#11 How German emigration shaped Hitler's quest for conquest

Prof. Brendan Simms, author of "Hitler: Only the World Was Enough," delves into the history of German emigration, from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries, and explores how Hitler's fixation on emigration shaped his geopolitical thinking and, ultimately, his approach to conquest and annexation, including his pursuit of Lebensraum or living space. The conversation investigates the role of German settler expansion in Hitler's wars, particularly in Poland and Ukraine, the challenges he faced managing migration, and the shortcomings of his approach to migration. The episode is a journey into the interplay between emigration, geopolitics, and the shaping of Hitler's worldview.