poson06
New member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2018
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- French
- Home Country
- France
- Current Location
- France
Usingyour own knowledge and the documents below show how Hitler's Germanywas a totalitarian state
Introduction:
Evennowdays, there are many debates on the nature of the nazi phenomenon.The oxford dictionary suggest a totalitarian state is a state with agovernment that subordinates the individual to the state and strictlycontrols all aspects of the citizens' life by coercive measures. From1933 to 1945, Germany was a state with a single party and a singleleader: Hitler. Thanks to many totalitarian measures, people were notin a position to go against Hitler's will. There is no doubt thatunder Hitler, Germany was a totalitarian state and it is strikingthat the Nazis used many ways to keep total control on the Germanpeople, especially one: fear.
Plan:
I- A country with a single mandatory ideology, no freedom of speechand state propaganda
- Document 1: The party can decide the boycott of juishshops (SA and SS).
Nobody is there to stop the party member: only oneparty.
- Document 2: The party can arrest people (SA) and worksin colaboration with the police
Henrik's father can not express his ideas on the naziregime..
II- Individual controlled by the state at all time
- Document 1: People have instructions on what they canbuy or not.
- Document 2: Henrik's family refuses to talk to the"traitor"'s wife by fear.
They don't interfer.
The narrator was "an enthusiastic member ofHitler's youth" and then a soldier.
The narrator's father nether told anyone he hatedHitler except just before his death.
The "youth" used to go in the workin-classquarters to remind the workers that Hitler was powerful and thatthey were under constant control; also, everyone was forced to do the salute.
III- Ways of repression: SS, SA, gestapo, police and armed forces
- Document 1: SA and SS repression against jewish
rganised boycott of jewish shops.
- Document 2: SS and police can take away someone.
Valuesand Limitations:
Source 1 is a picture taken in April 1933 by ananonymous author and published at an unknown date. This source isvaluable because, firstly, as it's a picture it captures a moment inhistory in vivid detail, providing a unique glimpse into a point intime and simulating piece of historical evidence. Secondly, it seamsto be a real picture, and of course a picture is more dificult tofalcifiate than a text or any other source, exept peuhap a film.Thirdly, this picture shows the culure of the time. However, thissource also has some limitations such as the fact that cameras arenot neutral because behind every photograph there is a photographerwith his own biases, prejudices and political opinions. It means thatthe photographer can choose which pictures to publish, to cut somepart of the picture, to take the picture from a certain angle, toremove things before taking the picture... Of course, thephotographer may be forced to do it. The fact that we don't know northe name of the author nor the date the picture was published nor theexact date when it was taken, is a limitation too. Also, if he wasable to take the picture it's because the SA and SS allowed him orbecause he took it discreetly, which mean with a bad angle and withhis political opinion as motivation. An other limitation is thatpicture only represent a single moment and not what happened beforeor after. Lastly, pictures only use one of the five senses and thispicture is in black and white with a limitated quality.
Source 2 is an extract of "Through Hell forHitler", the memoirs of Henrik Metelmann. It was published in1970. This source has value because it has hindsight. Also, it givesclear details of what happened as it's a first hand source. Howether,this source has limitations as the author has his own politicalopinion, may have forgotten some facts, and may not be able to defendcertain points of vue without taking serious risks. Also, the authormay select events. It hasn't the same value as an history book as theauthor may beautify his life and present himself as theprotagonist... he is not going to be completly pragmatic. Of course,the author is emotionaly linked to all the events he talks about. Hecan also have been andocrined. As it's not an history book, someparts may be fictionalized a bit.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Hitler used fear a lot to keep control onGerman citizans. In Hitler's Germany, the population was underconstant state propaganda. However, a lot of people, like for exempleHenrik's father (Document 2), were not conviced by the nazi'smandatory ideology but could not express it because there was nofreedom of speech. The population was constantly under the party'scontrol: school, hobbies, works... were contolled. Thebasis of the nazi system was that people had to work for it orotherwise could be considered as tratiors and sent to concentrationcamp, be publicly humiliated, be tortured, or even be executed.Usualy, being suspected of opposition could do as much harm. Inconsequence, all German people were living under constant fear.Indeed, it was the main way for the nazis to keep total control onthe German population.
