EUROPE AND THE WIDER WORLD: TOPIC 3
SAMPLE ANSWER What were the aims and objectives of the Nuremberg Rallies in Nazi Germany?
One of the main aims and objectives of the Nuremberg Rallies was to showcase the power of Hitler and National Socialism to Germany and, indeed, the world. The rallies were also used for propaganda purposes to develop the cult of the leader and to remind people of how great Germany once was and how, under Hitler’s leadership, this could be achieved once again. As hundreds and thousands of Nazis gathered in Nuremberg each year, the rallies created a feeling of belonging and unity among attendees, which helped to reinforce their belief in Nazi superiority and the sublime abilities of their leader.
Nuremberg
Hitler deliberately chose Nuremberg as the site to hold his rallies because he believed that the medieval city’s links with Germany’s ancient past would help him to convince Germans that he could recapture that glory by creating a Third Reich - an empire that would last 1,000 years. The first Nuremberg Rallies took place from 1923 with the objective of promoting Hitler and his nascent Nazi Party and, in comparison to later rallies, they were modest affairs. The 1927 and 1929 rallies were used mainly as propaganda exercises, aimed at displaying the growing strength of the party. However, once Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, the Nuremberg Rallies took on much greater significance and were used chiefly to glorify the leader and reinforce Nazi policies.
Organisation
To achieve these objectives, Hitler employed Albert Speer, a young architect, to design and organise the rallies. Speer created a fabulous arena with massive stages adorned with huge eagles and the enormous flags of the movement. Up to half a million people could attend the rallies from party members, the army, the Hitler Youth, the League of German Maidens and spectators. On arrival in Nuremberg, they were exposed to rousing fanfares from Hitler’s favourite Wagnerian operas. Attendees must surely have been overwhelmed and bursting with pride at the honour of joining the inner ranks of the Nazi Party.
Themes
Each rally held had a special theme aimed at reflecting the brilliance of the leader and the superiority of Germans. The development of Nazi ideology can be traced through the various speeches made at the rallies. For example, The Nuremberg Laws, designed to discriminate against and persecute Jews, were announced at the 1935 Rally, in an atmosphere that aimed to convince Germans that the Jews were an undesirable race. The laws were welcomed by an audience half-crazed by the intoxicating sense of superiority that the rallies so skillfully imbued in them.
Triumph of the Will
Leni Riefenstahl’s film of the 1934 rally ‘Triumph of the Will’ gives historians a retrospective insight into the aims and objectives of the rallies. This film clearly shows how they were used to brainwash Germans into believing in the greatness of Hitler. He is filmed like a god descending from the cloudy sky and, as he arrives at Nuremberg, he is seen to be catching the sun in the palm of his hand. Clearly, he has arrived to bring light and hope to the masses. This propaganda was clearly aimed at showing Hitler as the new Messiah. In an era unused to modern technology, the sight of Hitler performing such ‘miraculous’ feats must have acted as further evidence that Germany was indeed the home of a ‘second coming’. The film also fulfilled another major aim of the rallies because it gave Hitler a much larger audience than could be accommodated at Nuremberg and helped to consolidate the cult of the leader, not just in Germany, but internationally as well.
Camaraderie
One of the main objectives of the rallies was to create a feeling of belonging and unity among all Germans. The idea that they belonged to a master race was reinforced at every opportunity. Every single event was carefully co-ordinated to display the discipline, strength and camaraderie of the party; torchlight rallies, flags, banners, swastikas, and uniforms all helped to consolidate the spirit of nationalism. During the days of the rally every faction of the Nazi party paraded in front of Hitler. Nuremberg is always depicted as a happy place, full of joy and camaraderie. Such meticulous co-ordination fostered feelings of pride and superiority and convinced Nazis that they were, indeed, a chosen race.
Cult of the leader
Hitler’s arrival at Nuremberg was a huge event. Silence descended as he appeared at the back of the stadium. Then, suddenly, the band would strike up and Hitler began his long stride down the centre aisle, surrounded by adoring Nazis waving flags and whipped up by the magnitude of being in the presence of their leader. Hitler’s closing speeches took on increasingly god-like proportions as he clearly came to believe in his own propaganda – he was the new Messiah! In 1938, Hitler reinforced the notion that Germany was set to reclaim its glorious past by bringing the Imperial Crown and sword to the rally. Such speeches and sentiments had the desired effect of whipping the crowd into a frenzy of adoration and worship.
1936 Rally of Honour
As Hitler’s grip on the country tightened, the rallies grew into enormous events. Over one million people attended the 1936 ‘Rally of Honour’, where the army proudly marched in its new brown uniform and solemnly commemorated the dead of WW1. Hiltler used this occasion to announce a new ‘Four Year Economic Plan’ and his ideas for self-sufficiency. He declared “that you have found me…. among so many millions is the miracle of our time”. A Party Book was issued with the objective of commemorating the event.
1937-’38 Rally
The 1937 and 1938 rallies highlighted the achievements of the previous years and Hitler’s aims to create a racial revolution and a ‘New Man’. He also ranted and raved against the evils of Jews. As his speeches reached a crescendo, his face reddened and eyes blazed. His objectives were achieved, as his views were met with rounds of frenzied, rapturous applause. Ironically, the 1339 Reich Rally of Peace was cancelled as by then Germany was at war.
Conclusion
That the Nuremberg Rallies achieved their aims and objectives is undisputed. They were one of the most important and lethal weapons in Hitler’s armoury of propaganda. The rallies helped to consolidate the cult of the leader and command the unquestioning loyalty of Nazis from all over Germany. Riefenstahl’s ‘Triumph of the Will’, stands as testimony to the awesome power and influence of such rallies and helps to explain why so many Germans got caught up in the myth Hitler managed to create about himself. It also serves as a warning to modern generations to beware of the power of propaganda to distort the truth!