▁to ▁the ▁Pol es ▁of ▁their ▁" war ▁gu ilt ". ▁ ▁H ess ' s ▁ant is emit ism ▁marked ly ▁increased ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁started ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁convinced ▁that ▁the ▁war ▁had ▁been ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁Jews , ▁which ▁become ▁the ▁major ▁theme ▁of ▁his ▁w art ime ▁speech es . ▁In ▁a ▁speech ▁given ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁to ▁mark ▁Hitler ' s ▁ 5 1 st ▁birth day , ▁H ess ▁accused ▁the ▁" J ew s ▁and ▁their ▁fellow ▁travel ers " ▁for ▁the ▁Dol ch sto ß ▁(" stab - in - the - back ") ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁which ▁he ▁called ▁the ▁most ▁cal am it ous ▁event ▁in ▁world ▁history . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁speech , ▁H ess , ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁" Black ▁Hor ror ▁on ▁the ▁Rh ine " ▁story , ▁stated ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁was ▁followed ▁up ▁by ▁an ▁occupation ▁of ▁the ▁Rh in eland ▁by ▁" nig gers ", ▁which ▁he ▁again ▁bl amed ▁on ▁the ▁Jews . ▁H ess ▁concluded ▁his ▁speech ▁on ▁a ▁happy ▁note , ▁saying ▁that ▁with ▁Hitler ▁in ▁charge , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁possibility ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁war ▁ending ▁with ▁another ▁Dol ch sto ß , ▁saying ▁" How ▁the ▁Jewish ▁h ounds ▁will ▁how l ▁when ▁Adolf ▁Hitler ▁stands ▁before ▁them ". ▁▁ ▁H ess ▁was ▁obs essed ▁with ▁his ▁health ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁hy po ch ond