History

Parkinson’s may have cost Hitler the war

On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces landed in Normandy, and defeated the Third Reich in a battle that would change the course of history. As hundreds of soldiers descended on the beaches of Normandy, the commander-in-chief of the German forces, Adolf Hitler, was convinced the real attack would occur in Calais. “Hitler refused to take into account the information he received from Normandy, which he thought was merely a diversionary tactic,” explains neuropsychologist Jean-François Gagnon of the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, affiliated with the Université de Montréal. His research on Parkinson’s solidifies the 1999 theory of American neurologist Thomas Hutton that the degenerative disease played an important role on the outcome of the Second World War. “Hitler refused to let go of his initial idea. And since he had the final say in all decisions, none of his generals dared to defy or override his authority,” Gagnon continued.

German armoured vehicles that could have pushed back the Allied forces were therefore not used at a strategic moment in the battle. And when the counter-attack was launched, it was too late. “ Hitler’s intransigence during this historic battle was, in my opinion, a symptom of Parkinson’s disease which he had been suffering from for over 10 years, ” says Dr. Gagnon.

After having worked with people suffering from degenerative diseases of the nervous system and completing a PhD on Parkinson’s-related sleep disorders, Dr. Gagnon is convinced that the German dictator’s decisions on D-Day were affected by cognitive impairment. In its acute form, Parkinson’s causes a rigid approach to problem-solving. “T his is one of the most documented cognitive manifestations of the disease, ” explains Dr. Gagnon.

Discovered in 1817 by James Parkinson, ‘ shaking palsy’ is a neurological disorder of unknown origin that affects the elderly. In addition to severe motor impairment, the disease has four main symptoms: muscle rigidity, resting tremors (when muscles are relaxed), slowing of voluntary movement and stooped posture. Many people with Parkinson’s also have difficulty with elocution and locomotion as well as cognitive disorders. “ When solving problems, some subjects fixate on an idea that leads them to a dead-end. They lose their mental flexibility, ” explains Dr. Gagnon.

Although the Fuehrer was one of the most extensively filmed public figures of the first half of the 20th century, few images capture signs of the disease. Some clinical symptoms were, however, noted by one of his commanders, Heinz Guderian, who wrote: “ Hitler’s left hand trembled and he had a stooped and rigid posture. ” Hitler had also developed tremors in his left limbs. “ The German propaganda machine was so effective keeping the disease a secret that only Hitler’s inner circle seems to have known the truth. Just imagine what would have happened had the Allies and the German people known this! ” says Dr. Gagnon.

After analyzing the images that were sent to Canada and dated from 1929 to 1945, neurologist Abraham Lieberman was able to determine that the first symptoms of the disease appeared in 1933. Hitler’s condition remained stable until 1940, but by 1941 the symptoms would have been too obvious to hide. This would explain why he made few public appearances during most of the Second World War.