Was Leni Riefenstahl A Nazi Sympathizer

Riefenstahl’s significance as a historical figure can be further seen as a powerful female pioneer. Riefenstahl excelled in a career dominated by men, which transcended Nazi Germany and impacted on an international level, questioning gender roles of the time. She was able to obtain the admiration of Hitler, who viewed her as a great artistic talent, at a time when society confined women to strict roles (Kinder, Kirsch and Kutch). Leni Riefenstahl was able to significantly impact history through challenging gender roles by becoming a female pioneer not only in her field but also in society as a whole by becoming one of the most prominent figures in a male-dominated society.

Hitler’s stubbornness kept him from getting the real view of the war. As the fighting continued, Hitler spent less time in public and more time in the bunker. He refused to look at any unpleasant information and was “increasingly out of touch with reality and unprepared to accept truths presented to him” (185). Hitler did not want to be bothered with the day-to-day activities of government and would refuse to get

In her article “I Loved My Grandmother. But She Was a Nazi“, Jessica Shattuck, says she always thought of her grandparents as “ordinary Germans”, but like other ordinary Germans of their generation, they joined the Nazi party in the 1930s (Shattuck 1). Furthermore, she mentioned that a majority of Germans do not talk about their Nazi past. However, her grandmother was willing to talk to Shattuck about her past willingly opening herself up despite possible judgement (Shattuck 2). Shattuck begins explaining how her grandparents joined the Nazi Party due to a youth leadership program as teenagers. The author explained that her grandmother joined ““in hopes of rebuilding Germany” (Shattuck 1). Her grandmother also liked the idea of returning

The topic that I chose was “Identify Adolf Hitler and his role in the Third Reich.” Adolf Hitler was an Austrian born German politician that was also the leader of the Nazi Party. He was a decorated veteran of World War 1. Hitler joined the German Worker’s Party in 1919. Hitler had a side of him that was good and during his imprisonment in the mid 1920’s he wrote his memoir, Mein Kampf which means (my struggle). Hitler had gained his popularity from the support on attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting the Pan-Germanium for the Nazi Propaganda.

As the film opened in Germany and around the world it became obvious that Riefenstahl had achieved overall success, beyond all expectations. In America, specifically New York it was called “flawless” and “a highly fascinating fantasy”. The Blue Light was even awarded a silver medal at the first Venice Biennale that year. Riefenstahl still saw herself primarily as an actress, but after her new found success, expected to continue filmmaking as a career. If The Blue Light had not influenced her career path she would not have reached her prominence with her films such as Triumph of the Will and Olympia to come. Riefenstahl did not only gain wider international fame, she also gained the admiration and support of Adolf Hitler. According to Audrey Salkeld, “Hitler was already an admirer of hers, having been won over by her first dance of fluttering veils in her first movie.......From then on, he had followed her career with interest, The Blue Light in particular catching his imagination.” Indeed the success of The Blue Light was one of the determining influences on Riefenstahl’s rise to prominence as she states, “This film was pivotal in my life, not so much because it was my first successful effort as a producer and director, but because Hitler was so fascinated by this film that he insisted I make a documentary about the Party rally in Nuremberg. The result was Triumph of

This investigation evaluates why common Germans took part in the Holocaust. In order to assess why common Germans took part in the Holocaust the investigation focuses on the participation and complacency of the German people during the Holocaust, specifically the extermination of the Jewish people, and the reasoning behind it. Different explanations for the German actions developed by a range of historians will be presented. The conventional reasons, like psychological and cultural, and the nonconventional reasons will be studied. There will be an in-depth look at the effect of Nazism and propaganda, human behavior, and anti-Semitism on the common Germans and the extent to which they led to the participation in the Holocaust. The scope will allow for analysis and conclusion to the most valid reason why common Germans took part in the Holocaust.

The vital element in maintaining Hitler’s regime remains one of the most controversial arguments amongst historians. There are many considerable factors. Historians such as Jaques Delarue and Hans Rothfels argue that terror was the main component to sustain control, whilst David Crew and Dick Geary believe it was propaganda that made it possible. However, there are other factors that are supported, for instance, contextual condition was backed by Ralph Flenly and Hans Rothfels and the people’s consent, as A.J.P. Taylor proposes, was the imperative constituent. Most historians have the same problem evaluating as they have different definitions for people’s consent. “Silent opposition” is the term used for the people who passively opposed.

