The last edition published by the Nazis, 1943
July 18, 1925: It's been said that the Holocaust began with one book, Mein Kampf (My Struggle) by Adolf Hitler; and ended with another, Het Achterhuis. Dagboekbrieven (The Annex: Daybook Notes), a.k.a. The Diary of Anne Frank.
Hitler wrote most of the book in 1924, while in Landsberg Prison in Landsburg am Lech, in Bavaria in southern Germany. He dictated it to Emil Maurice, his chauffeur, who was jailed along with him, also for a role in the previous year's failed Beer Hall Putsch; then to Rudolf Hess, his deputy in the National Socialist (Nazi) Party.
(Maurice was captured after the war, served 4 years in prison, returned to his former work as a watchmaker, and lived until 1972. Hess was captured on a diplomatic mission to Britain in 1940, and was the last survivor of the Nazi high command, dying in prison in 1987.)
So what is in the most hated book ever written? Is it the most hateful book ever written? It's two volumes. Volume One: A Reckoning is an autobiography, in 12 chapters. Volume Two: The National Socialist Movement is his political manifesto, in 15 chapters. He wrote of what he called "the Jewish peril," linking it to worldwide Communism, and blaming both for the German Empire's defeat in World War I.
He wrote, "The nationalization of our masses will succeed only when, aside from all the positive struggle for the soul of our people, their international poisoners are exterminated." And while that was an early sign that he wanted to wipe the Jewish people of Europe out, it was hardly the only spewing of anti-Semitism in the book.
After slow initial sales, the book became a bestseller in Germany following Hitler's rise to power in 1933. That year, it was published in English for the first time. It proved to be popular among rich Americans, who were focused less on its anti-Semitism, and more on its anti-Communism, and in particular its denunciation of labor unions.
At the time of his suicide, Hitler's official place of residence was in Munich, which led to his entire estate, including all rights to Mein Kampf, legally changing to ownership by the State of Bavaria. The government of Bavaria, in agreement with the federal government of Germany, refused to allow any copying or printing of the book in Germany. It also opposed copying and printing in other countries, but with less success.
Under German copyright law, the entire text entered the public domain on January 1, 2016, upon the expiration of the calendar year 70 years after the author's death. Owning the book in Germany is not a crime, nor is buying it, nor is selling it. Trading in old copies is lawful as well, unless it is done in such a fashion as to "promote hatred or war." In America, its purchase, sale, and availability in public libraries is protected by the "freedom of the press" clause of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, despite being a right-wing populist, led a party named the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia from 1992 until his death in 2022. In 1993, following an election that made his party the official opposition in Russia's parliament, the Duma, he published a book titled My Struggle: The Explosive Views of Russia's Most Controversial Political Figure. Whether he knew that, when translated from Russian into German, Моя борьба (Moya Borba) became "Mein Kampf," only he knew for sure.
Donald Trump, whose grandfather fled Germany to avoid serving in World War I, and changed the family name from "Drumpf," said in 1990 that he had a copy of Mein Kampf, and has been said to have kept it in his bedroom at Trump Tower. He has used Hitler-like phrases, like saying that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country."
He has since said he's never read the book. He lies. A lot. So did Hitler. And Trump has had delusions of dictatorship, demands of loyalty to him above all else, and concentration camps based on bigotry. So, you tell me. (UPDATE: And, in 2024, 80 years plus a few days after Hitler's closest call, Trump faced an assassination attempt, and, like his hero, sustained minor injuries.)
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July 18, 1925 was a Saturday. These baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers, 7-3 at Navin Field in Detroit. (That ballpark would be renamed Briggs Stadium in 1938, and Tiger Stadium in 1961.) Ty Cobb, by this point also the manager of the Tigers, did not put himself into the game. Babe Ruth went 1-for-2 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs, including a home run -- but, due to his early-season illness, it was only his 9th of the season. Rookie Lou Gehrig went 1-for-3 with a walk.
The Tigers' starting pitcher was named Ulysses Simpson Grant Stoner, but was known as Lil Stoner. It is incredibly unlikely that he actually was a stoner: Baseball team management has despised marijuana since it became aware of the weed's existence. At any rate, he pitched 7 innings, and Cobb replaced him with Ken Holloway, who became the winning pitcher when the Tigers scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 8th.
* The New York Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 3-0 at the Polo Grounds. Dolf Luque pitched a 5-hit shutout. Frankie Frisch got 2 of those hits. One of the few Cubans considered "white" enough to appear in the major leagues before 1947, Luque would later pitch for the Giants.
* The Brooklyn Robins (as the Dodgers were known while Wilbert Robinson managed them from 1914 to 1931) lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1 at Ebbets Field. Rogers Hornsby went 0-for-4 with a walk. Zack Wheat also went 0-for-4.
* A doubleheader was split at Braves Field in Boston. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the opener, 9-8. The Boston Braves won the nightcap, 2-1, when Gus Fields singled Jimmy Welsh home with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-6 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. The Cubs got 3 singles, 2 walks and an error to produce 5 runs in the top of the 10th inning. Cy Williams hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th, to get the Phils back within 1 run, but that was as close as they would get.
* The Washington Senators beat the Cleveland Indians, 19-6 at League Park in Cleveland. Despite this outburst, the Senators didn't score more than 5 runs in any inning, and only Goose Goslin hit a home run. Sam Rice had 4 hits, and he and Goslin each had 3 RBIs. Earl McNeely, Joe Judge and Ossie Bleuge each had 3 hits. Every Senator starter had at least 2 hits and an RBI, including Vean Gregg, who pitched a complete game and had 2 RBIs.
Indians center fielder and manager Tris Speaker went 1-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBIs. And Cliff Lee went 2-for-5. A right fielder, he appears not to be a relative of the later pitcher Cliff Lee, who also spent time with the Indians.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 10-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Eddie Collins went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
* The St. Louis Browns beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 6-2 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. George Sisler went 1-for-5.
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