UCSB Hist 133D
Prof. Marcuse
The Holocaust in German History
Oct. 6, 1999
Lecture 2: Hitler and the Nazi Elite
Preliminary
Roll-call and registration: 133D, 133Q
Syllabus. L12: Text 183-196; L14: Text 197-206; L17: Text 206-221
Books, reader and blue book journal: always bring the latter to class
discussion list: hist133d@humanitas.ucsb.edu; subscribe from course web site
Q1 on Thursday, in a blue book
(as take-home!): outline and assess Reader #3
Historians and Hitler's role in the Holocaust
Intentionalism: Hitler's preformed plan
Structuralism: nature of power structure; "polycratic" around weak leader
Functionalism: cumulative radicalization; "twisted road"
Adolf Hitler (20 Apr. 1889-30 Apr. 1945)
Mein Kampf
as source
Childhood, studies in Vienna (1907-13), antisemitic groups (Thule society, Artamanen)
Three factors determining the "racial value" of a people:
Germans
Jews
sense of self:
nationalism
internationalism
form of leadership:
Führer principle
democracy
capacity to make war:
militarism
pacifism
World War I (Hindenburg, Ludendorff, Iron Cross, gas injury)
Revolution in Munich: spy, Sozi or Nazi?
9 Nov. 1923 coup d'etat, 1924 trial
from violence to legality
(not shown-technical problem)
Film clip: Joachim Fest and Christian Herrendorfer, "Hitler: A Career" (1977)
The Nazi Elite
Ernst Röhm (1887-1 July 1934): WWI captain, Free Corps, DAP member, putsch, Bolivia
Gregor Strasser (1892-30 June 1934): putsch, MdR 1924-33, socialist
Hermann Göring (1893-15 Oct.1946): "Prussian" military college, WWI flying ace
Josef Goebbels (1897-1 May 1945): Ph.D. and gifted orator
Rudolf Hess (1894-1987): WWI, Free Corps, Thule, secretary, May '41 Scotland
Rudolf Höss (1900-1946): WWI, Free Corps, '23 murder, '28 amnesty, '34 Dachau, '40 Auschwitz
Heinrich Himmler (1900-23 May 1945): Artamans, putsch, SS, Gestapo, police
Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942): '25 Navy officer, '31 SD, '34 Gestapo, '40 RSHA, '42 Prague
Adolf Eichmann (1902-1962): '23 school, '32 Austr. Nazi, '37 SD/Jews, '42 Wannsee