Primer on the Illuminati

8/3/2019 Primer on the Illuminati

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by William H. McIlhany

Type Illuminati into an Internet search engine and you will wind up with an

impossible aggregation too numerous and contradictory to be useful. A search

on Ask.com yields 1.4 million entries, while the same at Google produces 12

million entries, and at Yahoo gives 33 million entries! A small percentage of these deal

with genuine historical documents and reliable research by reputable scholars, but the

vast majority, unfortunately, deal in fanciful fiction (of the sci-fi or mystery-action-

adventure variety) or misinformation an

deliberate disinformation posing as fa

and serious scholarship. One of the mo

frequent experts on the subject to ap

pear in Internet searches is New Age gur

David Icke, who posits that the Illumina

are shape-shifting reptilian humanoid

from the star system Draco! However,

is possible to separate the absurd and th

misleading from that which is true. And

this case it is particularly important to d

so. For, as distinguished historian Jame

H. Billington, a Rhodes Scholar who ha

been the Librarian of Congress sinc1987, illustrates in his comprehensive an

thoroughly documented 1980 study Fir

in the Minds of Men: The Origins of th

Revolutionary Faith, it is from Bavaria

Illuminism that the modern revolution

ary tradition descends.

In 1996, we asked the outstandin

American expert on Bavarian Illuminis

and revolutionary movements, William

H. McIlhany, to provide a brief survey

the history and influence of the Order o

the Illuminati based on the most reliab

documentary sources. McIlhany, a noteauthor and historian, has appeared on Th

History Channel, The Discovery Channe

and many other television and radio pro

grams. His detailed scholarship on the I

luminati, secret societies and subversiv

movements over the past 40 years lon

before Dan Browns Da Vinci Code an

Angels & Demons made them the subje

of bizarre speculation and popular comic

book caricature has involved researc

in the British Museum and Ingolstadt (no

Eichstadt) University in Bavaria. His pe

sonal library of rare and primary sourcdocuments and scholarly literature o

these subjects is perhaps the most exten

sive private collection in the United State

In 1986 he founded the Individualist R

search Foundation. He is the author o

five books, including Klandestine (1975

which helped to bring a murderer to ju

tice as dramatically portrayed in the 199

movie Ghosts of Mississippi.

The following essay first appeared i

the September 16, 1996 issue ofTheNe

3www.TheNewAmerican.com

PasT and PErsPEcTivEHisTOryHisTOry

The genuine historical evidence on the secret society is

every bit as fascinating as the fabrications and fantasies

now circulating in our pop culture.

A Primer on the IlluminatiThe Pls ryle, Pis esidene f theinfmus Duke f ons, eme entef gming, deuhey, pstitutin nd evutin.


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AmericANunder the title Two Centuries

of Intrigue, accompanied by a three-page

annotated bibliography.

Centuries of IntrigueDown through the ages there have been

many secret societies and conspiratorial

movements that had as their goals absoluterule of the world, overthrow of all existing

governments, and the final destruction of

all religion. It is possible with much study

to trace the origins and developments of

many such movements: The early anti-

Christian mysticism of the Gnostics; the

conspiracy against orthodox Islam found-

ed by Hasan Saba in Persia in 1090 AD

as the Order of the Assas-

sins; the apostate Order of

the Knights Templar, whose

heretical leaders imitated the

Assassins system for the de-

struction of Christianity.

From the 13th through the

17th centuries such groups

as the Luciferians, Rosi-

crucians, and the Levellers

continued the war against

Christianity that had begun

in Europe with the Templars. Because a

few organizational links can be found, it

is even possible to establish that some of

these groups were not merely imitating

each other or some older system of belief.

Many of these earlier movements, howev-

er, have left very fragmentary evidence, so

it is not possible to trace from 1100-1700any continuing organizational structure

which was engaged in a coordinated and

centrally controlled plot for world rule.

Early AssociationsBy the middle of the 18th century, remnants

and parallels of various destructive move-

ments began to associate under a central

group which was to create a continuing o

ganizational structure that would someday

its founders hoped, rule the world after a

existing religions and governments ha

been destroyed. As Abb Augustin Barru

documented in his invaluable studyMem

oirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism

the intellectual base for this movement wa

laid in the mid-18th century by Voltair

Rousseau, Diderot, and other members o

the Paris Academy. This fraternity, whic

sought the destruction of Christian-sty

civilization, referred to itself grandly a

the Philosophes.

