Those poor, helpless kids

The Hitler Youth is difficult to overestimate in terms of its significance in developing the Nazi regime. Alice Hamilton emphasizes the importance of children in the Nazi regime early on in her article. She explains that she witnessed many public gatherings and demonstrations, involving children, which centered around the swastika and Nazi Party. This notion reminded me of the scene in Hitler Youth Quex when the boy is taken to his new room in Berlin. The officer had just finished having the infamous “our Germany” conversation with Heini’s father, and the following camera shot shows the two (Heini as well as the older Nazi member) happily going into a building with a swastika draped on the outside. Because of the timing of this shot, it definitely gives the impression that “our Germany” must be connected with ideals of a swastika, especially after considering that the boy’s refuge is in a building that supports the party.
Another element of Hamilton’s article struck me as significant. She explains that the generation of Germans that were children during the war, were those that had never had much. Their fathers had perhaps fought in World War I, but their childhoods were filled with ideas of hopelessness and oppression, maturing in a society that can do nothing with its workforce. Hitler Youth Quex appeals to this group of individuals; Heini’s father explains to the Hitler Youth representative recruiting his son, shortly before the “our Germany” comment, that employment has been difficult to acquire since being injured. This injured, incapable German is able to have some of his burdens relieved by the Nazi Party, as the Hitler Youth offers to take care of his son. This part of the film speaks directly to the generation of people that have only seen unemployed and/or distraught parents, and projects the Hitler Youth as a saving grace. Kuhle Wampe also has shows an unemployed father who is struggling to find work, but the film fails to offer the family any sort of redemption from their social oppression. I think this distinction between the two films, especially considering Hamilton’s arguments, helps to understand why Hitler Junge Quex had a more substantial social impact than Kuhle Wampe.

Hamilton and Views of German Youth

The world that Alice Hamilton experienced in 1933 and the world that the viewer sees in the films Hitlerjunge Quex and Kuhle Wampe have one main component in common: the youth are the focus, and they are in control.  Hamilton emphasized again and again the ways in which the youth were taking over Germany through the universities.  She also identified why the youthe were acting in such a way in an argument that few would disagree with thoday.  This is interesting as she was in the midst of the fervor and did have the more objective view of looking back.   In both of the films, we see the same thing happening: the youth are the movers and shakers.  In Hitlerjunge Quex, the Communists are in a rage over the defecting of one boy, which, given the scope, seems ridiculous.  Also, in Kuhle Wampe, it is the female protagonist that finds a new home for her family.  While Hitlerjunge Quex and Kuhle Wampe wer emade with conflicting idealologies, it is clear to everyone who sees them that the youth are the most important players in the world of the films.  This world is the same one seen by Alice Hamilton.

Lord of the Flies-esk

The youth truly do rule the day in both Quex and Kuhle Wampe. In Quex, the Hitler youth have their own agenda. There is only one adult 'in control' of the banner, the banner leader, yet the reality is that no adult has any control over the young. The Communists (who are of course not 'good' in the context of the film) are controlled by adults, who just don't understand. The only thing that matters is doing what is right, by the flag, and by Hitler in order to be the best Nazi one could.

In Kuhle Wampe the characters are older, but still under parental thumb. Instead of being forced to join a party they don't believe in, they are being forced into conforming to a norm, be it marriage expectations or gendered roles. Adults again don't seem to realize that the youth had moved beyond these expectations and were seeking only a way to live on their own terms (or die as the case may be.)

In both films, the main characters escape the rule of adults to create a world where they are in charge. Though to perhaps disastrous results, the point is that the future lies in the youth, and we must all accept that though it might end badly, for now the future will be decided by bread won or lost as the sun continues to rise and set each and everyday.

The Difference Between Two Powerful Ideologies

In Alice Hamilton's article, the difference between the Communists and Nazis is examined. Both Communists and Nazis were centered around this idea of everyone 'uniting' and forming one Germany. The Communist party's ideology focused on eliminating class barriers, no one person was superior to the next. But this left nothing for an individual to be proud of, especially because there was no sense of pride for Germany. Instead it was a pride for the Communist Party; however, the Communist Party was not solely a German political party--Communism was attempting to be the ruling party in many other countries as well. The National Socialist Party (Nazis) represented pride in the country of Germany; citizens of Germany, citizens of every class, were made to feel like they were contributing to the greatness of the new Germany. When previous years, workers had been viewed as the bottom of the classes in Germany, they were now being told they were the backbone of the new Germany. Normally as a child, your identity isn't established further than your first and last name--Hitler gave these children something to be, and something to look up to. They were being told how being German was superior to any other nationality; this allowed a sensation of camaraderie to prevail upon the Hitler Youth as together they despised all non-Germans, and Jews.