In Masters of Death, Richard Rhodes examines what the Nazi Party of the 1930s and 1940s stemmed from, how they got to be in World War II, and why they had such an evil hatred for the Jews of Germany, Poland, and surrounding countries. When most people think of the Holocaust, they think of the more famous concentration camps like Auschwitz or Warsaw. But Richard Rhodes gives detailed accounts of more “non-famous” concentration camps. Hitler’s youth and upbringing is explained in the book and why some theorist believe that he convinced so many Germans to act upon the Jews. Richard Rhodes argues and describes in the book, “what made it possible for men, some of them ‘ordinary men,’ to kill so many people so ruthlessly?”

Triumph of the Will is a documentary of the Nazi Party conference in 1934 in Nuremberg. From the first frame of the film, Riefenstahl captures every essence of how worshiped Hitler

Both the party in 1984 and the Nazi party share common goals and philosophies, but they differ in the actions they took and the extremes they went to to control society and enforce their own power. In 1984 the party takes firm control of their people and act in mystery while making it known with the image of “Big Brother” that they are always watching and in control. The Nazis,led by Adolf Hitler, ruled Germany with an iron fist, influencing their people to follow every move they made and believe every word they spoke. Is the party in 1984 so different from the Nazi party… or do they just want it to seem that way?

Propaganda in general is the idea of getting others to believe in one’s own beliefs. Propaganda is the “attempt to influence behavior…by affecting through the use of mass media of communications, the manner in which a mass audience perceives and ascribes meaning to the material world.”1 Propaganda was a major part of Germany’s way to brain wash people into following Hitler and his army. The theme of Hitler and Goebbels, (Paul Joseph Goebbels, was appointed Hitler’s Reichspropagandaleiter, the Nazis national director of propaganda), using propaganda, “was to merge the traditional German patriotism with Nazi ideological motifs”2, this was basically used from1919 to 1945.

A few weeks ago, my friend Iz returned a book to me that I lent her last fall. It was my mother’s old Nazi Mind book. When she returned the book to me, a book that is no longer a required text for the class, I wondered how the class had changed over time. Since this year's Trial just recently occurred, I thought it might be an appropriate time to compare Nazi Mind then and now.

Propaganda and media have always been very important in convincing the public to agree with their government. Leaders have usually used propaganda and media in common everyday matters, not just politics. In today's age it is easier to find out if information is true or not because of all the technology (which also leaves more room for more false reports.) Today we have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat; the media list available to the public is almost infinite. It has not always been like that though; people have not always had smart phones and the internet to get information about what is happening in their country. Back in the 1940's while World War 2 was raging, people had newspapers, radios, and faith. Naturally

Accordingly, she would not salute him, which most Germans didn’t have the audacity to do. Although she could have been safer in Germany, she knew that backing him was not an option whatsoever. For this reason, she left Germany and her family behind. “His[Hitler] branding me ‘traitor to my country’ ran off me like water off a duck’s back. Coming from his mouth, the words never took on any meaning. As to what I owed my country, I had my own ideas: to stand up to be counted as one of the Germans who would not say yes to Hitler.” (45) She thanks her grandfather for introducing these beliefs in her, “I could not join the hunters of the defenseless. I thank him for having been an example of proud independence; had I fearfully run with the crowd, shouted what they shouted, my mind would have been haunted by grandpapa’s sneers.” (45) She felt her cause was so important that she never strayed from it. With this in mind, she did everything she could to stay true to herself, her family, Andre, and her country, which is true

Within Germany, a country torn between the rise of a totalitarian party that determined a superior race, Nazism, and the survival of the oppressed, young Germans face a test between a sense of self and society. Individuality would be suppressed within this new type of society, and being different would be the deadliest obstruction to life. The violations of the rights to life, religion, and speech are relived through the stories of the German youth that lived through this haunting time, whose name would be tarnished in their struggle to survive. In their fight, their morals would be challenged and influenced until the Nazi regime ended, and the violation of human dignity would leave them wondering if life was worth living after all. The Nazi Party grew under its leader, Adolf Hitler, which struggled not to use violence against those that disagreed with their views, starting with armed groups known as the Strum Abteilung, who pledged to be ready to sacrifice their life in the aims of the Nazi Party and absolute loyalty to their leader. Their cruel intolerance began by their strong nationalism and their hatred of democracy and communism, and they gained power through the economic depressions around the world, controlling the media by instilling fear and propaganda that influenced a strong belief in their leaders. This belief in the leaders would soon seem to override Church influence when the official body of the Church failed to do anything significant