Walter Benjamin’s essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, published well into the Nazis’ tenure in Germany describes fascism in its epilogue as “the introduction of aesthetics into political life.” For this purpose, it is important to understand the denotative meaning of “aesthetics.” The Oxford Dictionary defines aesthetics as “a set of principles concerned with the appreciation of beauty.” Additionally, it can also refer to “a set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.” Adolf Hitler and the Nazis established this “aesthetic” in Nazi Germany through multiple means: They created a clearly defined ideal of what was beautiful in appearance and what was degenerate, they had a clearly …show more content…
Nothing is fictionalized for the screen, nothing dramatized. Leni Riefenstahl literally transforms a very real event into a work of art, broadcast across Germany and the world to show the visual power of the Nazi regime. The rally itself is truly a work of art. Carefully choreographed, with 700,000 supporters present beside thousands of flags and Nazi standards, soldiers dressed exactly alike, with Albert Speer’s Cathedral of Light shining over all of them. To me, that Nuremberg Rally and its permanent preservation in Triumph des Willens represents, well, the triumph of the Nazi …show more content…
A desire to be beautiful and right in the Third Reich’s eyes while simultaneously rejecting all that was degenerate and different bound Germans together. Symbols of racial superiority and history, as well as a small, easily seen and grasped palate of colors carefully chosen by a shrewd and well-run propaganda ministry and culture police to work together with the Nazis’ social aesthetics, made it easier for Germans to come together and form a new Germany, one that would last for 1,000
In the years between 1933 and 1945, Germany was engulfed by the rise of a powerful new regime and the eventual spoils of war. During this period, Hitler's quest for racial purification turned Germany not only at odds with itself, but with the rest of the world. Photography as an art and as a business became a regulated and potent force in the fight for Aryan domination, Nazi influence, and anti-Semitism. Whether such images were used to promote Nazi ideology, document the Holocaust, or scare Germany's citizens into accepting their own changing country, the effect of this photography provides enormous insight into the true stories and lives of the people most affected by Hitler's racism. In fact, this photography has become so widespread in our understanding and teaching of the Holocaust that often other factors involved in the Nazi's racial policy have been undervalued in our history textbooks-especially the attempt by Nazi Germany to establish the Nordic Aryans as a master race through the Lebensborn experiment, a breeding and adoption program designed to eliminate racial imperfections.
The presence of an overwhelming and influential body of government, dictating the individuals of contextual society, may potentially lead to the thoughts and actions that oppose the ruling party. Through the exploration of Fritz Lang’s expressionist film, Metropolis (1927), and George Orwell’s politically satirical novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1948), the implications of an autocratic government upon the individuals of society are revealed. Lang’s expressionist film delves into the many issues faced by the Weimar Republic of Germany following the “War to end all wars” (Wells, 1914), in which the disparity between the upper and lower classes became distinctively apparent as a result of the ruling party’s capitalistic desires. Conversely, Orwell’s,
In conclusion, I think that this is an excellent propaganda film. I believe that it does a great job of convincing the viewer that naziism is good. Leni Riefenstahl’s camerawork intrigued me. I loved how she used certain images to make the viewer believe that naziism was a good thing. If I were living in that time period, in Germany, I would be convinced. I really liked how she showed the crowds enthusiasm towards this idea to make the viewer think that naziism is good. She also did a nice job of showing the beautiful city of Nuremberg, to make the film aesthetically pleasing. I also really liked Hitler’s short speeches. His delivery was fascinating to me -- unlike like any speaker I am familiar with. This film was different than any film I have seen before, but it is very interesting. It is a really effective propaganda film in my opinion.
...er of dividing and attacking his enemies one by one. He would win over people with tempting promises. In conclusion Racism,National pride and peer pressure played a major role in the German peoples participation in or indifference’s towards the state-sponsored genocide and murders in Germany.
The film Triumph of the Will (Triumph des Willens, Leni Riefenstahl, Germany, 1935)1 is perhaps the more blatant of the two propaganda films discussed in this essay. It is not so much a film in the modern sense as it is a careful collection of Hitler and Nazi Party members captured in all their nationalistic glory.There is no story, no plot, just one overriding theme that each and every shot contributes to.
An explanation of the Nazi’s rise to power would be inadequate without some attention given to the origins of Hitler, the Nazi party and the world views which would eventually shape the foundatio...
