237:, helped put psychology on the map in American popular culture. Despite many controversies, the profile has been influential in the field of profiling political leaders. Langer himself offered a statement on the value of psychobiography for political means, stating: "I may be naĂŻve in diplomatic matters, but I like to believe that if such a study of Hitler had been made years earlier, under less tension, and with more opportunity to gather first-hand information, there might not have been a
95:. The family later moved when Charles became an owner of a florist shop. After their father passed away on 1899, the family lost all their savings. To help support the family Walter worked at a grocery store while going to school. Just after two years of high school, Walter had to drop out and get a full-time job as an apprentice electrician, where he mostly wired houses for two years. While the family moved to
182:, Langer traveled to Germany and began working with Anna Freud. Langer's time in Germany had overlapped with the historical entrance of Adolf Hitler. As Hitler gained power in Germany, Langer had first-hand experience as to the devastation that was brought to the civilians of the country. Due to his educational background and direct experience, Langer had a personal interest in
220:
265:. Studies of this type cannot solve our international problems. That would be too much to expect. They might, however, help to avoid some of the serious blunders we seemed to have made because we were ignorant of the psychological factors involved and the nature of the leaders with whom we were negotiating.”
170:
began and Langer enlisted, serving twenty seven months. While away at war he was able to view a wide array of body language and contextual actions of those around him. This experience had led to
Langers increased interest in interpreting and analyzing others. It was Langers time serving his country
307:
From 1965 to 1986, the CIA operated a Center for the
Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior, directed by Gerald M. Post, who cited Langer as an influence. Although the center was closed with the dissolution of the
38:. In this analysis, Langer accurately predicted that Hitler would commit suicide as the "most plausible outcome", and the possibility of a military coup against Hitler well before the assassination attempt of 1944.
162:(APA). However, Langer was accepted into the APA against common practice as he was the first to be admitted without obtaining an M.D. It wasn't until after finishing high school late and being accepted into
711:
558:
Dyson, Stephen
Benedict (2013-12-11). "Origins of the Psychological Profiling of Political Leaders: The US Office of Strategic Services and Adolf Hitler".
138:. Langer also saw the elder Freud regularly during this time and accompanied him on his trip into exile in 1938. In addition to Freud, Langer helped many
523:
Dyson, Stephen (December 11, 2013). "Origins of the
Psychological Profiling of Political Leaders: The US Office of Strategic Services and Adolf Hitler".
195:
601:
Dyson, Stephen
Benedict (2014). "Origins of the Psychological Profiling of Political Leaders: The US Office of Strategic Services and Adolf Hitler".
312:, personality research and psychobiography of political leaders continues to be of interest to both government agencies and the general public.
691:
493:
390:
639:
100:
146:
activists escape, obtaining visas for many
Austrian analysts and transporting small groups of refugees to the Swiss border.
301:
706:
166:
that he discovered his interest in psychoanalysis and abandoned the route of an electrician. While attending college,
696:
643:
366:
353:
658:
193:
Langer also continued to produce multiple books in relation to Adolf Hitler after his death, the most notable being
99:, he was admitted to Rindge Technical High School to finish out his high school education. He was later accepted at
41:
Following Langer's analysis and Hitler's subsequent death, Langer turned the report into a book about Adolf Hitler,
480:
Langer, Walter C.; Gifford, Sanford (1978-01-01). "An
American analyst in Vienna during the Anschluss, 1936–1938".
159:
269:
721:
701:
686:
716:
726:
27:
289:
107:, serviced in the military for 27 months. After being discharged in 1919, Walter chose to pursue the
122:, graduating as part of the class of 1923. Langer continued to study at Harvard until attaining his
71:
to
Charles Rudolph and Johanna Rockenbach, recent immigrants from Germany. His mother was born to a
225:
96:
43:
76:
26:, where he worked as a professor upon completion of his education. He was later employed by the
187:
186:
and went to work for the OSS, where he later predicted Hitler's means of death (namely, that
681:
676:
648:
254:
123:
92:
8:
126:
in psychology in 1935. The same year, he traveled to pursue studies in psychoanalysis in
652:
618:
583:
540:
462:
344:
155:
119:
112:
23:
622:
587:
575:
544:
505:
497:
466:
362:
349:
277:
272:
began requesting profiles of foreign diplomats before important events and meetings.
