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| Time travellers: please don’t kill Hitler | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| If you find yourself suddenly gaining access to a time | If you find yourself suddenly gaining access to a time |
| machine, what’s the first thing you’d do? If you said “kill Adolf Hitler”, then | machine, what’s the first thing you’d do? If you said “kill Adolf Hitler”, then |
| congratulations; you’re a science-fiction character. Actually, the whole “access | congratulations; you’re a science-fiction character. Actually, the whole “access |
| to a time machine” thing suggested | to a time machine” thing suggested |
| that already, but the desire to kill Hitler clinches it. Any time-travelling | that already, but the desire to kill Hitler clinches it. Any time-travelling |
| sci-fi character (at least ones created by Western society) seems to want to kill Hitler, | sci-fi character (at least ones created by Western society) seems to want to kill Hitler, |
| so much so that there’s a trope | so much so that there’s a trope |
| about how | about how |
| it’s impossible. | it’s impossible. |
| That attempting to kill Hitler has become such a common | That attempting to kill Hitler has become such a common |
| sci-fi plot device speaks volumes. What about Stalin? He was arguably | sci-fi plot device speaks volumes. What about Stalin? He was arguably |
| worse, killing 20 | worse, killing 20 |
| million of his own people to fuel his ideology. But no, Stalin went about | million of his own people to fuel his ideology. But no, Stalin went about |
| his business unmolested by time travellers, all of whom are busy targeting | his business unmolested by time travellers, all of whom are busy targeting |
| Hitler. | Hitler. |
| It’s understandable. Who wouldn’t want to prevent the holocaust? It’s probably the worst thing in history. And I only say “probably” because I don’t know all of history, and the human capacity to be awful should not be underestimated. But as noble as it seems, killing the Fuhrer via time travel | It’s understandable. Who wouldn’t want to prevent the holocaust? It’s probably the worst thing in history. And I only say “probably” because I don’t know all of history, and the human capacity to be awful should not be underestimated. But as noble as it seems, killing the Fuhrer via time travel |
| is a terrible idea, for real-world reasons, not just those in fiction. So should | is a terrible idea, for real-world reasons, not just those in fiction. So should |
| you get hold of a time machine and make plans to kill Hitler, here are some reasons | you get hold of a time machine and make plans to kill Hitler, here are some reasons |
| why you shouldn’t. | why you shouldn’t. |
| Ethical quandary | Ethical quandary |
| Could you actually kill another human being? Despite what pop | Could you actually kill another human being? Despite what pop |
| culture implies, humans | culture implies, humans |
| generally aren’t predisposed to killing each other. This isn’t an absolute, | generally aren’t predisposed to killing each other. This isn’t an absolute, |
| of course. Abstract thinking about homicide is relatively | of course. Abstract thinking about homicide is relatively |
| common, and many humans end up taking the lives of others due to complex | common, and many humans end up taking the lives of others due to complex |
| circumstances such as brutal upbringings/environments, or possibly psychiatric | circumstances such as brutal upbringings/environments, or possibly psychiatric |
| illness. And of course, some people are just evil. It seems challenging to | illness. And of course, some people are just evil. It seems challenging to |
| reconcile these motivations with the mentality that plans to kill Hitler as an | reconcile these motivations with the mentality that plans to kill Hitler as an |
| altruistic act. | altruistic act. |
| But let’s assume you are willing to kill one to save | But let’s assume you are willing to kill one to save |
| millions of others. All of history to visit, and your first port of call | millions of others. All of history to visit, and your first port of call |
| involves killing. Fine. Whatever. When do you kill Hitler? As a child, Hitler | involves killing. Fine. Whatever. When do you kill Hitler? As a child, Hitler |
| hadn’t done anything monstrous enough to warrant his murder, so would you be | hadn’t done anything monstrous enough to warrant his murder, so would you be |
| willing to take his life then? Minority Report struggled with | willing to take his life then? Minority Report struggled with |