Introduction:
Evennowdays, there are many debates on the nature of the nazi phenomenon.The oxford dictionary suggest a totalitarian state is a state with agovernment that subordinates the individual to the state and strictlycontrols all aspects of the citizens' life by coercive measures. From1933 to 1945, Germany was a state with a single party and a singleleader: Hitler. Thanks to many totalitarian measures, people were notin a position to go against Hitler's will. There is no doubt thatunder Hitler, Germany was a totalitarian state and it is strikingthat the Nazis used many ways to keep total control on the Germanpeople, especially one: fear.
Plan:
I- A country with a single mandatory ideology, no freedom of speechand state propaganda
- Document 1: The party can decide the boycott of juishshops (SA and SS).
Nobody is there to stop the party member: only oneparty.
- Document 2: The party can arrest people (SA) and worksin colaboration with the police
Henrik's father can not express his ideas on the naziregime..
II- Individual controlled by the state at all time
- Document 1: People have instructions on what they canbuy or not.
- Document 2: Henrik's family refuses to talk to the"traitor"'s wife by fear.
They don't interfer.
The narrator was "an enthusiastic member ofHitler's youth" and then a soldier.
The narrator's father nether told anyone he hatedHitler except just before his death.
The "youth" used to go in the workin-classquarters to remind the workers that Hitler was powerful and thatthey were under constant control; also, everyone was forced to do the salute.
III- Ways of repression: SS, SA, gestapo, police and armed forces
- Document 1: SA and SS repression against jewish
rganised boycott of jewish shops.- Document 2: SS and police can take away someone.
Valuesand Limitations:
Source 1 is a picture taken in April 1933 by ananonymous author and published at an unknown date. This source isvaluable because, firstly, as it's a picture it captures a moment inhistory in vivid detail, providing a unique glimpse into a point intime and simulating piece of historical evidence. Secondly, it seamsto be a real picture, and of course a picture is more dificult tofalcifiate than a text or any other source, exept peuhap a film.Thirdly, this picture shows the culure of the time. However, thissource also has some limitations such as the fact that cameras arenot neutral because behind every photograph there is a photographerwith his own biases, prejudices and political opinions. It means thatthe photographer can choose which pictures to publish, to cut somepart of the picture, to take the picture from a certain angle, toremove things before taking the picture... Of course, thephotographer may be forced to do it. The fact that we don't know northe name of the author nor the date the picture was published nor theexact date when it was taken, is a limitation too. Also, if he wasable to take the picture it's because the SA and SS allowed him orbecause he took it discreetly, which mean with a bad angle and withhis political opinion as motivation. An other limitation is thatpicture only represent a single moment and not what happened beforeor after. Lastly, pictures only use one of the five senses and thispicture is in black and white with a limitated quality.
Source 2 is an extract of "Through Hell forHitler", the memoirs of Henrik Metelmann. It was published in1970. This source has value because it has hindsight. Also, it givesclear details of what happened as it's a first hand source. Howether,this source has limitations as the author has his own politicalopinion, may have forgotten some facts, and may not be able to defendcertain points of vue without taking serious risks. Also, the authormay select events. It hasn't the same value as an history book as theauthor may beautify his life and present himself as theprotagonist... he is not going to be completly pragmatic. Of course,the author is emotionaly linked to all the events he talks about. Hecan also have been andocrined. As it's not an history book, someparts may be fictionalized a bit.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Hitler used fear a lot to keep control onGerman citizans. In Hitler's Germany, the population was underconstant state propaganda. However, a lot of people, like for exempleHenrik's father (Document 2), were not conviced by the nazi'smandatory ideology but could not express it because there was nofreedom of speech. The population was constantly under the party'scontrol: school, hobbies, works... were contolled. Thebasis of the nazi system was that people had to work for it orotherwise could be considered as tratiors and sent to concentrationcamp, be publicly humiliated, be tortured, or even be executed.Usualy, being suspected of opposition could do as much harm. Inconsequence, all German people were living under constant fear.Indeed, it was the main way for the nazis to keep total control onthe German population.
Last edited by a moderator:
