what actually happened in Germany under the NSDAP?

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: "It was evident that Germany needed only a resolute and clear-headed leader to denounce the Treaty; declare her determination to assert her full equality with the Powers, and refuse to be disarmed, plundered and chastised under the pretext of reparations and 'war guilt', to rally to him every living soul whose native language was German, and at the same time take a great step towards peace in Europe by proving that neither France nor England nor the United States dare outrage humanity by attempting military occupation of her territory on the model of the old partitions of Poland; in short, that instead of Europe being plunged into war she would be dragged back from the brink of it by Germany ... Herr Hitler seized the hour and said the word, and France and England immediately climbed down, preserving their dignity by lecturing the Chancellor solemnly on his naughty behaviour as they descended ... Mr. Vernon Bartlett was soundly berated by the Foreign Office for imploring all lovers of peace to believe in the perfect sincerity of Herr Hitler's assurance that a free Germany would be a peaceful Germany, but 95% of the listeners who wrote to him wanted to have him appointed Foreign Secretary.
When I said that Herr Hitler's action was right and inevitable, the storm of abuse that was about to bust on me was suddenly checked by Mr. Lloyd George saying exactly the same thing ... Europe breathed again.

The beginnings of a British popularity set in for Herr Hitler as they had set in years before for Signor Mussolini, in spite of all the liberal protests, and it only remains to watch the results of the forthcoming general election in Germany, in which it is inconceivable that a single vote should be cast against him, even by the angriest German Jew or German Communist."

- George Bernard Shaw.
Playwright.

'The Observer' November, 5th, 1933


THE CHURCH: "The spectacle of Germany today is a tremendous experience. Fifteen years after the war in which the allied powers thought they had destroyed her, Germany is on her feet again. As compared with 1922 and 1931, when I last saw Germany, the change is miraculous. The people are confident, enthusiastic and courageous. They have recovered their morale. In 1931 the German people were going to pieces. But now they are themselves again, no doubt about that! The masses of the people are increasingly with Hitler. I have been fooling myself all along that this was not so, but now I know it is so."

- John H. Holmes, Pastor.
Community Church.
NY Times,
July 12th, 1935



DOUGLAS REED: "Germans in their country are not less well cared for than the English people in theirs, but better. You are faced with a country immensely strong in arms and immensely strong in real wealth - not in gold bars in a vault of the national bank, but industry, agriculture, the thrift and energy of the work people, and the conditions of life they enjoy. In German now they have a mighty organisation, equipped with full powers, for improving the lot of the work people in factories and workshops.

Their engineers and social workers and artists go into the factories and see what needs to be done. They say that a shower room, recreation room, a restaurant, a medical clinic, a dental clinic is needed and these ere provided. They have a civic sense , a social conscience, a feeling of the community of German mankind - in spite of the bestial concentration camps - which you lack."

AND OF THOSE ‘CONCENTRATION ANOTHER ENGLISHMAN REVEALS ALL: "In August, 1933 there were seven thousand 'political prisoners' (Britain's prison population is in excess of 50,000) in Germany of which about 700 are Communists. Most were convicted of political crimes as we define them, but rather of anti-social behaviour and crime ... The discipline in the camp was of the robust kind. Every man had some kind of work to do, but this was not always enforced. The camp rose at 6.00am and all lights were out at 9.0pm. The meals consisted of breakfast, dinner, supper with meat served daily except on Fridays.
There was a dispensary attached to the camp and a German doctor was in charge. Severe cases of illness were sent to the local hospital ... Various trades were carried on inside the camp such as carpentry, tailoring and shoemaking.
Part of the camp was set off for bathing. Shower baths and facilities for sunbathing were shown to me. There was also a splendid sports ground ... The sleeping compartments consisted of wooden beds and straw mattresses, with three blankets for each prisoner. The working hours were from 7.00am to 11.30am and from 1.00pm to 6.00pm.
A library was in the course of being introduced ... Visitors were allowed once a week, and were received in the dining room which accommodated some 300 people.
There were apartments set apart for music and dramatic performances. In addition to receiving free board and lodging, each prisoner was drawing 10DM to 12DM per week, which represented his unemployment allowance pay ... Instruction in ethics, religion, the new form of government in Germany, history, languages, was given daily to those who desired to attend.
There was little or no crime among the men in the camp. Good order prevailed among all classes. The guards ate the same food as the prisoners, and were subject to the same disciplines as the internees, although they were government officials. One of the guards was a prince of the House of Hesse ... Letters and parcels were subject to censorship. In not one case out of many thousands received had it been found necessary to destroy any parcel or letter forwarded. Newspapers were permitted and smoking allowed. When a prisoner desired to light his pipe or cigarette, he had to go to a guard detailed off to supply lights for the prisoners, as no matches were permitted prisoners ... Services were held every Sunday and the majority of the opportunity.
No objection was raised by the authorities to my taking photographs of both camps and internees ... The men looked in splendid physical condition. Having heard many dreadful stories of brutal treatment being meted out to Communists in this particular camp, I asked some of the men to confide in me and tell me the truth of those allegations. Not a few laughed at 'the bloody capitalist liars in your country.'
I took fifteen men at random and asked them to strip in my presence. I wanted to see if they bore any marks of violence on their persons. I saw nothing indicative of bad treatment."

- G.E.O Knight,
In Defence of Germany,
(who was allowed complete freedom of movement in all camps)


JOHN F. KENNEDY, U.S PRESIDENT: "After visiting these two places (the town of Berchtesgaden and Obersalzberg) you can easily understand how that within a few years Hitler will emerge from the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures who ever lived. He had in him the stuff of which legends are made."

- Prelude to Leadership,
The European Diary of J.F Kennedy,
Summer, 1945.


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