Examine The Role Of Fascist Ideology In Nazi Germany
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
Research Investigation
Investigating Fascism: Nazi Germany, 1919 -‐‑ 1945
Examine the Role of fascist ideology in shaping the German nation between 1933 and 1945
_______________________________________________________________________________________!
!
Throughout history there have been few, if any systems of government that have been able to shape a nation as the Nazi Party did to Germany between 1933 and 1945. During the Third Reich, fascist ideology was responsible for dramatic changes to a number of key areas, particularly across the political, economic, cultural and social structures of the nation. Anti-democratic beliefs converted Germany from a fully functioning democracy into a totalitarian regime. Moreover, extreme militaristic and nationalist beliefs geared …show more content…
the German economy towards preparing for war.
The youth and women were also severely impacted, as they were forced to conform to Nazi ideology and fulfil their role in the new Volksgemeinschaft, a pure ‘peoples society’. The Nazi Party’s anti-semitic beliefs also led to the holocaust and the attempted extermination of
European Jews. It is undeniable that fascist ideology played a major role in the shaping of the German nation between 1933 and 1945, the extremist beliefs that were experienced during this period of time have not been seen since, and the impact of Nazism on many aspects of German society will forever remain in the infamy
of
history.
!
Fascist ideology had a dramatic impact on Germany’s government as the Nazi Party’s anti-democratic beliefs changed Germany from one of the most democratic nations in the world for its time to an extreme, totalitarian regime. Because Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party and “at the absolute centre of the regime,” his beliefs formed the forefront of Nazi policy, and one of his strongest beliefs was anti-democracy.
Hitler was convinced that personal freedom and equality was ineffective, as for him the Weimar Republic had been “the greatest miscarriage of the 20th Century,” as it was responsible for the humiliating defeat of
Germany and the Treaty of Versailles1. Hitler desired a system of government in which the majority had no
say, as exemplified when he said,
!
The best State constitution and State form is that which, with the most natural certainty, brings the best heads of the national community to leading importance and to leading influence … There must be no decisions by the majority.” 2
!After being appointed Chancellor in 1933 through the support of Article 48, Hitler and his followers set
about to undermine democracy; by first passing a series of laws, some only a month after Hitler was appointed Chancellor, such as the law for the “Protection of People and State,” which removed a large number of civil liberties. The Nazis also manipulated the Reichstag into granting them the Enabling Act on
1!
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 72
2!
Hitler, A. (1939). Mein Kempf. (Manheim, Trans.) London: Hurst & Blackett. pg. 588
"1
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
the 23rd of March 1933, which is viewed by many as the end of Weimar democracy, as it gave Hitler the ability to pass laws without the need to go through the Reichstag. Then after Hindenburg’s death in 1934,
Hitler merged the offices of Chancellor and President to become in essence, the absolute dictator of
Germany.3 After the Nazis had undermined democracy they began to transform Germany into a totalitarian
state, which relied heavily on inflicting terror and fear to keep everyone in line. Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS said,
!
!The Nazis devised numerous ways to maintain order in the Third Reich. They constructed concentration
“The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don’t ask for their love; only for their fear.” 4
camps which were used to house political opponents, and also formed the Gestapo who were used to investigate and suppress all possible threats to the regime5. Anti-democratic beliefs had a major impact on
Germany’s political position, as it converted the government from a peaceful democratic nation into an extreme, totalitarian regime which had no place for civil liberties and relied on fear to maintain order.
!
Extreme militaristic and nationalist views, common to a fascist state were also responsible for the German economy being geared towards preparing for war. However before they could do this, the Nazi’s had to repair the German economy which was severely damaged by the First World War and the Great Depression, by reducing unemployment and stabilising the economy. The reduction in unemployment is also viewed by many as the Nazi Party’s attempt to create the Volksgemeinschaft, a national unity. In 1932, at the peak of the Great Depression, unemployment was at 25%, but by 1938 this number was at less than 5%6. To achieve
this remarkable decrease in unemployment the Nazis relied on the Reich Labour Service (RAD), which constructed public work schemes such as the Autobahn. This plan to stabilise the economy and reduce unemployment was known as the New Plan, coordinated by Dr Hjalmar Schacht; based on the decrease in unemployment figures and stabilisation of the economy, the plan was successful in solving the economic crisis. However, by 1936 with the economy stable, Hitler’s militaristic and nationalist desires took over, and the economy was geared towards preparing for war. Under the control of Hermann Goering, the Nazi’s created the 4-year plan with one goal, to prepare Germany for war as demonstrated when Hitler said,
!