In Hitler Youth Quex, the appeal of the Nazi party, more specifically the Hitler Youth movement, is emphasized. We see the Communist Party is filled with a bunch of sloppy looking older men, fathers, who do nothing but sit in smokey bars and drink all of the time. This is in contrast to the handsome young man who talks to Heini Volker and his father when he is recruiting Heini to the youth movement, and to the happy young boys who are part of this club where they meet in a cool location and sing songs together, and laugh and have fun. Having this pride for Germany was 'the thing' to do in the eyes of the youth.

Targeting the Enemy

Hamilton touches on the distinction between the effectiveness of the Nazi Party's pursuit of youth support versus the Communist Party's attempts early on when she states "Both appealed to hatred, both held out an ideal of a changed Germany, but Hitler's propaganda was cleverer than the Communists', because his program is narrower, more concrete." While I do not believe that she is talking about the actual political platforms of Hitler's plans, I do believe that she means the general Nazi message is clear and to follow the means to follow the Nazi movement is far clearer than to do so with the Communists.

Neither "Hitlerjunge Quex" or "Kuhle Wampe" take the time to outline the political goals for their respective parties, yet both make it clear what each party's sentiment is towards their wounded country. Despite these similarities, "Hitlerjunge Quex" is still more effective. While both movies drive in the themes for each party (nationality in "Hitlerjunge Quex" and solidarity in "Kuhle Wampe"), only "Hitlerjunge Quex" uses a means of contrast to prove why the youth should follow the Nazi Party. Regardless of stylistic techniques and plot choices, "Hitlerjunge Quex" appeals more to the youth because it casts a negative spin on the Communist party while still boasting its on image. It is in this point that Hamilton's observations hold true. "Hitlerjunge Quex" tells the German youth to behave like this and don't be like that; the message is clear. "Kuhle Wampe" leaves too much room for interpretation and it is because of that leeway, according to Hamilton, that it loses the appeal to German youth.

Simplistic

Hitler Youth Quex vs. Kuhle Wampe is an obvious win for the Nazi party. Alice Hamilton discusses the issue of simplicity as key to the understanding and absorption of new ideas. The Nazi's had the correct idea in keeping their film clear and concise, the key was to be Nazi, the good and wholesome group that would be the worlds future leaders. Wampe is not about a story or even a clear cut set of ideas. Frequent flashes of non-cohesive images quickly fill the screen and the viewer is left with black as if we were supposed to understand what just happened. The communists may have been going for a different approach, however, the technique used in Kuhle Wampe was not nearly as effective in terms of telling a story, portraying ideals, and getting the facts out that their party was the most supreme in comparison to the Nazi's propaganda. Hamilton understood that the need to "train" a child is that they need to understand, how could a child understand a film most adults are still puzzled by?

The Nazi Propaganda Machine

In light of Hamilton's article it's fairly easy to see and understand the clearly successes of Hitler Youth Quex over a film like Kuhle Wampe. The concreteness and clarity of the Nazi message she describes is so present in Quex. We understand at the films conclusion not only exactly what it means to be a Nazi but also what it means to be a communist. Both groups are clearly outlined and expressed in the film. Kuhle Wampe on the other hand is a series of muttled images and confusing individual statements. If the youth fail to comprehend the message of Communism how are they to support it? Especially when Nazi propaganda is portraying the communist movement so clearly in such a dynamically negative light.

It is also worth considering in this circumstance the intended audience of the films and the strength of true narrative form with a younger audience. Kuhle Wampe simply does not appeal to a young mind, it is to roundabout and baffling, the provocative instruments contained within its subject matter and are lost upon this age demographic due to both the young's lack of patience and lesser powers of comprehension. Quex on the other hand, with its tremendous simplicity and relatively quick moving storyline does appeal to the younger crowd. Therefore it is natural that the group that targets the youth will win them over.

Simplicity is key!

