HSS Activity 4: Hitler’s Rise to Power
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2. The Nazi party’s political manifesto was designed to gain votes. It was aimed at the “pure breed” Germans and preyed on their fear and hatred of outsiders and gave them a sense of identity. It continued to trigger their bloodlust by showing the most obvious injury to their pride: The Treaty of Versailles.
3. Aryans were pure Germans. They were depicted as tall, blond and blue-eyed. They had to have pure German blood, could not be Jews or Jehovah’s Witnesses, gypsies, disabled or homosexual.
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5. The Nazi ideologies were brought to the people through school teachers, radio and cinema. People were given a free radio at a stage, which, however, only received the Nazi station, a station that fed propaganda to the people by the boatload. In school, the ideologies were incorporated as part of the curriculum.
The first picture truly illustrates that Aryan people saw themselves as superior human beings, in contrast with people of "mixed blood", eg. Jews. Non-Aryans are depicted as almost ape-like, way down on the evolution ladder, beast versus beauty.
ReplyDeleteThe second picture shows ultimate perfection: a handsome, strong, blonde giant and a beautiful, healthy-looking young woman, perfect specimen of the Aryan race. The background is idyllic: blues sky, birds, sunshine (all of nature is in harmony when Aryans breed with other Aryans).
ReplyDelete