Behind the Page... Annexation of Austria

In the spring of 1938, Austria held a plebiscite which resulted in being annexed by Nazi Germany. While it's true that the Nazi Party bullied its way in to power in Austria, it is also true that most Austrians saw themselves as German. Austria and Germany had long been a part of the same empire up until the Treaty of Versailles. For the most part, the annexation was met with elation among Austrians as seen in the picture.

Behind the Page... Rebuilding the Military

According to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was only allowed to maintain a small defensive army. Hitler, along with most Germans, found this provision of the Treaty unacceptable. He almost immediately set out to rebuild the German Army without any meaningful objections from other European powers.

Behind the Page... Lebensraum

Hitler preached that Germany needed more lebensraum, "Living Space." He claimed that Germany was way too crowded. He used this doctrine of lebensraum to re-militarize the Rhineland (an area of Germany that had been demilitarized after WWI at the insistence of the French) in 1936. This was the first aggressive act of Nazi Germany.

Behind the Page... Propaganda

Two characters in Slow Boil, the Bloebaums, serve in part to illustrate the Nazi devaluing of human life. Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, introduced the concept of "worthless eaters" to the German people. The poster below powerfully illustrates the idea of the strong German Aryan having to support others who are not making a "worthwhile" contribution to the Volk (the German word for people the Nazis effectively employed to convey the idea of a simple, pure German society). The poster also effectively dehumanizes the individuals being supported.

Behind the Page... Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels was the Minister of Propaganda for the Nazi regime. He was really gifted at his job; he understood the power of constant bombardment of false information. He introduced the concept of "total war" to the Germans advocating that every- literally every- German fight to the death rather than surrender. In his own warped way, he seemed to really believe this; he and his wife killed their six children before taking their own lives at the end of World War II in May 1945.

 

 

Influences and Inspirations... My Church

For many years my church utilized dramas and sketches during worship services and other special events. During that time I was frequently given the opportunity to write some of these. I loved it! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to develop and hone my writing skills. I especially loved creating, writing and developing dramas with my friend Julie. She is insanely creative! We have so much fun working together! Here's a pic of us- in character.

Behind the Page... Nazi Physical Fitness

The Nazis really were obsessed with physical fitness. They attached physical abilities to mental faculties believing that the latter could not exist without the former. The Nazi Party also opposed "unnecessary" education, so they attached strenuous physical tests to the normal high school and university academic requirements. None of those in top Nazi leadership (with the exception of perhaps Reinhard Heydrich) would have lived up to their own ideals of physical prowess.