208:
88:
80:
610:
567:
532:
489:
454:
322:
246:
238:
84:
614:
571:
536:
273:
395:
31:
178:
After accumulating enough money from publishing a high school textbook titled
670:
579:
501:
285:
281:
258:
242:
219:
135:
509:
494:
10.1002/1520-6696(197801)14:1<37::aid-jhbs2300140107>3.0.co;2-f
250:
183:
68:
458:
262:
172:
167:
104:
445:
Gifford, Sanford (2017). "The
Rediscovery of Walter Langer, 1889-1991".
297:
293:
175:
at
Harvard University after being discharged from the service in 1919
131:
108:
47:. This book was Langer's best-known; however, he also wrote the books
143:
309:
72:
171:
that sparked his interest and guided him to pursue psychology and
139:
127:
35:
53:
A Psychological analysis of Adolf Hitler: His Life and Legend
333:, and dramatized scenes connected to Langer's investigation.
22:(February 5, 1899 – July 4, 1981) studied psychoanalysis at
163:
158:. Following his graduation, Langer was accepted into the
712:
Harvard University Department of Psychology faculty
345:
The Mind of Adolf Hitler: The Secret Wartime Report
196:
The Mind of Adolf Hitler: The Secret Wartime Report
16:American psychoanalyst of Adolf Hitler (1899–1981)
482:Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences
44:The Mind of Adolf Hitler: A Secret Wartime Report
668:
188:Hitler would commit suicide when he lost the war
649:"Analysis of the Personality of Adolph Hitler"
479:
62:
388:
218:
67:Langer was born on February 5, 1899, in
444:
207:Langer retired in Florida, and died in
202:
669:
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
384:
382:
276:requested a profile of Soviet Premier
600:
557:
522:
389:Waggoner, Walter H. (July 10, 1981).
315:
101:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
79:, and his father was a member of the
154:Langer worked as a psychoanalyst at
87:. Langer had an older brother named
427:
379:
30:(OSS), where in 1943 he prepared a
13:
603:Intelligence and National Security
560:Intelligence and National Security
525:Intelligence and National Security
280:as part of preparing for the 1961
130:, Austria, where he studied under
14:
738:
692:American people of German descent
644:University of the West of England
633:
640:"Langer's Wartime Report to OSS"
245:might have produced a different
160:American Psychiatric Association
337:
327:Inside the Mind of Adolf Hitler
263:our deep involvement in Vietnam
594:
551:
516:
473:
418:
409:
268:Following the Langer profile,
1:
391:"Walter Langer Is Dead At 82"
372:
359:Psychology & Human Living
615:10.1080/02684527.2013.834217
572:10.1080/02684527.2013.834217
537:10.1080/02684527.2013.834217
233:Langer's most popular work,
28:Office of Strategic Services
7:
292:(CIA) for profiles of both
290:Central Intelligence Agency
180:Psychology and Human Living
49:Psychology and Human Living
10:
743:
91:and another brother named
57:Dissecting the Hitler Mind
707:Harvard University alumni
253:might have prevented the
214:
149:
697:Analysands of Anna Freud
661:The Mind of Adolf Hitler
331:The Mind of Adolf Hitler
302:his first visit to China
235:The Mind of Adolf Hitler
226:The Mind of Adolf Hitler
223:Cover of Langer's book,
63:Early life and education
424:Langer. 1978. pp. 1-2.
230:
722:Views on Adolf Hitler
702:German psychoanalysts
687:American male writers
459:10.1353/aim.2017.0032
241:; a similar study of
222:
20:Walter Charles Langer
717:Historians of Nazism
415:Langer. 1978, p. 32.
300:before embarking on
203:Retirement and death
77:ZweibrĂĽcken, Germany
727:Writers from Boston
348:Basic Books (1972)
261:might have avoided
229:, published in 1972
653:Cornell University
316:In popular culture
231:
211:in 1981, aged 82.
