The town of Northeim featured in Allen’s The Nazis Seizure of Power seems to be the perfect town to be utilized by the Nazis. Of what we have previously established through our readings of Kershaw and Mein Kampf we know the Nazi ideology and what led most Germans to turn to the Nazi power when they sought change.
Allen describes the people of Northeim in his first two chapters, explaining the regions history, while establishing how close the people are by giving details about the common names in the region. “One finds 109 names, each of which was shared by five to ten families.”
Going off of Hitler’s Aryan nation ideology, Northeim, with it’s establishment of close-knit family, keeping marriage within the community and in some cases the family, you have a group of people who already believe in the ideology of containing themselves within a group of people that they know and can relate to.
When thinking about the type of people needed for uprisings, especially students, Northeim also had an established base of young adults who had strong Nationalist intentions. “Most of these students were from the middle class and were strongly nationalistic.” This would definitely come as a benefit to the rightist Nazi party as these children graduated school.
Northeim also has a large amount of what seems to be reactionary citizens. Allen describes shooting events that remind one of the Deep South and the cherished gun rights in America.
All of these traits come into full view and make sense when the economy eventually fails and a heavily negative view is put on the government that got the country to such a low state. The fact that a majority of the people from Northeim had voted for right leaning parties during the stable era of the Weimar Republic can only help to see how easily it would have been once the economy failed and the less than majority citizens also sought change. When you are surrounded by a majority it becomes easier to side with them.
Allen writes about the Nazis after the depression has hit, “the Nazis appeared to be vigorous, determined and, above all, ready to use radical means to deal with the crucial problem – the depression.” Northeim was ready to work with the Nazis because their traditions and personalities so benefitted a nationalistic party.
You're right to say that the town of Northeim was the perfect place for the Nazis to use. Initially, the whole town was largely ignorant of the Nazis and Hitler's political ideas. But the Nazis were not quitters; they continued their meetings (which at the beginning, had a poor turnout) and publicly advocated their ideas to everyone. These meetings created an image for the Nazis, who were viewed as "vigorous, dedicated, and young" (32); even a housewife described them as a representation of youth and strength. But they were still unrecognized by the average Northeimer. It wasn't until Wilhelm Spannus joined the NSDAP as the first Northeimer that everyone began listening to the Nazis.
ReplyDeleteAs a respected individual in society, Spannus was well liked. He was the chairman of the Northeim Lecture Society and a prominent member of the Lutheran Church. With his status as a well known public figure, people naturally started to follow him and consequently joined the NSDAP, with the idea that whatever he believed in must be right. Soon, Nazi ideas were pouring into Northeim, with a lot of citizens drawn in to the principles of the Nazis. This certainly was a positive omen for the Nazis to pave their way up to the top.