The Occult Reich: Difference between revisions

 

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[[New American Library]] (United States)

[[New American Library]] (United States)

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””’The Occult Reich””’ is a book about [[Nazism and occultism|occultism during the Third Reich]] by [[James Herbert Brennan|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]] was a [[Satanist]] and Nazism was a satanic enterprise.

””’The Occult Reich””’ is a book about [[Nazism and occultism|occultism during the Third Reich]] by [[James Herbert Brennan|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]] was a [[Satanist]] and Nazism was a satanic enterprise.

== Background ==

== Background ==

It was authored by [[James Herbert Brennan|J. H. Brennan]].<ref name=”Flowers2022″>{{Cite book |last=Flowers |first=Stephen E. |author-link=Stephen Flowers |title=The Occult in National Socialism: The Symbolic, Scientific, and Magical Influences on the Third Reich |publisher=[[Inner Traditions]] |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-64411-575-6 |location=Rochester |language=en}}</ref><ref name=”:0″>{{Cite journal |last=West |first=Robert H. |date=1975 |title=Some Popular Literature of Witchcraft Since 1969 |journal=[[The Review of Politics]] |language=en |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=547–556 |doi=10.1017/S0034670500015096 |issn=0034-6705 |jstor=1406063}}</ref> It was published by Futura Publications in London in 1974.<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web |title=Occult Reich |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/16244308 |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=[[WorldCat]] |language=en}}</ref> This edition had 188 pages.<ref name=”:1″ /> The same year it was also published in the United States in New York with [[New American Library]], in mass market paperback format.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ /><ref name=”:0″ /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Occult Reich |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/2078100 |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=[[WorldCat]] |language=en}}</ref> It was reprinted in 1976.<ref name=”Freeman2006″ />

It was authored by [[James Herbert Brennan|J. H. Brennan]].<ref name=”Flowers2022″>{{Cite book |last=Flowers |first=Stephen E. |author-link=Stephen Flowers |title=The Occult in National Socialism: The Symbolic, Scientific, and Magical Influences on the Third Reich |publisher=[[Inner Traditions]] |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-64411-575-6 |location=Rochester |language=en}}</ref><ref name=”:0″>{{Cite journal |last=West |first=Robert H. |date=1975 |title=Some Popular Literature of Witchcraft Since 1969 |journal=[[The Review of Politics]] |language=en |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=547–556 |doi=10.1017/S0034670500015096 |issn=0034-6705 |jstor=1406063}}</ref> It was published by Futura Publications in London in 1974<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web |title=Occult Reich |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/16244308 |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=[[WorldCat]] |language=en}}</ref> in New York with [[New American Library]], in mass market paperback format.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ /><ref name=”:0″ /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Occult Reich |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/2078100 |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=[[WorldCat]] |language=en}}</ref> It was reprinted in 1976.<ref name=”Freeman2006″ />

== Contents ==

== Contents ==

Brennan, a believer in the truth of there being a meaningful connection between Nazism and occultism, argues that [[Adolf Hitler]] was a [[Satanist]]. As evidence for this, he brings up the fact that he had reversed the [[swastika]], which Brennan calls “an indication, for those who had eyes to see, of the satanic nature of the Occult Reich”.<ref name=”:0″ /> He argues Hitler’s appeal to the German people is connected to [[Franz Mesmer]]’s theory of [[animal magnetism]].<ref name=”Flowers2022″ />

Brennan, a believer in the truth of there being a meaningful connection between Nazism and occultism, argues that [[Adolf Hitler]] was a [[Satanist]]. As evidence for this, he brings up the fact that he had reversed the [[swastika]], which Brennan calls “an indication, for those who had eyes to see, of the satanic nature of the Occult Reich”.<ref name=”:0″ /> He argues Hitler’s appeal to the German people is connected to [[Franz Mesmer]]’s theory of [[animal magnetism]].<ref name=”Flowers2022″ />

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 [[The Holocaust|mass murder of millions of Jews]], before killing himself on a witch feast.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ /><ref name=”:0″ /> It lacks notes, an index, or a bibliography.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ />

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 [[The Holocaust|mass murder of millions of Jews]], before killing himself on a witch feast.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ /><ref name=”:0″ /> It lacks notes, an index, or a bibliography.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ />

