This one is very interesting book that shows how easy it is to place dangerous ideas into the minds of people that are living through difficult times.

Started as a weird offshoot of Theosophical society (in itself more than weird new-age movement) Ariosophy strengthened the main tenants of race, racial memory and uplifting and - as can be suspected from the start - put the Germanic people as true heirs to Aryan race. It was just a small step to move into the secret society milieu by forming Thule Society - although this was just a public front; Thule Society entered and influenced almost all of the political parties in pre-WW1/WW1/post-WW1 Germany. It was like they decided to play all the cards and see which one actually works.

In itself above does not sound much but take into account very difficult situation for most of the people in the world at the time - with industrialization came also poverty and lots of people lived endured great difficulties in cities that saw massive influx of people and expansion. And for this you need to blame somebody - right? So you put some social policies that will bring the masses to you (boo to the existing economic system [capitalism] and its supporting religious element (all Christian churches)), add some mystique (ever mysterious Orient, especially India and mix it up with old Nordic religions and say - see this is the link!) and chose somebody to blame for everything (at the time everybody chose Jews).
Now put the nationalism into the equation together with pseudo-scientific approach to Darwin's theory of evolution and ever present ideas of race supremacy/predestination and you end up with the pretty solid powder keg.

Then it only takes few people in esteemed enough positions in society to fire up the keg and you end up with Nazism (or equivalent). And this is important thing to note - this is not a time with social media and knowledge available everywhere. First groups that fell enamored with Thule Society were educated people, people who were members of high society, the very intelligentsia (although they wanted to clear their name later).

Now imagine the danger of this type of demagogues in our society where every story has its own spin (as our marketing experts like to say) and majority is susceptible to everything and lazy to do any research on their own. What a horror that would be.

I wont get into the details - book provides enough of it in a very readable manner - especially not about Theosophy (which seems to be still alive and kicking and wants [oh it ever so wants] to separate itself from the Ariosophy and likes) and nebulous statements on race suitability to further evolve - for a very reason that even today we have nebulous stands against science that people do follow with a lot of zeal (take flat Earth theory for example).

Book is also relevant to our times because it shows how easy can masses be manipulated when they need a vent - they do not even need to believe into whatever is served to them but they follow the flock.

Only thing that caused Thule Society to dissolve (although whether or not they truly dissolved is something that for me is still not defined) was the choice of a man they thought to use as a sort of front (Hitler). They thought to control man with serious personal disorders who thought of himself to be a messiah of sorts and who did not like any other religious movements (and Thule Society was first and foremost quasi-religious group) because he wanted his religion where he will be treated as godlike creature (which again is dream of every dictator). So in that view one can say that Thule Society's madness was halted by another - more gruesome, bloody - madness but nevertheless madness they gave birth to and nurtured.

Very interesting book. One of those that show how real world events can be much weirder than the fantasy.

Recommended to all history fans. ( )