"There is only one interest, the interest of the nation, only one view, that bringing of Germany to the point of political and economical self sufficiency … I therefore set the following tasks. German armed forces must be operational within four years. The German economy must be fit for war in 4 years.” 7
!
3!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 11 - Impact of Nazism on Youth. Perth: Scotch College. pg. 12-13
4!
Heinrich Himmler. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from BrainyQuote.com
5!
Campsmount Technology College History Department. (n.d.). How did Hitler create a Terror State. Retrieved March 26, 2014
6!
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 161 - 162
7!
Williamson, D. G. (2002). The Third Reich. Longman.
"2
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
The results of the 4 year plan on Germany’s military spending are well demonstrated by the fact that in 1933
Germany was spending only 3% of her GDP on rearmament but by 1939 this number had grown to 32%8.
The Nazi’s had clearly adopted Goering 's slogan of “Arms not Butter,”9 as rearmament had taken a
precedent over agriculture. Hitler’s conquest to achieve another fascist ideology of lebensraum was also a driving factor for the Nazi’s to redirected the economy for military purposes, as without Hitler’s desire to gain
“living space,” Germany would have had no ambition to occupy new territories. It is clear that without the extreme militarist and nationalist beliefs of Hitler and his followers, the German economy would not have focused on rearmament or economic self sufficiency to the extent it did between 1933 and 1945.
!
The Nazi’s fascist ideology also had major impacts on both the youth and women. Their attempt to create the Volksgemeinschaft community, in which “the interests of individuals would be strictly subordinate to those of the nation,”10 weakened the position of women and restricted the development of the youth. During
the Weimar Republic, Germany had one of the best education systems in the world, however after the Nazis came to power in 1933, the education system was totally reconstructed. The Nazis opposed intellectual thought and free inquiry, and rather saw the education system as a way to indoctrinate the youth into embracing Nazi ideologies such as Anti-Semitism, as demonstrated when Hitler said, “I do not want any intellectual education. With knowledge my youth will be spoiled.”11 Moreover, the Nazis also created a new
program known as the Hitler Youth in 1922 which was an extension on Hitler’s belief that the future of the
National Socialist movement was in the hands of the youth. The aim of the Hitler Youth was to control and shape the whole of the German youth into supporting Nazi ideology, as demonstrated when Hitler said,
!
“When an opponent says, ‘I will not come over to your side’, I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already … you will pass on. Your descendants however now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.’ ” 12
!To achieve this the service was made compulsory and as a result by 1939 the number in the Hitler Youth
totalled over 7 million.13 Hitler, a believer in Social Darwinism, consistently voiced his belief that the weak
should be removed from Nazi society, he wanted the future of Germany to be “strong and beautiful”, but above all unconditionally loyal followers of Nazi ideology. Another group which suffered dramatic changes in their attempt to conform to the new Volksgemeinschaft were women. “The mission of women,” as Joseph
Goebbels put it, “is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world.”14 In the new Volksgemeinschaft the
8!
The History Learning Sight. (2012, February). Nazi Germany and the Economic Miracle.
9!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 13 - Impact of Nazism on Economic Life. Perth: Scotch College.
!
10
Soucy, R. (2014, 1 23). Volksgemeinschaft.
!
11
H. Rausching. (1940). Gespraeche mit Hitler, New York: Europa Verlag
!
12
N.H Baynes, The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, Vol. 1, New York: H. Fertig
!
13
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 148
!
