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The Nazi Conscience

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On a first glance Claudia Koonz' book on the Nazi conscience appears somewhat disappointing. Yes, it is fulsomely documented, relying on a wide variety of archival and contemporary sources, while also being copiously illustrated. But on the other hand this book seems too similar to other books, such as David Bankier and Ian Kershaw on public opinion during the Nazi years, and it does not seem to tell us anything new. But a closer look reveals something much more interesting. The title is a bit misleading. The book is less about Nazi concepts of conscience as it is about the subversion of the German conscience. The results of this process are both subtle and disturbing.

One day in 1940 a Nazi Youth member saw the Gestapo removing Jewish friend and the rest of the village's Jews and thought to himself, not how unfortunate that this was happening to Jews, but how unfortunate that his friend was Jewish. Such was the triumph of the Nazi conscience. As scholars are increasingly aware, the violent thuggish anti-Semitism of Julius Streicher and Nazi thugs was deeply unpopular, while racist ideas were controversial and intellectually questionable. How therefore could Hitler achieve his ends? Hitler, along with Goebbels, Himmler and Heydrich were the most radical and extreme of the anti-Semites. But all three were masters of making themselves appear to be more moderate and rational than they actually were. Most of the films approved by Goebbels appeared to lack any ideological content, Himmler went out of his way to make the SS appear more aristocratic and intellectual. Heydrich went out of his way to denounce "vulgar" anti-Semitic tactics. And Hitler, for his part, was careful to appear as the spokesman for "ethnic fundamentalism." Hitler's anti-Semitism was good for the cadres, but for the wider population the deeply moralistic, anti-liberal ethnic fundamentalism was better at presenting nihilistic ends in conservative language.

Koonz points out that as Hitler came closer to power he toned down his comments on Jews, and once in power he was careful not to associate himself too closely to the more unpopular extremists. Before the war, Koonz points out, he only directly and publicly stated his hatred of Jews three times. But he could also remind the extremists he was on their side by sneering at ideas, like feminism, as "Jewish." At the same time as he ostentatiously expressed his desire for peace and love for Christianity, Mein Kampf was publicized and its racism implicitly honoured. Koonz goes on to discuss such topics as academic support for the Nazis (including those old standbys Heidegger and Schmitt). She discusses the soft-sell techniques of Walter Gross and the Office of Racial Politics. "When speaking to general audiences, Gross appealed to ethnic pride; among Nazis, he mobilized racial hatred." There is a chapter on the Nazi approach to youth, again showing the same insidious soft sell, such as providing toy tanks to schools, or using Nazi party leaders' names for spelling exercises. One prominent Nazi primer devoted only 3 of its 256 pages to Jews. Although teachers and students were often repelled by Nazi cruelty towards Jewish children, the emphasis on Volk and Fatherland helped to make segregation more acceptable. There are also chapters on law and intellectuals, about how jurists tried to make rational sense of the racist nonsense they were supposed to using, and slowly but surely accepted more Nazi principles. We also read how the Nazis covered their ideas in pseudo-scientific and pseudo-scholarly garb. We also read about the complementary roles played by the crude SA and the deceptively "moderate" "intellectual" SS. Denunciation of "Jewry" played a minor role in the educational materials assigned to SS recruits. But understating racism made it easier to slip into the more conservative chauvinist consensus. The result was a society where if Germans did not fully appreciate the genocide of their fellow citizens, "they knew enough to know it was better not to know." Instead of communist societies which rigidly repeated their rigid dogmas and could expect little better than to have it parroted back to them, Nazi Germany was more successful in gaining internal adherence precisely because it was less "totalitarian." Its conscience was close enough to the pre-Nazi version in its emphasis on sacrifice and high moral purpose to blur those of the majority and encourage the cruelty of its soldiers. Precisely because the German mind was not a blank slate it could even be allowed a certain initiative. Instead of the crude counter-chauvinism of Daniel Goldhagen, Koonz presents a process that need not be confined to Germans. Indeed, we have already seen it among one of Germany's victims, Serbia, and much of the rest of Yugoslavia. And we may yet see it elsewhere.

