Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00657)

In a recent message, correspondent "GLT" asked a question regarding Adolf
Hitler and Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. The correspondent had seen a
television documentary which strongly implied a connection between Blavatsky
and Hitler. I too, saw the documentary in question: "The Occult History of
The Third Reich", and like almost all television "documentaries" it was
shallow and superficial and wrong on most counts. The writer of this message
is a Cousin of Helena Blavatsky's, and is currently researching a book to be
called "The Hackenkreuz Connection": Theosophy and Nazism. I'd like to share
some of my very preliminary findings with you.

Now let's get down to a less superficial discussion of the subject. First
was there a "connection" between Hitler and HPB? No, of course not she died
in 1891 and he was born in 1889, it's the same as with Hitler's alleged
connection with Richard Wagner who died in 1883. Hitler liked Wagner's
music, he also liked Franz Lehar's music and Anton Bruckner was his
"favorite" composer, but that is entirely irrelevant to Hitler's activities
as Head of the German State.

As far as I know the first intimations of a connection between Blavatsky's
book "The Secret Doctrine", and the Nazis Racial Theories was made in a book
called "MORNING OF THE MAGICIANS", written by Louis Pauwels and Jacques
Bergier (Published in France in 1960, and in soft-cover in The USA by Avon
in 1964). These two investigators alleged, probably not incorrectly that the
"Secret Doctrine" and other Theosophical Writings had to some degree
influenced the Nazis.

Now, I have two questions, which I deem of importance to ask: 1. If Hitler
was an "avid admirer" of Madame Blavatsky, and therefore by inference of
Theosophy, why was the Theosophical society outlawed in Germany shortly
after Hitler's accession to power? 2. If Hitler was "inspired" by Theosophy,
why is it so many Theosophists were sent to Concentration Camps?

On the other hand, it would be completely inaccurate to deny that any tie
exists between "Theosophy" and The Nazis in Germany and the Fascists in
Italy. My research thus far indicates that it is not merely a philosophical
tie, but an actual "overlap" of members. I do, however, believe that the
average Theosophist was utterly ignorant of this connection and would have
been horrified by it. Blavatsky herself was a social radical and
revolutionary who was a close associate of Garibaldi's, and based upon her
personal writings, she would have been a rabid anti-Nazi. But she was dead a
long time before the Nazis began to appear. There were, however other
important Theosophists we were tied to organizations which were clearly
connected to the Nazis.

Let's look at Hitler's "sources". It's pretty clear that his primary source
was Friedrich Nietzsche's "Uebermensch" or "Superman" theories, or more
accurately, Nietzsche's sister's version of them. But Hitler was also very
heavily influenced by the work of Guido von List, who had founded a
Pan-Germanic Political faction with occult roots in 1909. There is no
question but that he was heavily influenced by both The Golden Dawn and
Theosophy. He also followed in a tradition founded in "The Vehm" which was
an Occult group active in Austria-Bavaria in the mid 19th century but which
(as usual) claimed an origin in the middle ages. It was apparently involved
in many totally illegal activities including ritual murder.

The Vehm apparently transmogrified into a number of other organizations. One
was the so-called "Free Masonic Order of the Golden Centurium" which was an
openly Daemonological Group. The Vehm was also the source of another
organization, this one particularly significant because of the later work
and connections of some of it's adherents. It was The Saturnian Order and it
was founded by a man names Joseph Maria Hoene-Wronski (1776-1853) who was
the essential and basic teacher of a man named Alphonse Louis Constant but
who is known to us primarily as Eliphas Levi and who is the most important
source of Qabbalistic teachings in the modern world. He was a close personal
friend of Madame Blavatsky. There was also a Group called "The Vril" and
then you had as an outgrowth of "The Vril" ..."The Order of The Illuminatii"
whose founder (at that point in history) was a man named Theodore Reuess who
went on to found the OTO (Order of the Temples of The East) and this is the
organization that gives us some surprising connections. Not only was it the
source of Aleister Crowley's Order of Thelema (originally a Saturnian
concept) but Win Wescott was closely associated with it. He was the Founder
of "The Order of The Golden Dawn" which had so many Theosophists and
ex=theosophists as members (and Aleister Crowley as well) that it has always
been considered an outgrowth of the theosophical Society. Among the other
important people associated with the OTO was Dr.Rudolf Steiner, the General
Secretary of the theosophical Society in German, who went on to found the
Anthroposophical Movement. He was, by the way, considered by Hitler to be a
major enemy. And lastly, the most important connection as it concerns the
Theosophical society. Dr. Franz Hartmann who was a very important
theosophist indeed, having been an associate of Blavatsky's and also a very
close associate of both Annie Besant and Charles Webster Leadbeater.

Lastly in this terribly short sample, there is some evidence that Annie
Besant was associated with Dr. & Baron, Julius Evola (Who was charged as a
War Criminal in 1945) and through Evola with Benito Mussolini, "Il Duce".
She arranged for Mussolini to write articles for her magazine "Star of The
Herald of the East", which was the organ of the group designed to support
the "Messiahship" of Jiddu Krishnamurti (who had absolutely nothing to do
with all this as he was just a child). Copies are on file in both the
Library of the American Theosophical Society in Olcott, Wheaton, Illinois
and in The Library in Adyar India. I am sure they are also on file
elsewhere. But Mussolini's articles can be read by anyone who chooses to
look them up. This is not a connection I think healthy for The Theosophical
Society. Considering Annie Besant's immense authoritarianism, one is forced
to wonder what other qualities she shared with the Fascists? There is
another very questionable connection here. Julius Evola was the primary
disciple of Rene Guenon who wrote a book so critical of theosophy that it
almost completely destroyed The Theosophical Movement in France. What was
Annie Besant doing being a close associate of Evola who was the closest
associate of a man who was on of the theosophical movement's greatest
enemies. Why too, were other very close associates of both Evola and Guenon,
like Alain Danielou and Raymond Burnier (ex husband of the present
International President of The Theosophical Society) so closely identified
with Theosophy and Adyar in particular?

It's going to take a long while to fully research this subject but I hope
this helps people deal with GTL's question.

alexis dolgorukii