156:Harvard University
120:Harvard University
113:Harvard University
24:Harvard University
278:Nikita Khrushchev
209:Sarasota, Florida
81:Moravian Brethren
734:
659:An excerpt from
627:
626:
598:
592:
591:
555:
549:
548:
520:
514:
513:
477:
471:
470:
442:
425:
422:
416:
413:
407:
406:
404:
403:
386:
323:Military Channel
284:, and President
118:Langer attended
85:Silesia, Germany
742:
741:
737:
736:
735:
733:
732:
731:
667:
666:
636:
631:
630:
599:
595:
556:
552:
521:
517:
478:
474:
443:
428:
423:
419:
414:
410:
401:
399:
387:
380:
375:
340:
318:
274:John F. Kennedy
270:U.S. presidents
255:Cuban situation
217:
205:
152:
142:scientists and
65:
17:
12:
11:
5:
740:
730:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
665:
664:
656:
646:
635:
634:External links
632:
629:
628:
609:(5): 654–674.
593:
566:(5): 654–674.
550:
531:(5): 654–674.
515:
472:
453:(4): 467–482.
447:American Imago
426:
417:
408:
396:New York Times
377:
376:
374:
371:
370:
369:
356:
339:
336:
335:
334:
317:
314:
259:President Diem
216:
213:
204:
201:
151:
148:
134:, daughter of
93:Rudolph Langer
64:
61:
32:psychoanalysis
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
739:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
674:
672:
663:
662:
657:
654:
650:
647:
645:
641:
638:
637:
624:
620:
616:
612:
608:
604:
597:
589:
585:
581:
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
554:
546:
542:
538:
534:
530:
526:
519:
511:
507:
503:
499:
495:
491:
487:
483:
476:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
441:
439:
437:
435:
433:
431:
421:
412:
398:
397:
392:
385:
383:
378:
368:
367:0-89197-517-9
364:
360:
357:
355:
354:0-465-04620-7
351:
347:
346:
342:
341:
332:
328:
324:
320:
319:
313:
311:
305:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
286:Richard Nixon
283:
282:Vienna summit
279:
275:
271:
266:
264:
260:
257:; and one of
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
236:
228:
227:
221:
212:
210:
200:
198:
197:
191:
189:
185:
181:
176:
174:
169:
165:
161:
157:
147:
145:
141:
137:
136:Sigmund Freud
133:
129:
125:
121:
116:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
75:household in
74:
70:
60:
58:
54:
50:
46:
45:
39:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
660:
606:
602:
596:
563:
559:
553:
528:
524:
518:
488:(1): 37–54.
485:
481:
475:
450:
446:
420:
411:
400:. Retrieved
394:
358:
343:
338:Publications
330:
329:is based on
326:
306:
267:
234:
232:
224:
206:
194:
192:
184:Adolf Hitler
179:
177:
153:
117:
69:South Boston
66:
56:
52:
48:
42:
40:
19:
18:
682:1981 deaths
677:1899 births
655:Law Library
173:behaviorism
168:World War I
105:World War I
103:and during
34:profile of
671:Categories
402:2009-01-19
373:References
298:Zhou Enlai
294:Mao Zedong
288:asked the
132:Anna Freud
109:psychology
623:154415671
588:154415671
580:0268-4527
545:154415671
502:1520-6696
467:149296314
249:; one of
144:Anti-Nazi
111:field at
97:Cambridge
510:11610338
325:program
310:Cold War
73:Lutheran
361:(1945)
89:William
621:
586:
578:
543:
508:
500:
465:
365:
352:
251:Castro
243:Stalin
239:Munich
215:Legacy
150:Career
140:Jewish
128:Vienna
55:, and
36:Hitler
651:from
642:from
619:S2CID
584:S2CID
541:S2CID
463:S2CID
247:Yalta
83:from
576:ISSN
506:PMID
498:ISSN
363:ISBN
350:ISBN
321:The
296:and
190:).
611:doi
568:doi
533:doi
490:doi
455:doi
164:MIT
124:PhD
673::
617:.
607:29
605:.
582:.
574:.
564:29
562:.
539:.
529:29
527:.
504:.
496:.
486:14
484:.
461:.
451:47
449:.
429:^
393:.
381:^
304:.
199:.
115:.
59:.
51:,
625:.
613::
590:.
570::
547:.
535::
512:.
492::
469:.
457::
405:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.