Voltaires influence over King Frede

ick of Prussia and the publication of D

derots Encyclopdie, beginning in 175

testified of the Philosophes early succes

The conspirators hoped that the Encyclo

pdie would become a standard referencsource wherein every literate person woul

seek knowledge on all subjects and thus re

ceive propaganda against civil order and th

Christian religion. Its publication cause

the influence of this group to grow rapidl

Voltaire bore an implacable hatred o

all religions, of all monarchs, and of a

morality derived from religious belief. H

was obsessed with a fiendish desir

for the total destruction of all thre

He ended all his letters with th

battle cry, Let us crush the wretch

Crush the wretch! The wretchto whom he referred, of course,

Christ and His Church. Christian

said Voltaire, are beings exceed

ingly injurious, fanatics, thieve

dupes, imposters enemies o

the human race. In the war again

Christianity, according to Voltair

It is necessary to lie like a devi

not timidly and for a time, but bold

ly and always.

Enter the IlluminatiInspired by the radical Philosopheand instructed by a mysterious oc

cultist named Klmer from what

now Denmark, Adam Weishaupt,

professor of Canon Law at the Un

versity of Ingolstadt (in Bavari

Germany) established a continuin

organizational structure to direc

the worldwide attack on religio

and monarchy a structure whic

would, he hoped, eventually rule th

world. The organization Weishaup

Down through the ages there have beenmany secret societies and conspiratorialmovements that had as their goals

absolute rule of the world, overthrow ofall existing governments, and the finaldestruction of all religion.

THE NEW AMERICAN JuNE 22, 20032


The stn f the Bstlle on July 14, 1789, one of the great myths of hstory (romantcallyportrayed here by French artst Jean-Baptste Lallemand n 1790), was stage-managed by theillumnats agents.


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founded on May 1, 1776 was called the

Order of the Illuminati.

Weishaupt planned for the Order to

maintain publicly the image of a charita-

ble and philanthropic organization. It was

this image which attracted so many Ger-

man educators and Protestant clergymen

to the Order. When they joined they were

convinced that the goal of the Order was

the purest form of Christianity, to make

of all mankind one happy and prosper-

ous family. Once enlisted as novices or

Minervals in the Order, those who were

prepared for deeper commitment were al-

lowed to advance to the rank of Illumina-

tus Minor, where they were told that the

only obstruction to the Orders goal of

universal happiness was the power being

held by the religious and governmental

institutions of the world. Accordingly, theleaders of these institutions monarchs

(or future monarchs) and clergymen

had either to be brought under the con-

trol of the Order or destroyed. If such a

prospect frightened the new Illuminatus

Minor, he was kept inactive at this level

until his ethical concepts were altered.

As Weishaupt stated, These [ruling]

powers are despots when they do not con-

duct themselves by its [the Orders] prin-

ciples; and it is therefore our duty to sur-

round them with its members, so that the

profane may have no access to them. Thuswe are able most powerfully to promote

its [the Orders] interests. If any person is

more disposed to listen to Princes than to

the Order, he is not fit for it, and must rise

no higher. We must do our utmost to pro-

cure the advancement of Illuminati into all

important civil offices.

After the candidate had proven his abso-

lute devotion to the secrets of the Order, he

was allowed to enter the top-level circle of

initiates as an Illuminatus Major, just below

the position of Rex held by Weishaupt. By

now, all conventional idealism had beenpurged from the candidate and he was told

about the real objectives of the Order: rule

of the world, to be accomplished after the

destruction of all existing governments and

religions. He was now required to take an

oath which bound his every thought and

action, and his fate, to the administration

of his superiors in the Order.

But Weishaupt did not simply rely on

the sincerity of his disciples. He set up an

elaborate spy network so that all mem-

The illunts nfluene sped pidy, nd within few yes it hd euitedmny infuenti nd wethy individus, inuding mny wh wud eme keypyes in the Fenh revutin.

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bers would constantly be checking on the

loyalty of each other. The secret police of

the Order killed anyone who tried to in-

form the authorities about the conspiracy.

This band was known as the Insinuating

Brethren and had as its insignia an all-

seeing eye.

The structure of the Order was pyrami-

dal, with Weishaupt at the top. Beneath him

were two or three immediate subordinates,

each of whom had three men under his or-

ders; each of those three had several menwho carried out his dictates; and so on. In

their correspondence, Illuminists were re-

quired to use code names for themselves.

Weishaupt called himself Spartacus; oth-

ers were Cato, Marius, Brutus, Pythago-

ras, Socrates, and Hannibal. Weishaupt,

who had been raised and educated by the

Jesuits before rebelling against them, ad-

opted much of the organizational system

of the Jesuits for his Order.

As a reward for selling himself totally

to the Order, the top-level Illuminatus (of

which there were few) was granted all the

material and sensual benefits that could

possibly be obtained. Weishaupt intend-

ed that the power of the Order must be

turned to the advantage of its members.

All must be assisted. They must be pre-

ferred to all persons otherwise of equal

merit. Money, services, honor, goods,

and blood must be expended for the fully

proved Brethren.