Hamilton hits on a critical distinction in her article. The primary difference between the Nazi and Communist youth movements, and thus their film counterparts in Quex and Kuhle Wampe, is simplicity, or in other words tangibility. Hamilton refers to "concrete" messages of the Nazis, however she does not mean that the whole of Nazi doctrine is by any means concrete, she quickly notes the myriad of contradictions, but rather that the facets of their doctrine presented to the youth is very simple. There is no gray area. "The Jews are bad", "you are soldiers," "Germany must rise again," so on and so forth. Excessive analysis of Nazi statements is hardly required for the audience to receive any message except simply what the party planned for them to. As well, these messages are emotionally charged in a positive way, embracing a “constructive” national spirit, with the youth, regardless of social class or regional location, as the essential building blocks. Likewise, the messages in Quex do not require overt analysis. Simply the film directs the audience to avoid other corrupting and inherently catastrophic ideologies in favor of the Nazi party because of its harmonious values and camaraderie. The viewer easily understands the notion present that the Nazi movement is the best family one can have, providing both safety and opportunity. There is no deep penetrating meaning in this film. The audience does not need to peel off layers to recognize that involvement with Communists is bad that it is linked to unemployment and vice, and that Nazism is good, synonymous with moral conviction and vocational contentment.

In contrast, the communist for Hamilton do nothing but disseminate a vague ideological doctrine that is far more ambiguous. Plainly, it is hard work to understand communist ideology. To Hamilton the youth hardly wants to have to process and develop an understanding of what their ideals are supposed to be, they want them clearly presented as the Nazi’s do. To the unsophisticated youth, the history of unemployment and destitution will not be changed through some international movement that has proven to both distant and ineffective. Communism was not a new idea, many youth knew that, and to this point it had not done anything to change their situation, where Nazism was fresh and promising. Nazi appeals were not difficultly vague, but rather unabashed and to the point. Quex, when compared to Kuhle Wampe emphasizes this point. The film is artistic, it forces the audience to think about it, to investigate it and dig for deeper meanings. The youth did not want to have to “think” hard about a film, a film was supposed to be cathartic and entertaining, not hard work, and was certainly not supposed to be scholarly. The highly cultivated and developed Kuhle Wampe simply asks its audience to do too much critical thinking. It is not a narrative, it is not direct, and it is very much an inconsistent film in the storyline and the way it is presented, using a number of techniques to send even more messages. We today understand the artistic value of this work, but to the youth of Germany why waste time trying to dissect Kulhe Wampe, when Quez was plain and accessible.

In this communist doctrine is synonymous with Kuhle Wampe, therefore, it is complicated and hazy, for average German youth this is hardly appealing. Nazism like Quex is clear and plain. It does not ask for pensiveness, just action. Hamilton recognizes that this call to action is readily received by the restless youth.

Hamilton - Hitlerjunge Quex - Kuhle Wampe

Alice Hamilton’s article, “The Youth Who Are Hitler’s Strength,” reinforces the compelling influence of youth activism in Germany, a theme that is exposed in both Hitlerjunge Quex and Kuhle Wampe. She finds that such activism is fueled by an inherent sentiment of discontent plaguing a post-war generation that began their lives in an environment characterized by economic instability and social stratification. Thus, Hamilton connects the Communist and Nazi movements to a desire for change that is shared amongst the German youth.

Hitlerjunge Quex effectively propagates the strength of the Nazi movement through its overtly idealized portrayal of the Hitler Youth as leaders within the fascist revolution. Heini initially struggles with the pressure and expectation of becoming a Communist, but ultimately joins the Hitler Youth – a testament to his belief in the stability and strength in the Nazis. The older generation of Communists in Hitlerjunge Quex is symbolic of complacency and the failure to make progress in personal and national welfare. Hamilton’s article interestingly refers to the dichotomy between the German youth and their elders through her account of German university students who demanded the discharge of ‘liberal’ professors and ‘intellectuals’ who failed to promote the progress of the Nazi movement.

This generational division is also evident in Kuhle Wampe, which comments on the discontent of the Communist working class by revealing the hostile economic climate in Germany. Anni’s parents lack the motivation to improve their own welfare because they are dependent on their children to provide for their family. In the culmination of the film, it becomes clear that the youth are the ones who are committed to change.

