A hundred years ago, Adolf Hitler penned Mein Kampf while imprisoned after his failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. What started as a bitter and selfjustifying political tract went on to shape one of the most catastrophic ideologies in human history. As the world marks the centenary of its publication, the book remains an unsettling reminder of how extremist thought can take root and flourish. More disturbingly, the resurgence of neo-Nazi sentiments across the world raises questions about the durability of such ideologies and their insidious influence on contemporary politics.

Kampf, first published in 1925, was largely ignored in its early years. However, once Hitler rose to power in 1933, it became a cornerstone of Nazi propaganda, with millions of copies distributed across Germany. By 1939, it had sold 5.2 million copies and had been translated into 11 languages. The book detailed Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy, anti-Semitic beliefs, and expansionist ambitions, laying the groundwork for the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II. So deeply embedded was it in Nazi Germany that newlywed couples were gifted a copy as a state wedding present, ensuring that its venomous ideology seeped into the private lives of ordinary Germans. In the aftermath of World War II, Germany took extensive measures to curb the book’s influence.

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The state of Bavaria, which held the copyright, refused to allow its publication, and stringent laws were enacted to prevent the glorification of Nazi ideology. However, this did little to stop international publishers from reproducing it. When the copyright expired in 2016, Mein Kampf entered the public domain, allowing for new editions and extensive academic commentary to be published. The Munich-based Institute for Contemporary History released an annotated edition that meticulously dissected Hitler’s rhetoric and exposed its inherent fallacies. Despite these efforts, the toxic ideology of Mein Kampf continues to find resonance in different parts of the world.

NeoNazi groups, far-right extremists, and white supremacists have not only revived Hitler’s ideas but have also adapted them to contemporary political contexts. The internet, once hailed as a tool for democratic discourse, has become a breeding ground for such movements. Online forums, encrypted messaging apps, and social media platforms have allowed these groups to network, radicalize, and recruit followers across national borders. From the rise of farright parties in Europe to the resurgence of white supremacist movements in the United States, the echoes of Mein Kampf are unmistakable.

In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has gained traction by capitalizing on nationalist rhetoric and antiimmigrant sentiment. In the United States, groups like the Proud Boys and other white nationalist factions have drawn inspiration from Nazi ideology, often blending it with conspiracy theories and populist anger. Even in countries like Brazil, Ukraine, and Russia, neo-Nazi factions have emerged, demonstrating how extremist narratives remain alarmingly adaptable. One of the most unsettling developments has been the mainstreaming of far-right ideas in political discourse. Where once explicit Nazi symbolism was confined to underground movements, today, elements of that ideology have crept into mainstream politics through dog-whistle rhetoric, xenophobic policies, and historical revisionism.

Leaders and political figures have increasingly used language that aligns with the grievances outlined in Mein Kampf, blaming minorities, immigrants, and global institutions for economic and social woes. The persistence of such ideologies underscores the need for renewed vigilance. While democratic institutions remain resilient, the rise of digital propaganda has made it easier than ever for extremist ideas to reach new audiences. Countries that once prided themselves on stamping out fascist ideology now grapple with a new wave of radicalization that thrives on misinformation, cultural anxieties, and economic uncertainty. A hundred years after Mein Kampf was first published, its legacy is a grim testament to the power of hate-driven ideology.

The book itself may be confined to history, but its core tenets continue to find willing adherents in modern societies. The lessons of the past remain crucial: extremism, if left unchecked, can quickly escalate from rhetoric to action. The challenge before democratic societies today is not merely to remember history but to actively counter the forces that seek to revive its darkest chapters.

(The writer is Associate Professor, Centre For South Asian Studies, Pondicherry Central University.)