Hermann Goering and Dr. Douglas Kelley

[Ian B]

"THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST", Jack El-Hai, 2013, 226 pp. with chapter notes, bibliography, index and 8 pages of photos.

I have just finished this interesting book. I would say it is more a character study than straight history, however, I believe it offers something from a different perspective. It concerns the life of Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, a psychiatrist who was commissioned into the US Army Medical Corps and sent to Europe at the end of the war to work with the top Nazi figures who had been captured and awaited trial at Nuremburg.

The first two thirds of the book deals with Kelley's family background and early life, his training and eventual posting to Germany to study the Nuremburg prisoners' mental states and fitness to stand trial. It covers his work with Goering more, but does include the other Nazi prisoners. While there, he took it upon himself to unofficially administer psychological tests in an attempt to understand the Nazi mind and determine what motivated their actions.

The last third of the book focuses on Kelley's life back in the States, both professional and personal. Kelley eventually committed suicide in 1958. As I said, not straight history per se, but if you are interested in this type of writing, then I can recommend it. It has some sobering conclusions that we should all take to heart, especially in these times.

(available from Amazon)

Ian B

[Jelly Terror]

Originally Posted by Ian B

"THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST", Jack El-Hai, 2013, 226 pp. with chapter notes, bibliography, index and 8 pages of photos.

I have just finished this interesting book. I would say it is more a character study than straight history, however, I believe it offers something from a different perspective. It concerns the life of Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, a psychiatrist who was commissioned into the US Army Medical Corps and sent to Europe at the end of the war to work with the top Nazi figures who had been captured and awaited trial at Nuremburg.

The first two thirds of the book deals with Kelley's family background and early life, his training and eventual posting to Germany to study the Nuremburg prisoners' mental states and fitness to stand trial. It covers his work with Goering more, but does include the other Nazi prisoners. While there, he took it upon himself to unofficially administer psychological tests in an attempt to understand the Nazi mind and determine what motivated their actions.

The last third of the book focuses on Kelley's life back in the States, both professional and personal. Kelley eventually committed suicide in 1958. As I said, not straight history per se, but if you are interested in this type of writing, then I can recommend it. It has some sobering conclusions that we should all take to heart, especially in these times.

(available from Amazon)

Ian B

Ian,

Do we ever learn what (if any) Kelley's conclusions are with regard to 'the Nazi mind'?

JT

[Ian B]

Good day JT,

In the last chapter of the book, the author devotes several pages to describe the conflict between two schools of thought that have arisen over conclusions based on Rorschach tests administered by Kelley at Nuremberg.

Kelley concluded, as have others, that there is no "Nazi personality" that would account for the horrific atrocities that they planned or allowed. This school of thought contends that we all have the potential to do the same thing. Some later experiments have shown this to be the case

Other psychiatric professionals contend that all the tested Nazi leaders fit a profile of mental disturbance. That they were psychopaths with limited empathy or ability to relate to people, lack of adhering to normal standards of conduct and virulent self-interest.

The author goes on to relate that this conflict goes back to the interpretation of Rorschach tests. Some researchers have used proper methods, that is, not identifying the subjects and using test results from a control group. Others, usually for the "mentally disturbed" camp, interpreted the test results fully aware of who the subjects were, and therefore having knowledge of prior actions.

I feel the problem lies in that psychiatry is not as an exact science as, say chemistry. Different schools of thought gain prominence and are then replaced with another. Some experts suggest that there may be a middle ground. Not everyone has the mental makeup and traits to commit acts like these, but these traits exist in large and prominent groups of people, politicians, business leaders and others.

Sorry, didn't mean to make this a sermon. Hope this answers your question.

Ian B

[Jelly Terror]

Originally Posted by Ian B

Good day JT,

In the last chapter of the book, the author devotes several pages to describe the conflict between two schools of thought that have arisen over conclusions based on Rorschach tests administered by Kelley at Nuremberg.

Kelley concluded, as have others, that there is no "Nazi personality" that would account for the horrific atrocities that they planned or allowed. This school of thought contends that we all have the potential to do the same thing. Some later experiments have shown this to be the case

Other psychiatric professionals contend that all the tested Nazi leaders fit a profile of mental disturbance. That they were psychopaths with limited empathy or ability to relate to people, lack of adhering to normal standards of conduct and virulent self-interest.

The author goes on to relate that this conflict goes back to the interpretation of Rorschach tests. Some researchers have used proper methods, that is, not identifying the subjects and using test results from a control group. Others, usually for the "mentally disturbed" camp, interpreted the test results fully aware of who the subjects were, and therefore having knowledge of prior actions.

I feel the problem lies in that psychiatry is not as an exact science as, say chemistry. Different schools of thought gain prominence and are then replaced with another. Some experts suggest that there may be a middle ground. Not everyone has the mental makeup and traits to commit acts like these, but these traits exist in large and prominent groups of people, politicians, business leaders and others.

Sorry, didn't mean to make this a sermon. Hope this answers your question.

Ian B

Fascinating yet disturbing.

Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed and interesting reply.

JT