My thesis topic has officially been approved. Tentative title?
"Religion, Racism, and War: Symbolism in the 1934 and 1935 Nuremberg Rallies"
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
first official outline attempt
So this outline is much the same as the one I posted earlier, but I did make some changes. For posterity's sake, I'm going to post the official version. Of course, the professor may very well want a more detailed outline, or hate the whole premise. I make no promises that this will actually stick. But I'm excited to at least have something ready to send off.
Major insecurity: I'm not covering enough. I feel like this is a thesis and should be larger in breadth than this. We shall see, we shall see.
Also..I'm sorry about the format. It's clear that copying and pasting isn't working out very well. But oh well. Get over it.
Major insecurity: I'm not covering enough. I feel like this is a thesis and should be larger in breadth than this. We shall see, we shall see.
Also..I'm sorry about the format. It's clear that copying and pasting isn't working out very well. But oh well. Get over it.
Hypothesis/Introduction
A comparison of the Nuremberg Rally of 1934 and the Nuremberg Rally of 1935 offer a clear vision of the evolution of Nazi ideology, particularly in its official and unofficial stances toward Christianity. Whereas the 1934 Rally was preoccupied with religious symbolism, the 1935 Rally was preoccupied by preparation for war. Underlying both Rallies were themes of both religion and race, which provided ideological justification for war.
Hitler and the Church
A. Christianity in Germany in the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries
B. Christianity in the Nazi Party
C. Protestantism in Nazi Germany
Positive Christianity
The Confessing Church
D. Catholicism in Nazi Germany
E. Christian themes in the planning, implementation, and representation of Nuremberg Rallies of '34 and '35.
The Cult of Hitler
A. In this section I would like to explore the obvious attempt on the part of Hitler to emulate a messianic figure. Was this exploitation of the religious? An attempt to replace religion? Is it possible that Hitler had Christian sensibilities in his approach to leading Germany?
B. Response of masses to Hitler (as exemplified at the Rallies). This section will also include more general theory on the subject of mass enthusiasm.
Symbolism at the Rallies
A. Leni Riefenstahl's representation vs. reality
B. Swastika
C. Religious symbolism – emphasis on '34 Rally.
D. War symbolism – emphasis on '35 Rally.
Conclusion
Barnett, Victoria. For the Soul of the People: Protestant Protest Against Hitler. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Barsam, Richard Meran. Filmguide to Triumph of the Will. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1975.
Bergen, Doris L. Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1996.
Bischoff, Ralph F. Nazi Conquest through German Culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1942.
Burden, Hamilton T. The Nuremberg Party Rallies: 1923-39. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967.
Caplan, Jane. Nazi Germany. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Conway, John. The Nazi Persecution of the Churches, 1933-45. New York: Basic Books, 1968.
Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power. New York: The Penguin Press, 2005.
Frey, Arthur. Trans. J. Strathearn McNab. Cross and Swastika: The Ordeal of the German Church. London: Student Christian Movement Press, 1938.
Gangulee, N., ed. The Mind and Face of Nazi Germany. New York: AMS Press, 1942.
Godman, Peter. Hitler and the Vatican: Inside the Secret Archives that Reveal the New Story of the Nazis and the Church. New York: Free Press, 2004.
Gurian, Waldemar. Peeler, E.F., trans. Hitler and the Christians. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1936.
Kalshoven, Hedda. Ich Denk So Viel an Euch: ein deutsch-holländischer Briefwechsel 1920-1949. Luchterhand, 1995.
Klemperer, Victor. The Language of the Third Reich. New York: The Athlone Press, 2000.
Heller, Steven. The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption. New York: Allworth Press, 2000.
Herman, Stewart W., Jr. It's Your Souls We Want. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1943.
Hitler, Adolf, Trans. Ralph Manheim. Mein Kampf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1943.
Hitler, Adolf, Ed. Max Domarus. Speeches and Proclamations, 1932-1945. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci, 1990.
Mosse, George L. Nazi Culture. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1966.
Mosse, George L. The Crisis of German Ideology: Intellectual Origins of the Third Reich. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1964.
Mosse, George L. The Fascist Revolution: Toward a General Theory of Fascism. New York: Howard Fertig, 1999.
Mundorf, Joanne and Chen, Guo-Ming. “Transculturation of Visual Signs: A Case Analysis of the Swastika.” Intercultural Communication Studies XV. Feburary 2006.
Owings, Alison. Frauen: German Women Recall the Third Reich. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1994.
Reck-Malleczewen, Fritz Percy. Trans. Paul Rubens. Diary of a Man in Despair. New York: Macmillan, 1970.
