German Attitudes And Beliefs At The Time example essay topic

The rise of National Socialism in post- WWI Germany is an understandable reaction to the problems of the Versailles Peace Treaty, considering the German attitudes and beliefs at the time. These attitudes and beliefs were the result of generations of Prussian militarism, extreme racist nationalism, and, most importantly, the failure of the Treaty of Versailles signed in June of 1919. The rise of the Nazi party, and their extremist National Socialist doctrine appealed directly to these attitudes and beliefs that permeated Germany society after the first World War. Since the unification of Germany in the late 19th century, attitudes of nationalism, Prussian militarism and expansionism saturated German society. As one can clearly see in the writings of the influential German historian, Heinrich von Treitschke, war and territorial expansion were seen as being necessary to the preservation and advancement of German society.

He states that, "War is for an afflicted people the only remedy... Those who preach the nonsense about everlasting peace do not understand the life of the Aryan race, the Aryans are before all brave". The mobilization of the people and resources, for the purpose of making war, were believed to be the means of preservation and advancement of German society. These ultra-nationalistic attitudes and beliefs resulted in widespread German enthusiasm with the coming of war in 1914. As expressed in a German newspaper, The Post, "Another forty years of peace would be a national misfortune for Germany". With the armistice that took effect November 11, 1918, the Great War had come to an end, four long years after it had begun.

The German military machine had lost the war, and with it, hopes of German dominance in European affairs. Utterly defeated, the new German government (the Kaiser had abdicated at the end of the war) had no choice but to comply with the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, despite the fact that Germany was allowed no say in the terms of the treaty. As a result of this treaty, Germany was stripped of all her colonial possessions as well as valuable continental territories, most importantly, Alsace-Lorraine, the Saar, and the Polish Corridor. Her armed forces were restricted to 100,000 men, and restricted from occupying the Rhineland. Furthermore, Germany was held responsible for the war and therefore had to pay reparations for all damages resulting from the war.

The terms of this treaty brought about terrible economic conditions in Germany. Unemployment was widespread and a whole generation of young Germans was left hopeless and without direction. For many Germans during these terrible times, mere survival was a challenge. This wretched condition is apparent in Heinrich Hauser's description of Germany's unemployed who lined the highways, homeless and destitute, with no place to go. As he describes it, "unskilled young people, for the most part... had been unable to find a place for themselves in any city or town in Germany, and... had never had a job and never expected to have one".

Germany had been forced to her knees. It was these grave conditions that set up the Nazis' rise to power. Feeding on the emotions of the German populace, especially the disenchanted youth of Germany, the National Socialist movement swept through the country. Preaching a doctrine of ultra-nationalism and Germanic racial superiority, the supreme leader of the National Socialist movement, Adolf Hitler, appealed to the age-old attitudes and beliefs of the German people.

Continuing the Prussian militaristic tradition, Hitler called for a full mobilization of German society with the ultimate purpose of territorial expansion. He wanted to eliminate all opposition within Germany and unite all German peoples towards the same goal, German world supremacy. He envisioned a fully mobilized Germany, void of internal conflict and inefficiency, which would create employment for all Germans, who would work for a greater German society. As he stated in a speech during a mass-rally, as described by one German girl who attended, "Today the world treats us like outcasts. But they will respect us again when we show them our good old German sword, flashing high above our heads!" (Lilo Linke) Powerful, emotional speeches like these were very appealing to the hobbled German populace at the time and earned a great deal of popular support for Hitler and the National Socialists.

The National Socialists added to their ultra-nationalistic, militaristic agenda extreme racism directed against all non-Germanic peoples, Poles, Slavs, Latins, and especially Jews. All non-Germans were a lower quality of human being and could be described as being a "sub-man". Hitler believed that the Jews in particular were responsible for the failure of the German war effort and that they weakened and undermined German society with their communist and / or liberal attitudes and beliefs. Furthermore he believed that they weakened German society by their genetic mixing with pure Germans and by their subversive activities. As he states in Mein Kampf, the Jew. ".. systematically attempts to lower racial purity by racially poisoning individuals... (and) refuses to give the state the means for its self-preservation, destroys the bases of any national self-determination and defense". The only solution he saw was to eradicate the Jewish population from Germany.

As for the other races, Hitler believed they were occupying German land, which needed to be repossessed for the German people to inhabit. Also from Mein Kampf, Hitler vehemently states that, .".. we National Socialists must resolutely stick to our foreign policy goals, namely to secure for the German people the territorial base to which they are entitled". This kind of rhetoric appealed to the emotions of the German people and they elected the National Socialists to a majority in the Reichstag (the German legislative body) in 1932 with 14.5 million votes. (McKay, 971) After taking control of the government, the Nazis eliminated all opposition, arresting all dissidents to the Nazi regime.

Nazi storm troopers persecuted Jews and terrorized all who could stand in their way, fulfilling their duty to create a strong German state. As described by Freidrich Junge r in 1926, "The new state... will be authoritarian. The new nationalism is determined to make that authoritarianism absolute, all-surpassing, consolidating the state as the new steel-like instrument of power". The German people tolerated these actions because they felt that Hitler and the Nazi party would bring Germany out of economic ruin and back to the forefront of European affairs. Nazi doctrine of militarism, expansionism, and ultra-nationalism appealed to the attitudes and beliefs inherent in the conscience of the German people at the time. The German people felt that with the Nazis in control they could overcome the problems caused by the Treaty of Versailles.

Nazi militarism would restore the armed forces to their greatest capability. Nazi mobilization would create employment and new economic opportunities. Nazi expansionism would claim new territories for the German people to inhabit. Nazi racism would rid German society of those elements that weakened it. Nazi ultra-nationalism would restore a sense of identity and pride in a greater German nation. After great suffering as a result of the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles, a majority of Germans felt at the time that Nazi rule would bring them the most cherished thing of all, hope.