Nazi Study Guide

Nazi Germany Study Guide

What are the major tenets of Nazi ideology?

The creation of a new racial German Community under the leadership of one man
Or a variation: “the consolidation of the true German peoples, or Volk, in one state.”

Identify a passage from Mein Kampf or Storm of Steel and be able to answer questions related to it.
Storm of Steel
War as overcoming of alienation
War as aesthetic, profound, authentic experience

What are the main concepts in Mein Kampf? How would you define them?

Personality- Having a natural born leadership quality. Social darwinism, the fittest will rise to the top and they will lead from the top down. Struggle- an inborn struggle to lead a nation or to gain political support. To spread the ideology of the Nazi’s accross Germany. Struggle against culture destroying races. Something one must go through in order to grow as a person. Artist- creativity. One should embellish on this more, that art went beyond creativity and was the basis of nation building, and much of the foundation of Nazi ideology. Race- Pure german race is ideal. A pure state, an Aryan race. "true genius is always inborn and never cultivated, let alone learned"- Hitler, Mein Kampf
Three kinds: Founders, bearers, and destroyers.

Citizen- Citizenship is not innate, you are not born a German citizen. You have to earn your citizenship. "it is the most precious document for his whole life on earth" - Hitler, Mein Kampf

Self-Sacrifice- According to Hitler Aryans are willing to engage in self sacrifice, while jews and other lower races are not willing to do this. The Aryans were a “founding race” and had to make many sacrifices in order to build civilizations and this was passed on through the generations. Jews only think of how to help themselves where as an Aryan will make a sacrifice that hurts them but is better for the general population ie. war martyr

Culture creating: some humans have the innate ability to create culture, while others do not. Hitler believes Aryans can create culture because they have in the past ie. Rome, and that therefore they are a superior race culture bearing- these are people who do not have the facilities to create culture and rather just live in others cultures and capitalize upon it. Such as the Japanese. However if a culture creating race is lost than a culture bearing race such as the Japanese would eventually die out. culture destroying- Although Hitler originally talked about Jews being culture bearing because of their inhibition of nations without creating their own, he also says they destroy culture. An example is when their was a lot of celebration and excitement over World War I, the claimed Jewish press stopped the publication of celebrating the war. Hitler believes they lost the war because they destroyed the spirit of Germany, the same spirit that he wants to render visible through Nazism.

Importance of the spoken word- For Hitler, speaking is better than writing because it is easier to know your audience’s reaction and you can tell if they are comprehending what you are speaking about and following along. It is easier to spread emotion and propaganda through the spoken word and create an aesthetic experience

Overcoming Marxism

What was the role of cinema in Nazi Germany? What problems face scholars when writing about the nazi cinema? According to Eric Rentschler?

The role of Nazi cinema in Germany was, as Joseph Goebbels claims, to guide the masses to the new political ideology. Cinema and the new government were to walk the path together.
When writing about nazi cinema, scholars must contend with the issue of how to approach films made in the Nazi era. They must decide whether the entertainment films must be approached as such, or if you must take them in as Nazi propaganda as well.

How would you summarize what Jana Bruns says about the political dimensions of the Nazi film industry? What role, according to Bruns, did politics play in Nazi cinema?

Politics was very closely tied to film industry from the beginning, and, as the years went by, the film industry became more and more under the control of the government.
The German film industry in the the late 1920s was collapsing, and, by the 1930s, was severely diminished. Goebbels saw this as an opportunity. He saw that the film industry was in the position of accepting financial help in exchange for creative control from the Nazi government. When he took office as the minister of propaganda, Goebbels met with many film industry leaders, who were receptive to the government helping the film industry.
It started somewhat with the Film Credit Bank, whose goal was to help finance film projects to help the studios. But, the Film Credit Bank was biased towards films that were “carrying art into a direction that was truly German.”

Why does Michaud say Nazi ideology is also an aesthetic ideology? What role do ideas of genius, art, and culture play in Nazi thought? Important pages: 1-17 & 24-25
"suiting to their design"
1. dictator as the artist
2. shapes material (violence possibly)
3. artist as revolutionary
4. conserving the spirit from modernity -modern artist creative, violent, revolutionary, and conservative
5. politics is racial, the struggle of one race against another
6. german race- culture creating race
7. nazi politics aims to make race real (render it visible)
8. has to eliminate resistance to this artistic process
9. aims to create a race that is defined by its creativity, and destroy destructive race

What is redemptive anti-Semitism according to Saul Friedlander? Where do you see redemptive anti-Semitism in Mein Kampf and other texts?

- p. 87- 1st 3 paragraphs: Religious belief of redemption. Struggle against the Jews. “Redemptive anti-Semitism was born from the fear of racial degeneration and the religious belief in redemption.” In other words, they have to take action against the jews before they destroy the German’s.

