Holocaust Research Paper

Back...

2005-10-31T09:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting in a while (to those who read it...AKA nobody).

So, I've found some information on NeoNazis. They use many of the same propoganda tactics as former Nazis, although they do not focus on the purity of body as well as the soul and race. I have come across two neonazi sites (protocolsofzionmovie.com and prussianblue.net) and have researched.

Language and Propaganda

2005-08-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

According to this website, these terms have an actual meaning attached to the softened meaning. (Listed Literal=Actual)

exterminated=murdered
liquidated=murdered
finished=murdered
actions=missions to seek out Jews and murder them
evacuation=murder
resettlement=murder
treated appropriately=murdered

As you can see, each word that is actually being used has been softened so it does not sound as drastic. The easy, cool softening of each word makes them sean easy and well-suited.

On a Nazi poster, it would say "Help us liquidate the poison of mankind and create a new, strong, Aryan nation!" Rather than saying "Help us kill all Jews to make a new race of Germans!"
The first is obviously much more appealing to any person. Adolf Hitler did not sway between each usage -- he did not care which term was used because each meant the same thing in his mind. But the people in Germany were swayed by the bias that seeped in quietly, attacking without them noticing.

Positive Propoganda

2005-08-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

Positive propaganda was propaganda that promoted the Nazi party, rather than putting down Communists and Jews. Here are some examples of positive propaganda:

The Aryan Family Stereotype

In order to create this 'master race' that Adolf Hitler was striving to achieve, they needed to correctly advertise what an Aryan should look like. To be an Aryan, it was almost a neccesity to posses these qualities:

Blonde-haired
Blue-eyed
Tall and statuesque
Smooth skin
Mainly, a classic 'model-like' look

Also, to continue the great feeling of excitement that went through anybody who even came in contact with the Nazi party, Hitler insisted upon whoever he passed to "heil" to him. You can sense the excitement and the 'greatness' of Hitler in this picture.

If you don't know this, it's Hitler walking out from the (armymen?) who are heiling him.

This was used to induce excitement throughout the people -- many had a need to blame everything on somebody, and that 'somebody' was the Jews. During marches, people would heil as a greeting and throughout the Hitler - dominated days they would continue to look up to and respect Hitler for the greeting that constantly reminded them of him.

Also, Hitler's book Mein Kamf, or My Stuggle was published as an extreme form of propoganda. It was the book that outlined Hitler's plans to eliminate all 'subhumans' and replace all of them with Aryan men and women.

Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf replaced the Bible in all churches throughout Germany. For a full copy of his book, click here.

The Amazon.com editorial review of this book said that it was "The angry ranting of an obscure, small-party politician," and was "was virtually ignored when it was originally published in 1925." The sales of the book skyrocketed in 1933 when Adolph Hitler came to power. Also from Amazon, it is a poorly written book - "Beyond the anger, hatred, bigotry, and self-aggrandizing, Mein Kampf is saddled with tortured prose, meandering narrative, and tangled metaphors (one person was described as 'a thorn in the eyes of venal officials')" But this is the future after most people have learned from the holocaust. Back when it was first published, it seemed to be a perfectly natural, wonderful book.

Goebbel's Speech

2005-08-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a speech by Joseph Goebbels, an example of positive propaganda.

Joseph Goebbels

2005-08-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

Joseph Goebbels - Biography

Joseph Goebbels

The head of all the Nazi propaganda was Joseph Goebbels. A bit of background on Goebbels: (info found here) He was born in Rheydt, Germany during the year 1897. He received a Catholic scholarship, and attended Heilderberg University to get his Ph. D. He had a limp from an operation, and he was rejected from the German army.

Goebbels wrote plays, poems, and novels, but was not successful.

He joined the Nazi party in 1926 at age 29. Two years later, he was appointed Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. He stayed with that job until he, his spouse, and his six children commited suicide in 1945.

Topic Grading System

2005-08-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

This paper is worth 200 points, or two test grades. That's a lot in Ms Silver's class.

Rubric:

PROCESS:

Topic choice, cover sheet (including name and title) - 10
References and subtopic/outline - 10
Copies of highlighted notes and bibliography - 10
Rough draft - 10
Revised draft - 10
Bibliography - 10

Total possible points: 60

Content:

Sufficient detail/effective elaboration
Relevant information particular to the Holocaust/topic
Simile or metaphor/personification

Total possible points: 100

Proofreading: (This is my favorite)

Spelling
Usage
Punctuation
Capitalization
Paragraph Divisions
Other

Total possible points: 40

Continued Paper Guidelines

2005-08-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

More guidelines to the holocaust paper...

This is what Ms Silver wrote:

Your paper in Judaics will be a research paper focusing on an issue/theme topic pertaining to the Holocaust. You may choose how to write about any issue that interests you. You must define the issue and discuss how it affected society and/or how people dealing with the issue grappled with life in their society.

