Chapter 16, “To Unreason and Beyond,” is another clear example of the Third Reich’s utilization of architecture, technology, and propaganda to influence and misguide public opinion. The chapter begins with a speech by Goebbels following Germany’s crushing defeat at Stalingrad. Goebbels, as the Third Reich had done throughout the entirety of the war, refocused…
Soviets in Berlin
In school I was taught that after the Battle of Berlin the Allied forces, represented by the Russian Red Army, valiantly walked into Berlin thus unshackling the Germans from the Nazi regime. However, as Lucy Ash exposed in her BBC article, the truth was not so simple. As Soviet forces took the city, it is…
THE “DAISIES” LOSE
8 May 1945 is a very important day in European history. It signified the unconditional surrender of the “Daisies” in Berlin. The Red Army occupied many city centers and celebrated their victory over the “Daisies”. Berliners continued, for the most part, to resume their normal activities. They were forced to begin to rebuild and find…
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin was a turning point for Germany. The bombing of Berlin deatroyed the homes of over a half a million people and injured almost 10,000. The author highlights the power and strength of the German airforce and Berlin’s defenses; less than 4,000 Germans were killed. Despite strong defenses, Berliners were affected by…
The Battle of Berlin – The Beginning of the End
During the duration of the war, the Luftwaffe had superior air power which gave the German people a sense of security. During the battle of Berlin, it’s outstanding that the causalities and displacement remained as low as it did. According to Moorhouse, under ten thousand people were homeless and less than four thousand had died….
Rioters comprised of aggitated wives congregated in Rosenstrasse. Women demanded for their husbands back from being imprisoned at the collection camp. Some thought that this women’s protest possibly helped assure that some prisoners would not go to the gas chamber. I found this incidence significant because it was one of the only protests in Nazi…
Hope for the Future
Although there was violence leading up to the Nazi surrender and the Soviet occupation of Berlin, a sense of almost calm and a restoration of relative peace, according to Moorhouse, seemed to install itself over the city. This is an intereting point I wish he made in more than just the epiloge because of the…
The Unknown – A Reoccurring Theme
Chapter 14 discusses that some Jews headed into the “unknown”, which was underground in Berlin. Going underground during wartime was a huge risk for Jews because if they were caught without paperwork, then they were certainly headed to at least hard labor and most likely to death. By going underground, Jews were breaking the law,…
Diseased Berlin
Although I contest the mentioning in Berlin at War that the mood in Berlin began to deteriorate in 1943–I fully believe that many experienced a decrease in their mood far before this because of the rationing restrictions and the infrequent air raids that had already occurred–the decreease in mood in 1943 because of sickness is…
The start of Summer term
School here is done differently. For me after Spring break I’m down with classes. Some teachers do review classes but none of my teachers wanted to do review classes. So with nothing to do during my days I’ve pretty much been studying. One of my friends left early because she got a job back home…