Hitler and the Germans
In the article “Hitler and the Germans,” Ian
Kershaw describes seven key contributors to the almost mythological popularity
of Adolf Hitler during the rise of Nazi power in Germany. The construction of
this “Fuhrer cult around Hitler” is Kershaw’s main theme (p. 43). Kershaw points
out how the Nazis used Hitler to consolidate their own power in Germany and how
eventually, Hitler “came to believe in his own myth,” which later came to impair
his judgment (Kershaw, p. 55). Kershaw suggests that it was Hitler being used by
the Nazi party, rather than the more commonly held belief that Hitler used the
Nazis to elevate himself to the position of Fuhrer. I had never considered this
possibility and found Kershaw’s argument intriguing. I could even detect a hint
of sympathy for Hitler in Kershaw’s tone, which is unusual.
Kershaw
points out that even with Hitler’s public speaking expertise, his “mediocre,”
sometimes “bizarre” and “wholly unpleasant” personality seems unable to account
for his “extraordinary impact” (Kershaw, p. 41). Kershaw shows how the Nazi
Party turned Hitler into “the Symbol of the Nation” by capitalizing on a few
basic facts (eg. he was a solider; he was a common man, etc.) and spinning them
into fantastic proportions (p. 46). There is no doubt that propaganda played a
key role and Kershaw acknowledges that “Nazi propaganda … enjoyed a virtual
monopoly within Germany” (p. 46). Goebbels was responsible for Nazi propaganda,
and he claimed “in 1941 that the creation of the Hitler myth was his greatest
propaganda achievement” (p. 47). Still, propaganda can only do so much.
For
readers already familiar with German history, Kershaw does a decent job of
detailing the various factors that bolstered the popularity of Hitler, which
simultaneously benefited the Nazi agenda. However, without prior knowledge of
the historical background, I’m not sure I would have fully appreciated Kershaw’s
view. For example, Kershaw refers to the “Weimar political system and leadership
[being] utterly bankrupt,” (p. 45) and to the “extreme fragmentation of Weimar
politics” and the “total failure of Weimar democracy” (p. 42), as well as the
significance of the “Nazi party’s breakthrough in the 1930 election” (p. 43).
However, my prior knowledge of how Germany’s multiple political parties made the
Weimar government incapable of making decisions may have helped me recognize the
importance of that background information more than Kershaw’s passing comments.
To be fair, such in depth detail was probably beyond the scope of this article’s
purpose.
In addition, we learned in Lecture 9 of our Class Notes and our
other readings this semester that political “disorder” would have been very
unsettling to the “orderly” German people (Hoerle). When the Nazis became the
largest political party in the Reichstag (Parliament), it seemed like “order had
been restored” (Kershaw, p. 46). This accomplishment, coupled with the economic
strides being made, would have lent credibility to Hitler’s “Superman” image
beyond mere propaganda (Kershaw, p. 41). The Nazis surrounded Hitler with
“toadies, flatterers and sycophants,” which “bolstered [his] increasing
detachment from reality” (Kershaw, p. 54). Even though a few groups never did
support Hitler, it took military defeats, particularly in Stalingrad, to finally
turn “the tide of Hitler’s popularity,” and with its decline, the Nazi party
also lost its power (Kershaw, p. 53). The two were unalterably linked.
I
might have missed something, but I enjoyed this article more than the others we
critiqued this semester. It was well-organized and provided a unique perspective
(at least one I was unfamiliar with). I found Kershaw’s article very interesting
and insightful, and I think it makes a significant contribution to our
historical understanding of Hitler and the Third Reich.
Kershaw, Ian.
“Hitler and the Germans.” In Richard Bessel, ed.
Life in the Third Reich.
Oxford University Press. pp. 41-55.
Hoerle, Dr. W.S. “Guilt and
Conformity: The Value Biases of the Stettin Gestapo, 1934-43”
University of
Massachusetts Lowell, 43.373 Nazi Germany - Sec 031 SU12R
Friday, July 27, 2012
Embedding in our Webpage
This is our final week.
We learned how to embed games, google maps, news, and Zoho documents into the web page we started at the beginning of this class.
It really has been an interesting experience.
I also looked through other people's web pages and left feedback for them. There are several people in this class that are much more experienced than I am. I had a hard time thinking of an interactive web page, but I thought the idea of an education tool, especially for kids with learning disabilities would be very helpful. My nephew has a learning disability and likes working on the computer a lot better than trying to do work sheets or read from a book. The interactive games the school uses are ok, but I think they could probably be more creative.
I've been reading about kids with autism using computers to communicate with the outside world. I think that would be a very good application. Some kids that are autistic cannot speak, so being able to use a touch screen or something that is less difficult than a keyboard, would be very helpful for them.
We learned how to embed games, google maps, news, and Zoho documents into the web page we started at the beginning of this class.
It really has been an interesting experience.
I also looked through other people's web pages and left feedback for them. There are several people in this class that are much more experienced than I am. I had a hard time thinking of an interactive web page, but I thought the idea of an education tool, especially for kids with learning disabilities would be very helpful. My nephew has a learning disability and likes working on the computer a lot better than trying to do work sheets or read from a book. The interactive games the school uses are ok, but I think they could probably be more creative.
I've been reading about kids with autism using computers to communicate with the outside world. I think that would be a very good application. Some kids that are autistic cannot speak, so being able to use a touch screen or something that is less difficult than a keyboard, would be very helpful for them.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Hitler's Legacy
This week we were asked if it was fair to remember Hitler only as a monster, when he did so much good for the recovery of Germany after World War I.
It is totally "appropriate" to remember, and never ever forget the horrific murders Hitler and the Nazis committed. It's a kind of twisted irony that whatever "good" Hitler accomplished for Germany, actually helped him achieve the power he needed to carry out his diabolical plans. Perhaps, as we learned before, his original plan was to just deport all the Jews, but when that didn't work out, Hitler and the Nazis devised the "final solution" and herded helpless people into gas chambers.
From our readings about Hitler's early life in Austria, we know he was exposed to a culture of anti-Semitism and the hatred he absorbed became part of his driving ambition. Sure, Hitler deeply resented the Jews and saw them as very real enemies of Germany and as a threat to their way of life. But that can't possibly justify the cruel torture of children and women. There was great care to keep it as secret as possible, but the executioners and the soldiers involved did know what was going on. When reading about the "inefficiency" of the gas vans, we read that: "Endless screaming and pleading made for a terrible, terrible scene that even willful executioners found difficult to bear" (Hoerle, Lec. 12). But instead of stopping the horrific slaughter, they found a more efficient way to kill Jews more quickly and with less fuss! Cold.
Hitler's true legacy could never be any of the improvements to Germany he made during the Third Reich. His real legacy was that the descendants and relatives of German speaking people would have to live with "guilt by association" for generations.
That is, for those who lived. Millions of peaceful ethnic Germans living outside of Germany were also murdered during a backlash of hostilities toward them after the war, but nobody cares. That's the unfortunate legacy Hitler left for German descendants to deal with ... and to live down.
It is totally "appropriate" to remember, and never ever forget the horrific murders Hitler and the Nazis committed. It's a kind of twisted irony that whatever "good" Hitler accomplished for Germany, actually helped him achieve the power he needed to carry out his diabolical plans. Perhaps, as we learned before, his original plan was to just deport all the Jews, but when that didn't work out, Hitler and the Nazis devised the "final solution" and herded helpless people into gas chambers.
From our readings about Hitler's early life in Austria, we know he was exposed to a culture of anti-Semitism and the hatred he absorbed became part of his driving ambition. Sure, Hitler deeply resented the Jews and saw them as very real enemies of Germany and as a threat to their way of life. But that can't possibly justify the cruel torture of children and women. There was great care to keep it as secret as possible, but the executioners and the soldiers involved did know what was going on. When reading about the "inefficiency" of the gas vans, we read that: "Endless screaming and pleading made for a terrible, terrible scene that even willful executioners found difficult to bear" (Hoerle, Lec. 12). But instead of stopping the horrific slaughter, they found a more efficient way to kill Jews more quickly and with less fuss! Cold.
Hitler's true legacy could never be any of the improvements to Germany he made during the Third Reich. His real legacy was that the descendants and relatives of German speaking people would have to live with "guilt by association" for generations.
That is, for those who lived. Millions of peaceful ethnic Germans living outside of Germany were also murdered during a backlash of hostilities toward them after the war, but nobody cares. That's the unfortunate legacy Hitler left for German descendants to deal with ... and to live down.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
jQuery
This week we learned about another JavaScript tool called jQuery that was started by John Resig. It's supposed to be a simple way to create interesting websites. We watched a video with instructions and then had to build some of the interactive features into our web page.
