The Germanic Isle: Nazi Perceptions of BritainDespite Hitler's tactical duplicity at Munich, there is overwhelming evidence that one of the Nazis' fundamental objectives was to forge an alliance with Britain. This book discusses how the Nazis attempted to emulate the "ruthlessness" of the British Empire as they sought to enslave eastern Europe. It explores a wide range of sources, in popular culture and the media, diaries, secret police files, and views of the Nazi leadership, to show that there was a surprisingly enduring affection for Britain and British culture among ordinary Germans, even during the virulent anti-British propaganda of the war years. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
The view from Weimar German perceptions of Britain before 1933 | 7 |
The Germanic isle Britain and Nazi racial science | 38 |
Empire builders Britain as a paradigm for Nazi expansion | 63 |
Their aged bones are rattling Britain and the Nazi concept of modernity | 98 |
The class struggle of the nations Britain and Nazi anticapitalism | 129 |
The chorus of hypocrites history and propaganda | 159 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alfred Rosenberg Allied Anglisten Anglo-German relations Anglo-Saxon anti-British apparent Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung Boberach British Empire century colonial contrast Cromwell culture Das Schwarze Korps December Diaries Dibelius Duke of Windsor earlier effect England Engländer English Europe European evidence fact February film foreign policy France French Führer German public Germany's Goebbels Günther Hitler Hitler Youth Hitler's views hostility Ibid imperial record India instance Jäckel and Kuhn January Joseph Goebbels July Kampf language later Leipzig less London Mein Kampf Meldungen merely Munich National Socialism Nazi leadership Nazi party Nazi propaganda Nazi racial Nordic November obvious October ordinary Germans perceptions of Britain perhaps political Rassenkunde readers recognised regime regime's revealing ruthlessness Schwarze Korps seemed September 1939 Shakespeare simply speech SS newspaper suggested Table Talk theme Third Reich thought tion verlorene Insel Versailles Viktor Klemperer Volk wartime Weimar Weimar Republic wider words youth Zweites Buch