14
The History Learning Site. (2013). The Role of Women in Nazi Germany. Retrieved March 29, 2014,
"3
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
role of a women was to focus on family values and motherhood. Hitler said, “The woman has her own battlefield. With every child she brings into the world she fights a battle for the nation.”15 As the new role of
women was to care for her family and bear children, the Nazis encouraged them to leave the workforce and as a result 800 000 did between 1933 and 1935. Hitler used his mother as an example to express what women in the Third Reich should be like,
!
“Intelligence, in a women, is not an essential thing. My mother for example would have cut a poor figure in the society of our cultivated women. She lived strictly for her husband and her children. They were her entire universe.
But she gave a son to Germany.” 16
!The Nazi’s also created various incentives to increase the birth rate such as financial incentives and the
“Mothers Cross”, which was awarded to women who were fulfilling their role in the new Volksgemeinschaft.
The Nazi’s emphasis on increasing the birth rate did produce some results as in 1933 there was 970 000 babies, yet by 1939 there was over 1.4 million17. The youth and women both experienced extreme changes to
their lives in the new Volksgemeinschaft; the youth were indoctrinated on Nazi ideology in an attempt by the
Nazis to make them loyal followers of Nazism, and the role of women changed with less involvement in industry and a greater emphasis on looking after their family and bearing lots of children for their beloved
Fuhrer.
!
Arguably, the strongest belief associated with Hitler and his followers was anti-semitism, which eventually became the centre piece of their fascist ideology. The party had never hid their hatred towards the Jews, not even when they were jostling for votes during their rise to power. Hitler was passionate on purging the
German nation of all “inferior” races in an attempt to create a superior race composed only of Aryans. As demonstrated when he said,
!
“Every manifestation of human culture, every product of art, science and technical skill, which we see before our eyes to-day, is almost exclusively the product of the Aryan creative power. This very fact fully justifies the conclusion that it was the Aryan alone who founded a superior type of humanity; therefore he represents the archetype of what we understand by the term: MAN.” 18
!
For Hitler the Jew was “the mightiest contrast to the Aryan,” and were “a parasite in the body of other people.” After coming to power in 1933, the Nazis upheld their promise to persecute the Jews. The first step undertaken by the Nazis during the persecution was vilification, in which Nazi propaganda indoctrinated the
German people on anti-semitic ideology. In his book, Modern Germany, K.S Pinson explained why the Jews were portrayed so negatively,
!
!
15
Noakes, J., & Pridham, G. (1974). Documents on Nazism 1919 – 1945. London: Viking Press. pg 363
!
16
Noakes, J., & Pridham, G. (1974). Documents on Nazism 1919 – 1945. London: Viking Press. pg. 364
!
17
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 143 -144
!
18
Hitler, A. (1939). Mein Kempf. (J. Murphy, Trans.) Eher Nachfolger.
"4
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
“The Jew, in the Nazi ideology, was the embodiment of all their enemies rolled into one. He was the “November
Criminal:” and the traitor, he was both a Marxist and an international capitalist … above all he was the debaser of the purity of the German race.” 19
!The next step undertaken was discrimination, one example being the law for the “Protection of German
Blood and Honour”, which forbid marriage between Jews and German citizens, along with forbidding
“sexual relations outside marriage between Jews and nationals of German blood.” The Jews were then subject to separation; they were transported to numerous concentration camps around Europe and also deposited in Ghettos. In 1941, the Nazis then decided on the “Final Solution,” which was a plan to exterminate all European Jews, originally through mobile killing squads known as the Einzatsgruppen, but then later through the use of carbon monoxide gas in death camps. The impact of the holocaust on the
Jewish population was devastating, by the end of the war two out of every three European Jew would be dead, recent historical evidence suggests that over six million died in the bloodbath.20 The holocaust is
arguably one of the most well suited examples in revealing how fascist ideology played a huge part in the shaping of the German nation; as never before had a group suffered so harshly from the beliefs of one man.
!