Reich, Wilhelm. The Mass Psychology of Fascism. New York: Pocket Books, 1970.
Reich, Wilhelm. Ether, God, and Devil/Cosmic Superimposition. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc, 1973.
Riefenstahl, Leni. “Triumph of the Will.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBfYncHshJc
Riefenstahl, Leni. “Tag der Freiheit.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYfzuswYyio
Sax, Benjamin and Kuntz, Dieter, eds. Inside Hitler's Germany: A Documentary History of Life in the Third Reich. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath and Company. 1992.
Shirer, William L. Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent, 1934-1941. New York: Popular Library Eagle Books, 1940.
Sontag, Susan. Against Interpretation. Toronto: Noonday Press, 1961.
Speer, Albert. Inside the Third Reich: Memoirs. Trans. Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Galahad Books, 1995.
Steigman-Gall, Richard. The Holy Reich. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Stern, Fritz Richard. The Politics of Cultural Despair: A Study in the Rise of the Germanic Ideology. University of California Press: Berkeley, 1963.
Treitel, Corinna. A Science for the Soul: Occultism and the Genesis of the German Modern. The John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 2004.
Weiss, John. Ideology of Death: Why the Holocaust Happened in Germany. Ivan R. Dee: Chicago, 1996.
Wulf, Joseph. Literatur und Dichtung im Dritten Reich: Eine Dokumentation. Gütersloh, 1963.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
conquering the outline
Well, it's 12:34 am, and I decided that maybe I should attempt to do something with my day...
...A potential outline it is! :)
Pandora on, check. Flash drive located, check. Notebook full of notes gathered, check. I'm ready.
Richard J. Evans' The Third Reich in Power profoundly influenced the way that I want to approach my topic. Although I still have a few key historians that I want to read (The Holy Reich by Steigmann-Gall being one), I think I might be ready to form some sort of hypothesis and very tentative game plan for where I specifically want this to go.
Some things I'm struggling with as I put this outline together:
a) how do I differentiate between Hitler himself as the dynamic leader of the Nazi movement and Party and eventually the German state and other leading Nazis' attitudes toward the subject? To what degree can one talk about the Nazis as a monolithic movement with one goal and one mind? Is it possible to talk about a relationship between the Third Reich and religion? Or is it too complex to even come to any conclusions? I almost think I need to focus almost entirely on Hitler - as the leader of the Party and of the state, his attitudes were crucial. Although other leading Nazis may have disagreed with him on the subject of religion, at the end of the day they all looked to him as Leader.
b) how do I make the Rallies center stage in this paper, and not just a big case study at the end? While I would like to come to my own conclusions independent of Evans and Stiegmann-Gall, I also want to make sure that this paper doesn't try to make too large of a claim for which I am not academically prepared. Is it okay to make the Rallies a case study? Or is there enough evidence about the mindset of planning and preparation that would offer me a clear look into a mindset free of propaganda and lies?
I. Intro/Hypothesis
A comparison of the Nuremberg Rally of 1934 and the Nuremberg Rally of 1935 offer a clear vision of the evolution of Nazi ideology, particularly in its official and unofficial stances toward Christianity. Whereas the 1934 Rally was preoccupied with religious symbolism, the 1935 Rally was preoccupied by preparation for war.
II. Hitler and the Church.
A. Protestantism and the German Christians
B. Catholicism
C. Racism's role in Christianity and Nazism [I am wondering if this and the next point couldn't be expanded into whole sections. The outline would then be something more along the lines of using the Rallies to shed light on the following topics: German Christianity (in the general sense) in the 1930s, racism, war, and the Cult of Hitler. Of course these topics were closely connected in Nazi ideology, which makes it difficult. For example, Christianity and racism were inseparable in Nazi ideology.]
D. The drive toward war
E. The reflection of all of this in the Rallies of '34 and '35. (?)
III. The Cult of Hitler
A. In this section I would like to explore the obvious attempt on the part of Hitler to emulate a messianic figure. Was this exploitation of the religious? An attempt to replace religion? Is it possible that Hitler had Christian sensibilities in his approach to leading Germany?
B. Response of masses to Hitler (as exemplified at the Rallies).
1. triumphal entry at '34 Rally
IV. Symbolism at the Rallies
A. Swastika
1. origins
2. presence and use at Rallies
B. SS symbol
C. War ensign
D. Eagle
E. music
F. film - churches and church bells
[side note - this section needs to do a better job of differentiating between the Rallies]
V. Conclusion
~~~
On a random side note, here's an account of the rally of '36 that I found:
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/pt36dom.htm
~~~
To be honest, I feel like this outline needs some serious work yet before I can even think about sending it to my advisor. It seems too small and too much like the paper I wrote for Worlds Fairs and Spectacles. Perhaps the note I made in II.C. would help with that. That remains to be seen. I think I will sleep on this and work on it in a few days.
