The Nuremberg Mind: The Psychology of the Nazi Leaders

by Florence R Miale and Michael Selzer

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812905814
• ISBN13: 9780812905816
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: Quadrangle
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Interesting Insight into the Minds of Nazi Leaders

The Nuremberg Mind gives detailed accounts of a series of Rorschach tests given to the imprisoned Nazi leaders while they awaited trial at Nuremberg. The ink blot tests were administered by Dr. G. M. Gilbert (author of the excellent book Nuremberg Diary) and Florence Miale. All comments given by each defendant while he was examining the cards (including a running talley of the time that had past between each comment) is included in the study. The book also includes color images of the 10 ink blot cards used (I was surprised to find out that several of the ink blots included designs in red, blue, green, yellow, and orange).I admit that I am skeptical about such psychological studies, and I did find certain weakness in this book. First, previous knowledge of the grim deeds of the Nazi leaders can certainly have an influence on the final analyses of their Rorschach tests. Gilbert was a Jewish American and, understandably, may have had some biases when conducting the examinations. After obtaining responses to Card X from Reichsbank President Walther Funk, for example, Gilbert suggested "that last picture might have been a concentration camp" (p. 79). Another example is exhibited in Miale's analysis of Hermann Goering's interpretation of Card VI as a bedroom rug: "[Goering's] capacity for warmth and understanding is used by him for obtaining sensuous pleasure rather than for developing real human relationships" (p. 92). In another case, Hans Fritzsche (a radio propagandist and hardly a big-time Nazi who would later denounce the regime) was labeled a "blind, torn psychopath" by Miale because the radio broadcaster saw a torn map in Card VII. Preconceived notions about the personalities they were analyzing probably had some influence on such responses.More revealing are the patterns of responses by the subjects Hans Frank, Funk, Goering, Joachim von Ribbentrop, and Ernst Kaltenbrunner. Frank (the "Butcher of Poland") made several references to alcohol in his responses. Funk made startling sexual references during his tests. Goering made quick and confident responses to the cards and became impatient when certain areas of the cards did not fit his designs "snapping his forefinger at the three red spots [on Card III] as though to brush them off" (p. 87). Ribbentrop and Kaltenbrunner gave the least number of responses to the cards. The former quickly gave one response to each card or would simply reject them, the latter took a very long time on each card and, in some cases, would contradict his own responses (quite understandable from a man conditioned to follow orders). Such patterns revealed a great deal about the subjects' personalities, much more than did Miale's or Gilbert's isolated comments.I believe that the Rorschach test can be useful in an analysis on one's personality. The test, however, is useless if the impartiality of the examiner is in question. It is possible for the Rorschach analysis to reveal more about the person conduc