Hitler and the Aestheticization of Politics

926 Words2 Pages

Introduction
One of the reasons behind the success of the Nazi Party in taking over Germany is on its extensive use of propaganda. Adolf Hitler, known for his penchant for populism, rendered the strong impact of images, films and other materials attributed to Nazism as essential for the political success of the Nazi Party and its agenda for Germany. As an authoritarian leader, Hitler saw the importance of extracting the patronage of the Germans not through forceful means, but through convincing and motivating measures that enticed their mental faculties. To make such a vision possible, Hitler commissioned the talents of filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl – one of the most brilliant at the time, to create a movie that promoted Nazism not necessarily in a critical manner, but more on cultivating their blind adherence towards the Nazi Party. The result, Triumph of the Will, is a documentary film masterpiece that presented the magnanimity of the Nazi Party in a grandiose manner, complete with rich aesthetics enhanced with the latest film technology at the time. While Triumph of the Will has garnered strong acclaim as a magnum opus of its period, critics have assailed it for aggrandizing Nazi politics and its presumed ability to arouse sympathy towards Nazism. Thus, the assertion made by Walter Benjamin on the “aestheticization of politics” under German fascism has stood as an important premise to clarify and consider in understanding the significance of Triumph of the Will (Benjamin 217-252; Riefenstahl).
The “Aestheticization of Politics” under German Fascism
Benjamin noted one of the most notable characteristics of the Nazi regime – that of the “aestheticization of politics” under German fascism. In the simplest sense, Benjamin underlined...

... middle of paper ...

...m that the aesthetic techniques used in Triumph of the Will is exclusive to Nazism, as those may also apply to represent other ideologies subject to changes in the stimuli of people and breakthroughs in media technology. After all, what made Triumph of the Will distinctly Nazi in nature is the fact that it used multifaceted Nazi propaganda; the aesthetic techniques used therein – set apart from the propaganda, could also apply to other ideologies.

Works Cited

Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Production." Illuminations. Ed. Harry Zohn. New York: Schocken, 1969. 217-252. Print.
Spielvogel, Jackson. Hitler and Nazi Germany: A History. 6th ed. United Kingdom: Pearson, 2009. Print.
Triumph of the Will. Dir. Leni Riefenstahl. Perf. Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Victor Lutze, various Nazi leaders. Universum Film AG, 1935. DVD.

Show More
Related

  • The Capricious Camera

    2721 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Metropolis, And Fritz Lang's Autocratic Government In 1984 And 1984

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • Leni Riefenstahl

    2428 Words  | 5 Pages

    In 1932 the political situation in Germany was intensifying. The Republic was crumbling and the great depression was taking its toll on the German people. Leni was not greatly affected by the depression and saw little of the violence that was occurring. In Berlin she was persuaded by friends to attend a political rally at Sportsplatz where Hitler would give an address. Instantly Leni had become spellbound by Hitler as he did upon thousands-‘He radiated something very powerful,’ she later observed, ‘something which had a kind of hypotonic effect.’ Inspired by Hitler, Leni ...

    Read More

  • Holocaust vs. Cambodian Genocide

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gottfried, Ted, and Stephen Alcorn. Nazi Germany: The Face of Tyranny? Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century, 2000. Print. The.

    Read More

  • German Nationalism and Nazi Propaganda

    1299 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prior to the Nazi takeover of Germany, the nation had been suffering deeply. An economic depression, large-scale unemployment, and the shame of losing World War I had put Germany in a dark place. The Nazi’s were incredibly aware of this, and their propaganda at the time reflected a need to reunite the German people. Propaganda appealed to national pride, and putting ones country before themselves. Of course, a strong united people needed a leader that was just as strong, and the “myth of Hitler” would create that leader. Slogans like “One People, one Fuhrer, one Reich!” promoted national unity, and a Wochenspruch from February 1938 states, “The greatest of all sacrifices is to give one’s life to preserve the existence of the community.” Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will comes from this time period and helps form the mythological image of Hitler. Propaganda also focused on the good the Nazi party was doing. It discussed how well the Nazi welfare system was working, newsreels showed happy German people enjoying the benefits of the Nazi regime.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Nazis and the Party of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overseas News 21. "Modern World History: Nazi Germany." British Broadcasting Corporation. 27 November 2001 < http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/modern/nazi/nazihtm.htm >.

    Read More

  • The Causes of World War II

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gesink, Indira. "Fascism, Nazism and Road to WWII." World Civilizations II. Baldwin Wallace University. Marting Hall, Berea. 3 April 2014. Class lecture.

    Read More

  • The Significance of the Night of Long Knives

    1923 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bibliography Primary Sources J Hite and C Hinton, ‘Weimar and Nazi Germany 2000’. Manchester Guardian Report, 13th April 1933. Franz Von Papen’s Speech at Marburg University, 17th June 1934. Rohm’s Speech to foreign press April 18th 1934. Field von Weich’s account of Hitler’s Speech to the leaders of the SA and most of the senior Reichswehr generals 28th February 1934.

    Read More

  • Should The Will By Leni Riefenstahl Use Government Propaganda?