Hamilton, Kuhle Wampe, Hitlerjunge Quex

Alice Hamilton’s article provides an overarching foreign perspective of the sentiments of the German youth and young adults that are portrayed in Hitlerjunge Quex and Kuhle Wampe. The article details the background of the youth in Germany in 1933 growing up in a harsh economic depression around adults who were at the forefront of Germany’s fall after World War I. Hamilton writes about a worker who described the children of the time coming into manhood without realizing the connection between work and food. Describing Hitler as a child himself, Hamilton gives the reader an understanding of the brilliant propaganda that repudiated internationalism, hatred towards the Jewish, and opportunity for the poor youth through an appeal to national pride, comradeship, and stability. An unidentifiable youth that grew up in miserable circumstances is exactly the portrayal of the characters in both Hitlerjunge Quex and Kuhle Wampe.

Hitlerjunge Quex’s storyline is about the exact dynamic that Hamilton describes between the Communists and Nazi groups attracting the German youth. Heini faces the same issues and was attracted to the Nazi’s in the same way that Hamilton describes the appeal to German nationalism as opposed to an international Communist brotherhood. The Nazi structure of uniforms, marching, and singing all appealed to Heini in direct contrast to the unstructured, evil-spirited, and immoral Communist youth group.

Kuhle Wampe gives a better portrayal of the young adults during the early 1930’s concerning the unemployment struggles, disparity with the older generation, and confusion about which direction to move in. While the young adults in Kuhle Wampe do not associate with a party, the growth of the generation is evident from the suicide at the beginning to the marching and singing away from the camera in the final scene. Everything that the Nazi party embodied regarding the end of social class as well as comradeship in an effort to make change are distinct features of the goals of the four young adults in the train scene when they bickered with the “ignorant” elder generation. Overall, Alive Hamilton’s article about the movement of the young Germans in 1933 is portrayed in both Kuhle Wampe and Hitlerjunge Quex: one about the need for change during the pre-Nazi movement depression, and the latter about the qualities of the Nazi Youth embodying heroism and unity.

The Effect of the Films on the German Youth

            While Hamilton’s entire article provides a fascinating insight into the effect of the Nazi movement on the German youth immediately following Hitler’s rise to power, I think it is her comparison and analysis of how and why the Nazi party was more effective than the Communist party at recruiting young people that is most interesting.  Hamilton explains that the Communist theme of a universal brotherhood and unity with the working class was too vague and far-reaching to really appeal to young people, whereas Nazi ideology gave the German youth a tangible sense of national identity through their promotion of German heritage, as well as provided them with a universal enemy in the Jew.  Kuhle Wampe and Hitler Youth Quex are both perfect cinematic representations of these two ideologies and their attempt to gain a youthful following.  Kuhle Wampe, with its highly stylized “epic theatre,” slow progression, and lack of identifiable characters, would not have been particularly appealing to young audiences.  The basic ideology of Communism is communicated in the film, but it is not highly recognizable, and there is no clear organization or group to attach a loyalty to in the film.  Unlike the Hitler Youth that is clearly extolled and appears appealing in Hitler Youth Quex, Kuhle Wampe does not present the German youth with a solid organization to join.  Furthermore, while Hitler Youth Quex presents Heini as an identifiable character and martyr for German youth to look up to and emulate, the characters in Kuhle Wampe are less sympathetic and relatable.  As Hamilton explains in her article, the Hitler Youth movement, as Hitler Youth Quex exemplifies, gave the German youth a “hero” to look up to and an ideal to aspire to in Hitler, whereas the Communist movement had little to offer in terms of a living hero of the cause.  Finally, the Hitler Youth movement encouraged young people to dedicate themselves to the cause out of patriotism and dedication to their homeland, giving them a sense of pride that they may not have had in anything before.  On the contrary, as is exemplified in Kuhle Wampe, the Communists attempted to persuade the German youth to join an intangible international community that hardly would have had the same appeal as the exclusivity of being an ethnic German.  After reading Hamilton’s interpretation of the differing impacts of Communism and Nazism on the German youth, the movies Hitler Youth Quex and Kuhle Wampe now seem to be cinematic representations of each party’s strategy in recruiting the youth of Germany.  

September 22-24: Alice Hamilton, Hitlerjunge Quex, and Kuhle Wampe

For this week's post, consider the Alice Hamilton reading (on OAK between weeks 2 and 3 in the "Course Readings" folder) in relation to Hitlerjunge Quex and Kuhle Wampe. Use either the films or the reading as your focus.