Did Hitler Plan the Outbreak of War?
             After the conclusion of the Second World War, many historians posed their own opinions about how the war began. Many pointed their finger towards the works of Hitler, and argued strongly against the views of A.J.P. Taylor. Hugh Trevor Roper takes the following view:
             "The Second World War was Hitler's personal war in many senses. He intended it, he prepared for it, he chose the moment for launching it." (1953)
             However, A.J.P Taylor takes a diametrically opposite viewpoint in his book 'The Origins of the Second World War (1961) and goes as far as saying that "Little can be discovered so long as we go on attributing everything that happened to Hitler"
             The two views given are that of the 'Programme' School, with such historians as Hugh Trevor Roper and Klaus, feel that Hitler had a consistent plan that had been outlined in the book 'Mein Kampf' and mainly planned for the expanding of the lebensraum and the master race. Whilst the other view which is from the Structuralist School, argued that Hitler did not have a plane but merely reacted to events that occurred. The difference between both views is that however even with the idea that Hitler did not plan for war, many of the historians think otherwise
             Thus this essay will analyse the fact that how much can we attribute the war to Hitler?
             At the Nuremberg trials, much was contributed to the Hossbach memorandum, and it was claimed that this proved Hitler's warring intentions. This document was emphasised too strongly at Nuremberg; however, it is not a source to be ignored. Hitler appears to give this document extraordinary importance, even instructing those present to regard it as his last will and testament in the event of his death. A.J.P. Taylor questions its importance saying that those present at this meeting bar Goering were not Nazis but conservatives and not the people that Hitler would confide in. However...