Fascist ideology played a huge role in the shaping of the German nation between 1933 and 1945. It converted Germany from a peaceful democracy into a totalitarian regime which relied on inflicting terror to maintain order. Extreme militaristic and nationalist views were also responsible for the economy being geared towards preparing for war. The new Volksgemeinschaft, or pure ‘people’s society’, severely impacted the lives of women and children, as the predominant role of women became the bearing of children, and the youth were indoctrinated into becoming unconditionally loyal followers of their Fuhrer. The declaration of AntiSemitic beliefs by Hitler and his followers also led to the mass extermination of millions of Jews across
Europe. The Third Reich left a dark stain on the timeline of modern history, and one can only hope that the fascist ideologies expressed by the Nationalist Socialism movement are never witnessed again.
!
2245 Words
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19
Pinson, K. (1966). Modern Germany. London: Macmillan.
!
20
Holocaust Encyclopedia. (2013, June 10). Jewsih Population of Europe in 1945. Retrieved March 29, 2014,
"5
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
Bibliography:
!
Alpha History. (n.d.). Nazi Germany Quotations. Retrieved March 2014, from Alpha History: http:// alphahistory.com/nazigermany/nazi-germany-quotations/ !
Campsmount Technology College History Department. (n.d.). Real Smart. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from How did Hitler and the Nazi 's Create a Terror State?: http://www.rlsmart.net/uploads/
2447/1027053/Terror_State_Notes.pdf
!
Heska, L. (n.d.). Hitler Youth. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://192.184.80.244/litgroup/ extras/HitlerYouth/HitlerYouth.html !
Hitler, A. (1939). Mein Kempf. (J. Murphy, Trans.) Eher Nachfolger.
!
Hitler, A. (1939). Mein Kempf. (Manheim, Trans.) London: Hurst & Blackett. pg. 588
!
Holocaust Encyclopedia. (2013, June 10). Jewsih Population of Europe in 1945. Retrieved March 29,
2014, from http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005687
!
H. Rausching. (1940). Gespraeche mit Hitler, New York: Europa Verlag
!
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill
Australia. Pg. 72, 161, 162, 148, 143, 144
!
N.H Baynes, The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, Vol. 1, New York: H. Fertig
!
Noakes, J., & Pridham, G. (1974). Documents on Nazism 1919 – 1945. London: Viking Press.
!
Pinson, K. (1966). Modern Germany. London: Macmillan.
!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 9 - Hitler 's Leadership Style. Perth: Scotch College.
!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 10 - Impact of Nazism on German Women. Perth:
Scotch College.
!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 11 - Impact of Nazism on Youth. Perth: Scotch
College.
!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 13 - Impact of Nazism on Economic Life. Perth:
Scotch College.
!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 14 - Impact of Nazism on European Jews Life. Perth:
Scotch College.
!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 15 - Impact of Nazism on European Jews Life. Perth:
Scotch College.
"6
Philip Singh
!
Year 11 History
Soucy, R. (2014, 1 23). Volksgemeinschaft. Retrieved from Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/202210/fascism/219371/Imperialism#toc219373
!
The History Learning Sight. (2012, February). Nazi Germany and the Economic Miracle. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi_germany_economic_miracle.htm !
The History Learning Site. (2013). The Role of Women in Nazi Germany. Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Women_Nazi_Germany.htm
!
Vontz, T. S. (2014). Fascism. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from World Book Online: http:// www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar192260&st=fascism !
Wikipedia. (2014). Political Views of Adolf Hitler. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from Wikipedia: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler 's_political_views#Mein_Kampf
!
Wikipedia. (2014). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 24, 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Nazism !
Williamson, D. G. (2002). The Third Reich. Longman.
"7
Year 11 History
Research Investigation
Investigating Fascism: Nazi Germany, 1919 -‐‑ 1945
Examine the Role of fascist ideology in shaping the German nation between 1933 and 1945
_______________________________________________________________________________________!
!
Throughout history there have been few, if any systems of government that have been able to shape a nation as the Nazi Party did to Germany between 1933 and 1945. During the Third Reich, fascist ideology was responsible for dramatic changes to a number of key areas, particularly across the political, economic, cultural and social structures of the nation. Anti-democratic beliefs converted Germany from a fully functioning democracy into a totalitarian regime. Moreover, extreme militaristic and nationalist beliefs geared …show more content…
the German economy towards preparing for war.
