UnderstandingtheGermanPeoples

ParticipationintheThirdReich

byTheoBailey

Intheannalsofhumanbarbarism,thecrueltiespracticedbytheGermansovertheJewsinNazi
Germanyareamongtheworstremembered.TheHolocauststandsoutsovividlybecauseit
wassorecentandalsobecauseitwassowelldocumented.Throughfilmfootageand
meticulousrecords,wehavebeenwitnessestotheGermansmethodicalmassmurderand
theircompleteabandonmentofcompassion.Astotheshamefulscarleftuponwestern
civilization,thereisnoquestion.However,afewquestionsdoremain.WhywastheNaziparty
soattractivetotheGermanpeople?WerethepeopleofGermanyseducedbyHitlers
incrediblecharismaandhypnotizedbytheNazisrelentlesspropaganda,orweretheygenerally
followingtheirowndesires?Iftheywerefollowingtheirownparticulardesireasanation,what
wasthesourceofthatdesirewhichledtosuchbrutality?
TheNaziPartywasattractivetothemajorityoftheGermanpeoplebecauseHitlerandhisparty
proposedasolutiontonearlyeveryproblemthatwasfacingthevarioussegmentsofthe
population.Forexample,thePartyagendaaddressedtheproblemofGermanyslossofWWI.
TheNazisexploitedthepopularmyththatGermanysarmywasstabbedinthebackbythe
WeimarRepublicsfirstpoliticians.InthiswaytheyseducedtheGermanpeopleinto
associatingthelossofthewarwithDemocracy.

AnotherpopulargoaloftheNaziswastoabolishtheTreatyofVersailles.Thistreaty,writtenby
theAlliesafterGermanysdefeatinWWI,wasdesignedtohumbleGermany.
Init,Germany
wasrequiredtoabolishcompulsorymilitaryservice,demilitarizetheterritoryontheleftbankof
theRhineRiver,payanalmostunbearablefineinreparations,relinquishitscoloniallandsand
assumecompleteresponsibilityforstartingthewar.
Thistreatywasextremelyunpopular
amongGermans.
Therewerenopoliticianswhowouldwanttobeperceivedassupportingit.
YettheNazimovementuseditasarallyingpoint.Hereisanexcerptfromaflyerannouncinga
Hitlerspeech:
AdolfHitlerspeaksoutComeandprotestagainstGermanybeingburdenedwiththewarguilt.
ProtestagainstthePeaceTreatyofVersailleswhichhasbeenforceduponusbythesoleculprit
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ofthewar,theJewishinternationalstockexchangecapitol
ToeveryGerman,theideaoftearingthetreatyupwouldbringasenseofempowermentand
elation.
TheNazipartypromisedapoliticalmeanstodothat.

Inmanyofhisspeechesduringhisrisetopower,Hitleroftenspokeaboutthetreasonous
attitudeoftheWeimargovernmentwithitspoliciesoffulfillingthetreatysterms.OnFebruary
24,1920,inthefirstpublicmeetingoftheGermanWorkersParty(latertobenamedNSDAP),
Hitleroutlinedthepartyprogram.ThefirstpointaddressedtheconceptofaunifiedGermany
enjoyingselfdetermination.ThesecondpointspokedirectlyontheParisTreaty:Wedemand
equalityofrightsfortheGermanpeopleinitsdealingswithothernations,andabolitionofthe

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PeaceTreatiesofVersaillesandSt.Germain.
ThustheNazisadoptedapopularposition
whichwouldensuretheGermanpeopleawaytobuildbacktheirnationalisticprideandremove
theknifefromthearmysback.Withoutthetreaty,Germanycouldrebuildtheirmilitary,which
hadalwaysplayedamajorroleinthecountrysidentity.

AnotherreasontheNazisweresoattractivetotheGermanpeoplewastheextremeeconomic
hardshipsafterWWI.
Thehyperinflationof1923reachedsuchetherealheightsthat
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housewivesusedthevaluelessGermancurrencytokindlefires.
Suchwastheconditionunder
whichtheWeimarRepublichaditsbeginnings,makingtheSocialDemocrats,whowerein
majorityatthattime,easypreyforHitlerspartyinfutureyears.Witheachuphillswingofthe
economy,growthinNazimembershipstagnated.Astheeconomybeganadownslide,Nazi
enrollmentswelled.TheNaziselectoralbreakthroughin1932owedmuchtothe1929
depressionwhosevirusspreadthroughoutEurope.

Theextremepovertyofthetimecausedhardshipinruralcommunitiesamongfarmers.
Traditionally,muchofthevillagelifewasfilledwithcommunityandpeoplehelpingoneanother.
Buttheharderitbecamefinancially,themorethecommunitiesbegantobreakdown.National
Socialismwasabletoappealtothesefragmentedcommunitieswithnotionsofblood,landand
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nationalunity.