I looked at what other people had been doing and tried to get some ideas for a desktop application that could be a good candidate for a website application. I also left feedback for them on the Discussions Forum.
When looking at the Demos for jQuery, I did think that the "Dragable" and "Sortable" features would be helpful at work. If we could drag the information from Project Management and see it next to the Shipping and Receiving information, it would be much easier to see what shipments were expected, and which ones were a priority to get out. Our biggest problem seems to be communication and coordinating between the departments. The "Dropable" feature would also be really helpful for printing labels, which require certain information be there due to government regulations. The software we have now to do these things is not as efficient. This would be more of an intranet function.
I think doing something web based might be helpful for our clients and customers, to see when there items have been received, or shipped. Something similar to what UPS uses, like a tracking feature for keeping track of shipments.
I looked at what other people had been doing and tried to get some ideas for a desktop application that could be a good candidate for a website application. I also left feedback for them on the Discussions Forum.
When looking at the Demos for jQuery, I did think that the "Dragable" and "Sortable" features would be helpful at work. If we could drag the information from Project Management and see it next to the Shipping and Receiving information, it would be much easier to see what shipments were expected, and which ones were a priority to get out. Our biggest problem seems to be communication and coordinating between the departments. The "Dropable" feature would also be really helpful for printing labels, which require certain information be there due to government regulations. The software we have now to do these things is not as efficient. This would be more of an intranet function.
I think doing something web based might be helpful for our clients and customers, to see when there items have been received, or shipped. Something similar to what UPS uses, like a tracking feature for keeping track of shipments.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Hitler expands Germany while the allies watch
Why didn't the allies stop Hitler when he violated the terms & conditions of the Treaty of Versailles? Why did they let Germany annex Austria and key parts of Czechoslovakia?
France didn't mind being a bully, and taking over Germany's industrial sector (the Ruhr), by using the treaty of Versailles to justify strangling the German economy. "The Ruhr was the industrial heart of Germany; To cut off these resources from the rest of Germany, as the French proceeded to do, was to bring the economic ife of the whole country to a standstill" (Remak 90). As long as the Germans were willing to submit to the harsh conditions of the treaty, the French were going to take full advantage of it. But when push came to shove, and Hitler stood up to France and her allies at The Disarmament Treaty in 1933, they backed down. France proved they didn't have the stomach to enforce the terms of the treaty. "In March 1935, Hitler declared that Germany was no longer bound by the Versailles strictures regarding its military ...but none of the signatories—first and foremost France—did anything" (Hoerle, Lec. 10).
On top of that, in "the following month Britain went on to negotiate an agreement that would allow Germany to build a navy up to 35% of the size of the British navy" (Hoerle, Lec. 10). France saw as a traitorous move but they were unwilling to take on Germany themselves. It was clear from these reactions that the countries involved in the Treaty did not see Germany's re-armament as a real threat (at that point in time) and they were unwilling to get involved in another war after suffering so many casualties of their own during World War I. It wasn't worth the trouble.
Hitler was allowed to annex Austria because no other European country was willing to join Austria in her fight to stay independent from Germany. "Believing that Austria was not worth a war, Britain and France informed the unfortunate chancellor [Schuschnigg] that they would not help in the event of a German invasion. Schuschnigg then resigned, and Austrian Nazis began to take control of the government. Under the cover of 'preventing violence,' Hitler ordered his troops into Austria" (Hoerle, Lec. 10). So the allies turned their backs on Austria. They weren't worth fighting for.
Hitler was allowed to re-claim parts of Czechoslovakia, because the ethnic German people living there (the Sudeten Germans) did not want to be part of a minority in a Slavic country, where they were being subjected to discrimination. The Czech army might have moved against Hitler with some backing, but "British officials believed that the Sudeten Germans were, indeed, a suppressed minority entitled to self-determination... Sudetenland...was not worth a war...[so] they decided to negotiate and convinced the French to do the same" at the Munich conference in 1938. The Czechs just let it go.
In short, the allies did nothing to stop Germany for a couple of key reasons. One, was they figured she was beaten and no real threat anymore. For instance, Britain thought it would take many years for Germany to build up their navy, even to the 35% limit. Secondly, the allies also saw German people wanting to unite with other ethnic German people (Sudetenland and Austria) as "not their problem." It was just a "German" issue and not worth France or Great Britain, or anyone else risking their own people or finances to resolve. No one thought it was worth the trouble.
There was really no way they could have imagined the scope of Hitler's plans at that point, but they also made a conscious choice not to come to the aid of the Austrian chancellor, and that was a weak move.
France didn't mind being a bully, and taking over Germany's industrial sector (the Ruhr), by using the treaty of Versailles to justify strangling the German economy. "The Ruhr was the industrial heart of Germany; To cut off these resources from the rest of Germany, as the French proceeded to do, was to bring the economic ife of the whole country to a standstill" (Remak 90). As long as the Germans were willing to submit to the harsh conditions of the treaty, the French were going to take full advantage of it. But when push came to shove, and Hitler stood up to France and her allies at The Disarmament Treaty in 1933, they backed down. France proved they didn't have the stomach to enforce the terms of the treaty. "In March 1935, Hitler declared that Germany was no longer bound by the Versailles strictures regarding its military ...but none of the signatories—first and foremost France—did anything" (Hoerle, Lec. 10).
On top of that, in "the following month Britain went on to negotiate an agreement that would allow Germany to build a navy up to 35% of the size of the British navy" (Hoerle, Lec. 10). France saw as a traitorous move but they were unwilling to take on Germany themselves. It was clear from these reactions that the countries involved in the Treaty did not see Germany's re-armament as a real threat (at that point in time) and they were unwilling to get involved in another war after suffering so many casualties of their own during World War I. It wasn't worth the trouble.
Hitler was allowed to annex Austria because no other European country was willing to join Austria in her fight to stay independent from Germany. "Believing that Austria was not worth a war, Britain and France informed the unfortunate chancellor [Schuschnigg] that they would not help in the event of a German invasion. Schuschnigg then resigned, and Austrian Nazis began to take control of the government. Under the cover of 'preventing violence,' Hitler ordered his troops into Austria" (Hoerle, Lec. 10). So the allies turned their backs on Austria. They weren't worth fighting for.
Hitler was allowed to re-claim parts of Czechoslovakia, because the ethnic German people living there (the Sudeten Germans) did not want to be part of a minority in a Slavic country, where they were being subjected to discrimination. The Czech army might have moved against Hitler with some backing, but "British officials believed that the Sudeten Germans were, indeed, a suppressed minority entitled to self-determination... Sudetenland...was not worth a war...[so] they decided to negotiate and convinced the French to do the same" at the Munich conference in 1938. The Czechs just let it go.
In short, the allies did nothing to stop Germany for a couple of key reasons. One, was they figured she was beaten and no real threat anymore. For instance, Britain thought it would take many years for Germany to build up their navy, even to the 35% limit. Secondly, the allies also saw German people wanting to unite with other ethnic German people (Sudetenland and Austria) as "not their problem." It was just a "German" issue and not worth France or Great Britain, or anyone else risking their own people or finances to resolve. No one thought it was worth the trouble.
There was really no way they could have imagined the scope of Hitler's plans at that point, but they also made a conscious choice not to come to the aid of the Austrian chancellor, and that was a weak move.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Javascprit
I posted the link to my javascript page:
http://ceweb.uml.edu/mfroe96697/Internet/javascript.html
as well as my regular index page:
http://ceweb.uml.edu/mfroe96697/Internet/index.html
I included my idea for using an interactive webpage like this for work, where we really need better communication between our departments. Our Project Management team can let us in the warehouse and Receivables know what is going to be delivered, and if we have to have freezer space or other precautions ready. This would also be good for Receivables to stay in touch with Shipping, so that specific requirements could be noted.
In addition, I posted feedback for three of my classmates. I was very impressed with the wide range of potential applications people came up with for using this kind of interactive web page.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
This week we were asked to state our reactions to an article about the Gestapo agents at work in a town called Stettin in Germany. The article painted a picture of "regular," family guys with minimal education , who methodically and obsessively investigated targets of Nazi suspicion, like the Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals and of course, Jews. It was surprising to see that they let some people go, if they were hard working, "orderly" individuals.
I honestly had no idea that there were any Jehovah's Witnesses or Seventh Day Adventists in Germany at that time (or even now). I always thought of those religious sects as American groups, so that was one surprise.