| this issue, and that was on a much smaller scale. | this issue, and that was on a much smaller scale. |
| Maybe later, when the Reich is in place but he hadn’t committed | Maybe later, when the Reich is in place but he hadn’t committed |
| genocide yet. But would this be too late? Once everything has been set up, would | genocide yet. But would this be too late? Once everything has been set up, would |
| eliminating Hitler change anything? This brings us onto another reason not to | eliminating Hitler change anything? This brings us onto another reason not to |
| do it. | do it. |
| Wider context | Wider context |
| Stephen Fry dealt with this superbly in his book Making History. | Stephen Fry dealt with this superbly in his book Making History. |
| Without spoilers, the problem is that many assume Hitler was the sole cause of the second world war and all the associated horrors. Sadly, this is a gross | Without spoilers, the problem is that many assume Hitler was the sole cause of the second world war and all the associated horrors. Sadly, this is a gross |
| oversimplification. Germany in the 1930s wasn’t a utopia of basket-weaving peace | oversimplification. Germany in the 1930s wasn’t a utopia of basket-weaving peace |
| lovers who were suddenly and severely corrupted by Hitler’s charismatic moustache. | lovers who were suddenly and severely corrupted by Hitler’s charismatic moustache. |
| The political tensions and strife were all there, results of | The political tensions and strife were all there, results of |
| a previous world war and a great depression; Hitler was just able to | a previous world war and a great depression; Hitler was just able to |
| capitalise on this. But if he hadn’t, say because he had been eliminated by an | capitalise on this. But if he hadn’t, say because he had been eliminated by an |
| errant time traveller, then there’s nothing to say that nobody else would. | errant time traveller, then there’s nothing to say that nobody else would. |
| Problems rarely exist in isolation. Just like you can’t go | Problems rarely exist in isolation. Just like you can’t go |
| in and rip out a tumour because it’s connected to the wider body which will | in and rip out a tumour because it’s connected to the wider body which will |
| react badly to such a blunt intrusion, elimination of the main figurehead won’t | react badly to such a blunt intrusion, elimination of the main figurehead won’t |
| necessarily prevent events that were as much a product of the wider socio-political | necessarily prevent events that were as much a product of the wider socio-political |
| context. So if you did try it … | context. So if you did try it … |
| Chaos theory | Chaos theory |
| There’s the oft-quoted example of the butterfly | There’s the oft-quoted example of the butterfly |
| effect, ie very small changes in a very complex system can have very big | effect, ie very small changes in a very complex system can have very big |
| effects. You can criticise Hitler for many valid reasons, but one thing he wasn’t | effects. You can criticise Hitler for many valid reasons, but one thing he wasn’t |
| was “insignificant”; if he were, there’d be no desire to assassinate him. So | was “insignificant”; if he were, there’d be no desire to assassinate him. So |
| even if you did succeed, given the impact he had on so many lives, you’d | even if you did succeed, given the impact he had on so many lives, you’d |
| drastically alter the future/present, even if it panned out to be “better” | drastically alter the future/present, even if it panned out to be “better” |
| without Hitler. | without Hitler. |
| Say whoever replaced him was ineffectual and the war ended | Say whoever replaced him was ineffectual and the war ended |
| with reduced loss of life and destruction. In this timeline, maybe no German | with reduced loss of life and destruction. In this timeline, maybe no German |
| rocket scientists ended up in the US. The space programme loses some of its | rocket scientists ended up in the US. The space programme loses some of its |
| best minds, and happens more slowly (or not at all?) The space race resulted in | best minds, and happens more slowly (or not at all?) The space race resulted in |
| a breath-taking amount of scientific | a breath-taking amount of scientific |
| advancement and spinoff technology, one strand of which eventually led to | advancement and spinoff technology, one strand of which eventually led to |
| time travel. Now that you’ve changed things, time travel wasn’t invented in | time travel. Now that you’ve changed things, time travel wasn’t invented in |
| your lifetime, so either you vanish and the whole thing is undone, or your time | your lifetime, so either you vanish and the whole thing is undone, or your time |