Claudia Koonz, Professor of History at Duke University, has written what in my eyes is likely to be one of the very best books ever written about Nazi ideology in general and the hatred of the Jews in particular. It's an amazing read, packed with information, pictures of Nazi propaganda, extensive sources, and a text that is eerie, fascinating, and very, VERY instructive.

It's hard, to a certain extent even impossible, to understand how Hitler and his National Socialism managed to rise to such enormous power and popularity, and it's probably safe to say that a large number of people in today's world don't `know how widespread and well planned the Nazi ideology really was in Germany during the height of its popularity. But this is just what Koonz wants to explain with her book, and she definitely doesn't fail in describing the rise of Nazi power, how the people chose to embrace it, and how the "Jewish menace" came to be an accepted fact among large segments of the population.

It doesn't matter if one, quite understandably, hates the Nazi ideology and everything it resulted in; one still cannot deny the fact that the systematic indoctrination and the power of Hitler's speeches was quite impressive considering what the results were. And that's just as true today as it was back then, since during the 1930s when the Nazis really came to power, many Europeans "looked on from neighboring countries with envy even if they deplored the Nazi state" (p.163).

But how could it happen? That's a question that's been asked millions of times by millions of people, but if you read Koonz' book the whole thing will without a doubt become at least somewhat more understandable, thanks to examples as this one about the bizarre hatred of the Jews, taken from a chapter about the creation of the ultimate SS man:

"By conjuring up an image of the Jewish enemy as both morally debauched and deviously intelligent instructors presented racial persecution as rational self-defense, not emotional prejudice" (p.243)

Discussions and details about Hitler appear from time to time, obviously, but the greater part of the text is not about him. The Nazi Conscience is not a biography about Hitler; its more a biography about the German people, and even though the man behind it all only appears from time to time, I still haven't ever read a book that taught me more about Nazism and its power of attraction than The Nazi Conscience did.

Now, there's a factor that often appears when you read well-written books about Nazism and Nazi ideology, and this factor is just as frightening as it is fascinating: You understand them. You understand the Nazis, and you realize that they were people, too, even though their particular worldview was quite different to the one that most people have today.

This understanding easily leads to another insight, namely the fact that one has to accept the fact that one self could very likely have ended up being a devoted Nazi is one had grown up in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s, no matter how well-educated and rational one happens to be.

Realizations like this can really mess with your head. I know it did to me. It's not a very pleasant thing; this understanding of the Nazi universe, but it's an extremely important one. Because only when you realize who the Nazis were, how they thought, and why they turned out to be the vicious killers that many of them were.

Then, and only then, can you begin to understand them.

Yes, there was a "Nazi conscience" that had its positive aspects--at least for those who followed it.

Dr. Koonz has established a reputation as one of the foremost scholars on everyday life in Nazi German (see Mothers in the Fatherland). She lives up to and expands that reputation here.

Too often the popular interest in Nazi Germany has centered around the death camps, the SA/SS and the more violent aspects of the rise of Nazism. But as Koonz points out, the Nazis and Adolf Hitler built a program that fed into concepts and desires that had already germinated in 20th century Germany. True, the Nazis possessed the levers of power to impose much of their will on the country, but the population was never as unwilling or as blindly led as we might like to admit.

Koonz builds her thesis upon the legitimization of postive ethics by the Nazis; namely, the establishment and veneration of das Volk, i.e. an extreme ethnic nationalism that only later manifested itself in the Holocaust. Dr. Koonz shows that the path to the Holocaust passed through the disenchantment with 19th/20th century liberalism, the expansion of "polite" anti-semitism, and contemporary (yet hotly debated) principles of science and genetic racialism. She also elaborates on the hyper-masculinity of the Nazi regime.

The narrative is a subtle one, for Dr. Koonz does not play her arguments into evocative or forceful prose. This book is methodical, understated; a worthy read, however, and will offer much insight onto what, borrowing from Hanah Arendt's description of "the banality of evil." Also includes compelling photographs.