The youth and women were also severely impacted, as they were forced to conform to Nazi ideology and fulfil their role in the new Volksgemeinschaft, a pure ‘peoples society’. The Nazi Party’s anti-semitic beliefs also led to the holocaust and the attempted extermination of
European Jews. It is undeniable that fascist ideology played a major role in the shaping of the German nation between 1933 and 1945, the extremist beliefs that were experienced during this period of time have not been seen since, and the impact of Nazism on many aspects of German society will forever remain in the infamy
of
history.
!
Fascist ideology had a dramatic impact on Germany’s government as the Nazi Party’s anti-democratic beliefs changed Germany from one of the most democratic nations in the world for its time to an extreme, totalitarian regime. Because Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party and “at the absolute centre of the regime,” his beliefs formed the forefront of Nazi policy, and one of his strongest beliefs was anti-democracy.
Hitler was convinced that personal freedom and equality was ineffective, as for him the Weimar Republic had been “the greatest miscarriage of the 20th Century,” as it was responsible for the humiliating defeat of
Germany and the Treaty of Versailles1. Hitler desired a system of government in which the majority had no
say, as exemplified when he said,
!
The best State constitution and State form is that which, with the most natural certainty, brings the best heads of the national community to leading importance and to leading influence … There must be no decisions by the majority.” 2
!After being appointed Chancellor in 1933 through the support of Article 48, Hitler and his followers set
about to undermine democracy; by first passing a series of laws, some only a month after Hitler was appointed Chancellor, such as the law for the “Protection of People and State,” which removed a large number of civil liberties. The Nazis also manipulated the Reichstag into granting them the Enabling Act on
1!
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 72
2!
Hitler, A. (1939). Mein Kempf. (Manheim, Trans.) London: Hurst & Blackett. pg. 588
"1
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
the 23rd of March 1933, which is viewed by many as the end of Weimar democracy, as it gave Hitler the ability to pass laws without the need to go through the Reichstag. Then after Hindenburg’s death in 1934,
Hitler merged the offices of Chancellor and President to become in essence, the absolute dictator of
Germany.3 After the Nazis had undermined democracy they began to transform Germany into a totalitarian
state, which relied heavily on inflicting terror and fear to keep everyone in line. Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS said,
!
!The Nazis devised numerous ways to maintain order in the Third Reich. They constructed concentration
“The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don’t ask for their love; only for their fear.” 4
camps which were used to house political opponents, and also formed the Gestapo who were used to investigate and suppress all possible threats to the regime5. Anti-democratic beliefs had a major impact on
Germany’s political position, as it converted the government from a peaceful democratic nation into an extreme, totalitarian regime which had no place for civil liberties and relied on fear to maintain order.
!
Extreme militaristic and nationalist views, common to a fascist state were also responsible for the German economy being geared towards preparing for war. However before they could do this, the Nazi’s had to repair the German economy which was severely damaged by the First World War and the Great Depression, by reducing unemployment and stabilising the economy. The reduction in unemployment is also viewed by many as the Nazi Party’s attempt to create the Volksgemeinschaft, a national unity. In 1932, at the peak of the Great Depression, unemployment was at 25%, but by 1938 this number was at less than 5%6. To achieve
this remarkable decrease in unemployment the Nazis relied on the Reich Labour Service (RAD), which constructed public work schemes such as the Autobahn. This plan to stabilise the economy and reduce unemployment was known as the New Plan, coordinated by Dr Hjalmar Schacht; based on the decrease in unemployment figures and stabilisation of the economy, the plan was successful in solving the economic crisis. However, by 1936 with the economy stable, Hitler’s militaristic and nationalist desires took over, and the economy was geared towards preparing for war. Under the control of Hermann Goering, the Nazi’s created the 4-year plan with one goal, to prepare Germany for war as demonstrated when Hitler said,
!
"There is only one interest, the interest of the nation, only one view, that bringing of Germany to the point of political and economical self sufficiency … I therefore set the following tasks. German armed forces must be operational within four years. The German economy must be fit for war in 4 years.” 7
!
3!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 11 - Impact of Nazism on Youth. Perth: Scotch College. pg. 12-13
4!
Heinrich Himmler. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from BrainyQuote.com
5!
