Summing Up

Abstract

According to Blackbourn and Eley, ‘Mind of Germany’ explanations of Nazism have been vanishing from the historical scene.¹ Hiden and Farquharson have found such studies which do exist comparatively poor explanations of the phenomenon.² Through the critical biographical approach used here, hopefully it has been shown that ‘Mind’ approaches remain important and well worth the effort of trying to improve in quality. If this study has served only to highlight this point, then a prime aim has been achieved. In its own terms, however, the study set out to investigate Helmut Nicolai according to six categories, each of which could be compared critically with the others:

• (a) an abstract, absolute Kantian ideal morality;

• (b) Nicolai’s political theory;

• (c) Nicolai’s planned legal/political state model;

• (d) Nicolai’s legislative drafts;

• (e) Nicolai’s actual legislation;

• (f) the political implementation of this.