For one thing, Allen describes Northeim as not particularly effected by the economic depression, the way many other regions of Germany were. Yet Allen points out a key aspect of Northeim society during the depression was that the middle class was still very much in fear of the depressions' effects. He also addresses the fact that initially, and in other areas in Germany, Nazism targeted the workers, but the effect of the depression in Northeim inspired a change of focus to the middle class and fears of Marxism. I realize it seems pretty obvious that there would have to be this kind of tactical flexibility based on local perspective but it reinforces the effectiveness of the Nazi party in being able to target and serve the majority crowd through its adaptability.
I think it's been discussed in lecture or recitation, that while German nationalism was a strong component of Nazism, local identities are very important to the make up of Germany. This is something that can still be noted in modern Germany. It's easy for me to sometimes think of the rise of Nazism as a sort of unstoppable tidal wave that gained force by general economic crises and the sweeping rhetoric of Adolph Hitler. Of course those factors are heavy weights upon Nazi success, but this book is also in the process of acknowledging unique specificities of locations within Germany and the more nuanced and informed tactics of Nazism that took effect there.
~Cat Crowley
I agree, it seems much easier to understand how they gained so much popularity and support when looking at this town. It also puts into perspective what it must have been like for the whole of Germany. This wasn't a particularly important town, but Nazism and politics in general started to take on such an important role. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like in places like Munich. The book also did a good job showing how important the middle class was to the takeover of the Nazi party. They were the ones who really propelled the popularity of the party forward. Northeim's large middle class made it a good focus for this book. It gave me a better picture of the propaganda and techniques the Nazis used to reach ordinary people. It also shows the importance of the grass roots movements. By narrowing the focus in, I have a better understanding of Nazi takeover.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is easier to understand how the Nazis gained so much popularity and support through Allen's focus on Northeim alone. I think looking at the rise of Nazism from the larger perspective of Kershaw, then through the more focused perspective of Allen, is equally important and useful in our understanding of Nazism. By focusing on one town, Northeim, alone, we can better understand the speed at which Nazism had spread and its effects on the different class and interest groups. Allen portrays an indefatigable and aggressive NSDAP that fed on chaos, violence and economic crises. Aside from the NSDAP’s efforts to gain supporters and become more powerful than the SPD, we also see how more and more people in Northeim started to support the NSDAP. One factor, which contributed to the growth in support of the NSDAP by the people of Northeim, is the identification of certain well-respected and prominent members of society who are members of the NSDAP. An example of one such person in Northeim is Wilhelm Spannaus, the owner of a bookstore on Broad Street. It was his example that led many people to join the NSDAP, as people thought, “If he’s in it, it must be all right” (33). Through Allen’s account of the spread of Nazism in a single town, we can imagine the spread of Nazism in greater the detail.
ReplyDeleteAllen's focusing on one specific region of Germany definitely makes it easier to see how the Nazi's gained popularity. By seeing Nazi methods on a smaller scale, it becomes more relative, as if you can put yourself in the position of a German small town citizen and almost make it believable that people would become susceptible to Nazi takeover. It shows how important the middle class was to the Nazi rise to power and how the Nazis used different techniques to reach out to common people and relate to them. These were smart methods, because they knew that only targeting capitalists or people of wealth and power wouldn't get them a big majority, as targeting the middle class would.
ReplyDelete