My impression of Gestapo agents conformed to the stereotyped image of merciless Nazi bigots, so Prof. Hoerle's lecture did challenge me to think of them as ordinary people. This week's lecture showed that the Stettin Gestapo officers were just regular guys with an unusual job. As Prof. Hoerle points out in this week's lecture, the strongest Nazi supporters came from "Germany's lower-middle classes" and the Stettin Gestapo agents were representative of this group, valuing "order, familiarity, and consistency" (Lec. 9). I'm only 1/2 German, born in the U.S.A. but I know all about their cultural bias toward "orderliness" and hard work. It was really fascinating to see how their orderly world view affected their decision to arrest a particular suspect or not. Being a lazy mess was even more repugnant to them than being a member of one of their (non-Jewish) targeted groups. I was also not surprised at the realization that the Gestapo, and Germans in general, have an "excessive obsession with details" (Hoerle, Lec. 9). I remember hearing in a movie about the Nuremberg Trials that the German's own meticulous record keeping provided the most startling evidence against them.
It made me think about our people in Homeland Security, the TSA agents at the airport, and how cops use "racial profiling" (even though they're not supposed to) in an effort to keep us all "safe." I'm sure they all bring their own biases and cultural conditioning to their jobs also. They are also typically representative of the lower middle class, like the Stettin Gestapo. It also made me think about that Stanford University psychology experiment where volunteers acted as prisoners and guards. Given human tendencies toward abusing power when given the chance, the Gestapo officers actually showed surprising restraint. I believed they would have been more likely to seize any small opportunity to throw the targets of their persecution into the concentration camps. As it turned out, the only group that was not going to be spared no matter how "orderly" was the Jews. "When it came to the Jews, certain qualities that the Stettin Gestapo upheld in good “Aryans” did not apply" (Hoerle, lec. 9). Apparently, racism trumps orderliness.
I honestly had no idea that there were any Jehovah's Witnesses or Seventh Day Adventists in Germany at that time (or even now). I always thought of those religious sects as American groups, so that was one surprise.
My impression of Gestapo agents conformed to the stereotyped image of merciless Nazi bigots, so Prof. Hoerle's lecture did challenge me to think of them as ordinary people. This week's lecture showed that the Stettin Gestapo officers were just regular guys with an unusual job. As Prof. Hoerle points out in this week's lecture, the strongest Nazi supporters came from "Germany's lower-middle classes" and the Stettin Gestapo agents were representative of this group, valuing "order, familiarity, and consistency" (Lec. 9). I'm only 1/2 German, born in the U.S.A. but I know all about their cultural bias toward "orderliness" and hard work. It was really fascinating to see how their orderly world view affected their decision to arrest a particular suspect or not. Being a lazy mess was even more repugnant to them than being a member of one of their (non-Jewish) targeted groups. I was also not surprised at the realization that the Gestapo, and Germans in general, have an "excessive obsession with details" (Hoerle, Lec. 9). I remember hearing in a movie about the Nuremberg Trials that the German's own meticulous record keeping provided the most startling evidence against them.
It made me think about our people in Homeland Security, the TSA agents at the airport, and how cops use "racial profiling" (even though they're not supposed to) in an effort to keep us all "safe." I'm sure they all bring their own biases and cultural conditioning to their jobs also. They are also typically representative of the lower middle class, like the Stettin Gestapo. It also made me think about that Stanford University psychology experiment where volunteers acted as prisoners and guards. Given human tendencies toward abusing power when given the chance, the Gestapo officers actually showed surprising restraint. I believed they would have been more likely to seize any small opportunity to throw the targets of their persecution into the concentration camps. As it turned out, the only group that was not going to be spared no matter how "orderly" was the Jews. "When it came to the Jews, certain qualities that the Stettin Gestapo upheld in good “Aryans” did not apply" (Hoerle, lec. 9). Apparently, racism trumps orderliness.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
JOT FORMS
This week we learned about JotForm
which is a free, web based form builder for obtaining feedback, that anyone with an internet connection
can use. It uses drag and drop so it is
easy to create feedback forms, integrate them to your site and receive responses by
email or by logging into your JotForm account and checking the
submissions. Obtaining feedback is important because you can improve your web page if you get constructive criticism, or at least you'll know that people are finding your information helpful and easy to follow, if you get positive feedback.
Our assignment this week
was to build an online feedback form using the JotForm template, and add it to our web site. We also had to post our link to it in the Discussion Forum, to invite our classmates to complete the form.
It is a pretty basic template
with an optional field for your email address, a text area, a ratings box, and
a submit button.
This assignment was not too
difficult. I followed the tutorial and
the instructions. I have submitted
feedback forms for three of my classmates, but I'm still waiting for a
classmate or two to provide me with feedback about my page. Since the assignment is due tonight, and we
are experiencing thunder storms, I'm hoping I get some feedback soon!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Consider and evaluate, based on the two lectures I provided this week, the accuracy of the following statement:
"The history of Nazi actions against the Jews proceeded systematically: Hitler came to power and, as soon as the chance arose, he and his minions began instituting a well determined, preconceived plan that had been drawn up over the past ten years. Between 1923 and 1933, Nazi 'Jewish experts' had ample opportunity to study the true situation of the Jews in Germany and, therefore, were well prepared to proceed based on facts and information derived from an empirical examination of the so-called 'Jewish problem.'"
The quote provided is only partially true. It's no secret that Hitler and the Nazis hated the Jews, and they did seem to proceed "systematically" as soon as "Hitler came to power" to take care of their perceived "Jewish problem." However, the Lecture Notes show how it's not 100% accurate that the Nazis really understood the "situation of the Jews in Germany," or that they were "well prepared to proceed" with their diabolical plans.
The "intentionalist" historians like Lucy Davidowicz have Hitler's own words in "Mein Kampf" to prove that for a long time he had imagined "Hebrew corrupters" being "held under poison gas" (Hoerle, lec. 7). However, most other historians, like Karl Schleunes, show how Nazi plans were actually more "topsy-turvy" and a "disorganized series of actions," or as he called it, a "twisted path" (Hoerle lec. 7). One example was the boycott of Jewish businesses in 1933, which did not work out like the Nazi's intended. The boycott was damaging to Germany's already shaky finances, and the German public found open brutality against the Jews distasteful. At that point, Hitler did not want any opposition from the public, so he stopped the boycott after only a day. Any likely criticism of Nazi activities died with Hindenberg in 1934, and "harrassment of the Jews on the streets" increased (Hoerle, lec. 7). However, even the passage of the "Nuremberg Laws" in 1935, shows a lack of thorough understanding by the so-called "Jewish experts", since just defining what it meant to be considered "Jewish" became so convoluted. It was after 1935 that the Nazis went full throttle against the "Jewish problem," but their "Jewish experts" still didn't really understand the complexities of the German economy. The involvement of Jewish businesses with foreign investors and/or "Aryan" partners made it more difficult for the Nazis to take wealth away from the Jews, and their ignorance delayed their plans for several years. In particular, the "Nazis were surprised to learn that some of Germany's greatest armaments manufacturers were largely owned by 'Jews'" (Hoerle, lec. 8). That certainly weakens the credibility of their alleged "Jewish experts."
The next phase was to get rid of the Jews by forcing them to leave Germany. However, " The problem was—and the Nazis had never thought of this—that no country would take them unless the emigrants could prove that they had resources (i.e., money) equal to their needs" (Hoerle, lec. 8). Since the whole point was to take wealth away from the Jews and keep it inside Germany, their forced "emigration policy ran into obstacle after obstacle" (Hoerle, lec. 8). Again, the Nazi "experts" seemed neither "well prepared" nor especially well-informed about how to accomplish this goal.
Based on this significant error, I wonder if Auschwitz would have even occurred, if other countries had been willing to take in the penniless Jewish refugees? Did those countries ever express any regrets for refusing to grant them asylum? The Nazis seemed intent on getting rid of the Jews, but their objective -- at this point in time -- seemed more focused on expelling them rather than exterminating them.
The Nazis were finally able to get some Jews settled into places like Palestine and Argentina, thanks to the efforts of Adolf Eichmann, but many Jews still remained inside German borders. It was Eichmann who later orchestrated the "final solution" to the "Jewish question" of how to rid Germany of the Jews (Hoerle, lec. 8). The beginning of the end took place on "Kristallnacht" (night of broken glass) in November of 1938, when "the most acute violence against Jews in Germany since the Middle Ages exploded" (Hoerle, lec 8). Auschwitz now loomed around the corner.
After all we've learned, there's little doubt that Hitler and the Nazis couldn't wait to get the Jews out of Germany, and didn't have any qualms at all about using ruthless violence. It's just that their plans and methods were not as well thought out or prepared from the beginning of their fiendish campaign, as this quote claims.
