Mordor inspired by Nazi Germany?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

I'm with Formendacil here. It's very easy to accept that Tolkien was not writing about our world. You can see anything in The Lord of the Rings if you want to. It's just like Nietzsche and Adam Smith being 'claimed' by diametrically opposed thinkers. Tolkien's writing relates to stories and traditions far older than a 20th century dictator.

I think that we're talking about the Rorschach inkblot test; though the truly creative can see all kinds of Balrog wings in the blots. On the other hand, it's hard to dismiss the influence of the environment on the mind.