A staunch pacifist, Hesse opposed World War I strongly, the residual fallout of his feelings towards war can be seen in many of his books. During World War II his writings found strange allies. German propagandist Joseph Goebbels initially defended Hesse's books, and as a result he was allowed to continue writing unmolested. However, after he demanded that certain portions in his book Narcissus and Goldmund dealing with pogroms be untouched, he found himself on the Nazi's blacklist. Despite this ominous bidding Hesse escaped World War II unharmed.
A prominent feature of many of his books, Hesse had many problems throughout his life with women. His first marriage with Maria Bernoulli, from whom he had three children, ended sadly, his wife having mental problems. His second marriage was apparently a brief flame with Ruth Wenger, lasting only a few months. He finally married Ninon Dolbin in 1931, and remained with her for the rest of his life.
