Volksgemeinschaft Flashcards
Four major themes that recur in nazi progagnda?
the community before the individual - Volkgemeinschaft
the need for racial purity
a hatred of enemies
charismatic leadership
What did this desire for unity draw its strength from?
an idealised past rather than a present
Volksgemeinschaft?
a people’s community
Burgfrieden?
spirit of august 1914 it seemed the war had created a sense of solidarity in which social class antagonisms were transcended by some entirely fictitious volksgemeinschaft
Why was Burgfrieden only superficial?
could not survive a long war
Was there a revivial of the spirit of 1914?
no, the superficial harmony of 1914 was a far cry from the volksgemeinschaft invoked by the nazis
What schemes did the propaganda focus on?
Nazi welfare services
Strength through Joy
Winter Aid
Strength through Joy?
the labour front’s Agency for programmed leisure
Give an example of how propaganda eulogised the Volksgemeinschaft?
newsreels showed happy workers enjoying cruise holidays and visiting the people’s theatre for the first time
What was the role of the radio in eulogising Volksgemeinschaft?
the radio bombarded the public’s social conscience with charitable appeals
What was the role of the press?
stressed the value of belonging to a Volksgemeinschaftand the need for self-sacrifice in the interests of the state
Three things that symbolised the achievements of the Volksgemeinschaft?
cheap cinema tickets
cheap radio
cheap volkswagen
What was a powerful tool in encouraging people to associate with national community?
the exclusion of non-germans (slavs, jews( hoosexuals, handicapped was a powerful tool because people would feel more inclined to associate with the National Coomunity to avoid prsecution
What was membership for the NSDAP in 1933, 39 and 44?
1933 850,000
1939 5300,000
1944 8000,000
What was membership of the DAF in 1933, 39 and 44?
5,300,000
22000,000
25000,000
What was the membership for the Hitler Youth in 1933, 39 and 44?
2300,000
7700,000
Why can the increase in membership for national nazi organisations not be considered as pure evidence for the success of Volskgemeinschaft?
it doesn’t show what the motivations were -
the hitler youth was made compulsory in 1936
How many people were compulsorily sterilised in 193345?
350,000
Evidence of successful extermination of social deviants?
Jews 200.000/500,000
Gypsies 25,000/30,000
german people killed by the nazi regime
Evidence of failure to exterminate social deviants?
Communist 30,000/300,000
killed by Nazi regime
What was primary criterion for membership to the national community?
Aryan
What is Aryan?
German whose ancestors did not include Jews, Slavs Latinos
allegedly deriving from nordic ancestors
How were aryans portrayed?
culturally more developed people
What was perceived to be a threat to the Aryan race?
declining birth rate in 1920s made aryans especially vulnerable to its enemies, non-aryans
quality of race threatened by mental/physical disability
What were the Nazi norms?
obedience strong work ethic sexual restraint sobriety readiness to sacrifice selfish desire for common good
What was the purpose of the NSDAP from 1933?
Menschenfuhrung
Menschenfuhrung?
the winning of individuals’ hearts and minds for Nazism as a guide to living
How effective were the NSDAP functionaries in exhorting the population fulfil the responsibilities of the national community?
it was less an opposition to hitler’s regime, more a lack of interest in nazi ideology and engagement with party activities
mass of valuable german were willing to accept the regime and the benefits it inevitably brought them
How did the mass of valuable Germans view the NSDAP?
simply as a political party not a movement with clam to total allegiance and engagement
to what did the NSDAP functionaries’ capacity for attracting active allegiance and providing spiritual leadership depend?
whether the NSDAP functionaries at a local level acquired offices of state became state officials
At what point was the Fuhrer Myth tarnished?
only when the war began to go badly 1942
What did the success of the Hitler myth camouflage?
the extent to which many german identified with Hitler and his success
the most effective technique method of creating volkgemeinschaft and why?
the only way to make up for the lack of substance in the idea was to produce passive loyalty and this was most reliably secured by mass media that offered entertainment and distraction
What is the essence of fascist control of the masses?
compulsory organisation and atomisation
What is the aim of organisational monopoly?- applies to converting of the soul section very good overall summing up point
to rob the ordinary man of all independence
to suffocate whatever initiatives he might take to create even the most primitive form of voluntary association
to keep him at a distance from anyone who is like-minded or merely sympathetic
to isolate him and simultaneously bind him to the state