Campsmount Technology College History Department. (n.d.). How did Hitler create a Terror State. Retrieved March 26, 2014
6!
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 161 - 162
7!
Williamson, D. G. (2002). The Third Reich. Longman.
"2
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
The results of the 4 year plan on Germany’s military spending are well demonstrated by the fact that in 1933
Germany was spending only 3% of her GDP on rearmament but by 1939 this number had grown to 32%8.
The Nazi’s had clearly adopted Goering 's slogan of “Arms not Butter,”9 as rearmament had taken a
precedent over agriculture. Hitler’s conquest to achieve another fascist ideology of lebensraum was also a driving factor for the Nazi’s to redirected the economy for military purposes, as without Hitler’s desire to gain
“living space,” Germany would have had no ambition to occupy new territories. It is clear that without the extreme militarist and nationalist beliefs of Hitler and his followers, the German economy would not have focused on rearmament or economic self sufficiency to the extent it did between 1933 and 1945.
!
The Nazi’s fascist ideology also had major impacts on both the youth and women. Their attempt to create the Volksgemeinschaft community, in which “the interests of individuals would be strictly subordinate to those of the nation,”10 weakened the position of women and restricted the development of the youth. During
the Weimar Republic, Germany had one of the best education systems in the world, however after the Nazis came to power in 1933, the education system was totally reconstructed. The Nazis opposed intellectual thought and free inquiry, and rather saw the education system as a way to indoctrinate the youth into embracing Nazi ideologies such as Anti-Semitism, as demonstrated when Hitler said, “I do not want any intellectual education. With knowledge my youth will be spoiled.”11 Moreover, the Nazis also created a new
program known as the Hitler Youth in 1922 which was an extension on Hitler’s belief that the future of the
National Socialist movement was in the hands of the youth. The aim of the Hitler Youth was to control and shape the whole of the German youth into supporting Nazi ideology, as demonstrated when Hitler said,
!
“When an opponent says, ‘I will not come over to your side’, I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already … you will pass on. Your descendants however now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.’ ” 12
!To achieve this the service was made compulsory and as a result by 1939 the number in the Hitler Youth
totalled over 7 million.13 Hitler, a believer in Social Darwinism, consistently voiced his belief that the weak
should be removed from Nazi society, he wanted the future of Germany to be “strong and beautiful”, but above all unconditionally loyal followers of Nazi ideology. Another group which suffered dramatic changes in their attempt to conform to the new Volksgemeinschaft were women. “The mission of women,” as Joseph
Goebbels put it, “is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world.”14 In the new Volksgemeinschaft the
8!
The History Learning Sight. (2012, February). Nazi Germany and the Economic Miracle.
9!
Scotch College History Department. (2014). Booklet 13 - Impact of Nazism on Economic Life. Perth: Scotch College.
!
10
Soucy, R. (2014, 1 23). Volksgemeinschaft.
!
11
H. Rausching. (1940). Gespraeche mit Hitler, New York: Europa Verlag
!
12
N.H Baynes, The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, Vol. 1, New York: H. Fertig
!
13
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 148
!
14
The History Learning Site. (2013). The Role of Women in Nazi Germany. Retrieved March 29, 2014,
"3
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
role of a women was to focus on family values and motherhood. Hitler said, “The woman has her own battlefield. With every child she brings into the world she fights a battle for the nation.”15 As the new role of
women was to care for her family and bear children, the Nazis encouraged them to leave the workforce and as a result 800 000 did between 1933 and 1935. Hitler used his mother as an example to express what women in the Third Reich should be like,
!
“Intelligence, in a women, is not an essential thing. My mother for example would have cut a poor figure in the society of our cultivated women. She lived strictly for her husband and her children. They were her entire universe.
But she gave a son to Germany.” 16
!The Nazi’s also created various incentives to increase the birth rate such as financial incentives and the
“Mothers Cross”, which was awarded to women who were fulfilling their role in the new Volksgemeinschaft.