I am currently working on reading Positive Christianity. Although it may prove to be one of the more depressing things I've ever read personally speaking, I think it may be very useful for understanding how ordinary German Christians viewed Hitler's position in regard to Protestantism.
More to come, I'm sure. :)
...A potential outline it is! :)
Pandora on, check. Flash drive located, check. Notebook full of notes gathered, check. I'm ready.
Richard J. Evans' The Third Reich in Power profoundly influenced the way that I want to approach my topic. Although I still have a few key historians that I want to read (The Holy Reich by Steigmann-Gall being one), I think I might be ready to form some sort of hypothesis and very tentative game plan for where I specifically want this to go.
Some things I'm struggling with as I put this outline together:
a) how do I differentiate between Hitler himself as the dynamic leader of the Nazi movement and Party and eventually the German state and other leading Nazis' attitudes toward the subject? To what degree can one talk about the Nazis as a monolithic movement with one goal and one mind? Is it possible to talk about a relationship between the Third Reich and religion? Or is it too complex to even come to any conclusions? I almost think I need to focus almost entirely on Hitler - as the leader of the Party and of the state, his attitudes were crucial. Although other leading Nazis may have disagreed with him on the subject of religion, at the end of the day they all looked to him as Leader.
b) how do I make the Rallies center stage in this paper, and not just a big case study at the end? While I would like to come to my own conclusions independent of Evans and Stiegmann-Gall, I also want to make sure that this paper doesn't try to make too large of a claim for which I am not academically prepared. Is it okay to make the Rallies a case study? Or is there enough evidence about the mindset of planning and preparation that would offer me a clear look into a mindset free of propaganda and lies?
I. Intro/Hypothesis
A comparison of the Nuremberg Rally of 1934 and the Nuremberg Rally of 1935 offer a clear vision of the evolution of Nazi ideology, particularly in its official and unofficial stances toward Christianity. Whereas the 1934 Rally was preoccupied with religious symbolism, the 1935 Rally was preoccupied by preparation for war.
II. Hitler and the Church.
A. Protestantism and the German Christians
B. Catholicism
C. Racism's role in Christianity and Nazism [I am wondering if this and the next point couldn't be expanded into whole sections. The outline would then be something more along the lines of using the Rallies to shed light on the following topics: German Christianity (in the general sense) in the 1930s, racism, war, and the Cult of Hitler. Of course these topics were closely connected in Nazi ideology, which makes it difficult. For example, Christianity and racism were inseparable in Nazi ideology.]
D. The drive toward war
E. The reflection of all of this in the Rallies of '34 and '35. (?)
III. The Cult of Hitler
A. In this section I would like to explore the obvious attempt on the part of Hitler to emulate a messianic figure. Was this exploitation of the religious? An attempt to replace religion? Is it possible that Hitler had Christian sensibilities in his approach to leading Germany?
B. Response of masses to Hitler (as exemplified at the Rallies).
1. triumphal entry at '34 Rally
IV. Symbolism at the Rallies
A. Swastika
1. origins
2. presence and use at Rallies
B. SS symbol
C. War ensign
D. Eagle
E. music
F. film - churches and church bells
[side note - this section needs to do a better job of differentiating between the Rallies]
V. Conclusion
~~~
On a random side note, here's an account of the rally of '36 that I found:
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/pt36dom.htm
~~~
To be honest, I feel like this outline needs some serious work yet before I can even think about sending it to my advisor. It seems too small and too much like the paper I wrote for Worlds Fairs and Spectacles. Perhaps the note I made in II.C. would help with that. That remains to be seen. I think I will sleep on this and work on it in a few days.
I am currently working on reading Positive Christianity. Although it may prove to be one of the more depressing things I've ever read personally speaking, I think it may be very useful for understanding how ordinary German Christians viewed Hitler's position in regard to Protestantism.
More to come, I'm sure. :)
Monday, July 18, 2011
notes on Riefenstahl's Tag der Freiheit
The military nature of this film struck me from the beginning. Going into it I was expecting to see a focus on war, as German was beginning to gear up for war by this time. I was also expecting to see less religious focus than Triumph des Willens. We shall see.