== Reception ==

== Reception ==

Nick Freeman wrote it was “still more outlandish” than another outlandish book on the same topic, ”[[The Spear of Destiny (book)|The Spear of Destiny]]”, but wrote that the book “captured the popular imagination”.<ref name=”Freeman2006″>{{Cite journal |last=Freeman |first=Nick |date=2006-11-01 |title=”A decadent appetite for the lurid”?: James Herbert, The Spear and ‘Nazi Gothic’ |journal=Gothic Studies |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=80–97 |doi=10.7227/GS.8.2.6 |issn=1362-7937}}</ref> [[Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke]], the author of a scholarly book that aimed to explore the true extent of Nazi occultism, described ”The Occult Reich” as one of several books on this topic to reiterate what he described as “bizarre accounts of Nazi satanism, using the stock properties of the Vril Society, the much abused Haushofer, and the Thule Society”.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goodrick-Clarke |first=Nicholas |author–link=Nicholas Goodrick–Clarke |title=The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology |title-link=The Occult Roots of Nazism |publisher=[[Tauris Parke]] |year=2004 |isbn=978–1–86064–973–8 |location=London |page=221 |language=en |orig-date=1985}}</ref>

Nick Freeman wrote it was “still more outlandish” than another outlandish book on the same topic, ”[[The Spear of Destiny (book)|The Spear of Destiny]]”, but wrote that the book “captured the popular imagination”.<ref name=”Freeman2006″>{{Cite journal |last=Freeman |first=Nick |date=2006-11-01 |title=”A decadent appetite for the lurid”?: James Herbert, The Spear and ‘Nazi Gothic’ |journal=Gothic Studies |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=80–97 |doi=10.7227/GS.8.2.6 |issn=1362-7937}}</ref> [[ ]] of ” ” ” , the of the andthe|= |=|-=-|= |title= |=—-|= |=|-date=}}</ref>

Scholar and occultist [[Stephen E. Flowers]] was criticial. He called it mostly a “rehash” of ”[[The Morning of the Magicians]]”, 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.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ /> 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”.<ref name=”:0″ />

Scholar and occultist [[Stephen E. Flowers]] was criticial. He called it mostly a “rehash” of ”[[The Morning of the Magicians]]”, 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.<ref name=”Flowers2022″ /> 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”.<ref name=”:0″ />

== References ==

== References ==

Book by James Herbert Brennan

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 was a Satanist and occultist and Nazism was a satanic enterprise.

It was authored by Irish writer J. H. Brennan.^[1][2][3] It was picked up by publishers simultaneously pre-publication in the United Kingdom and the United States.^[4] The book was published in 1974 in both countries,^[5] published by Futura Publications in London in 1974,^[6] and in New York with New American Library/Signet, in mass market paperback format.^[1][2][7] This edition had 188 pages.^[6] It was reprinted in 1976.^[8] It was translated into Spanish and Japanese.^[5]

Brennan, a believer in the truth of there being a meaningful connection between Nazism and occultism, argues that Adolf Hitler was a Satanist and occultist. As evidence for this, he brings up the fact that he had reversed the swastika, which Brennan calls “an indication, for those who had eyes to see, of the satanic nature of the Occult Reich”.^[2][9] He argues Hitler’s appeal to the German people is connected to Franz Mesmer‘s theory of animal magnetism.^[1] Brennan argues that much of Nazi policy was based on Tibetan mystical teachings.^[3][9]

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 as a blood sacrifice, before killing himself on a witch feast.^[1][2][9] It lacks notes, an index, or a bibliography.^[1]

The book sold well, and was the most financially successful of any of Brennan’s books of the time; he made about £4,000.^[5] Nick Freeman wrote it was “still more outlandish” than another outlandish book on the same topic, The Spear of Destiny, but wrote that the book “captured the popular imagination”.^[8] A review from The Montreal Star noted it as ” composed of some irrefutable facts and some imagination-stretching speculation”,^[3] while Clarence Petersen for the Chicago Tribune said it relied on circumstantial evidence and that “true believers will swallow it whole”.^[10] Multiple reviewers said that it was, at least, interesting, if far-fetched.^[10][11][9]

Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, the author of a scholarly book that aimed to explore the true extent of Nazi occultism, described The Occult Reich as one of several books on this topic to reiterate what he described as “bizarre accounts of Nazi satanism, using the stock properties of the Vril Society, the much abused Haushofer, and the Thule Society”.^[12] Scholar and occultist Stephen E. Flowers was criticial. He called it mostly a “rehash” of The Morning of the Magicians, 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.^[1] 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”.^[2]