Notes on Choices and Compliance in Nazi Germany

Discussion in a Park Under Hitler's Rule

• Impact of Hitler's rise to power on the city.
• Navigating conversations cautiously due to potential risks.
• Considering actions to address the changes.
• Dealing with a friend joining the Brown Shirts (SA): How to react and the reasoning behind the reaction.
• Feelings about mandatory Hitler Youth sessions and the reasons for those feelings.

Individual and Collective Choices in Nazi Germany

• Germans faced choices regarding Hitler and the Nazi party.
• Identifying instances where choices made with good intentions led to terrible outcomes.

Oaths of Allegiance: Before and During Hitler's Regime

• Original Oath:
  • Loyalty to the Constitution.
  • Protection of the German nation and its lawful establishments.
  • Obedience to the President and superiors.
• New Oath under Hitler:
  • Unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler as Führer.
  • Hitler was the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
  • Readiness to risk one's life for this oath.
• The new oath absolved officers of responsibility for crimes committed under Hitler's orders.
• Key questions:
  • Difference between the two oaths: One is to the constitution, the other to an individual
  • Implications of swearing an oath to an individual rather than a nation.
  • How oaths can influence personal choices.
  • The effect of oaths on personal responsibility for actions.
  • Whether following an oath excuses actions a person later regrets.

Reasons for German Compliance with the Nazi Regime

• Motivations behind the German people's support for the Nazi regime:
  • True believers in Nazism.
  • Calculated benefits outweighed concerns.
  • Emigration from the country.
  • Staying quiet and retreating into "internal exile".
  • Open protest.

Resistance and Empathy

• Explore resistance movements in Germany.
• Analyzing a primary source: diary entry from Sophie and Hans Scholl’s younger sister.
• Compose a 500-word empathy piece incorporating key facts from provided sources.
• Illustrate experiences with images related to the Scholls' experiences.
• Visual reference: Sophie Scholl with her brother Hans and Christoph Probst in 1942.