Opens with pure military theme (swords, soldiers, camp, etc). The swastika is very prominent, just like TdW - although this doesn't necessarily mean anything since the swastika can take on different symbolic meaning depending on the time. It's religious undertones in the 1934 Rally could be taken over by military undertones in 1935. However, the next flag to fly is the War Ensign of Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichskriegsflagge The flag in this video appears to be one that was in use from 1933-35. What strikes me about the flag in use during these three years is the prominence of the cross in contrast to earlier AND later flags. In earlier flags an eagle takes center stage. In later Nazi flags, the swastika takes precedence. And yet, this flag has no swastika whatsoever.
Next, soldiers wake up to the reveille (sp) and get ready for the day. Following is a bunch of purely military stuff.
After a while the scene shifts and it is welcomed in by a trumpet sounding (woot trumpets! :P), a shot of an eagle/swastika combo, and then a shot of a bunch of swastika flags, followed by the war ensign again. It finally cuts to the rally itself. Crowds of people in stands, with swastika flags flying overhead. Quickly back to military crap again! This time some sort of combat (wish i knew more about war stuff). Lots of cannons and tanks and shooting and explosions. Planes. When it does leave war scenes, it goes to the swastika, the war ensign, or something else war related.
Interestingly, at the end of the second part (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubah0FFaCMk&feature=related) the war ensign is changed to the 1935-38 one. That is confusing...not sure why they had two flags in use. The second flag is interesting, though, because of it's combination of the iron cross and the swastika in one flag. Does this symbolize the Nazification of the military? Perhaps it does... that may be worth looking into.
This film is much shorter than Triumph des Willens. I won't complain. :)
Opens with pure military theme (swords, soldiers, camp, etc). The swastika is very prominent, just like TdW - although this doesn't necessarily mean anything since the swastika can take on different symbolic meaning depending on the time. It's religious undertones in the 1934 Rally could be taken over by military undertones in 1935. However, the next flag to fly is the War Ensign of Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichskriegsflagge The flag in this video appears to be one that was in use from 1933-35. What strikes me about the flag in use during these three years is the prominence of the cross in contrast to earlier AND later flags. In earlier flags an eagle takes center stage. In later Nazi flags, the swastika takes precedence. And yet, this flag has no swastika whatsoever.
Next, soldiers wake up to the reveille (sp) and get ready for the day. Following is a bunch of purely military stuff.
After a while the scene shifts and it is welcomed in by a trumpet sounding (woot trumpets! :P), a shot of an eagle/swastika combo, and then a shot of a bunch of swastika flags, followed by the war ensign again. It finally cuts to the rally itself. Crowds of people in stands, with swastika flags flying overhead. Quickly back to military crap again! This time some sort of combat (wish i knew more about war stuff). Lots of cannons and tanks and shooting and explosions. Planes. When it does leave war scenes, it goes to the swastika, the war ensign, or something else war related.
Interestingly, at the end of the second part (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubah0FFaCMk&feature=related) the war ensign is changed to the 1935-38 one. That is confusing...not sure why they had two flags in use. The second flag is interesting, though, because of it's combination of the iron cross and the swastika in one flag. Does this symbolize the Nazification of the military? Perhaps it does... that may be worth looking into.
This film is much shorter than Triumph des Willens. I won't complain. :)
launch!
I am currently working on completing my masters in history. This blog is mainly a fun way of documenting my progress - writing ideas in an environment with less pressure. It's also a fun way for friends and family who are interested to follow what I'm thinking, reading, and writing, if anyone is so inclined. So, here goes.
My thesis is going to revolve around the Nuremberg Party Rallies of the early to mid 1930s. I know for sure I will be using the 1934 Rally heavily - this Rally was where the ground breaking and controversial film Triumph of the Will was made by Leni Riefenstahl. I would like to examine the use of religious symbolism at the Rallies (comparing its use at the 1934 Rally to later ones) to answer the question of just how "Christian" Hitler and the Nazis were.
From a personal standpoint as a devoted Christian, I believe Hitler was the furthest thing possible from a Christian. And yet, there is no mistaking the "Christian" elements (at least institutionally and historically speaking) of the Rally and of Hitler's ideology. Many argue that he was simply exploiting the religion of the masses in order to win them. Perhaps this is the case, but I need to explore this more fully. For the first few years of the regime at least, Hitler was hopeful of uniting all of German Christianity under the banner of the German Christians (the official evangelical church in Germany under the Nazis). Although this may not have lasted into the mid and late 1930s, it was certainly the case early on. In addition, many German Christians (and others, for that matter) considered themselves supporters of National Socialism. So where did everything fall exactly? Is it possible to get past the propaganda and lies to expose the way that Hitler and other leading Nazis saw themselves in relation to the Church?