| machine does. So now you’re stranded in wartime Berlin. And you’ve just killed | machine does. So now you’re stranded in wartime Berlin. And you’ve just killed |
| the beloved leader of one of the most powerful military machines in history. | the beloved leader of one of the most powerful military machines in history. |
| Good luck with that. | Good luck with that. |
| Cultural reference | Cultural reference |
| This may seem like a minor issue, but it’s not wise to | This may seem like a minor issue, but it’s not wise to |
| dismiss how Hitler and his actions shaped the society of those who opposed him. | dismiss how Hitler and his actions shaped the society of those who opposed him. |
| The Nazis are almost unanimously considered | The Nazis are almost unanimously considered |
| to have been the “bad guys”. The phenomenon of Godwin’s law underscores the cultural reflex of Nazis = evil | to have been the “bad guys”. The phenomenon of Godwin’s law underscores the cultural reflex of Nazis = evil |
| and wrong. Anyone who agrees with them in present times is (quite rightly) condemned | and wrong. Anyone who agrees with them in present times is (quite rightly) condemned |
| en masse. Without this stark and horrible example of how prejudice and fascism | en masse. Without this stark and horrible example of how prejudice and fascism |
| can lead to atrocities, would such things be as vilified as they are today? The | can lead to atrocities, would such things be as vilified as they are today? The |
| existence of Hitler likely served to unite his enemies at a societal level, | existence of Hitler likely served to unite his enemies at a societal level, |
| which has considerable | which has considerable |
| ramifications. | ramifications. |
| And let’s not overlook the consequences of the war that led | And let’s not overlook the consequences of the war that led |
| to important | to important |
| changes in terms of equality | changes in terms of equality |
| and the like in society as a whole. This isn’t to say these things wouldn’t | and the like in society as a whole. This isn’t to say these things wouldn’t |
| happen anyway, but it’s likely they happened a lot faster due to Hitler’s | happen anyway, but it’s likely they happened a lot faster due to Hitler’s |
| presence. It’s impossible to say how many may have suffered and died over the | presence. It’s impossible to say how many may have suffered and died over the |
| years, if people hadn’t banded together to fight Hitler. Is this something you’d | years, if people hadn’t banded together to fight Hitler. Is this something you’d |
| risk changing? | risk changing? |
| Hitler lost | Hitler lost |
| This is overlooked surprisingly often, so it bears repeating: Hitler didn’t win. Whatever you think of the present, we don’t live in some | This is overlooked surprisingly often, so it bears repeating: Hitler didn’t win. Whatever you think of the present, we don’t live in some |
| bleak wasteland dominated by a global Reich. Because Hitler and his armies | bleak wasteland dominated by a global Reich. Because Hitler and his armies |
| lost. Although it was a costly victory, it was still technically a victory, so | lost. Although it was a costly victory, it was still technically a victory, so |
| why risk going back and interfering with an outcome you favour? And arguably, it | why risk going back and interfering with an outcome you favour? And arguably, it |
| was due to Hitler’s | was due to Hitler’s |
| incompetence as a strategist that the war panned out the way it did. | incompetence as a strategist that the war panned out the way it did. |
| In a way, Hitler had the perfect combination of drive, | In a way, Hitler had the perfect combination of drive, |
| charisma, evil and incompetence to unite the world against him and ensure that | charisma, evil and incompetence to unite the world against him and ensure that |
| his forces lost. It’s such an unlikely combination of factors that the only way | his forces lost. It’s such an unlikely combination of factors that the only way |
| to consciously make it happen would be to go back in time and remove anyone | to consciously make it happen would be to go back in time and remove anyone |
| else who might have … | else who might have … |
| … oh. Oh dear. | … oh. Oh dear. |
| Dean Burnett promises | Dean Burnett promises |
| he is not a time-travelling Nazi. But then, he would say that, wouldn’t he? | he is not a time-travelling Nazi. But then, he would say that, wouldn’t he? |
| Keep an eye on him on Twitter, @garwboy | Keep an eye on him on Twitter, @garwboy |