Occult historians allege the leader of the Third Reich had a fixation on “magical” artefact the so-called Spear of Destiny.
Nazi soldiers annexed Austria in 1938, and it is claimed Hitler sent a secret SS squad to capture the legendary spear – also known as the Holy Lance – which was hidden in Vienna.
World War 2 was started as Hitler believed the power of the weapon would give him the power to conquer the world, some writers outrageously claim.
Hitler is said to have become obsessed with the weapon while spending his youth in Austria, in repeated claims linked back to British occult author Trevor Ravenscroft.
The writer claimed he had access to the notes of Dr Walter Stein – an Austrian philosopher and Holy Grail researcher who is said to have known the young Nazi leader.
It is claimed that after conquering Austria and arriving in Vienna on March 12, 1938, the Nazi boss’ first port of call was the Hofmuseum – the resting place of the Spear of Destiny.
To this day the black and golden blade is on display at the Hofburg Palace and history records say the item was a ceremonial item used by the Holy Roman Empire.
Hitler’s associations with the occult and black magic has long been the subject of modern myth.
Historians attribute the Nazi party’s use of German mythology in its iconography to the alleged links between the Fuhrer and an interest in magic and Biblical legend.
Myth has long been associated with the Holy Lance – which is known in Christianity as the Spear of Longinus.
Legend claims the spear was wielded by Roman centurion Longinus when he stabbed Jesus Christ in the side as he hung from the cross on the mount in Calvary.
Christian stories claim the blood of Jesus went into Longinus' eyes, healing his blindness, and he went on to become a saint.
His spear reportedly ended up in the hands of the Holy Roman Empire, before being seized by the Nazis in the conquest of Austria.
Believers in the Nazis' obsession with the Spear of Destiny claim it was what drove Hitler to go on a conquest of Europe.
A quote attributed to Hitler in various occult history books claims he described being smitten with the spear after seeing as a young man.
It says: “I felt as though I myself had held it in my hands before in some earlier century of – that I myself had once claimed it as my talisman of power and held the destiny of the world in my hands.”
It is said the Nazis stashed the artefact with other seized objects and artworks in Nuremberg.
Hitler has long been claimed to have had a fascination with the occult – something popularised in movies such as Indiana Jones and games such as Wolfenstein.
Modern myth claims Hitler kept control of the Spear right up until the dying days of the war.
The artefact was then found when the US army seized Nuremberg.
It is then claimed by occultists that it was recaptured at the very same moment Hitler shot himself in his Führerbunker in Berlin.
Historians agree the object known as the “Spear of Destiny” was seized by Hitler from Vienna.
But they cast doubt over the theory peddled by occultists that the reasons behind its capture was a hidden obsession of the Fuhrer.
Historian Sean Munger, who hosts the Second Decade podcast on iTunes, told Daily Star Online: "The Hofburg Spear is definitely an interesting and historically significant artefact.
"However, in our own time, much of the interest in the 'Spear of Destiny' has stemmed from what I think is a very damaging misconception about history, which is unfortunately very popular: the myth of 'Nazi black magic' or ‘Nazi occultism’."
He blasts the occultists theory as “not supported by the historical record”.
Mr Munger added: “To claim that Hitler’s motivation for refining the Nazi Party as he did was to advance this kind of cultural or quasi-religious mythology is very misleading.
"There’s a difference, especially in politics, between motivation and marketing."