AnappealingattributeoftheNaziPartytoGermanysBourgeoisanditselitewasitscompetition
withMarxism.Inthe1930s,adesperate,urbanworkingclasswasbeginningtoorganizewith
theGermanCommunistandSocialistparties.Thisposedaseriousthreattothemiddleand
upperclass.Hitlercreatedamovementthatwasmoreaggressive,organizedandradicalthan
thefarleftoftheReichstag.TheBourgeoisandtheelitedidnotwantarevolutionlikethatof
Russia.Afasciststatewouldrequireitspayment,butatleastitwouldnotdemandtotal
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redistributionofallprivateproperty.

YetanotherwaytheNazisappealedtotheGermanswasbyexacerbatingthealreadyexisting
trendsinantisemitism.
ThehistoryofantiSemitismisveryextensiveinGermany.Onesource
theNazimovementdrewuponwasaconspiracytheorythatwasbasedonapublicationcalled
ProtocolsoftheEldersofZion.Thisdocumentoriginatedinthelate1800s.Itoutlinedan
allegedinternationalconspiracytotakeoverandruletheworld.AccordingtoProtocols,the
Jewsweregoingtousevariousweapons,suchas:invokingtheFrenchRevolution,liberalism,
socialism,communism,andanarchytoundermineEuropeansociety.Accordingtohistoriansfor
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the
EncyclopediaoftheHolocaust,

thedocumentwasallegedlyforgedatthetimeofthe
DreyfusAffair(1894)byPyotrIvanonichRachkovski,headofaforeignbranchoftheRussian
secretpolicebasedinParis.TheFrenchRightwantedadocumentthatwouldimplicate
RichardDreyfusintheallegedconspiracy.TheCzarfurtherusedtheprotocoltosupporthis
antiSemiticpoliciesinRussia.Later,theProtocolfounditswayintoGermany.Between1919
and1923,AlfredRosenburg,aNaziideologist,wrotefivewidelydistributedpamphletsaboutthe
conspiracy.Also,JuliusStreichersnewspaper,
DerStrumer
(theattacker),oftencitedthe
protocols.

Hitler,inhistwistedlogic,believedthatbecauseJewishleadersclaimedthattheProtocolswere
forged,thentheycertainlymustbetrue.Hitlerevenboastedthathehadlearnedmuchfromthe
Protocolsaboutpoliticalintrigue,camouflage,diversionandmethodsoforganization.Alfred
RosenburgbuiltmanyofhisphilosophiesontheacceptanceofthetruthoftheProtocols.
TheseideasbroughtmanyGermansandotherEuropeansintotheNaziparty.

JuliusStreicherwasaNazipropagandistwhomadeacareerofpromotingantiSemitism.For
twentytwoyearshedenouncedJewsincrudeandviciouswaysinhisinfamousnewspaperDer
Strumer.HereisoneofthecountlesssamplesofStreichershatepropaganda:
Thefamilyheademptiesafewdropsofthefreshandpowderedbloodintotheglass,wetsthe
fingersofthelefthandwithitandsprays,blesseswithit,everythingonthetable.Theheadof
thefamilythensays,ThusweaskGodtosendthetenplaguestoallenemiesoftheJewish
faith.Thentheyeat.Andattheendtheheadofthefamilyexclaims,MayallGentilesperish,as
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thechildwhosebloodiscontainedinthebreadandwine.
DerStrumer
wasawidelyreadweeklynewspaper.
Itsmoststrikingfeaturewasitsfrontpage
cartoonssometimesdepictingJewsasvampiresandrapists.Itwashighlyinfluentialinshaping
GermanpublicopinionagainsttheJews.Streicheralsowroteandpublishedachildrensbook
totrainyouthtohateJewsfromanearlyage.

AnothermeansofcapturingtheGermanpsychewasthenotionofapureracegenetically
homogenouspopulations.TheNazisprojectedtheAryanideals,whichpromotedpridein
havingGermanblood.TheworthofbeingGermanwasincreasedbecausetheywere
stereotypedasbeingsuperiorintellectuallyandphysically.Theywerenaturallymoregiftedthan
otherracesinmoralityaswell.ArolefortheGermancitizenwasprojected,suggestingthatby
theirwork,iftheyweremen,andbytheirfecundity,iftheywerewomen,theGermanpeople
couldcreateapureandharmonioussociety.Afterexperiencingthecynicismthatwasthe
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nationalmoodinthe1920s,suchsimplistictraditionalnotionswereevidentlyveryseductive.
TheNaziPartycombinedtheissuesofGermanysbetrayalinWWI,thetreatyofVersailles,the
WeimarRepublicsineptnessathandlingtheeconomy,nationalunity,fearofMarxism,
antiSemitismandtheGermanpeoplesethnicidentityintoamasterfullycraftedpropaganda
package.ItsprimaryaimwastoworkontheGermanpeoplesfearsandhopesuntiltheywere
mesmerizedbytheNaziideology.Hitlerstruegeniuslaidinhisabilitytousepropagandalikea
surgeonsscalpel.Heknewhowtotargetspecificgroupsandappealtothemonanemotional
level.Sincethemasseswerelargelyuneducated,thiswaswherehemadehisgreatestefforts.
Hewrotein
MeinKampf
thatinorderforpropagandatobeusedeffectively,itmustbeadjusted
totheintellectuallevelofthemostlimited:thegreaterthemassitisintendedtoreach,the
loweritspurelyintellectuallevelwillhavetobe.wemustavoidexcessiveintellectualdemands
onourpublicHereweseehowHitlersmindworked.Hetargetedthelargestpossible
audienceandtailoredhisrunningplatformandhispropagandatothelowestcommon
denominatorofintelligence.Inthiswayhecapturedmassappealandwasabletomanipulate
publicopinion.

