What would happen if the traumatic events of horror and mass destruction in J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series actually occurred in real life?  What if there was actually a dark tyrant that brainwashed people into creating a superior race, executing those who did not fit the master persona?  Would the human world be able to survive if this fantasy became a reality? Unfortunately, during the 1940s, the misfortunes that plighted the wizarding world encompassed the entire human world as the fight of World War II broke out.  During World War II, the corrupt Adolf Hitler set out to slaughter massive amounts of people, causing the world to further fall into war as other countries allied to stop this mass genocide. Rowling purposely parallels the series to reflect the war in order to bring attention and concern regarding the world to a generation who did not live through it. Because of J.K. Rowling’s focus on historical context, the fictional Harry Potter series parallels actual historical events of the 1940s, adequately serving as an allegory for World War II.

J.K. Rowling styles certain events in her writing in a way that shows striking resemblance to similar facets throughout history, specifically events of the Second World War.  In retrospect to Adolph Hitler’s creation of a master race of Aryans, Rowling depicts efforts of establishing class superiority in the wizarding world as well. Compared to Jews during the 1940s, non-magical parents bearing wizards, “muggle-borns,” were highly shamed and depicted as impure.  Similarly, the “half-bloods” of the wizarding world mimicked the undesirables of Nazi Germany., meaning each did not intrinsically promote any faults other than not fitting into the idea of a pure blood agenda (Osazuwa 2). While not always a problem, class levels within the wizarding world became more problematic as Voldemort grew in power: “Additionally the distinction of magical blood classifications: ‘half-blood,’ ‘pure-blood,’ and ‘Muggle-born,’ while not as important in times of peace, becomes a dividing factor in times of war.” Relative to history, class distinctions in Germany were not evident or of concern until Hitler’s infamous rise to power (Osazuwa 2).  Moreover, due to intense brainwashing methods, both Hitler and Voldemort gained support and followers in people who met the pure-blood agenda: “I really don’t think they should let the other sort in, do you? They’re just not the same, they’ve never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.” Evident here, Draco Malfoy perfectly exemplifies someone under a ruler’s brainwashing effect. (Rowling Sorcerer’s Stone 78).  Coinciding with the presence of racial superiority, the outburst of the desire to erase the inferior race became apparent.  Hitler’s support of the Holocaust as he rose to power is comparable to Voldemort’s taking control of the Ministry of Magic. Both had the goal of becoming a supreme leader that could have the ability to exterminate a vast majority of people (Dempsey 125).  Hitler’s ideal race did not include any undesirables, especially anyone of Jewish descent. “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out- because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade-unionists, and I did not speak out- because I was not a trade-unionist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me- and there was no one left to speak out for me.” Anyone with the slightest imperfection was subject to fall under Hitler’s wrath of ethnic cleansing (Rosenwald).  Similar to Hitler’s use of ethnic cleansing, Voldemort attempted to erase the imperfect of the wizarding world: “He attempts to rid the world of those he considers not worthy of learning magic- those not of magical, pure blood.”  In the eyes of Voldemort, genocide was necessary in order to preserve magic, which reflects how Hitler believed Germany would be the most superior nation with the absence of those he believed to be undesirable (Osazuwa 2). Lastly, the Dark Mark and the Swastika were both used to serve as identifiers of their given forces.  Each displayed loyalty to a supreme master and was regarded as something of war medals with the highest honor. Both the Swastika and the Dark Mark were implemented to show significance by their respective leader: “Hitler was able to bestow the Swastika to those loyal to his cause in the form of decorations and war medals, while Voldemort was able to physically brand his loyalist followers with the Dark Mark.”  Each was used to distinguish followers of the anarchists apart from those who were sought for extermination (Osazuwa 7). Together, these similarities combine to prove that J.K Rowling models significant occurrences and images after the real historical events that took place during the 1940s.