This intricate conspiratorial structureamong the economic, social, political,

and cultural elite in Bavaria was tremen-

dously successful: Within two years after

the founding of the Order, all but two of

the professorial chairs at the University

of Ingolstadt were held by members of

the Order. Furthermore, it is estimated

that before 1789 there were at least 2,000

members of the Order in the German-

speaking lands. Many of these were min-

isters, lawyers, doctors, and even a few

princes. None were mem-

bers of the lower classes, theagricultural working masses,

or the serfs. The influence

of the Order on German

education and the German

clergy was devastating. By

1800 many German minis-

ters no longer believed the

most basic tenets of Chris-

tian doctrine. They had been

converted to the worship of

reason.

Widening InfluenceThe original writings of the Order in

cluded detailed instructions for fomentin

hatred and bloodshed between differen

racial, religious, and ethnic groups an

even between the sexes. The idea of pro

moting hatred between children and the

parents was introduced. There were eve

instructions about the kinds of buildings t

be burned in urban insurrections. In shor

virtually every tactic employed by 20th

century subversives was planned and writen down by Adam Weishaupt over 20

years ago.

It was not until the summer of 1782 th

the Order really began to grow in powe

and influence outside Bavaria. Having a

ready contemplated the possibility of infi

trating the freemasonic bodies of Wester

Europe and then taking control of them

Weishaupt and his brilliant disciple, Baro

Adolf von Knigge (Philo), at last had the

chance. During that summer, leaders an

delegates of the continental Europea

freemasonic bodies met in a congress helin Wilhelmsbad. Acting as Weishaupt

agent, von Knigge joined them and offere

enticing promises of the secrets that th

Illuminati had to offer.

Von Knigge persuaded many of th

German and French delegates to joi

Weishaupts movement, and they ex

tended the influence of the Order int

their individual lodges. The two leader

of German freemasonry, Duke Ferdinan

of Brunswick and Prince Karl of Hess

Adam Weishaupt established a continuingorganizational structure to direct the

worldwide attack on religion and monarchy a structure which would, he hoped,eventually rule the world. The organization

Weishaupt founded on May 1, 1776 wascalled the Order of the Illuminati.



The ulltne, a gruesome symbol of death, has become the prncpal symbol of the French Revoluton.illustrated here s the executon of Kng Lous XVi.


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joined the Order, thus bringing

the whole of German freema-

sonry under the control of

the Illuminati.

French ConnectionAnother important new dis-

ciple was the French Count Hon-

or Gabriel Mirabeau, who was brought

into the Order while in Germany and who

was chosen to take Weishaupts systemto France. Among Mirabeaus most im-

portant recruits were the Duke of Orlans

(Philippe Egalit), Brissot, Condorcet,

Savalette, Grgoire, Garat, Ption, Babeuf,

Barnave, Sieyes, Saint-Just, Desmoulins,

Hbert, Santerre, Danton, Marat, Chenier,

and just about every other leader in the im-

pending French Revolution.

The Duke of Orlans, leader of the

Grand Orient Lodge in Paris, was a key

Illuminatus. Through the Grand Orient

lodges, the Illuminati created and con-

trolled the Jacobin Club houses in Paris,through which the most violent and sub-

versive revolutionaries were mobilized in

anticipation of the revolution; Orlans and

the Grand Orient were the crucial inter-

mediary between the French radicals and

Weishaupts directorate in Bavaria. How-

ever, even as critical instructions were

being transmitted through this network,

the Elector of Bavaria uncovered the en-

tire plot.

The discovery of the plot was literally

providential: A courier sent from Frank-

fort to Paris in 1785 was killed by a boltof lightning. On his body were found in-

criminating papers about the Order and

the name of Xavier Zwack. Zwacks home

in Landshut was raided by the Electors

police and his copy of Weishaupts writ-

ings was taken. The Elector publicly out-

lawed the Order and closed many of the

freemasonic lodges known to be under its

control. The Elector also sent printed cop-

ies of the Orders writings to all of the im-

portant monarchs in Europe. It was from

copies of the

Orders writingsthat Abb Barruel in France

and the eminent Professor John Robison

in England gathered the information con-

tained in their important books Bar-

ruels Memoirs and Robisons Proofs of

a Conspiracy.

The French Revolution was not a spon-

taneous uprising of the oppressed masses.

In France, the ten years prior to 1789 had

seen the development of greater social and

political reform by the monarchy than ever

before. The lot of the common people had

steadily improved and there was no vis-ible discontent due to economic misery.

The upheaval was not a chance event, but

an orchestrated effort to create a new po-

litical order.

The siege of the Bastille on July 14,

1789, an event which has been persis-

tently misrepresented and romanticized,

was an excellent example of how the Il-

luminati stage-managed the events of the

French Revolution. Only one out of every

thousand people in Paris participated in

this siege. The incident was merely an

attempt to obtain the guns and ammuni-tion rumored to be in the Bastille so that

those loyal Frenchmen who participated

could use the weapons to put down a Ja-

cobin disturbance in another part of Paris.

