The celebration in the city centre for Hitler’s birthday was the largest ceremony staged by the Nazis with 50,000 troops and two million spectators. I can only imagine the spectacle, how enormous this event was. Tensions rose at the parade, some even fainted. The crowds consisted of people throughout Nazi Germany, including Rhinelanders, Saxons, Bavarians,…
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Outbreak of War – 1939
The prologue and first chapter of Roger Moorhouse’s Berlin at War focused primarily on the celebration of Hitler’s 50th birthday, and the start of the Second World War in 1939. The disparity between Berlin citizen’s behavior during Hitler’s birthday celebrations, and the announcement of war was stark; enthusiastic festivities contrasted against the solemn apathy at…
Let’s Have a Parade
I’m simply finding it amazing how Hitler could have taken all this power to himself as a dictator without anyone freaking out over it. My best guess is that anyone who realised what was going on and was vocal about it would have been swiftly killed. Otherwise, the show and the spectacle which hid the…
Reactions in Berlin of War Declaration
Berlin at War by Roger Moorhouse has given me a new insight into the overall initial reactions of Berliners in Germany during the early days of WWII. The initial reactions of the common Berliner to the declaration of war was one of eerie calmness and dread. As war is not usually something to be celebrated,…
Coming soon!
Welcome back. Soon we will be seeing blogs from our students who are studying abroad this fall so watch this space. If you are thinking about studying abroad in the spring, the deadline is September 29th 2014. Posted on August 21, 2014 by cporter