Hoerle, Professor W. Scott. Lecture Notes: 7 "The Twisted Road to Auschwitz" Part I; and 8 "The Twisted Road to Auschwitz" Part II – UML - Nazi Germany. Section 031-SU12R
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Review of Richard Bessel's Article on Nazi Violence
In “Political
Violence and the Nazi Seizure of Power,” Richard Bessel examines the role violence
played in helping Hitler and the Nazi party gain control of Germany in 1933. Bessel’s article is more exploratory than
persuasive. About midway through the
article, Bessel says the question is: “how important was political violence for
putting Nazis in the saddle?” (p. 6). Later,
he asks: “Who … was responsible for the
wave of violence on which the Nazi’s rode to power … and why did it occur?” (p.
12). Bessel admits that “the answers to
these questions are far from clear” (p. 12).
One could say the same about the presentation of this article. However, the point seems to come at the end,
where Bessel discusses the “paradox” of Nazi violence as being both a promise
of “radical change” while also “upholding … traditional values”; appealing to
both “roughness and respectability;” and perhaps most significantly, providing
an opportunity for unemployed young men to “prove their manliness,” while also giving
structure to their lives (p. 15). These
apparent contradictions make this article a little difficult to follow, but
also provide an insightful perspective about this critical moment in history.
Initially,
Bessel says that historical views of Germany’s transfer of power to Hitler as
being mostly peaceful, is “rather disingenuous” since the “Nazi activists did
not shrink from violence; indeed they gloried in it” (Bessel, p. 1). Bessel then describes several instances of
S.A. storm trooper, “terror tactics” against Nazi opposition from the
Communists and the powerful trade unions (p. 4). Bessel implies that the views of other
historical writers, such as Alan Bullock, reduced the role of S.A. brutality to
mere “backstairs intrigue” (p. 2).
Therefore, Bessel seems to be pointing to “the spontaneous attacks by
marauding bands of storm troopers,” as being a vital factor in Hitler’s
takeover of Germany (p. 5). In a related
theme, Bessel implies that if Nazi opposition from the Communists and Social
Democrats could have formed some kind of alliance, they might have been able to
stop Hitler’s plans. However, he then
states that even if the “Left united and made a stand the outcome would [not]
have been much better” (p. 5).
Later,
Bessel paints the storm trooper “terror campaign,” as a kind of testing the waters of their opposition,
one that the Nazi party could “take full advantage of” when they were
successful, but could also be safely “disowned” if the “violent outbursts” met “stiff
opposition” (p.7). Bessel ends by
stating that the “storm troopers generally steered well clear of out-and-out
terrorism” and says the “violence in which the Nazis were engaged” was “limited”
(p.15). He provides detailed examples
that support all claims being made, which could make Bessel’s overall argument seem
either confusing or very thorough, depending on the reader’s view.
The
message I understood from Bessel’s article is that young, macho, out of work
guys who made up the majority of the S.A. at that time, might not have behaved as
fanatically as the Irish IRA, or Al Queda
(at that point), but they certainly didn’t mind beating up or killing men
that were in Hitler’s way. The Nazi show
of force was strategic, and certainly helped to eliminate Hitler’s enemies, but
excessive destruction would have shifted public opinion against the Nazis in
those critical early days. Since most of
the political gains Hitler made were done within the law, a violent upheaval of
German society was not necessary and would have been detrimental to his ultimate
goals. While the presentation of
Bessel’s article can seem a little confusing, that’s because the role that
violence played in Hitler’s rise to power is complicated. Bessel refers to it as “hooliganism,” and
that’s as good a label as any (p. 15).
It is an important contribution to the history of this time period,
because it does present all the facets involved.
Bessel,
Richard. “Political Violence and the Nazi Seizure of Power.” Life in the Third
Reich. Oxford Univ. Press. 1987.
Pp. 1 – 15.
Web Applications
This week we were asked to post a review of a web application that we have had experience with, and to provide feedback regarding other people's experiences.
I chose to post about monster.com. Monster.com provides a way to get your resume published, and also allows you to look at jobs that are open and decide whether or not you want to submit your resume for consideration. I've been told that it's considered a search engine, because you can look for jobs, but it's also a web application because you can build a resume online and cover letters and get career advice.
Monster.com is free, and helps you go through all the steps to build one resume or several, and design cover letters that you can also save. It's pretty convenient, and you can update new information to your online resume(s), or customize the content for particular jobs.
You can allow it to be published, in which case you might get lots of emails from employers that you are not interested in, as well as advertisements from schools, etc. which can clog your inbox. That part is annoying. Another downside is if your current employer happens to come across your resume, you might get in trouble.
An alternative is to just keep your resume private, and only submit it to the positions that you're interested in.
On monster.com you can select search features for jobs available in a particular industry, and/or a geographic area, as well as for your experience level. A list of jobs matching your search criteria will come up (hopefully), and you can see the date that they were published, so you know how long the search has been open. A downside here is if you apply to positions that have been open for a while, it might already be closed, but the employer hasn't updated that information yet. You can also research about the company (if it's revealed), or read more about the job description and qualifications.
The most convenient part is that you can upload your saved resume and immediately apply to any job opening that you are interested in.
One classmate posted a reply to my review. He said:
I used Monster.com in the past and I always thought it was a very user-friendly application. I think I used it for the first time in 2000, and even back then it provided most of the main features found on the current site. I really like the career advice section of the site, which helps you write your resume and prepare for an interview. A lot of other sites have either copied or linked to Monster's database for posting jobs. A good example of that is the USAJOBS.gov website, which I have been using frequently in the last few years. The design for this site was based on Monster's, and if I remember correctly, they used to link to Monster's database in the past, but now they host the data in their own servers. The process for posting your resume on this site is almost identical to the steps you follow in Monster.
Another posted this reply:
I used Monster.com when I was searching for a job a couple of years ago and found the most frustrating aspect of this site (like you stated) was the fact that many of the position that were out there were older positions that had already been closed. However, through searching this site, I gained a better perspective of what employers were looking for and what I might actually qualify for.
One classmate posted about the Turbo Tax application. He said:
I chose to review Turbo Tax for PC simply because I used it in the past and am planning on using it again this year. Unlike my “go to guy” on taxes, who interrogates me before choosing the right form, Turbo Tax software will have enabled me to skip questions that do not apply to my situation, thus expediting the process. The IRS forms such as 1040 EZ and 1040 are filled out step by step, eliminating a possibility of missing a question. Many employers participate in the Turbotax programs, so information pertaining to the employer is often filled in automatically, without the need to type it in. Turbo Tax is compatible with other PC software as well, so the data from such programs as Quicken loans and Microsoft Money can be imported and used during the process. To decrease the likelihood of a mistake, Turbo Tax has a Smart Check Scan aimed at identifying various errors and, in the event that IRS penalizes me, Turbo Tax will pay it in full. One feature I myself like in particular, is that Turbo Tax allows to see the amount of a refund while working on the return, so I understand what fluctuations in my refund are due to.
My reply to his review was:
My family members and I have also been using Turbo Tax for several years and it is pretty easy to use. My tax situation is not at all complicated, so it makes more sense to use Turbo Tax than pay money to an accountant to fill out the form. However, if you have any kinds of complications, you have to be careful. As an example, when my dad retired, there was some confusion about his retirement income on the form for the state of NJ, (not the federal), and that resulted in a penalty that Turbo Tax did not cover. The way the questions were worded on the form weren't very helpful, but ambiguous enough that they claimed no liability. It wasn't a big deal money wise, but if your tax situation is not fairly routine, you might need more advice.
Another student posted this review about the web application called "Quicken":
After many years of trying to keep track of our finances through excel spread sheets, my husband and decided to use Quicken 2011 as our online financial manager, albeit with a lot of frustration. With Quicken we are suppose to be able to organize/manage our finances through our bank online. However, this software is lacking. Quicken advertises that you can view all of your debts and accounts in one location, which is true, if you have the time/patience to type this information into Quicken yourself. We have also had issues downloading our financial information from our bank through this program and when this occurs a lot of confusion comes about as to what we really have and don't have in our accounts. The customer service between Amazon and Quicken is lacking as well. If you download the software through Amazon it is definitely cheaper but you get what you pay for. In my case, I had to chase Quicken down for any questions I had regarding the program. I emailed Quicken recently but have yet to receive a response from them. Amazon is difficult to get in touch with as well and not very helpful. If you decide to purchase Quicken 2011, take my advice and physically purchase the software.
My reply was:
I went to their official site - quicken.intuit.com - and decided that I really don't need anything like this right now. I've only got one credit card, and can keep track of my expenses by looking at my bank statements, as I have everything set up for automatic payments, deposits, etc. My life is pretty simple at this point, and you make a good case for keeping it that way!