The Nazi’s emphasis on increasing the birth rate did produce some results as in 1933 there was 970 000 babies, yet by 1939 there was over 1.4 million17. The youth and women both experienced extreme changes to
their lives in the new Volksgemeinschaft; the youth were indoctrinated on Nazi ideology in an attempt by the
Nazis to make them loyal followers of Nazism, and the role of women changed with less involvement in industry and a greater emphasis on looking after their family and bearing lots of children for their beloved
Fuhrer.
!
Arguably, the strongest belief associated with Hitler and his followers was anti-semitism, which eventually became the centre piece of their fascist ideology. The party had never hid their hatred towards the Jews, not even when they were jostling for votes during their rise to power. Hitler was passionate on purging the
German nation of all “inferior” races in an attempt to create a superior race composed only of Aryans. As demonstrated when he said,
!
“Every manifestation of human culture, every product of art, science and technical skill, which we see before our eyes to-day, is almost exclusively the product of the Aryan creative power. This very fact fully justifies the conclusion that it was the Aryan alone who founded a superior type of humanity; therefore he represents the archetype of what we understand by the term: MAN.” 18
!
For Hitler the Jew was “the mightiest contrast to the Aryan,” and were “a parasite in the body of other people.” After coming to power in 1933, the Nazis upheld their promise to persecute the Jews. The first step undertaken by the Nazis during the persecution was vilification, in which Nazi propaganda indoctrinated the
German people on anti-semitic ideology. In his book, Modern Germany, K.S Pinson explained why the Jews were portrayed so negatively,
!
!
15
Noakes, J., & Pridham, G. (1974). Documents on Nazism 1919 – 1945. London: Viking Press. pg 363
!
16
Noakes, J., & Pridham, G. (1974). Documents on Nazism 1919 – 1945. London: Viking Press. pg. 364
!
17
Mason, K. J. (2007). Republic to Reich: A History of Germany 1918 - 1939. Melbourne: McGraw Hill Australia. pg. 143 -144
!
18
Hitler, A. (1939). Mein Kempf. (J. Murphy, Trans.) Eher Nachfolger.
"4
Philip Singh
Year 11 History
“The Jew, in the Nazi ideology, was the embodiment of all their enemies rolled into one. He was the “November
Criminal:” and the traitor, he was both a Marxist and an international capitalist … above all he was the debaser of the purity of the German race.” 19
!The next step undertaken was discrimination, one example being the law for the “Protection of German
Blood and Honour”, which forbid marriage between Jews and German citizens, along with forbidding
“sexual relations outside marriage between Jews and nationals of German blood.” The Jews were then subject to separation; they were transported to numerous concentration camps around Europe and also deposited in Ghettos. In 1941, the Nazis then decided on the “Final Solution,” which was a plan to exterminate all European Jews, originally through mobile killing squads known as the Einzatsgruppen, but then later through the use of carbon monoxide gas in death camps. The impact of the holocaust on the
Jewish population was devastating, by the end of the war two out of every three European Jew would be dead, recent historical evidence suggests that over six million died in the bloodbath.20 The holocaust is
arguably one of the most well suited examples in revealing how fascist ideology played a huge part in the shaping of the German nation; as never before had a group suffered so harshly from the beliefs of one man.
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Fascist ideology played a huge role in the shaping of the German nation between 1933 and 1945. It converted Germany from a peaceful democracy into a totalitarian regime which relied on inflicting terror to maintain order. Extreme militaristic and nationalist views were also responsible for the economy being geared towards preparing for war. The new Volksgemeinschaft, or pure ‘people’s society’, severely impacted the lives of women and children, as the predominant role of women became the bearing of children, and the youth were indoctrinated into becoming unconditionally loyal followers of their Fuhrer. The declaration of AntiSemitic beliefs by Hitler and his followers also led to the mass extermination of millions of Jews across
Europe. The Third Reich left a dark stain on the timeline of modern history, and one can only hope that the fascist ideologies expressed by the Nationalist Socialism movement are never witnessed again.
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19
Pinson, K. (1966). Modern Germany. London: Macmillan.
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20
Holocaust Encyclopedia. (2013, June 10). Jewsih Population of Europe in 1945. Retrieved March 29, 2014,
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Year 11 History
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