I will echo another reviewer who said this is one of the best books on the Nazi machine which was written.



I think most people believe that the holocaust was accomplished by only a few people. In reality it was the work of an organized machine which had to be oiled, maintained, and periodically refueled. This was what the engineers of this machine did. This book really puts it all in context and, as frightening as it sounds, will make the reader question whether they would have even noticed the holocaust happening or would they have even spoken out against it if they were members of the German culture during the 30's.



Koontz's book does a great job demystifying what was a troubled time in world history and is one of the few books that I can honestly say that I will re-read just to make sure I understand it all.

Dr. Koonz has written easily one of the best books on the Nazis I have ever read, and I've read dozens of books on the topic. This is not only well researched and well argued, but it is also well written. I found myself tearing through the book, wanting to read more and more. There have been several excellent reviews that look at the book at length so I will keep my review short and sweet. What Koonz does in this book is prove that the Nazi leadership most certainly had an ethos, world view, or conscience that gave them a moral compass as to what right and wrong was. As Koonz argues successfully, namely it was promoting the German Volk, which lead to the alienation of all those who didn't fit in the Nazi view of what the Volk was. Koonz spends the book hammering this point home and shows how laws, science, film, entertainment, and other avenues were used to promote this world view, thus giving it more of a grounding in reality. This, Koonz argues, is what helped win over the majority of the German population. All in all, if you have any interest in Nazi Germany, read this book.

Koonz has done a great deal of research, determining how Nazi ideologues, supporters, and enthusiasts across the spectrum of German culture managed to change crude prejudice into ideology that was acceptable to the German people.

The book begins with explanations of "conscience," "race," and "people," in order to provide a framework for understanding the rest of the book.

As this is not a history book, per se, the chapter breakdown is not as definable as a chronological study would be. Instead, the chapters break down into different approaches to ideological indoctrination, instruction, propaganda, and how the Party was able to make their ideology palatable to the German people.

Hitler is discussed as a "prophet of virtue," and though it sounds strange, it is explained in a way that helps the reader to understand how this man was able to sway the minds of so many Germans as he came to power. His technique as an orator is analyzed, and one learns how he manipulated his speeches based on his audience, and where the Party was in its struggle.

One of the most effective weapons in the effort to sway popular attitude was the academic community. When respected scholars were able to present the public with articles that legitimized Party propaganda, people began to accept it. It is important to understand how such learned men came to believe in this ideology, and Koonz is able to present information about them explaining their backgrounds, and their approaches to this.

One of the most important concepts to the Nazis was the Volk. Although this term is often confused with `race,' is actually goes well beyond that. In this context, "Volk" refers more to a `community' rather than a `people.' Much of the book investigates this concept and how it was manipulated to marginalize groups such as the Jews, gypsies, and other "undesirables." A chapter is spent discussing how racism was worked into the law, legalizing the treatment of non-members of the Volk.

While many Germans agreed with at least parts of the Party's ideological stance, there were still difficulties. While many would support it in the abstract, we found that quite a surprising number tried not to let these policies interfere with their own lives. Many Party leaders were frustrated that while they were working to remove Jews from the community, their neighbors and comrades still dealt with these people as though nothing had changed.

The last chapters deal with the racial warriors and the racial war they fought at home. Between the SA and the SS, there were two radical approaches to the racial conflict. Here, the reader is shown how these two approaches were developed. The similarities and differences between the SA and SS are discussed, and how they came about. This section helps to gain somewhat of an understanding of the men in these organizations, and what drove them.

This book is more of a sociology book than a history book. However, for the historian, it a good resource to help understand some of the events of the Third Reich era. It probably isn't for the casual reader, but one should expect to be educated from it.

This book is an interesting sociological study of "soft" or "persuasive" power exerted by the Third Reich over the German populace. It provides a look at how the Nazi party, which never won a majority of the German electorate, attempted to infiltrate German public opinion and to advance its bizarre and extreme social and racial policies. Koonz suggests that the Nazis tried to meet the average German on common ground and to coax him or her into accepting the Nazi world-view by appealing to existing prejudices and fears.