There's another, similar website at www.manilla.com that claims to be a free way to manage bills and so on, but I'm always a little skeptical about giving out too much of my financial information online. Bad enough I have to do it with the bank.
Another classmate posted this review about EZtaxreturn.com:
I chose EZ Tax return as my web application. Before I got married in 2006 I always went to H&R block or Jackson Hewitt to have my taxes done. I always had the fear of the IRS coming to get me if I didn’t input the right information since I never did the taxes on my own. My wife introduced me to EZ Tax return when it was time for do our taxes together and after sitting down with her while she did our taxes, I must say it’s not that hard to complete them once you get the hang of it. Only if I knew about the site before I could have saved $120.00 to $130.00 every year before I got married. Here is the website.
www.eztaxreturn.com
My reply to his post was:
I've been using TurboTax and this looks similar. I think these are useful tools for people who have simple tax situations. I know that Turbo Tax recently upgraded to having a "help" line where you can ask questions, and they have a tutorial to help newbies navigate tax forms. EZ tax doesn't require downloading any software, while Turbo Tax does. The software for simple, federal forms is free, but you have to pay for electronic filing anyway. That's included in the EZ tax price of 29.95 for federal (state is extra). With EZ tax you can upload a prior year's data, but I know Turbo Tax keeps all prior tax forms that you can reference, and in fact, it lets you know if things changed from the year before as you're filling out the form. I know TurboTax also has upgrades you can purchase if your tax situation is more complicated, for instance if you own your own business or something like that. They both claim to be secure, fast and "best" at getting you the most money back from the IRS. I'm not sure I would change since I'm used to working with TurboTax, but I agree that either of these options is better than paying an accountant, for folks who don't have any tax complications.
In conclusion, there were many interesting reviews of available web applications in this weeks Discussion Forum.
We were also asked to think of a web application that would be helpful for our chosen topic. I am blogging about what I'm learning about Nazi Germany this semester. Since most of what I'm doing involves writing papers, I think the application of "Open Office" that one of my classmates reviewed would be the only thing I could use. It is like MS Office but free. I have it on my personal lap top because I can't afford MS Office.
I chose to post about monster.com. Monster.com provides a way to get your resume published, and also allows you to look at jobs that are open and decide whether or not you want to submit your resume for consideration. I've been told that it's considered a search engine, because you can look for jobs, but it's also a web application because you can build a resume online and cover letters and get career advice.
Monster.com is free, and helps you go through all the steps to build one resume or several, and design cover letters that you can also save. It's pretty convenient, and you can update new information to your online resume(s), or customize the content for particular jobs.
You can allow it to be published, in which case you might get lots of emails from employers that you are not interested in, as well as advertisements from schools, etc. which can clog your inbox. That part is annoying. Another downside is if your current employer happens to come across your resume, you might get in trouble.
An alternative is to just keep your resume private, and only submit it to the positions that you're interested in.
On monster.com you can select search features for jobs available in a particular industry, and/or a geographic area, as well as for your experience level. A list of jobs matching your search criteria will come up (hopefully), and you can see the date that they were published, so you know how long the search has been open. A downside here is if you apply to positions that have been open for a while, it might already be closed, but the employer hasn't updated that information yet. You can also research about the company (if it's revealed), or read more about the job description and qualifications.
The most convenient part is that you can upload your saved resume and immediately apply to any job opening that you are interested in.
One classmate posted a reply to my review. He said:
I used Monster.com in the past and I always thought it was a very user-friendly application. I think I used it for the first time in 2000, and even back then it provided most of the main features found on the current site. I really like the career advice section of the site, which helps you write your resume and prepare for an interview. A lot of other sites have either copied or linked to Monster's database for posting jobs. A good example of that is the USAJOBS.gov website, which I have been using frequently in the last few years. The design for this site was based on Monster's, and if I remember correctly, they used to link to Monster's database in the past, but now they host the data in their own servers. The process for posting your resume on this site is almost identical to the steps you follow in Monster.
Another posted this reply:
I used Monster.com when I was searching for a job a couple of years ago and found the most frustrating aspect of this site (like you stated) was the fact that many of the position that were out there were older positions that had already been closed. However, through searching this site, I gained a better perspective of what employers were looking for and what I might actually qualify for.
One classmate posted about the Turbo Tax application. He said:
I chose to review Turbo Tax for PC simply because I used it in the past and am planning on using it again this year. Unlike my “go to guy” on taxes, who interrogates me before choosing the right form, Turbo Tax software will have enabled me to skip questions that do not apply to my situation, thus expediting the process. The IRS forms such as 1040 EZ and 1040 are filled out step by step, eliminating a possibility of missing a question. Many employers participate in the Turbotax programs, so information pertaining to the employer is often filled in automatically, without the need to type it in. Turbo Tax is compatible with other PC software as well, so the data from such programs as Quicken loans and Microsoft Money can be imported and used during the process. To decrease the likelihood of a mistake, Turbo Tax has a Smart Check Scan aimed at identifying various errors and, in the event that IRS penalizes me, Turbo Tax will pay it in full. One feature I myself like in particular, is that Turbo Tax allows to see the amount of a refund while working on the return, so I understand what fluctuations in my refund are due to.
My reply to his review was:
My family members and I have also been using Turbo Tax for several years and it is pretty easy to use. My tax situation is not at all complicated, so it makes more sense to use Turbo Tax than pay money to an accountant to fill out the form. However, if you have any kinds of complications, you have to be careful. As an example, when my dad retired, there was some confusion about his retirement income on the form for the state of NJ, (not the federal), and that resulted in a penalty that Turbo Tax did not cover. The way the questions were worded on the form weren't very helpful, but ambiguous enough that they claimed no liability. It wasn't a big deal money wise, but if your tax situation is not fairly routine, you might need more advice.
Another student posted this review about the web application called "Quicken":
After many years of trying to keep track of our finances through excel spread sheets, my husband and decided to use Quicken 2011 as our online financial manager, albeit with a lot of frustration. With Quicken we are suppose to be able to organize/manage our finances through our bank online. However, this software is lacking. Quicken advertises that you can view all of your debts and accounts in one location, which is true, if you have the time/patience to type this information into Quicken yourself. We have also had issues downloading our financial information from our bank through this program and when this occurs a lot of confusion comes about as to what we really have and don't have in our accounts. The customer service between Amazon and Quicken is lacking as well. If you download the software through Amazon it is definitely cheaper but you get what you pay for. In my case, I had to chase Quicken down for any questions I had regarding the program. I emailed Quicken recently but have yet to receive a response from them. Amazon is difficult to get in touch with as well and not very helpful. If you decide to purchase Quicken 2011, take my advice and physically purchase the software.
My reply was:
I went to their official site - quicken.intuit.com - and decided that I really don't need anything like this right now. I've only got one credit card, and can keep track of my expenses by looking at my bank statements, as I have everything set up for automatic payments, deposits, etc. My life is pretty simple at this point, and you make a good case for keeping it that way!
There's another, similar website at www.manilla.com that claims to be a free way to manage bills and so on, but I'm always a little skeptical about giving out too much of my financial information online. Bad enough I have to do it with the bank.
Another classmate posted this review about EZtaxreturn.com:
I chose EZ Tax return as my web application. Before I got married in 2006 I always went to H&R block or Jackson Hewitt to have my taxes done. I always had the fear of the IRS coming to get me if I didn’t input the right information since I never did the taxes on my own. My wife introduced me to EZ Tax return when it was time for do our taxes together and after sitting down with her while she did our taxes, I must say it’s not that hard to complete them once you get the hang of it. Only if I knew about the site before I could have saved $120.00 to $130.00 every year before I got married. Here is the website.
www.eztaxreturn.com
My reply to his post was:
I've been using TurboTax and this looks similar. I think these are useful tools for people who have simple tax situations. I know that Turbo Tax recently upgraded to having a "help" line where you can ask questions, and they have a tutorial to help newbies navigate tax forms. EZ tax doesn't require downloading any software, while Turbo Tax does. The software for simple, federal forms is free, but you have to pay for electronic filing anyway. That's included in the EZ tax price of 29.95 for federal (state is extra). With EZ tax you can upload a prior year's data, but I know Turbo Tax keeps all prior tax forms that you can reference, and in fact, it lets you know if things changed from the year before as you're filling out the form. I know TurboTax also has upgrades you can purchase if your tax situation is more complicated, for instance if you own your own business or something like that. They both claim to be secure, fast and "best" at getting you the most money back from the IRS. I'm not sure I would change since I'm used to working with TurboTax, but I agree that either of these options is better than paying an accountant, for folks who don't have any tax complications.
