Setting the demon free: Karl Haushofer, Rudolf Heß, the Thule Society and Hitler in Munich, 1918–1920

This study is an examination of the links between Karl Haushofer, Rudolf Heß, the Thule Society and Adolf Hitler in Munich from 1918–1920. These links are crucial to understanding the early years of the Nazi Party and the formation of Hitler's ideology. The first chapter will examine the cultural climate of Munich which set the tone for the rise of the Nazi Party. The second chapter will examine the lives of Karl Haushofer, Rudolf Heß, and Rudolf Freiherr von Sebottendorff, head of the Thule Society. This examination will show that the influences on their lives made them susceptible to the messages emanating from the right. Chapter three will tell the tale of the Battle of Munich, which is the crucial moment in Munich society following the end of the First World War. Chapter four will examine the links between Haushofer, Heß, Sebottendorff and Hitler to fill in the gaps in the historical record.