You should have at least four reliable sources of information. At least one of these sources must be selected from a pring medium (e.g., a book, magazine, or encyclopedia). The others may be electronic media, but the information must be reputable, accurate websites.

You will keep notes as you conduct your research. Your notes may be photocopied pages from a book or magazine, on which you highlight relevant information. They may also be printed pages from the internet, on which you highlight relevant information. Your notes may be handwritten ideas taken from the sources you find. In any event, YOU MUST DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES. You will be required to have a list of your sources at the end of your research paper, and you must cite every source you used to gain information.

YOUR FINAL PAPER WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 12 - 15 PAGES
One and a half spacing
Times New Roman, font size 12.

Criteria to keep in mind:

You must have a title page with the title of your paper, your name, and the date submitted.
You must have a strong introduction paragraph.
You must have a strong conclusion paragraph.
You must define the issue.
You must discuss how the issue was relevant in society at that time.
You may decide other information that is important to include.
You must give information and avoid bias in your presentation of the facts.
You must create a proper works cited list (list of places where you're getting your information). --Bibliography.

Startup Research

2005-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Some websites that might prove to be useful:

Propaganda Directory

Propaganda Info

"A violently active, dominating, intrepid, brutal youth -- that is what I am after. Youth must be all those things. It must be indifferent to pain. There must be no weakness or tenderness in it. I want to see once more it its eyes the gleam of pride and independence of the beast of prey... I intend to have an athletic youth--that is the first and the chief thing... I will have no intellectual training. Knowledge is ruin to my young men." --Hitler, on the Nazi youth.

Above is a poster of a girl in the Nazi youth. I noticed her smile, at first -- she is pleased to be there, and there also is the Aryan look to her with her braided blonde hair, and the crisp way she is dressed.

A poster proclaiming "One people, one government, one leader!"

Posters such as this were important roles in promoting the Nazi party. They portrayed Hitler as a godlike figure. You notice in the poster that he is the only one there, looking very determined and wonderful.

"The effective propagandist must be a master of the art of speech, of writing, or journalism, of the poster and of the leaflet. He must have the gift to use the major methods of influencing public opinion such as the press, film and radio to serve his ideas and goals, above all in an age of advancing technology. . . It may be good to have power based on weapons. It is better and longer lasting, however, to win and hold the heart of a nation." --Joseph Gobbels, head of Nazi propaganda.

Along with pro-Nazi propaganda, there was also anti-minority propoganda.

Examples:

This is a poster for the Eternal Jews expedition.

In this picture, you'll note that the man, who has a particularly large nose, is holding a whip, his hand is out for money, and is looking at it greedily. That is what every Jew is supposed to look like.

This is a poster proclaiming "The Jew" at the top.

Again, you can note the slightly maniacal look in his eyes, his chin's unnatural arch, his large lips and big nose. He is disgusted by the fists that appear to be heiling. Also, you can see that his eyebrows are thick and dark, giving a nasty look about him.

This is a picture showing the deformed, fat, hideous faces of a Nazi-perspective Jew.

Again you see the nose and the chin, but you also have a woman being portrayed here with a necklace that has been drawn to appear as though it is gleaming. This is furthering the stereotype that all Jews are rich, or that all Jews are thieves. Also, you see that all of the people in this picture appear to be overweight, as though they have enough money to eat more than what they want.

An image with a Jewish head on a snake's body.

A snake is often considered an animal of evil that double-crosses and bites and kills. It is also a symbol of the garden of Eden, and the animal that made humans the way that they are today.

Well, I think that is a good head's start. If I come across anything else, I'll blog it.

Paper Overview

2005-08-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

This is what Ms Silver expects in the paper, in her own words. Except I edited the little things that bug me, like underlined parts that go for space bars.

Deadlines:

Topic - October 31
References and Outline - November 21
Copies of highlighted notes and bibliography - December 12
1st rough draft and bibliography - January 17
2nd rough draft and bibliography - February 20
Revised draft (following peer editing) including bibliography - March 20
Revised and final draft and bibliography - April 24
Final paper - May 8

Wow. A long trek through it all. But Ms Silver says that when you're done, you feel good about yourself. Sort of like the roots project, I said, but she disagreed - the research is what makes you feel good about yourself. She thinks that it wasn't hard for the roots project to be finished compared to this. Oh, dear. I'm in trouble.

Welcome!

2005-08-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome, everybody.

Yesterday (August 25th, 2005) my teacher Ms. Silver assigned the yearly eighth grade holocaust research paper. She shortened the legnth -- my bad luck, I'll have to edit like mad -- to 12-15 pages and gave us our sheets of things that we need to include.

I have chosen my topic to be propaganda. I've always been intrigued with the subject, so I'll be researching it, posting up maybe some examples of it, and showing off my paper as it comes along. This is also a good way to make sure my work isn't lost.

Two things - if you see a mistake or have a suggestion, please post up what it is. I'll take any help you can offer. Also, do not copy my work. That's plagerism, and it is against the law. So don't even think about it.

Thanks!

-Rachel