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    Under the influence of the Nazi government, Leni Riefenstahl produced the ideal propaganda piece, that showcased the Nazi Party as a peaceful government. During the 6th Nazi party Congress the speaker says to Hitler “’Thanks to your leadership, Germany will reach its goal of being home to all Germans throughout the world. You were our guarantor of peace.’” Though as the documentary was done “by order of the Führer,” as is stated in the opening credits, the method through which Hitler achieved this ‘peace’ was not featured in the film. By excluding these crucial narrative facts, the documentary is essentially lying to the viewers, attempting to erase the horrid acts that the Nazi government has committed. The documentary was filmed and released from 1932 to 1935, with events coinciding with the events of the Holocaust (Hirsh 20). By failing to acknowledge the violence at the time being committed against the Jewish people, Riefenstahl, under the influence of the Nazi government commits a vile act of injustice against the world. As the Nazi government erases these facts from Triumph of the Will, the German public would only receive a half truth. This corruption goes unknown by the public, as the government hides behind Riefenstahl’s work, as she claims to only use real

    Read More

  • Influence Of Visual Art In Nazi Germany

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    This article will discuss the influence of visual art on politics from two parts of visual arts , which are political photography and poster propaganda, through the unique social and historical stage of Nazi Germany. Additionally, it emphasizes the ideology, Nazis in Nazi Germany inflamed the political sentiment of the masses and took the visual art as their important instrument of political propaganda, while Nazi party used visual art on anti-society and war which is worth warning and criticizing for later generation. Despite an emphasis on the ideology, this article will conclude with significant application for the long-term impact of Nazi

    Read More

  • The Portrayal of the Nazi Party as the Company in The Lottery in Babylon

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    (5) Kurlander, E. (2012). Hitler’s Monsters: The Occult Roots of Nazism and the Emergence of the

    Read More

  • Life and Death in the Third Reich, by Peter Fritzsche

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Holocaust, around six million Jews were murdered due to Hitler’s plan to rid Germany of “heterogeneous people” in Germany, as stated in the novel, Life and Death in the Third Reich by Peter Fritzsche. Shortly following a period of suffering, Hitler began leading Germany in 1930 to start the period of his rule, the Third Reich. Over time, his power and support from the country increased until he had full control over his people. Starting from saying “Heil Hitler!” the people of the German empire were cleverly forced into following Hitler through terror and threat. He had a group of leaders, the SS, who were Nazis that willingly took any task given, including the mass murder of millions of Jews due to his belief that they were enemies to Germany. German citizens were talked into participating or believing in the most extreme of things, like violent pogroms, deportations, attacks, and executions. Through the novel’s perspicacity of the Third Reich, readers can see how Hitler’s reign was a controversial time period summed up by courage, extremity, and most important of all, loyalty.

    Read More

  • Essay On Nazi Germany A Totalitarian State

    2864 Words  | 6 Pages

    MODERN HISTORY – RESEARCH ESSAY “To what extent was Nazi Germany a Totalitarian state in the period from 1934 to 1939?” The extent to which Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state can be classed as a substantial amount. With Hitler as Fuhrer and his ministers in control of most aspects of German social, political, legal, economical, and cultural life during the years 1934 to 1939, they mastered complete control and dictation upon Germany. In modern history, there have been some governments, which have successfully, and others unsuccessfully carried out a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is one in which a single ideology is existent and addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal, government is run by a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support.

    Read More

  • To What Extent Was Hitler a Weak Dictator?

    1859 Words  | 4 Pages

    The debate as to whether Hitler was a ‘weak dictator’ or ‘Master of the Third Reich’ is one that has been contested by historians of Nazi Germany for many years and lies at the centre of the Intentionalist – Structuralist debate. On the one hand, historians such as Bullock, Bracher, Jackel and Hildebrand regard Hitler’s personality, ideology and will as the central locomotive in the Third Reich. Others, such as Broszat, Mason and Mommsen argue that the regime evolved out from pressures and circumstances rather than from Hitler’s intentions. They emphasise the institutional anarchy of the regime as being the result of Hitler’s ‘weak’ leadership. The most convincing standpoint is the synthesis of the two schools, which acknowledges both Hitler’s centrality in explaining the essence of Nazi rule but also external forces that influenced Hitler’s decision making. In this sense, Hitler was not a weak dictator as he possessed supreme authority but as Kershaw maintains, neither was he ‘Master of the Third Reich’ because he did not exercise unrestricted power.

    Read More

  • Structuralist and Intentionalist approaches to Nazi Germany

    2268 Words  | 5 Pages

    Historians are often divided into categories in regard to dealing with Nazi Germany foreign policy and its relation to Hitler: 'intentionalist', and 'structuralist'. The intentionalist interpretation focuses on Hitler's own steerage of Nazi foreign policy in accordance with a clear, concise 'programme' planned long in advance. The 'structuralist' approach puts forth the idea that Hitler seized opportunities as they came, radicalizing the foreign policies of the Nazi regime in response. Structuralists reject the idea of a specific Hitlerian ideological 'programme', and instead argue for an emphasis on expansion no clear aims or objectives, and radicalized with the dynamism of the Nazi movement. With Nazi ideology and circumstances in Germany after World War I influencing Nazi foreign policy, the general goals this foreign policy prescribed to included revision of Versailles, the attainment of Lebensraum, or 'living space', and German racial domination. These foreign policy goals are seen through an examination of the actions the Nazi government took in response to events as they happened while in power, and also through Hitler's own ideology expressed in his writings such as Mein Kempf. This synthesis of ideology and social structure in Germany as the determinants of foreign policy therefore can be most appropriately approached by attributing Nazi foreign policy to a combination as both 'intentionalist' and 'structuralist' aims. Nazi foreign policy radicalized with their successes and was affected by Hitler pragmatically seizing opportunities to increase Nazi power, but also was based on early a consistent ideological programme espoused by Hitler from early on.

    Read More

More about Hitler and the Aestheticization of Politics

Open Document