Engines of Agression

Fallen Reichs: The Politics and Propaganda of Satan and Hitler

In my final paper, I plan to use Hitler's theories of propaganda as a means of understanding Satan in John Milton's Paradise Lost. Specifically, I plan to focus on Eve's dream in Book V. Although one might be tempted to interpret Eve's dream in terms of symbolism, repressed desire, and the like, one must remember that Satan, rather than Eve's psyche, constructs this dream. It is not so much Eve's dream as it is Satan's propaganda.

I also plan to look at Satan's dictatorship and his manipulation both of the fallen angels, in specific, and "truth," in general. For example, in Book II Satan calls the supposedly democratic government of the fallen angels into council. The angles debate over the proper course of action to follow now that they are in hell. Beelzebub suggests that someone explore earth and seduce its inhabitants. Satan steps forth, points out the dangers of such a mission, and, having scared the other fallen angels, decides that he shall take up the mission. Of course, this was Satan's plan from the beginning. Beelzebub was merely a plant. Thus, Satan's democratic government is, in essence, a puppet government, like that of Hitler's Germany, with Satan pulling the strings.

I plan to devote the first few pages of my study to a comparison between the characters of Satan and Hitler. I will discuss the similarities between Satan's beginnings in hell as a bitter fallen angel, and Hitler's humble beginnings as a high school dropout who, like Satan, attempted to seize power and was punished. God, through the power of the Son drove Satan into Hell, where he began to plot an escape from hell and reascension to power. In Hitler's case, he was imprisoned for several years after attempting to seize power in Germany. However, Hitler was eventually freed and began to reclaim military force and political power. Just as Satan waited for the right moment to seduce Eve--she was alone-- Satan also waited for the strong Germany economy to weaken. With the American stock market crash of 1929, the German economy collapsed. Hitler made his move on an angry, divided, and vulnerable Germany. By 1933, Hitler was dictator of Germany. Of course, Hitler did not become a world threat immediately; five years later, he had the world's most powerful army and began taking country after country. Satan also plans to seduce earth's inhabitants (Satan's "final solution") as a larger step in his conquest of heaven. In the last few pages, I shall look at the collapse of both Hitler's and Satan's corrupted empires.

Because Milton is a Christian writer and Paradise Lost a Christian work in which Milton discusses free will and attempts to justify God's ways, critics often, but not exclusively, tend to look at Paradise Lost from a religious perspective. With this study, I will enlarge the context within which critics place Milton. I will show that while Paradise Lost (un)successfully addresses religious considerations, it is also a work about perverse leaders, political manipulation, and corrupt empires.