ABSTRACT
The ideas inThe "Hitler Myth" swiftly became part of the canon of German historical scholarship, and have been used and developed extensively by authors writing more general histories of the Third Reich. More recently, authors of wide-ranging popular histories of the Third Reich, such as David Welch, Richard J. Evans, and Michael Burleigh, have cited Kershaw's book extensively, while placing its ideas within a broader social and political framework. One of the most important aspects of the reception of The "Hitler Myth" has been the ease with which its core concept can be translated into other political contexts. The idea of propagandistic myth making around the figure of a powerful leader can easily be applied to many other totalitarian regimes or extremist movements. In a sense, all scholars of Nazi Germany are now disciples of Ian Kershaw, and there are few comprehensive studies of the Third Reich today that fail to mention The "Hitler Myth", at least in passing.