In conclusion, there were many interesting reviews of available web applications in this weeks Discussion Forum.
We were also asked to think of a web application that would be helpful for our chosen topic. I am blogging about what I'm learning about Nazi Germany this semester. Since most of what I'm doing involves writing papers, I think the application of "Open Office" that one of my classmates reviewed would be the only thing I could use. It is like MS Office but free. I have it on my personal lap top because I can't afford MS Office.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Search Engines & Internet Information
No one can deny that the Internet provides a huge amount of information
at the fingertips of anyone who has access to a connected computer.
Search engines (eg. Google; Yahoo; Bing, etc.) are how we find the
information we need on the world wide web. The results that come up are
lists of files or directories that we can look at to see which resource
would provide the best information.
There’s no doubt this makes doing research for a college paper much easier than it was in the days of thumbing through the catalog of index cards at the local library, and then searching through the rows of books to find something useful. However, with so much information available, you do have to make sure you look through the lists carefully and get reliable sources.
Getting news online is important, because you can check the facts against the opinions of some clearly biased news sources (like Fox), and see whether or not what they are claiming is actually true. The information is usually more up to date than print newspapers, and more detailed than television. This access has caused some problems for the print news media. If they weren't able to compete with online sources, they went out of business. You can also search for other perspectives, from outside the U.S., such as the BBC, if its not be available on television or in print. It's interesting to hear what other countries have to say about us. This is a problem for countries like China, where the government tries their best to restrict the information that their citizens have access to. We saw how access to information is also helping people in some Arab countries replace their dictatorships with democracy. In my class on Nazi Germany, we’re learning how Hitler tried to restrict access to information and any conflicting views by burning books. The novel, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, was about a future, dystopian society where having books was outlawed, and if found, they were burned.
It’s more difficult to restrict Internet information, for people who have computers or I-phones, power, and connection to the World Wide Web, but making use of Internet search engines is clearly dependent on having access to technology in the first place.
There’s no doubt this makes doing research for a college paper much easier than it was in the days of thumbing through the catalog of index cards at the local library, and then searching through the rows of books to find something useful. However, with so much information available, you do have to make sure you look through the lists carefully and get reliable sources.
Getting news online is important, because you can check the facts against the opinions of some clearly biased news sources (like Fox), and see whether or not what they are claiming is actually true. The information is usually more up to date than print newspapers, and more detailed than television. This access has caused some problems for the print news media. If they weren't able to compete with online sources, they went out of business. You can also search for other perspectives, from outside the U.S., such as the BBC, if its not be available on television or in print. It's interesting to hear what other countries have to say about us. This is a problem for countries like China, where the government tries their best to restrict the information that their citizens have access to. We saw how access to information is also helping people in some Arab countries replace their dictatorships with democracy. In my class on Nazi Germany, we’re learning how Hitler tried to restrict access to information and any conflicting views by burning books. The novel, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, was about a future, dystopian society where having books was outlawed, and if found, they were burned.
It’s more difficult to restrict Internet information, for people who have computers or I-phones, power, and connection to the World Wide Web, but making use of Internet search engines is clearly dependent on having access to technology in the first place.
Hitler becomes a Dictator
Becoming Chancellor of Germany was a major victory for Hitler, but it
was not enough to satisfy his ambitions. No matter how it started, when
the "Reichstag" (Parliament) was set on fire in February of 1933,
Hitler seized the opportunity to weaken his enemies (the Communists) and
gain more control. Hitler manipulated the public's perception that the
Communists had deliberately destroyed this important building to pass
the "Reichstag Fire Decree." This gave the government (i.e. Hitler) the
legal right to take action against any perceived threat, but Hitler
mainly used it as a means to destroy his key enemies -- the Communists.
According to this week's Lecture Notes: " It ended civil rights, such
as freedom of speech and the right to assemble, for all Germans (not
just Communists), and gave the government the right to monitor mail and
telephone conversations (Hoerle, wk. 5)."
[Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like the "Patriot Act"?]
Hitler didn't waste any time and convinced Hindenburg to deputize the S.A. ("Sturmabteilung"), making them a legitimate police force to continue his battle against the Communists. Hitler then cozied up to the Prussian army, because no leader can truly be effective without military backing. Hitler gained total control though, when he was able to pass the "Enabling Law" in Parliament. Hitler needed a 2/3 majority to change the German constitution, and he used every means at his disposal to convince the majority of deputies to pass the bill. This abolished the Weimer constitution for five years, and give Chancellor Hitler the ability to make laws without even needing Parliament. Would he have been able to do so without the support of the Prussian army, the S.A., or the legal authority he achieved through the "Reichstag Fire Decree"? Possibly; but it might have taken longer and been a more bloody campaign. It's clear that this one vital piece of legislation handed him the power he craved, while avoiding a possible Civil War. While there was certainly some Communist blood shed and behind the scenes brutality, Hitler ironically achieved this major coup with the cooperation of the German people.
When Hindenburg died a few months later, Hitler only had to merge the two offices and become Germany's official dictator. While that marked the start of Hitler's dictatorship, he was able to act the part right after the "Enabling Law" was passed in March of 1933.
Hoerle, Professor W. Scott. Lecture Notes: Week 5 – “The Gleichschaltung.” UML - Nazi Germany. Section 031-SU12R
[Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like the "Patriot Act"?]
Hitler didn't waste any time and convinced Hindenburg to deputize the S.A. ("Sturmabteilung"), making them a legitimate police force to continue his battle against the Communists. Hitler then cozied up to the Prussian army, because no leader can truly be effective without military backing. Hitler gained total control though, when he was able to pass the "Enabling Law" in Parliament. Hitler needed a 2/3 majority to change the German constitution, and he used every means at his disposal to convince the majority of deputies to pass the bill. This abolished the Weimer constitution for five years, and give Chancellor Hitler the ability to make laws without even needing Parliament. Would he have been able to do so without the support of the Prussian army, the S.A., or the legal authority he achieved through the "Reichstag Fire Decree"? Possibly; but it might have taken longer and been a more bloody campaign. It's clear that this one vital piece of legislation handed him the power he craved, while avoiding a possible Civil War. While there was certainly some Communist blood shed and behind the scenes brutality, Hitler ironically achieved this major coup with the cooperation of the German people.
When Hindenburg died a few months later, Hitler only had to merge the two offices and become Germany's official dictator. While that marked the start of Hitler's dictatorship, he was able to act the part right after the "Enabling Law" was passed in March of 1933.
Hoerle, Professor W. Scott. Lecture Notes: Week 5 – “The Gleichschaltung.” UML - Nazi Germany. Section 031-SU12R
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Web Page Images & Videos
I completed and linked the Videos and Images pages to my Index on time.
http://ceweb.uml.edu/mfroe96697/Internet/index.html
Instead of sticking to my chosen topic about Nazi Germany and WWII (that I'm studying in another class), I decided to post a few other things that I'm interested in for this week's assignment.
Just like last week's assignment, this one took me much, much longer than I thought it would. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this. I don't have as much experience with computers some of my classmates. Other people, who said they have never done this before, also commented that they had trouble getting the images and videos to open properly.
My web page might not be as creative as the more experienced people were able to do, but at least I got it done. Right now, this class is proving to be a bit of a challenge, and very time consuming.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Hitler's Rise to Power
The Seizure of Power
There were several critical factors that contributed to the success of the National Socialists in the German elections from 1929 - 1933. Among these were certainly politics and economics. According to Bullock, Nazism would not have thrived without the "disorder and insecurity" that Germany experienced after their WWI defeat in 1918 (p. 89).
Two of the major economic problems included the "occupation of the Ruhr and the collapse of the mark" (Bullock 89). France ruthlessly demanded that Germany pay its required reparations for the war, and when the German government said it could not honor the requirements of the hated Versailles treaty, the French invaded the Ruhr, the industrial "heart" of Germany, which brought "the economic life of the whole country to a standstill" (Bullock 90). The Germans united against the French in a bitter campaign of "passive resistance" using "strikes, sabotage and guerrilla warfare," and the French retaliated with "arrests, deportation, and economic blockade" (Bullock 90). The occupation of the Ruhr "gave the final touch to the deterioration of the mark" (Bullock 90). The collapse of German currency and rampant inflation meant the "savings of the middle classes and working classes were wiped out at a single blow" (Bullock 90). Remak describes it as a "depression of unprecedented severity" (p 23). According to this week's Lecture Notes, unemployment in Germany reached 33%, which is about three times higher than we are experiencing now in this U.S. recession (Hoerle). "As the unemployment rate rose, so did support for the Nazis" (Hoerle). "It was in this soil that the Nazi movement -- [aka] the National Socialist German Workers' Party - grew and prospered" (Remak 24).