If you are interested in the Nuremberg Rallies, Leni Riefenstahl's movies are available on Youtube. It turns out she also made a film of the 1935 rally (something I just discovered tonight). The films are gripping, and at times the religious symbolism is unavoidably prominent. For example, in Triumph of the Will, Hitler's arrival in Nuremberg shares many similarities to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What was Hitler's motivations (and perhaps Riefenstahl's) for portraying himself in that light?
Here are the links:
1934 rally: Triumph des Willens
http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=BBfYncHshJc&feature=mv_sr
1935 rally: Tag der Freiheit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrQrrQ977qE&feature=related
~~~
As far as sources go, besides the above videos, I will be relying heavily on memoirs and diaries of Nazis and ordinary Germans. Examples include Shirer (he was an American war correspondent and journalist who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich as well as keeping a detailed diary of his experiences in Germany during the Third Reich), Victor Klemperer (a Jewish war veteran from Dresden who survived the war and wrote "The Language of the Third Reich" as well as leaving detailed diaries of his experiences as a Jew in Nazi Germany), and Albert Speer (a leading architect for Hitler who played a large role in planning the Nuremberg Rallies and who wrote a memoir). There are other diaries and such that I plan to look into, some of which are in German (which absolutely terrifies me, by the way).
I'm so excited to embark on this adventure. I've been waiting for so long to have the opportunity to write something of this breadth and length and I'm so ready. I have my thesis committee put together - I just have to figure out a proposal/outline and get it approved within the next few weeks and I'll be set to officially start in September! It should take me three quarters (I'll hopefully be graduating this coming June).
My thesis is going to revolve around the Nuremberg Party Rallies of the early to mid 1930s. I know for sure I will be using the 1934 Rally heavily - this Rally was where the ground breaking and controversial film Triumph of the Will was made by Leni Riefenstahl. I would like to examine the use of religious symbolism at the Rallies (comparing its use at the 1934 Rally to later ones) to answer the question of just how "Christian" Hitler and the Nazis were.
From a personal standpoint as a devoted Christian, I believe Hitler was the furthest thing possible from a Christian. And yet, there is no mistaking the "Christian" elements (at least institutionally and historically speaking) of the Rally and of Hitler's ideology. Many argue that he was simply exploiting the religion of the masses in order to win them. Perhaps this is the case, but I need to explore this more fully. For the first few years of the regime at least, Hitler was hopeful of uniting all of German Christianity under the banner of the German Christians (the official evangelical church in Germany under the Nazis). Although this may not have lasted into the mid and late 1930s, it was certainly the case early on. In addition, many German Christians (and others, for that matter) considered themselves supporters of National Socialism. So where did everything fall exactly? Is it possible to get past the propaganda and lies to expose the way that Hitler and other leading Nazis saw themselves in relation to the Church?
If you are interested in the Nuremberg Rallies, Leni Riefenstahl's movies are available on Youtube. It turns out she also made a film of the 1935 rally (something I just discovered tonight). The films are gripping, and at times the religious symbolism is unavoidably prominent. For example, in Triumph of the Will, Hitler's arrival in Nuremberg shares many similarities to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What was Hitler's motivations (and perhaps Riefenstahl's) for portraying himself in that light?
Here are the links:
1934 rally: Triumph des Willens
http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=BBfYncHshJc&feature=mv_sr
1935 rally: Tag der Freiheit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrQrrQ977qE&feature=related
~~~
As far as sources go, besides the above videos, I will be relying heavily on memoirs and diaries of Nazis and ordinary Germans. Examples include Shirer (he was an American war correspondent and journalist who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich as well as keeping a detailed diary of his experiences in Germany during the Third Reich), Victor Klemperer (a Jewish war veteran from Dresden who survived the war and wrote "The Language of the Third Reich" as well as leaving detailed diaries of his experiences as a Jew in Nazi Germany), and Albert Speer (a leading architect for Hitler who played a large role in planning the Nuremberg Rallies and who wrote a memoir). There are other diaries and such that I plan to look into, some of which are in German (which absolutely terrifies me, by the way).
I'm so excited to embark on this adventure. I've been waiting for so long to have the opportunity to write something of this breadth and length and I'm so ready. I have my thesis committee put together - I just have to figure out a proposal/outline and get it approved within the next few weeks and I'll be set to officially start in September! It should take me three quarters (I'll hopefully be graduating this coming June).
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