Götz Aly’s “Hitlers Volksstaat” is one of the most-awaited books in Germany this spring. In it, Aly defends the thesis that Germans accepted Hitler’s raiding of occupied countries for as long as they did because he had introduced a “leftist” social policy at home, which above all benefited the poor. Im very interested in your opionion of that issue. I don’t think that Götz Aly is right. Dictatorship means the rule of unreason and the “normal people” have to pay the price.
Nonsense. Hitler had the intention to restore Germany’s former glory and right political wrongs years before he ever came to power. I do not believe Hitler was aware at this time before taking power that any policies he instituted would necessitate foreign adventures. So, it had to be that he intended foreign adventures for their own sake.
Anyway German foreign policy had involved imperial war in Eastern Europe since Prussia became a kingdom. Also the idea of “Lebensraum” in Eastern Europe did not originate with the Nazis but was a standard part of right wing rhetoric since Bismarck’s Reich.
This sounds like historical revisionism of the right wing.
Whom do you mean by the term “nonsens”? Me or Mr. Aly? The question is, whether Hitler’s politics benefited the poor. Mr. Aly writes that 95 % of the whole German population benefited from Hitler’s Hilters politics. I think it is the other way around. Hitler exploited and drained all social groups to pursue his polictical goals.
Whom do you mean by the term “nonsens”? Me or Mr. Aly? The question is, whether Hitler’s politics benefited the poor. Mr. Aly writes that 95 % of the whole German population benefited from Hitler’s Hilters politics. I think it is the other way around. Hitler exploited and drained all social groups to pursue his polictical goals.
Mr. Aly’s claim is nonsense. Hitler was not so sophisticated a thinker as to anticipate something like that his social policies would require foreign adventurism, and at that time (before even coming to power) to sit around talking up those foreign adventures.
Anyway, as long as we are on the topic, social policy in the Third Reich didn’t go much beyond the social policies in the Second (Bismarckian) Reich. I dont see any claims that WWI was initiated by Germany for social reasons. In fact more people doubt whether Germany alone can be blamed for WWI.