The idea that anti-semitism would restore Germany to its former glory
Association with Jews and writing (newer positions without history of anti-semitism) led Hitler to believe that they weren’t interested in the spoken word like he was.
Worked in fields of modernity-another thing Hitler wasn’t fond of
The conservatives weren’t as anti-semitic as the ultra-nationals

Seen in Mein Kampf several times whenever Hitler ties Germany’s problems to the Jewish population Department stores, Marxism, culture destroying,
Also seen in the film industry with the banning of all Jewish actors and staff the press, marxists, communists and culture destroying races are all embodiments of the Jew

What are the main points of Eric Rentschler’s interpretation of Hitler Youth Quex discussion of the film?

Entertainment is a factor in the discussion of the film. Another factor of the film discussed is propaganda. Roles played in the film such as Heini being in the light and the father being in the dark. Cas- Nazi leader is animated and excited about the “movement.”
Aesthetics also comes into play in Hitler Youth Quex, insofar as the portrayal of the Nazi and Communist locations and places. Namely, the chaotic atmosphere of the Communists and the calm, orderly atmosphere of the Nazis.

From Ministry of Illusion (on all Nazi Films)
Premise 1: Film fits in Third Reichs attempt to shape Germany
Premise 2: Nazi Films are meant to entertain
Premise 3: “Orchestra Principal”
Premise 4: Nazi Films are meant to stun and captivate the audience and shape everyday life (They are well made)
Premise 5: Nazi films are part of a cinema history. They influence later films and are influenced by earlier films (They appear to be typical ordinary films)

Know these dates o WWI- 1914-1918 o Nazi Regime years 1933-1945 o Hitler appointed chancellor- January 30, 1933 Here’s the Essay Questions: How would you summarize Nazi beliefs in the texts you’ve studied so far? What are its major tenets and how do they create a coherent whole? In your response, you shouldn’t just list tenets. Instead, you should explain what these tenets are and how they are related.

1. orchestra principal everyone has their place in the orchestra. Not everyone plays the same instrument, but they all operate on the same plan and toward the same goal
2. nationalism
Nationalism is a sense of pride for the nation state and almost a fanatical, undying, pride and ideology above all outside influence. Can be at an individual or state level.
3. pan-germanism a movement towards unifying all german populations within a single geographical area
4. anti-semitism
The cause of Germany’s problems could be pinned on the Jewish race
5. struggle
Several forms: Nazis vs Marxist, Aryans vs Jews (culture creating vs. culture destroying) , Modernity vs Nature, Enthusiasm vs the Press (the presses portrayal of Marxism etc.)
6. a new man for a new Germany
Social Darwinism
Someone who could create change and save Germany from the suffering they experienced after WWI
7. personality- Natural born leader
The individual was strongest, the masses never came up with anything
8. race = volk
9. folkish state- A state built off of “volk” or the true German peoples. It covered a region that went outside the boundaries of the existing German state and swallowed up neighboring states and territories. The whole purpose of creating a volkish state was to have 1. Lebensraum or living room for the true German state and 2. To consolidate the German volk under one state, to bring together the great race that had been distorted by time, “improper breeding,” as well as distance.

Lebensraum- The expansion into new territory for the benefit of Germany

How does Hitler Youth Quex correspond to Nazi ideals? Your essay should offer a clear explanation of some Nazi tenets and then show how these are visible in the film. Your essay should draw on the readings by Rentschler: the “Introduction” or the chapter on Quex. -rendering spirit visible- the film is all about emotional engineering. It was recognized by the head of propaganda, Goebells, as a necessary tool for the Nazi agenda. ˙History needed to take aesthetic forms. It made reality more simple than it actually was and placed a clear separation bw Nazis and Commies, ignoring all other influential forces and parties. (Pages 3-4 specifically mentioned in the Rentchler text, if anything, google him for more background information.)
-orchestra principle: the combination of everything leads to an overwhelming message ie. Playing with light and dark, the commi behavior vs nazi behavior, the abusive home vs the nice home, scenes for Nazi’s that orient you vs scenes that don’t for Commi’s, the different settings for Nazism and communism
-persuasion: making a hero that’s relatable to kids to make them want to join Hitler Youth by watching the film, it’s hard not to root for Heini
Types of persuasion used:
-nationalism- the moment of “I live in Germany…so do you”, the flag means more than death, Heini becomes a national hero.
- fanaticism- Nazi Youth facial expressions, excitement. The nazi ideology praised this fanaticism within its members. It was seen as something that would drive the movement forward.
-Creating a new man- Nazism was all about having a new, brave population of men who will do anything for their country. Heini Volkner transforms throughout the film to be this “new man” need to define what’s bold/italicized and then go into how the film does this for each part.

ESSAY QUESTIONS!! CAN ANYONE HELP?

1. How would you summarize Nazi beliefs in the texts you’ve studied so far? What are its major tenets and how do they create a coherent whole? Explain what these tenets are and how they are related.
2. How does Hitler Youth Quex correspond to Nazi ideals? Your essay should offer a clear explanation of some Nazi tenets and then show how these are visible in the film. Your essay should draw on the readings by Rentschler: the “Introduction” or the chapter on Quex.