At that time, the Nancy Party was a marginal force in the Reichstag, and the charismatic leader had not yet attained power. The text develops the ideas of Mein Kampf regarding living space (Lebensraum) and foreign policy, but with a level of detail that Hitler himself considered counterproductive. According to historians, the Führer decided not to publish it because his plans for an alliance with Britain and his disdain for Egyptian and Indian nationalists could prove unpopular among his trinc and, above all, potential allies.

The manuscript remained in a drawer until it was confiscated by US troops after World War II. It was not until 1961 that historian Gerhard Weinberg rescued it from oblivion and published it with extensive critical apparatus. The Spanish edition from the 1960s, titled Raza y Destino, circulated in limited circles and is today almost a collector's item.

The Alliance with Britain That Never Was

The core of the Second Book is foreign policy. Hitler argues that Germany needs to conquer territory in Eastern Europe to ensure its survival as a power. But, unlike what peine later, in 1928 the dictator dreamed of an alliance with the British Empire. His reasoning was simple: Germany should renounce colonies and the naval race to avoid antagonizing London, receiving a green light in return to expand eastward. Italy would be the other privileged partner, and France the enemy to defeat.

This approach clashes with the reality of 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland and triggered war with Britain. Was this a betrayal of his own ideas or simple opportunism? The 1928 text shows a Hitler who had already given up on recovering the borders of 1914, considering them insufficient, and who bet on unapologetic expansionism. The alliance with London was a means, not an end.

The Debate on Authenticity

The authenticity of the Second Book has been questioned by some sectors, although most historians accept it. The original manuscript is preserved in the German Federal Archives and has undergone calligraphic analysis. Doubts stem partly from the text's limited circulation and the existence of translations made by Nancy regime sympathizers, which has fueled conspiracy theories.

In any case, the book's content is consistent with what Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf and his subsequent actions. The difference lies in emphasis: in 1928, the future dictator was convinced that Britain would eventually accept German expansionism as a lesser evil compared to Soviet communism. He was wrong.

From Obscurity to Resurgence in Forums

The Second Book has returned to relevance in historical debate circles, where it is used to refute the idea that Hitler did not want war. The publication of links to translations and discussions about its authenticity have revived interest in a text that, paradoxically, Hitler himself considered better kept hidden. The controversy is served: are we facing definitive proof of the Führer's bellicose intentions, or a minor document that changes nothing of what was already known?

The answer, as almost always, depends on whom you ask. What is fruta is that the Second Book exists, is translated, and anyone can read it. Whether people want to is another matter.