One is a famous non-violent leader in India and the other, leader of Nazi party in Germany, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) and Adolf Hitler, the two very important figures of the last century. The former went down in history books for opposing rulers with non-violence and the latter, for war and genocide. But why Gandhi’s letters to Hitler were not answered?
The World War ll brought massive destruction, and its subsequent turbulence was felt all around the world. During the same period, Gandhi wrote two letters to Hitler.
In the letters, Gandhi refers to Hitler as “Friend,” claiming that nonviolence leaves one without enemies. Gandhi tried to warn German dictator from starting a war in Europe through a series of letters in 1939 and 1940, but the letters never reached to its recipient. Hitler never replied to Gandhi’s letters as he never got the chance to read any of them. Not knowing about the letters, he invaded Poland.
You can imagine how difficult it was to send a message to Germany through proper channels during World War II from a British occupied territory, historians are of the opinion that the letters were intercepted by the Britishers, and hence never reached Hitler.
Letters from someone like Gandhi would have made an impact. So, although Gandhi wrote two letters to Hitler, yet Hitler never replied to them simply because he never got any of them in the first place. Both the letters were intercepted by the Britishers.
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