It's clear from all the readings that the German people were dissatisfied with the government of Weimar Republic. However, according to Remak, it is possible that "no government could have coped with the problems that faced Germany in the twenties" (23). Hitler recognized the opportunity to gain power that this turmoil presented for him, but "it was more difficult to see how to take advantage of it and turn the situation to his own profit" (Bullock 90). "The National Socialists had not the strength to overthrow the Republic on their own" (Bullock 91). Hitler had to get busy, uniting all the nationalist and anti-republican groups in Bavaria, order to increase the representation of the Nazis in the German Parliament (the Reichstag) (Bullock 91). In order to accomplish that, Hitler had to "gain respectability, and not be seen as a 'lunatic fringe'" (Hoerle). In order to gain acceptance with the typical middle-class, educated German citizen (aka Bürger), Hitler formed an alliance with the Conservative Party (Hoerle). It is evident from all the readings that Hitler’s public speaking skills were critical in seducing people to the Nazi party. One German, Milton Mayer, is quoted in Remak as saying, "National Socialism was a revulsion by my friends against parliamentary politics ... the motif was 'Throw them all out'" (23). In little time, the Nazi’s went from having only 12 representatives in Parliament, to 107, which gave them a ruling majority (Hoerle). Hitler became impatient and challenged the German President, Paul von Hindenburg, in an election for the presidency. He lost, but it solidified him as a legitimate political figure (Hoerle). Hindenburg was given some very bad advice, and to the detriment of the entire world, he offered Hitler the Chancellorship in January of 1933 (Hoerle).
Bullock, Alan. “Hitler: A Study in Tyranny.” Harper & Row, New York 1962.
Hoerle, Professor W. Scott. Lecture Notes: Week 4 – “The Seizure of Power.” UML - Nazi Germany. Section 031-SU12R
Remak, Joachim. "The Nazi Years: A Documentary History." Long Grove, Ill. Waveland Press 1990.
There were several critical factors that contributed to the success of the National Socialists in the German elections from 1929 - 1933. Among these were certainly politics and economics. According to Bullock, Nazism would not have thrived without the "disorder and insecurity" that Germany experienced after their WWI defeat in 1918 (p. 89).
Two of the major economic problems included the "occupation of the Ruhr and the collapse of the mark" (Bullock 89). France ruthlessly demanded that Germany pay its required reparations for the war, and when the German government said it could not honor the requirements of the hated Versailles treaty, the French invaded the Ruhr, the industrial "heart" of Germany, which brought "the economic life of the whole country to a standstill" (Bullock 90). The Germans united against the French in a bitter campaign of "passive resistance" using "strikes, sabotage and guerrilla warfare," and the French retaliated with "arrests, deportation, and economic blockade" (Bullock 90). The occupation of the Ruhr "gave the final touch to the deterioration of the mark" (Bullock 90). The collapse of German currency and rampant inflation meant the "savings of the middle classes and working classes were wiped out at a single blow" (Bullock 90). Remak describes it as a "depression of unprecedented severity" (p 23). According to this week's Lecture Notes, unemployment in Germany reached 33%, which is about three times higher than we are experiencing now in this U.S. recession (Hoerle). "As the unemployment rate rose, so did support for the Nazis" (Hoerle). "It was in this soil that the Nazi movement -- [aka] the National Socialist German Workers' Party - grew and prospered" (Remak 24).
It's clear from all the readings that the German people were dissatisfied with the government of Weimar Republic. However, according to Remak, it is possible that "no government could have coped with the problems that faced Germany in the twenties" (23). Hitler recognized the opportunity to gain power that this turmoil presented for him, but "it was more difficult to see how to take advantage of it and turn the situation to his own profit" (Bullock 90). "The National Socialists had not the strength to overthrow the Republic on their own" (Bullock 91). Hitler had to get busy, uniting all the nationalist and anti-republican groups in Bavaria, order to increase the representation of the Nazis in the German Parliament (the Reichstag) (Bullock 91). In order to accomplish that, Hitler had to "gain respectability, and not be seen as a 'lunatic fringe'" (Hoerle). In order to gain acceptance with the typical middle-class, educated German citizen (aka Bürger), Hitler formed an alliance with the Conservative Party (Hoerle). It is evident from all the readings that Hitler’s public speaking skills were critical in seducing people to the Nazi party. One German, Milton Mayer, is quoted in Remak as saying, "National Socialism was a revulsion by my friends against parliamentary politics ... the motif was 'Throw them all out'" (23). In little time, the Nazi’s went from having only 12 representatives in Parliament, to 107, which gave them a ruling majority (Hoerle). Hitler became impatient and challenged the German President, Paul von Hindenburg, in an election for the presidency. He lost, but it solidified him as a legitimate political figure (Hoerle). Hindenburg was given some very bad advice, and to the detriment of the entire world, he offered Hitler the Chancellorship in January of 1933 (Hoerle).
Bullock, Alan. “Hitler: A Study in Tyranny.” Harper & Row, New York 1962.
Hoerle, Professor W. Scott. Lecture Notes: Week 4 – “The Seizure of Power.” UML - Nazi Germany. Section 031-SU12R
Remak, Joachim. "The Nazi Years: A Documentary History." Long Grove, Ill. Waveland Press 1990.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Post Seven - Hitler in Vienna
The “Second Reich” was established by Prussia between 1870 and 1918, uniting most of the German speaking states. Austria was excluded from this unification, and remained part of the Hapsburg empire. The Austrian empire was much more multi-ethnic than the unified Germany. The other nationalities, such as the Slavs and Czechs, that were part of the Austrian empire demanded equal treatment, causing a “conflict of nationalities [that] dominated Austrian politics from 1870 to the break-up of the Empire in 1918” (Bullock 42). Hitler “had no patience with concessions” and felt “Germans should rule the Empire” (Bullock 42). Even though there were also German Jews in the Prussian capitol of Berlin, the Prussians felt the Austrians were too ethnically mixed, and not "pure" enough a society to be worthy of joining a unified Germany. This multi-ethnic society was one of the elements unique to Austria which led to Hitler’s obsession with the purity of the German race.
Vienna was representative of the Austrian empire, “in the sense that all its minorities wandered its streets, but none had established itself … in larger numbers than the Jews” (Hoerle). The Jews in Vienna were prominent "financiers, merchants, and bureaucrats," and held other notable professions such as physicians (Hoerle). Hitler's younger brother died of the measles at age six, and his mother died at the age of 50. It is possible that Hitler blamed the Jewish doctor for their deaths. Austria at that time provided a fertile ground to grow feelings of anti-Semitism. The "roots of National Socialism grew best" in Austria rather than Germany (Remak 8). Austria, in particular Vienna, offered more opportunities for social advancement. "More Jews were elevated to the nobility in Vienna than in Berlin..." (Remak 9). Also present was a "particularly virulent anti-Semitism" (Remak 9). For the Austrian Germans who were poor, like Hitler was at that time, the well-to-do Jews were "a constant irritant" (Hoerle). So much so, that anti-Semetic "propaganda was widely distributed on the city's streets" (Hoerle). The Austrian disdain for Jews grew into an intense hatred for Hitler. "He hated them for living in a German city, in a German country, and for “trying” to be German" (Hoerle). Even though they were citizens, the Jews were not considered German by blood, and that became Hitler's obsession. In "Mein Kampf," Hitler is quoted as saying: "All great cultures of the past were destroyed only because the originally creative race died from blood poisoning" (Remak 33). The "Nordic people" such as the Germans, were considered the "culture creators" and the Jews were considered "culture destroyers" (Remak 32). Hitler put anti-Semitism and "Social Darwinism" -- keeping the German race pure -- at the heart of his ideology (Remak 32).
According to Bullock, even though Hitler did not actively take part in politics in Vienna, “he owed much to observations drawn from his years in Vienna” (Bullock 44). By observing Georg von Schonerer, the leader of the Pan-German Nationalists, “Hitler took his extreme German Nationalism, his anti-Socialism, his anti-Semitism, his hatred of the Hapsburgs and his program of reunion with the Germany” (Bullock 45). According to Remak, "Hitler ... very much retained the party's anti-Semitism" (32). In addition, Hitler absorbed a lot from Karl Lueger, the leader of the Christian Socialists. Here Hitler learned the importance of organizing members of the middle class, such as shopkeepers, business men, artisans, petty officials and municipal employees, and most significantly “the need for propaganda on a large scale” (Bullock 45). Hitler “devoted the greatest part of his political activity to the task of winning over those sections of the population whose existence was in danger” (Bullock 45). It was of course, Hitler’s study of propaganda that was of most help to him achieving his evil goals and Vienna provided him a unique opportunity to acquire this skill.
