Jody - # 2 Herf

Title:

Herf, Jeffrey. The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Propaganda during World War II and the Holocaust (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006)

 Question:

Why did European, especially German, A/S, lead to war [this is a bit contrived] and murder? And, most important, what changed to make A/S a rationale for mass murder rather than for a continuation of centuries-old patterns of persecution?

 Method:

Examines the process of translating A/S ideology into a narrative and tailoring the weekly and daily news to fit that narrative. Looks at what leaders said and stated NOT what was believed or conceived on the local/individual level.

Sources:

Draws on sources that translate process: Hitler speeches, essays, as well as diaries of Nazi leaders and selections of the thousands of daily/weekly publications by Dietrich. Almost all propaganda during the Nazi regime.

Historiography (how it fits in):

Uses academic classic arguments - unfortunately Herf focuses on rather dated material - why Dawidowicz when there have been numerous volumes after? Leading me to believe that he chose his material to fit a preconceived narrative.

Summary of Argument:

This is a "modified" intentionalist approach (vii). Nazi policy followed and prefigured the radicalization of Nazi Germany public language about the Jews [which he later counters with Barbarossa propaganda which took place BEFORE]. Nazi propaganda created a "mythic" world where the Jew (collectively singular) stood behind world power and plotted to kill Germans. Hitler was the decisive role player behind propaganda. Efforts by radical antisemetic leaders tried to make sense and non-sense out of international Jewry and the outbreak of war, and in turn lead to justification and genocide. According to Herf, "In the minds and public assertions of the Nazi leaders, they were fighting a single war that pitted Germany and its allies against a colossal international conspiracy of nonequals driven by Jewish figures working behind the scenes, while their non-Jewish accomplices, primarily the Allies, were the enemy's public facade" (9). Interestingly, Nazi leaders never hid their intent - it was publicly stated and displayed. Propaganda showed that the Jewish conspiracy pushed the U.S. and the S.U. into war, AND that the German victims had to defend themselves against the Jews who plotted to exterminate them    

Comment:

While this is an amazing overview of propaganda focused on the semiotics of Jews in Nazi Germany, it is contrived, repetitive, and too focused. While (supposedly) not the center - individual agency/decision is taken out, according to Herf it is clear that the poor Germans thought nothing other than what they were told by Nazi leaders. Additionally, hasn't Holocaust scholarship moved beyond intentionalism or uniqueness? ONE (of the numerous) problematic examples is stated in the above quote in the summary (pp. 9) - where does this leave Poland (or France for that matter)?  War was waged because of the Jewish intent and influence behind 'enemy' states (the supposed understanding and belief for Nazis) - WHAT?: I agree that Herf shows the intention of linking Bolshevism and U.S. power to international Jewry, BUT what about most of conquered Europe, which had a long history of national A/S campaigning right up to invasion? How does that fit his thesis?  Again, contrived, contrived. Let's move beyond this uniqueness issue - A/S facilitates it does not motivate people to hate so much that they murder (see Wildt - no mono-causal roles). SOME other ponderings include: a) Nazis publicly stated that they should kill Bolsheviks - is this not the same rhetoric, which is supposed to be unique, toward Jews? b) Was vernichten and ausrottten ONLY used toward the Jewish enemy?(11)- leading the reader to believe that these words were NEVER used toward other individuals/groups [come on!]. c) Herf also somehow (which is not clear) showed that propaganda helped to push the Nazis to murder - which is really thin because he actually shows that propaganda followed decision NOT the other way round. d) How does he justify the statement: Americans would realize that this was just propaganda but Germans could not (130) [?!?!?!] FINALLY, there were interesting points however, such as Katyn blamed on Jews as well (202-3) and that Nazi Germany opened an institute of Islam (179), which I did not know. This book won the National Jewish Book Award, Holocaust Category. [!?!?!?]

Argument (Chapter Outlines):

1. The Jews, the War, and the Holocaust

2. Building the Anti-Semitic Consensus

3. "International" Jewry and the Origins of World War II

4. At War against the Alliance of Bolshevism and Plutocracy

5. Propaganda in the Shadow of the Death Camps

6. "The Jews Are Guilty of Everything"

7. "Victory or Extermination"

Conclusion

Appendix: The Anti-Semitic Campaigns of the Nazi Regime, as Reflected in Lead Front-Page Stories in Der Völkische Beobachter

 Notes:

• Nazi propaganda created a mythical world (2)
• Hitler was central to Holocaust (5) Where is Himmler? (I guess not too important)
• Role of radical elites to make sense of Jews (7)
• Propaganda was integral to Nazi motivation and launching war (9)
• Propaganda laid the FS out in plain sight/word (11)
• Dietrich more important than Goebbels in press (13) (23)
• "Word of the Week" mass posters/announcements (14) (29)
• Nazis told Germans what to think (15)
• By '45 the Nazis controlled 82.5% of press (where is the other 17.5%, the church?)
• Jews portrayed as one single political actor (37)
• Jews in NY/Moscow (40)
• Poles same as Jews, Gypsies, except no "international" threat (58-9)
• '33-'34: 60,000 Jews to Palestine in Haavarah Agreement (74)
• No Jews in top military U.S. positions (79)
• Germans portrayed Jews as pushing America into war (85)
• Propaganda started Jewish-Bolshevik link BEFORE Barbarossa (90) (100)
• Plutocrats pushed U.S./G.B. into war (98)  
• Goebbels - unveiling A/S propaganda increases (109)
• 1941-> A/S propaganda increases
• Germany as victim to Jews (113)
• Americans would realize that this was just propaganda but Germans could not (130) [?!?!?!]
• "going to pay" and justification for FS (137) [very different things, not =]
• Nazis kept murder and military losses a secret (140)
• Goebbels' diary show his belief in Jewish conspiracy (149)
• Germany opened and institute of Islam (179) [???]
• Late winter 1943 flood of radical A/S propaganda (183)
• Katyn blamed on Jews as well (202-3)
• Microcosm of propaganda (250)
• Yalta - decide that all Nazi leaders should be destroyed, not people (257)
• Nazi regime through paranoid lens of Jewish conspiracy (264)
• Nazi Germany understood mass murder (267) [?!?!?]