Another "Why we became Nazis" Story?

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2010)

Sometimes you have to ask yourself, is it fair to pass that burden onto a person was 3 when Hitler died? From a sociological POV, I don't think it was that on the mark. Nazism was largely a product of the 20th Century mass, democratic urban society, of largely Catholic roots(Hitler, Austria, Bavaria all Catholic). The Nazis were ex servicemen, mainly mainstream urban working and lower middle class people. It was also a product of a society that was almost totally militarized up to 1919.
In contrast, the was set in an agrarian Protestant village. It had the timeless feudal pattern where the baron called the shots from his estate and everyone fell in line. The pastor was the right hand of authority, flanking the baron on the sky front. Even thought military service was compulsory for almost all males, and after active duty, they became reservists. There was none of that in the movie even though almost every village, like the fictional Eichwald, had a drill hall and armory so the Army could easily train & mobilize their men. Yet none of that was discussed even though the movie was just before WW l. Also, at that time, this village pattern was dying as huge industries, opportunities, cities, schools, railways and other institutions sucked the villagers away from their stagnant, poverty ridden villages.
This movie might have been better at displaying the roots of Prussian militarism, but Nazism, no. As unpleasant as some of the people were and unjust and authoritarian the way of life was, there were limits to the depths that a traditional society like that would sink. It took a modern, mass movement exploiting mass democratic choices & fears and shorn of any inhibitions from religion or tradition, to perpetrate the horrors of Nazism. It also took a similar society of Communist fanatics to the East to instill fear & to emulate. In defense, this type of traditional society simply fell in line and went along like the rest of the more "enlightened" urbanized German masses. Also, in defense, one could say the movie was a parable, not to be taken on the literal level as I have done. And as a parable of evil in innocence, it is okay. But I am still waiting for a movie that realistic depicts why they became Nazis.