Even though the guards at the Bastille did

not know the true motive of the mob, only

one of the 15 available cannons was fired

at the crowd.

When the mob got inside the prison,

they found only seven inmates, all of

whom were living quite comfortably in

this horrible monstrosity of despotism

Four forgers; two lunatics who were ma

before they were imprisoned; and th

Comte de Solages, who was incarcerate

for monstrous crimes at the request o

his family. Needless to say, they foun

none of the instruments of torture abou

which they had heard.

Not surprisingly, the clergy was single

out as an object of relentless persecutio

and eventual extermination. Churche

were profaned and prostitutes were woshiped on their altars. The campaign t

de-Christianize France included even th

creation of a new calendar stripped of rel

gious significance. Assaults were mounte

against religious education, and the fir

conscription for military service was pu

into effect.

The rule of civil government and au

thority in Paris dropped to an unpreceden

ed low during the Reign of Terror whic

began in 1794. The Terror also claimed th

lives of many Illuminists as mob violenc

spun out of control.Just before his execution in 1794, th

Illuminist Robespierre, who had preside

over much of the Terror, advocated th

systematic extermination of 15 millio

Frenchmen so that the remaining foo

supplies would be adequate. Althoug

this prototype ecological depopulation

program was not fully implemented, th

Terror did extinguish the lives of at lea

300,000 Frenchmen 297,000 of whom

were members of the middle and lowe

3www.TheNewAmerican.com

T-hune-ye-l lsss: Professor JohnRobsons Proofs of a Conspiracyand AbbAugustne Barruels Memoirs Illustrating theHistory of Jacobinismare both avalablen prnt. (See orderng nformaton n theadvertsement on the nsde back cover.)


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agricultural and working classes. As al-

ways, the peoples revolution primarily

victimized its alleged beneficiaries.

Suppression and SurvivalIn 1788, after the suppression of Illumi-

nism in Bavaria, Karl Bahrdt and Baron

von Knigge attempted to revive it under

the name of the German Union, which

soon came to control the book selling and

publishing business in the German lands;

this assured that only those books on reli-

gion, philosophy, and politics which were

acceptable to the Order would be available

and read by the public. However, it was

not until 1810 that the Order was revived

in what is now Germany, this time under

the name of the Tugendbund.

But before then the Illuminists had al-

ready attempted to export Jacobin-style

revolution to the infant United States. The

U.S. was established as a constitutional

republic in 1789, the same year the Il-

luminatis devastation of France began.

Shortly thereafter, agents of the Illumina

ti, such as French agitator Edward Gene

began organizing insurrectionary an

secessionist movements to destroy th

American Republic. Their efforts wer

delayed by widespread public exposur

thanks in no small measure to Georg

Washington, who condemned the nefa

ious, and dangerous plan, and doctrine

of the Illuminati.... Another memorab

warning was offered in a July 4, 1799 ad

dress by Timothy Dwight, president o

Yale College.

By 1815, Weishaupts ambassadors ha

begun to extend their influence into man

parts of the world beyond Bavaria an

France. Among the personages and organ

zations responsible for extending the Illu

minatis infiltration and power througho

Europe were Filippo Michele Buonarroand his Sublimes Maitres Parfaits (Sub

lime Perfect Masters), and Louis Augus

Blanqui and the Socit des Saisons (So

ciety of the Seasons). Those two branche

of the Illuminati formed the source of th

League of the Just, which commissione

Karl Marx to write the Communist Man

festo in 1848. Following publication of th

Manifesto, the League of the Just change

its name to the Communist League. The I

luminists provided the unseen hand behin

the staged communist revolts of 184

which convulsed France, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. This inaugurated the er

of communist subversion, infiltration, an

control of governments across the glob

an era which has not ended, contrary t

polite opinion.

As James H. Billington, a respecte

scholar who is now the Librarian of Con

gress, illustrates in his exhaustively docu

mented 1980 study Fire in the Minds o

Men: The Origins of the Revolutiona

Faith, it is from Bavarian Illuminism

that the modern revolutionary tradition

descends. Among the subversive and revolutionary 19th- and early 20th-centur

movements created by the Illuminati (pr

marily through European Grand Orien

freemasonry, not British and America

freemasonry) were the Marxian and uto

pian socialist movements; anarchism

syndicalism; Pan Slavism; Irish, Italia

and German nationalism; German Im

perialism; the Paris Commune; Britis

New Imperialism; Fabian Socialism

and Leninist Bolshevism. n

deth f vlln: Unike the pinting y Jques-luisDvid tht gified the mudeus evutinist Mt,this pinting y Pu-Jques aime budy ptys hisssssin, chtte cdy, s the heine.




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Primer on the Illuminati