Bullock, Alan. “Hitler: A Study in Tyranny.” Harper & Row, New York 1962.
Hoerle, Professor W. Scott. Lecture Notes: "The Pathos of Prejudice: Adolf Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi" UML - Nazi Germany. Section 031-SU12R
Remak, Joachim. "The Nazi Years: A Documentary History." Long Grove, Ill. Waveland Press 1990.
Vienna was representative of the Austrian empire, “in the sense that all its minorities wandered its streets, but none had established itself … in larger numbers than the Jews” (Hoerle). The Jews in Vienna were prominent "financiers, merchants, and bureaucrats," and held other notable professions such as physicians (Hoerle). Hitler's younger brother died of the measles at age six, and his mother died at the age of 50. It is possible that Hitler blamed the Jewish doctor for their deaths. Austria at that time provided a fertile ground to grow feelings of anti-Semitism. The "roots of National Socialism grew best" in Austria rather than Germany (Remak 8). Austria, in particular Vienna, offered more opportunities for social advancement. "More Jews were elevated to the nobility in Vienna than in Berlin..." (Remak 9). Also present was a "particularly virulent anti-Semitism" (Remak 9). For the Austrian Germans who were poor, like Hitler was at that time, the well-to-do Jews were "a constant irritant" (Hoerle). So much so, that anti-Semetic "propaganda was widely distributed on the city's streets" (Hoerle). The Austrian disdain for Jews grew into an intense hatred for Hitler. "He hated them for living in a German city, in a German country, and for “trying” to be German" (Hoerle). Even though they were citizens, the Jews were not considered German by blood, and that became Hitler's obsession. In "Mein Kampf," Hitler is quoted as saying: "All great cultures of the past were destroyed only because the originally creative race died from blood poisoning" (Remak 33). The "Nordic people" such as the Germans, were considered the "culture creators" and the Jews were considered "culture destroyers" (Remak 32). Hitler put anti-Semitism and "Social Darwinism" -- keeping the German race pure -- at the heart of his ideology (Remak 32).
According to Bullock, even though Hitler did not actively take part in politics in Vienna, “he owed much to observations drawn from his years in Vienna” (Bullock 44). By observing Georg von Schonerer, the leader of the Pan-German Nationalists, “Hitler took his extreme German Nationalism, his anti-Socialism, his anti-Semitism, his hatred of the Hapsburgs and his program of reunion with the Germany” (Bullock 45). According to Remak, "Hitler ... very much retained the party's anti-Semitism" (32). In addition, Hitler absorbed a lot from Karl Lueger, the leader of the Christian Socialists. Here Hitler learned the importance of organizing members of the middle class, such as shopkeepers, business men, artisans, petty officials and municipal employees, and most significantly “the need for propaganda on a large scale” (Bullock 45). Hitler “devoted the greatest part of his political activity to the task of winning over those sections of the population whose existence was in danger” (Bullock 45). It was of course, Hitler’s study of propaganda that was of most help to him achieving his evil goals and Vienna provided him a unique opportunity to acquire this skill.
Bullock, Alan. “Hitler: A Study in Tyranny.” Harper & Row, New York 1962.
Hoerle, Professor W. Scott. Lecture Notes: "The Pathos of Prejudice: Adolf Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi" UML - Nazi Germany. Section 031-SU12R
Remak, Joachim. "The Nazi Years: A Documentary History." Long Grove, Ill. Waveland Press 1990.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Post 6 - Rise of the Third Reich
This week we learned that there was no real nation of
Germany before the Prussian leader, Otto Bismarck, took over the various areas
that shared a common German language.
The word "reich" translates best to the word
"realm." The first "reich"
was around the time of the Roman empire, and the fact that the German people
fought back against the Romans, was a source of historical pride that Hitler
used to reinvigorate the German people after World War I. The second “reich” was prior to the first
world war when the German people united
under Bismarck. The period right after
World War I is generally referred to as the Weimar Republic. This chaotic period was dismal for the German
people, and the crushing economic depression they experienced, paved the way
for the charismatic Hitler to rise to power with the Nazi party, and form the
well-known “Third Reich.”
Hitler was born in
Austria, but never fit in to Austrian society.
He was an unremarkable student, and never even obtained his diploma, which
was called a “leaving certificate.” He
fancied himself an artist, but didn’t really have any talent. For one period of his adult life, he was
living in a kind of homeless shelter, near Vienna, and painted little postcards
in order to make a living. Later, he
used his self-inflicted poverty to endear himself to the poor, working class
people in Germany. Even during World War
I, he served mostly as a messenger, not a real solider. This did not prevent him from maximizing his
appeal as a “military man.” The most
useful things Hitler learned was the art of public speaking, and how to
manipulate people’s fears, envy, and lust for power. These were the skills that enabled him to
rise to power with the Nazi party.
Post 5 - Internet & Media
Electronic media has been a positive experience for consumers. We can get news from around the world as it happens, buy music or
books to download to phones or other electronic devices, and share
pictures and videos with family or the general public.
However, the Internet has had a negative effect for people employed by newspapers and magazines. These industries were too slow to recognize how the public would turn to electronic news sources and many went out of business or suffered a serious loss in revenue. Some were able to update their publication methods to include electronic media. Electronic books have also changed the book publishing industry. Now people can download books to devices like “Kindle.” It’s also easier to get a book published electronically.
There has also been a negative impact for musicians and the music industry in general. As people found ways to share music over the internet, they felt a loss in revenue and responded by making it illegal to do so by arguing violations of copyright laws.
Video publications have also changed. Anyone with a digital camera can upload videos to YouTube these days. A person doesn't have to have a huge production studio or film distributors to get their work of art out to the public. Some get quite popular and “go viral” which means they accumulate millions of viewers in a short period of time. Computer generated graphics have really revolutionized the special effects industry for movies, especially for science fiction or paranormal subjects, as well as for online video gaming which has gained in popularity also.
So, the Internet has had some negative effects on employment and revenues for print media, but for the consumers, like myself, it's been great.
However, the Internet has had a negative effect for people employed by newspapers and magazines. These industries were too slow to recognize how the public would turn to electronic news sources and many went out of business or suffered a serious loss in revenue. Some were able to update their publication methods to include electronic media. Electronic books have also changed the book publishing industry. Now people can download books to devices like “Kindle.” It’s also easier to get a book published electronically.
There has also been a negative impact for musicians and the music industry in general. As people found ways to share music over the internet, they felt a loss in revenue and responded by making it illegal to do so by arguing violations of copyright laws.
Video publications have also changed. Anyone with a digital camera can upload videos to YouTube these days. A person doesn't have to have a huge production studio or film distributors to get their work of art out to the public. Some get quite popular and “go viral” which means they accumulate millions of viewers in a short period of time. Computer generated graphics have really revolutionized the special effects industry for movies, especially for science fiction or paranormal subjects, as well as for online video gaming which has gained in popularity also.
So, the Internet has had some negative effects on employment and revenues for print media, but for the consumers, like myself, it's been great.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
4th post - "Auslanders"
During the reign of Austria’s empress, Maria Theresa, her
subjects were invited to settle in a fertile farming area near the Danube
River, between Hungary and Serbia. My
father’s ancestors settled as farmers in this part of the Austrian empire,
which would have been considered the “hinter lands.” These settlers were called
"auslanders," which means "hinter lands" in old high
German, but nowadays, the term is more generally used to refer to foreigners. My father’s relatives lost everything due to
the war, and the communist take over by the “partisans,” which happened around
the same time. After World War II, their lost homes & farm
lands were part of what had become the communist country of Yugoslavia.
My grandparents told a lot of stories about the cruelty
of the communist partisans, and their brutal slaughter of the people who stayed
behind in my grandparents’ villages.
Most of the able-bodied men were off to war, but when my
great-grandmother, my grandmother, her sister and infant niece, heard the
warnings about the partisans coming, and what they were doing to the German
people that were settled there, they fled in a covered wagon. First, they tried to enter Hungary, because
it was closer, but they weren’t allowed to enter. Eventually, they became refugees in
Austria.
My “Oma” (grandma) was 19 at the time. She never got over the trauma. I can remember her turning almost every
conversation, no matter what the original topic was, into a discussion about, “When
we lost our home ….”. She lived in the
U.S. for over fifty years, became a citizen, worked and raised her children
here, but this was never “home” to her.
Oma & Opa visited their home land in the 1980’s and were shocked at
how their village church, elementary school, and the farm houses they grew up
in, had been so neglected and fallen into ruin.
The farm lands were still productive, but nothing looked to them like
they had remembered.
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