Arts, Economy, and Foreign Relations Week 13

Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will U

Light-weight screwball comedies Glückskinder (Lucky Kids, 1936) 4

“Degenerate art” exhibit, 1937

Arno Breker’s Readiness

Speer’s New Reich Chancellery,

Hitler’s plans for Germania

Nazis’ economic revamping Preceding administrations’ improvements World-wide improvement in the economy Autobahn: over 100,000 jobs Reinhardt programs: investment in job creation Support of agricultural sector, hereditary farms Marriage loan scheme: women at home Creative way with statistics

“Primacy of politics” Tim Mason’s Marxist reinterpretation of Nazi Germany, written in 1960s and 1970s Rather than a consequence of capitalism, Fascism was driven by ideology Big industry stayed on the side In the middle of the total war, improving workers’ standard of living Lively discussion among East German historians

German foreign policy, At first calming other countries, pact with Poland Failed coup in Austria in 1934, turning the country into autocracy Saarland (1935), Rhineland (1936) Rapprochement with Italy: conflict in Ethiopia and Spain Berlin-Rome Axis, 1936: closing ranks with Mussolini Hossbach memorandum, Nov 1937 Japan becomes ally in 1937 Austria annexed in March 1938 Appeasement: Czechoslovakia broken up Sep 38, occupied March 39 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, August 39 Attack on Poland and beginning of WWII, Sep 1, 1939 Operation Barbarossa: attach on the Soviet Union, June 1941