As I finish listening to The Third Reich in Power, the second book in an ambitious historical trilogy by Richard J. Evans, I am both in awe and perplexed by the pervasiveness of the Third Reich in the everyday lives of its citizens. Being so far removed from the actual events makes it difficult to put them into perspective, however Evans has been able to put them into to meaningful context.
Covering the years from 1933 to 1939, Evans examines many facets of Nazi Germany during this time frame. The main goal of the the Nazi regime was to bring about German rearmament.
The purification of German culture that would bring about the second thousand year reich, included but was not limited to:
– Controlling leisure activities such as Sporting Clubs and banning religious organizations from those same activities.
– Creating the Nazi Youth to indoctrinate Arian ideals and beliefs
– Control of Economic and Industrial Sectors of the German Economy, preparing for rearmament.
– The pervasiveness of Nazi Propaganda in Germany and other countries.
The major theme throughout the series is how Nazi Culture was interwoven into and replaced traditional German Culture.
I highly recommend this series for anyone interested in the Second World War.
– Michael
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