Similar to how Rowling exemplifies realistic events with the Harry Potter series, Rowling also deliberately creates characters that parallel major historical figures.  Both Cornelius Fudge and Neville Chamberlain represent weak leaders who refused to accept the obvious influences of supreme take over: “Chamberlain’s remark of ‘peace in our time’ and his appeasement directly before the announcement of war discredited the politician, leading to his downfall, similarly to Fudge’s denial of the return of Voldemort.”  Had these two leaders displayed strong political appeal, both situations would have been better avoided. (Osazuwa 4). The state of the wizarding world following Voldemort’s return greatly resembled the state of Chamberlain's British government during and after World War II. Because both leaders were oblivious to the problems surrounding their kingdoms, turmoil and disaster was the most apparent outcome of both situations.  Furthermore, Dumbledore and Churchill serve to foil Fudge and Chamberlain because each of these two represent strong political leaders who were looking to avoid mass destruction. Warnings and efforts of Dumbledore and Churchill were ignored and looked over, causing even greater outbursts of violence to occur as the takeovers of Hitler and Voldemort continued to grow (Osazuwa 4). Despite being ignored by most, Dumbledore and Churchill strove to protect their communities, and although immediate success was not apparent for either, both can be credited in the assistance of preventing total government submission to those attempting worldwide dictatorship: As “dumbledore has a long standing reputation for his great achievements,” Churchill also possesses strong achievement skills, which is why both were seen as successful and influential people within their battles. Also showing parallelism, the Death Eaters and the Schutzstaffel were both groups of highly skilled and educated people.  Despite intelligence and skill, the people in these groups were brainwashed into believing that a society of a pure race would prove to be more superior. In both cases, the talents of these individuals were manipulated by leaders as a way of asserting dominance (Wilkins 113). The deliberate creation of characters and groups that directly resemble actual historical figures proves that Rowling drew inspiration from the Second World War while writing her Harry Potter series.

While Rowling offers a multiple of parallels between her fictional characters and historic individuals, the most prominent comparison is evident between the villains of both narratives.  Both Lord Voldemort and Adolph Hitler sought pure societies, even though both came from the minority that each was trying to erase: “Both of whom held their ancestors and identity in contempt. Canceled their part, and even tried to violently wipe it out.”  The irony lies here because both fall under their own ideal undesirable (Koren-Maimon 179). Voldemort and Hitler both experienced family struggles, leading each to fully resent their fathers. Voldemort’s father was a “muggle,” which lead Voldemort to believe that his father tainted a perfectly “pure-blood” ancestry line.  Hitler’s father was a strict authoritarian Austrian leader who contained traces of Jewish blood. Because both despised aspects of their fathers, they sought to cleanse their worlds of anything or anyone that could cause similar trauma. In the attempt to become opposites of their fathers, both turned out significantly worse (Osazuwa 8).  Ironically enough, the point that Hitler and Voldemort both missed was that the races they were attempting to exterminate were significantly unproblematic compared to each of their own actions: “You fail to recognize that it matters that not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!” Regardless of which race was born with “superiority,” the problems would not have been ignited had Hitler and Voldemort accepted their lineage rather than setting out to destroy what would become of it (Rowling Goblet of Fire 708).  While Voldemort and Hitler were successful in gaining a substantial following, their tactics used to develop this sense of loyalty are not encompassed in the ideal view of a leader.  Both instilled a sense of fake love and compassion for their targeted population. Once establishing a false two- way relationship of loyalty, Hitler and Voldemort placed a sense of aggression upon their followers, leading their armies to want to remain loyal out of fear.  These feelings ultimately brainwashed a large amount of people into believing that the strategies and opinions of these two tyrants were justifiable and genuinely for the common good of the society as a whole (Osazuwa 5). Furthermore, both Hitler and Voldemort were highly educated and skilled individuals.  Each was considered to be very well liked and impressive by contemporaries, teachers, and even other adults: “Their elders expected great things from both, but they were to be disappointed.” No one from either world have expected these two to grow into radical dictators (Koren-Maimon 180). Altogether, the comparison between Adolf Hitler and Lord Voldemort as vicious leaders was made prominent to confirm that the Harry Potter series was written as an allegory of World War II.  

In conclusion, Rowling’s Harry Potter series accurately serves as an allegory for World War II as figures, events, and symbols prove to parallel the coordinating aspects of the world during the 1940s.  Mimicking the aspects of Hitler’s reign, Voldemort utilizes the same brainwashing tactics to coerce people into participating in his genocidal plan of achieving a pure society.  Furthermore, other characters that Rowling created -including Dumbledore, Fudge, and the Death Eaters- also resemble actual historians evident throughout the war. Together, these aspects combine to make a fictional Second World War within the series, proving that Rowling created this line of books to make real the horrors of World War Two to all in allegorical form.