Onceinpower,HitlerandhispartycreatedaMinistryforPopularEnlightenmentand
Propaganda.JosefGoebbelswasnamedReichMinisterofthisbranchofgovernment.Ina
speechdiscussingthetasksofhisministryGoebbelsdefinesthewordenlightenmentas
somethingthatispassive.ItreferstomakingthecitizenawareofNaziideologyonan
intellectuallevel.Propaganda,ontheotherhand,isactive.
propagandathataimsatwinningpeopleover.Itisnotenoughtoreconcilepeoplemoreorless
toourregime,tomovethemtowardsapositionofneutralitytowardsus,wewouldratherwork
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onpeopleuntiltheyareaddictedtous.
Thisquoterevealsthecynical,manipulativecharacteristicsoftheFascistmindset.
DoestheNazispopularityandtheirexpertuseofpropagandaexplainhowacivilizedpeople
couldbecomethemassmurderersofmillionsofharmless,innocentmen,womenandchildren?
Yes,butthisisonlypartoftheanswer.IthasalsobeensuggestedthatGermanshave
traditionallyhadapropensitytoobeyauthority.Thecombinationofanunyieldingrespectfor
authorityandHitlerscharismacouldhavecausedtheGermanstoabandontheirmoral
responsibility.ThisproposalsuggeststhattheGermanpeopleweremesmerizedintoaspellof
nonquestioningobedience.

Manyotherexplanationshavebeenproposedoverthelasthalfcenturytoattempttoanswer
howandwhytheHolocausthappened.Anotherarguesthattheperpetratorswerecoercedbya
threatofpunishment.NaziGermanywasamilitarypolicelikeinstitution.Ifonedidntgoalong
withtheplanandobey,onewouldbepunishedseverelyforinsubordination.Andwiththe
Nazificationofnearlyeveryaspectofsociety,eventhesmallestactsofdissentionwouldntgo
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unnoticed.Withaguntotheirhead,anypersonwillkilltokeepfrombeingkilled.
Anotherexplanationholdsthattheperpetratorswereunderincrediblesocialandpsychological
pressuretoconformtotheexpectationsofthestate.Itwas,sothisproposalsuggests,very
hardfortheindividualtoresistbecausehumanbeingsnaturallywanttofitinandbeaccepted.
Actingaspartofagroup,theindividualparticipatesinactstheywouldneverdoontheirown.
AnotherexplanationseestheNazisashungryformoneyandpower,Eachhadcareersto
attainandpursuedtheirgoalswithtotaldisregardforthevictims.Theywerebutspokesona
largewheelinwhicheachsoughtadvancement.Thisexplanationcouldapplytothe
bureaucrats,prisonguardsandsoldiers.Caughtupinthemomentuminthevastinstitutionof
whichtheywereapart,theperpetratorssenseofpersonalresponsibilitywasabsolved.
Anotherexplanationassertsthatindividualperpetratorsdidnothavethebigpictureofwhatwas
takingplace.EachwasinvolvedwiththeirowntownswaragainsttheJewsandwasunaware
ofthevastexterminationpolicytheircountrywasembarkedupon..Thefragmentationoftasks
allowedthemtoavoidcomprehendingwhattherealnatureoftheiractionswas.
AlloftheseexplanationsarestronglycontestedbyDanielGoldhageninhisbook
HitlersWilling
Executioners
.HerefutesthattheGermanspropensitytoobeyorderswastheirmotivating
forcebyrecitingexamplesofgeneralswhowillinglycontributedtotheexterminationofSoviet
Jews,butwhoalsoconspiredagainstHitler.SometimesGermansdisobeyedorders
not
tokill
Jews.Theywereinsubordinateinordertosatisfytheirlustforsavagery.Forexample,army
soldierssometimesdisobeyedorderstostayawayfrommassacressothattheycould
participateinthekilling.