The Germanic Isle: Nazi Perceptions of Britain

by Gerwin Strobl

Overview

Despite 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521782654
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/26/2000
Pages:	286
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The view from Weimar: German perceptions of Britain before 1933; 2. 'The Germanic isle': Britain and Nazi racial science; 3. 'Empire builders': Britain as a paradigm for Nazi expansion; 4. 'Their aged bones are rattling': Britain and the Nazi concept of modernity; 5. 'The class struggle of the nations': Britain and Nazi anti-capitalism; 6. 'The chorus of hypocrites': history and propaganda; 7. 'The land without music': culture and propaganda; 8. The decline of the West: German fears and illusions in the shadow of defeat; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Gerwin Strobl demonstrates in his study of German (and especially Nazi) views of Britain in the years of the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich that Germans has a widely shared sense of Britain being a fellow Germanic nation and so, surely, a kindred spirit." Spectator

"A careful examination of German literature, Nazi speeches, school books, movies, theater performances, and other materials provides the basis for this detailed study of how Nazi leaders and the Germans public saw Great Britain...The author has made an important point in calling attention to the replacement of French by Englishas the first modern language offered in German schools. The text is illustrated and enlivened by extensive quotations and by reproductions of cartoons and pictures." Jrnl of Military History

"Gerwin Strobl's elegant, imaginative, and methodologically innovative book demonstrates that there is still a great deal to explore... Strobl has identified and filled a significant gap... this book is richly textured, beautifully produced with over thirty illustrations, and written with requisite humor and flair." Canadian Journal of History

"For his analysis of Nazi perceptions of Britain, Strobl draws on a wide array of sources ranging from Hitler's Table Talk to the diaries of Viktor Klemperer to the popular films produced by Goebbels' Ministry of Propaganda. He presents a well-argued and convincing analysis of Nazi perceptions of Britain, thereby contributing to our understanding of Anglo-German relations during the Third Reich." German Studies Review

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