The Nazis not only monopolized social interaction by eliminating all rival forms of organization and information, but also by emphasizing the more benign and socially desirable aspects of their program and its consistency with traditional values. This strategy operated with surprising flexibility, and it often involved retreat and compromise. When it became clear that the German people disliked public displays of violence against Jews, for example, the Nazis reined these in and focused instead on more orderly and legalistic forms of persecution. Thus, the Nazis could actually pose as a "reasonable" and "law-abiding" party that sought to curb extremists within their own ranks and to solve the "Jewish problem" in a rational manner. Hitler also downplayed anti-Semitic remarks in his speeches. Nazi propaganda focused instead on improving the German volk or race and played to a form of "polite" anti-Semitism that allowed non-Jewish Germans to feel socially superior to the Jews among them. Nazis emphasized the duty carried by Germans to keep their blood-lines "pure," thus casting their program in terms of a hygenic model. In the end, Germans could actually be made to feel guilty for tolerance expressed toward Jews.

Koonz also shows how the Nazis differed from their Stalinist enemies. Though both were totalitarians, Nazi party officials were free to disagree and debate details of the Nazi program without risk of reprisals. Often these debates were so severe as to paralyze party initiatives, at least in the short run. This is a far cry from the monolithic system of oppression one might have expected.

One thing I really appreciated about this book was the impressive illustrations that appear throughout. There are photos of many actual posters, magazines, brochures and cartoons that were in wide circulation during the Third Reich. These help the reader to see how the Nazis used imagery and loaded language to subvert resistance to their policies.

When I saw the title of this book, I wondered what the author was up to naming it this. "The Nazi Conscience" does seem to be a bit of an oxymoron.

The author's premise (and I do think she might be on to something) is that one reason the Nazis were able to do all the bad things they did with so little resistance was their use of a slow campaign before WWII to make the German people believe that "undesirable" groups were "other" until they fell outside of the German "moral space". Conscience was "adjusted" so to speak. This may have been easier to do than what might be expected given the German people's weariness, shame and anger over the loss in WWI and the subsequent moral, political and economic crisis. Still, this is quite disturbing that it could happen at all.

I was surprised to learn just how chaotic Nazi philosophy was on the subject of race and how most of the big Nazis condemned overt violence and crude verbage against groups they did not like - before WWII started at least. It was interesting to learn how much dissent the Nazis tolerated within Germany itself albeit within some limits. Perhaps this was a master stroke by Hitler in reality.

I think that there is a lesson to be learned from this book that is very applicable to the world situation today. When people start to feel that they are in the midst of a moral crisis, especially when the political and economic situations are bad, then extreme groups could come in and start a dangerous backlash; moderation in all things seems the way to go to avoid this. The author seems to recognize such dangers given statements on the very last page of the book at least.

As to the writing in the book, it was better at the beginning. Later in the book, it seemed to me that it would have been better if the author had summarized things more than she did.

Give it a try, but be warned that some of the illustrations and things the books tells about are quite disturbing.

Claudia Koonz did a fantastic job with this eye-opening book. She looked at Nazi Germany from 1933-39, and while Hitler was an important part of her study, she gave ample space to other key figures and rank-and-file Nazis. The book is perfectly organized so that each chapter is distinct from the others.

Koonz looks at the way youngsters were indoctrinated and the way the Nazis used "science" to "prove" many of their racist views and justify their policies. Yes, the Nazis believed that they were doing important work and that the German Volk needed to be purified, but they also knew that what they were doing would not fly with most people. That's why they were so careful about what information was released and to whom.

The book is a fairly easy read, especially for a scholarly study. There are a few chapters that drag a bit toward the end, but if you're interested in this period of history, you'll learn some things here that go beyond the concentration camps and Hitler's aggressive military strategies. It's an interesting book and it includes many photos and other images that help the reader get a better feel for pre-war Nazi Germany.

This is very very very information, but can also be very hard to read and to get into due to the others style of writing and speech choices. However, for Holocaust enthusiasts, this is a must read.