There were Germans & Then there were Germans...

Could there be "good" Nazis?

Could a Nazi be 'good'? Not many years ago, a book entitled "The Good Nazi" came out about Speer, who after years of imprisonment for war crimes, and even at the time, repented not only his role in the slaughter but Germany' s role as well. Whether or not there were 'good' Nazis depends more on definitions : there were Nazis who aided their victims, Nazis who offered escape to Bonhoeffer, Nazis who in the end implored the Vatican to intervene and end the war, and even Nazis at high levels such as Canaris who attempted to assassinate Hitler when it became apparent that he wished to destroy Germany rather than let it see defeat.

One must distinguish, first, between Nazis and Germans. All those, living in Germany with German Citizenship at the time, were considered 'Germans': even the Jews. When Hitler came to power in 1933, he immediately put into effect plans to erase German citizenship from all those who were not of the Aryan race. He began with segregations and the curtailment of Civil Rights, but before the war began, Jews had lost their citizenship, right to civil trials and other litigation and were deemed 'guests' in their own country. At first, then the first division was between citizen and non-citizen, allowing deportation orders and complete depersonalization and control over the 'non-citizens', the Jews.

As the Jews began to be deported, German Employment increased, gaining favor for Hitler. By the middle of the war, only a few Jews were left most of whom were needed in the armaments industry. Secondly, all Germans were at first encouraged and then required to have Nazi Party membership. Many joined willingly, but many also joined only to maintain or acquire government and academic positions, or favor. Since even 'demoralizing' the Fuhrer became a crime, opposition was squelched, or at least sent so far underground that it was for all intent and purpose without power.

There were of course, good Germans: many clergy opposed Hitler's policies as early as 1933, especially the T-4 "Euthanasia" movement in which developmentally disabled persons were killed by injection to keep them from being a 'burden on the state'. Others at risk to their own lives, hid their Jewish friends and acquaintances and a few groups like the White Rose (Weisse Rose) and Edleweiss Pirates or the Bielski brothers aided many.

Were All Germans Nazis?

The question of whether all Germans were Nazis or not is not too difficult on the surface: German citizenship was technically different than Nazi Party Membership, but as Hitler took power and as the Reich progressed in infiltrating all levels of society, even the 'good' or helpful Germans were often forced in Nazi Party membership. Over the years, Reich 'membership' and citizenship boundaries were almost erased: to keep a job, most had to sign a loyalty oath to Hitler and the party, and even Musicians and artists had to register with the Reichmusikkammer in order to perform or function in their profession, so one of the first prongs of the Coordination, was to make it impossible to work and function without Nazi Party membership, followed later by coercion for those still 'froward'. Martin Heidegger, the famous existential philsopher, and author of "Being and Time" came under fire for accepting Nazi Party membership and loyalty oaths to chair the Department of Philosophy at University of Freibürg. While all German musicians had to be registered with the Chamber to perform, there is some controversy over whether Party loyalists received favored treatment, tainting the quality of the Arts. Probably the fairest assessment is that while registration and talent surely still ensured success, loyalists made inroads into every artistic institution and on occasions to make a point, less talented artists were allowed opportunities over the 'disloyal' although sheer party membership did not guarantee success, most German audiences having more discernment.^x

From 1933-35, almost all German children joined the Hitlerjugend, or Hitler Youth Corp, which the Reich intended to replace traditional youth organizations particularly religious ones. As time passed, families who would not join or who tried to brush it off, were often persecuted greatly.

All Germans were not Nazis, but many became Nazi Party members while holding their personal beliefs covertly, with only a few risking their lives in deliberate defiance. It must also be stated though, as can be seen in the mass demonstrations and meetings, that the majority of Germans at the time, did indeed favor what they perceived to be a progressive, nationalisitc movement which would restore Germany not only to her former grandeur but to a new and greater one. As the war grew and attacks on the major cities of Germany such as Dresden, Nuremberg, Münich and Berlin increased, the general populace was less supportive, and toward the end, opposition to Hitler rose even within the Wehrmacht and Abwehr, although many blindly to the end remained loyal.

What Choices did Germans Face during WWII?

The word "choice" became a problematic one in Reich Germany. If one was truly in favor of the Nazi Party Platform, then one did indeed have 'choices'. However, not just in Germany but in General during wartime, choices, free speech and civil rights often become suspect. While it is somewhat repetitive of the above section, it is important to realize that a choice between for example joining the party or not was not so much a preference for many as a choice between working or not, a choice between safety for families and children, or whether one was free to travel and transact business in a normal way. The Reich government totally bound Citizenship and rights with Nazi Party Membership. To perform in the Arts, one had to be a German Citizen, and the definition of citizenship came first to be defined as having an Aryan heritage, which excluded Jews and several other racial minorities, and later became equated with Party membership. To teach or work, one had to have 'citizenship' carefully defined. To use the court system, one had to be a German. In the highest courts, attorneys and judges were Reich appointed, so justice became a precarious thing.

Neither All Good nor All Bad

The Diverse Twentieth Century Germans

Germany & the United States

A. Foreign Relations

Foreign relations between the US and Germany before the war, were actually reasonable: there were many German immigrants to the US and strong German Fellowships(Bunds) which initially shared both a love of their 'Fatherland' and the U.S. As Hitler came into leadership of the National Socialists (Nazis), he saw much support among Germans in the United States: many felt he would be good for Germany. Additionally, as the Nazis grew more and more organized, key persons were sent for recruitment in the German community in America, to enlist the aid of American Germans willing to help the Nazis both get and stay in power. While it is a vilified symbol now, the swastika was seen often in the 20s and 30s in this country as an ethnic 'emblem' marking German background, similar to Edleweiss marking Austrian descent. Many German businessmen such as Thyssen had strong banking and political ties and Germans were active in politics, Congress, on Wall Street, in Embassy relations, and many other walks of life. Propagandists such as Father Coughlin kept up non-stop campaigns of Nazi rhetoric, and the Bunds often trained their youth in the same ideals as the Hitlerjugend. Bund in Secret Societies) As the war started in Europe, the US under Franklin Delano Roosevelt was reluctant to get involve. They sought to maintain relations with both Britain and Germany, saw both as imperialistic, and most had an isolationist point of view. This extended to calls for an end to immigration as conflicts increased. Isolationism was also the reason the Jews were not more welcome in this country, for many felt that if we opened immigration to Jews fleeing persecution, the German Government would be offended and it could increase the likelihood of German-US conflict. Also, Germany was indebted to America from the first world war, was in the process of making war reparations to us and other countries. Charles Lindbergh, the world reknown pilot who made the first transatlantic flight raised up support for Hitler's regime in this country.

As the war increased though in Europe, the danger of Hitler and Germany taking over more and more of Europe became eminient: Congress debated ardently our participation or reserve. Had Pearl Harbor, incursions into US Politics and the Media, and the growing Jewish persecutions not occurred, we might have aided Germany more: as it was, US financiers on Wall Street continued business with Germany well into the war, some even after we entered the Allied forces. IBM, FORD, and other companies not only continued to business with war time Germany, but some used Concentration Camp slave labor, and others such as Bayer, funded medical trials and experiments using inmates.

When we did enter the war at the end of 1941, the war did indeed turn world wide. Instead of merely soliciting support in the US, the solicitation of espionage took forefront: it was a difficult war not only because of the magnitude and deadliness, but also because of torn allegiances in this country.

GERMANS