Fascism may be described as an extreme right-wing movement in the form of a radical authoritarian nationalism. Fascism was first created in Italy by Mussolini in 1922 to 1943. Mussolini implemented force wherever necessary to ensure the continuation of the controlling environment he was trying to perfect. The Italian government was endeavouring to control nearly all aspects of life and had completely thrown the private and public spheres of life out of balance. A fascist state needs a strong leader who can motivate the nation to feel a huge sense of nationalism and thus increase the army’s size, have a nostalgia for the past, show a hatred of communism, no opposition parties or even perhaps create a scapegoat of the opposite party. A fascist state would also require state control over production and major banks to ensure control. In the beginning of 1933 when Adolf Hitler was given the chancellorship he began implementing these fascist ideals into the German society through propaganda speeches, passing legislation that banned certain practices and ignoring the binding clauses of the Treaty of Versailles and rebuilding the army to its former glory. Many historians have argued that the Nazi ruled Germany was a fascist state. This report will show that Nazi Germany was infact a fascist state in regards to women, children and the control of the government.
The “Perfect race” idea, which Hitler got, was from an old group of people called the “Aryan Race.” This entire old race consisted of people with blue eyes, and blonde natural hair. The word “Aryan” even meant superior, or the best. The Aryan race was a racial group that was commonly used in the period of the late 19th century to mid-20th century to describe people from European and Western Asian heritage. Hitler wanted Germany to be just like this because he thought these people would be looked up to, along with given more “Leibenstrum” Or living space; how Hitler put it.
The movie Triumph of the Will is about Hitler's activities in Nuremberg, which include, riding through the streets in a parade and giving speeches to crowds of supporters (Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will). The movie show excited people lining the streets to salute Hitler as he passes them (Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will). This use of photography show the viewers that the Nazi party is supported by the people of Germany. The director chooses to use closeup shots on the smiling faces in the crowds to show that people are happy and supportive of the Nazi movement. In contrast to close up shot, the director also chooses to use extreme long shots to show the massive crowds lining the streets. This again shows the viewer that not only a few people
I believe "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia" had different purposes. "Triumph of the Will" was intended as Nazi propaganda and to show the power of the Nazis. Its purpose was to show the world the strength that the Nazi regime had and that it was ready and we'll more than willing to fight for their beliefs. Evidence of this is found in the film all of the shots of the troops march marching the solutes with the guns the arm salutes to Hitler. Those are examples of the power and authority that Hitler had. The films were directed towards the leaders of other countries that they were ready to fight and to prove the power that the Nazis had. "Olympia" was intended for all viewers, not just a specific group.
On January 30, 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany. His government, known as the Third Reich, quickly transformed into “a regime in which Germans enjoyed no guaranteed basic rights” (USHMM 1). Ultimately, his plan was to eliminate all pre-existing politics and make Germany a powerful, unified single-party state. To maintain the upmost power, “the Nazis instituted a policy of "coordination"--the alignment of individuals and institutions with Nazi goals” (USHMM 4). All aspects of society and life were under Nazi control, with the assistance of police force, or the Gestapo. In order to create appeal for the regime's goals and ideals, there was heavy reliance on propaganda. Overall, Hitler’s Third Reich was concerned with preservation of power in order to ...
In general, Germany’s defeat and feelings of failure led to the creation of the Third Reich. The Third Reich had a clear ideology: to promote eliminate Jews and the degenerate, promote German unity, and improve Germany’s state in general. These ideas were clearly promoted through different methods of propaganda and cultural policy like art, museums, film, and posters promoting their
Aesthetics is the theoretical study of the arts and related types of behavior and experience. It is traditionally regarded as a branch of philosophy, concerned with the understanding of beauty and its manifestations in art and nature. However, in the latter 20th century there developed a tendency to treat it as an independent science, concerned with investigating the phenomena of art and its place in human life. Yet, what in a field with a hazy line in between being classified as a science or study of beliefs is considered data for determining what can be studied? It can simply be drawn to the only three things involved in the process of art : The creator, the person experiencing, and the art itself.
One factor with somewhat minimal impact in the unification of Germany, however one still worthy of mentioning, was cultural cohesion and social change. During the nineteenth century the Romantic movement developed throughout Europe and in Germany it took the form of celebrating the German heritage and promoting cultural pride. Romantics such as Friedrich Ludwig Jahn glorified the rich history of the German peoples. Through literature and art romantics expressed the idea of Germany as “an organic folk community wrapped in a cloak of tradition” They strived to create a homogenous identity for all Germans. Another force with widespread social impac...
In the early 1930s, the country of Germany had developed a strong sense of nationalism that would soon become a critical factor for the future of the country. A major political figure by the name of Adolf Hitler emerged and began to inspire the German people. Citizens of every social class were entranced by his promises of a prosperous future (Study.com). Soon after, the formation of the “National Socialist Party” or “Nazi Party” occurred. Hitler’s speeches were designed to move and captivate the hundreds of thousands that would actively attend his rallies. He was able to capture so much affection and respect from the majority of the German people by stating “What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, the sustenance of our children and the purity of our blood, the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission