The Germanic Isle: Nazi Perceptions of Britain - Softcover

Strobl, Gerwin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521046513 ISBN 13: 9780521046510

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2007

Synopsis

Despite Hitler's tactical duplicity at Munich, there is overwhelming evidence that one of the Nazis' fundamental objectives was to forge an alliance with Britain. This book discusses how the Nazis attempted to emulate the "ruthlessness" of the British Empire as they sought to enslave eastern Europe. It explores a wide range of sources, in popular culture and the media, diaries, secret police files, and views of the Nazi leadership, to show that there was a surprisingly enduring affection for Britain and British culture among ordinary Germans, even during the virulent anti-British propaganda of the war years.

About this title

Book Description

Despite Hitler's tactical duplicity at Munich, there is overwhelming evidence that one of the Nazis' fundamental objectives was to forge an alliance with Britain. This book discusses how the Nazis' attempted to emulate the 'ruthlessness' of the British Empire as they sought to enslave eastern Europe. It is also shown that there was a surprisingly enduring affection for Britain and British culture among ordinary Germans, even during the virulent anti-British propaganda of the war years.

Review

"Gerwin Strobl demonstrates in his study of German (and especially Nazi) views of Britain in the years of the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich that Germans has a widely shared sense of Britain being a fellow Germanic nation and so, surely, a kindred spirit." Spectator

"A careful examination of German literature, Nazi speeches, school books, movies, theater performances, and other materials provides the basis for this detailed study of how Nazi leaders and the Germans public saw Great Britain...The author has made an important point in calling attention to the replacement of French by Englishas the first modern language offered in German schools. The text is illustrated and enlivened by extensive quotations and by reproductions of cartoons and pictures." Jrnl of Military History

"Gerwin Strobl's elegant, imaginative, and methodologically innovative book demonstrates that there is still a great deal to explore... Strobl has identified and filled a significant gap... this book is richly textured, beautifully produced with over thirty illustrations, and written with requisite humor and flair." Canadian Journal of History

"For his analysis of Nazi perceptions of Britain, Strobl draws on a wide array of sources ranging from Hitler's Table Talk to the diaries of Viktor Klemperer to the popular films produced by Goebbels' Ministry of Propaganda. He presents a well-argued and convincing analysis of Nazi perceptions of Britain, thereby contributing to our understanding of Anglo-German relations during the Third Reich." German Studies Review

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521046513
• ISBN 13: 9780521046510
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288