Nazi Buckles: Psychology and the Fighting Spirit
by Ray R. Cowdery
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ray R. CowderyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1982-12-01
ISBN: 0910667004
Number of pages: 63
Publisher: Victory WW2 Publishing Ltd
Book Reviews of Nazi Buckles: Psychology and the Fighting Spirit
Book Review: I fight -- in two languages
Summary: 5 Stars
"For those in the movement, the mere statement of conviction, 'I believe' isn't enough. Rather the oath: 'I fight!'"
With those words, from a speech at Nuremburg on September 10, 1934, Adolf Hitler laid the groundwork for "Ich Kampfe," a color-illustrated booklet handed out to all newly accepted members of the NSDAP during the later years of the Third Reich. "Ich Kampfe" could be called a spiritual statement of belief or a political primer, or both; the purpose was to educate new members on the history, organization, and philosophy of the Nazi Party. It was assembled by Hermann Leise and issued by the Hauptkulturamt in der Reichspropagandaleitung der NSDAP, the Main/Head Culture Office of the Reichs Propaganda Leadership of the Party. The copy reproduced here was originally issued in 1943.
"Ich Kampfe" should be mandatory reading for all history buffs and especially historians, though I doubt so much as 10% of the so-called experts have ever read a word of it. Like most NSDAP-issued literature it was burned en masse after the war and few original copies survive. I have seen them sell in the $300 range, so to be able to get a cheap, clean, easily readable, German-text version that also includes a full English translation is invaluable to the serious student of history, especially if he happens to be broke and can't speak German. For a very modest price you get two books in one -- the 99 page German version, and then the 42 page English translation which follows it(unabridged except that it leaves out the list of martyrs), all in one glossy softback volume.
In addition to numerous quotations from speeches made by Adolf Hitler, poetry by former Hitler Youth Leader Baldur von Schirach, the original 25-point Party Program formulated by Hitler, Gottfried Feder and Anton Drexler in 1920, a list of NSDAP "martyrs" killed during the Time of Struggle and afterward (the last entry is Reinhard Heydrich, murdered in Prague in 1942), lyrics to "The Horst Wessel Song" and "Song of the Loyal Followers," codes of expected conduct for NSDAP members, duties of members, a timeline of important events in the Party's history, and small essays by lesser Nazis such as Arthur Axmann, who led the HJ after von Schirach. It also includes explanations of the functions of the SA, SS, HJ, NSFK, and various other Nazi para-military organizations. There are also 49 B&W pictures.
"Ich Kampfe" also features a number of essays by members of the Reichsleitung der NSDAP, the men who held the Party's highest rank below Hitler. They include:
Reichsleiter Philipp Bouhler, "The Fuhrer and His Movement"
Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg, "Internal and External German Freedom."
Reichspropagandaleiter Josef Goebbels, "The National Socialist Revolution."
Reichsorganisationleiter Robert Ley, "The Responsibility of Political Leader and Standard-bearer"
Despite the rivers of ink spilled on the subject, the innumerable hours of documentary and sixty years of almost continuous examination, Nazism as a political ideology remains very difficult to define, possibly because it transcended politics and entered into the sphere of philosophy, science and religion, and possibly because much of the history of the NSDAP was a struggle between various people for control of the Party's platform (at different times such men as Anton Drexler, Gottfried Feder, Gregor Strasser, Julius Streicher, Alfred Rosenberg and Josef Goebbels all considered themselves the master-mind of the whole movement). With the exception of Hitler-worship and anti-Semetism, the Reich Leadership (not to mention empire-builders like Himmler and Goring) couldn't agree on much, and the confusion we feel today regarding the exact ideology of Nazism was often mirrored by the Nazis themselves. Hans Frank went so far as to say, "There are as many versions of National Socialism as there are National Socialists."
Because of this, "Ich Kampfe" is vital stuff for anybody interested in history. It defines National Socialism in terms of its history, its goals, its organization, its culture and the day-to-day requirements of its members. Most importantly, explains to the modern-day reader what it meant to be a "good Nazi" during the time of the Third Reich.
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