Georg's political convictions
Aug 24, 2014 5:02:20 GMT
augiesannie, indigoblue, and 2 more like this
Post by cass on Aug 24, 2014 5:02:20 GMT
I'm knee-deep in Paris territory right now, so I've been giving Georg's hatred for the Nazis a hard think. I'll just dive right in.
I'm inclined to think that his strong opinions are a knee-jerk reaction to a long-standing string of atrocities against his homeland. For starters, there's that whole "the empire dissolved" issue. For another, a fascist regime was installed in Austria in 1934, and I highly doubt that anything of that nature is up Georg's alley in terms of ideology. So when the Nazis come along as a lifeblood to Germany and start to eye Austria, I'm sure he's just like, "Sh*t, more fascists, hate hate hate with all of my hate" and then once the strains of German superiority start leaking in is when he has the last straw. And then we have Hitler, an Austrian that's all "LOL GUYS NOPE MUST BE GERMAN," stooping to a level of hypocrisy that Georg could never, ever respect -- never mind that basically none of the Nazi brass actually earned their way to the top and it was all just handed to them (oh, and most were failed artists, architects, painters, and musicians, so basically a bunch of sore losers are running the show. Sounds like a great basis for a new Reich!
).
Also, Georg's a smart guy, so I'm sure he recognized early strains of anti-Semitism and didn't appreciate that, much, either. In fact, he probably identifies strongly with it as an Austrian who's constantly told by the political elite (which were pushing very hard for the Anschluss) that it doesn't matter anymore, being German is most important above all. Deutschland über alles, the saying went.
My point being, I think, that most interpretations of Georg's hatred for the Nazis are very one-dimensional or the author takes the liberty of assuming the reader will understand because of the disgusting nature of Nazi Germany's legacy (I include myself in this) and what we know now. It can be exceptionally hard to block out what we know in order for the reality of the time to take over, so I've just been sitting here mulling over a much narrower range of time in terms my knowledge of the Nazi party, timeline, and agenda with respect to the political implications of annexing Austria.
I read a great article once about the topic, and the last line stuck with me: "Debate still smolders on whether Austrians were Hitler's first victims or willing accomplices." I think that closer highlights a lot of Georg's own anger about the issue, as he has access on a daily basis to much of the aristocratic, political elite, who are by and large pushing for this annexation, and then you have the home front, where people are reluctant to voice an opinion (it was illegal to be a Nazi Party member before the Anschluss, but you also didn't want to speak against it to the wrong people) or otherwise apathetic.
And here we have Georg, a man who has put his life on the line again and again for a country that's basically abandoning everything it has ever been for a future in the hands of despicable, narcissistic leaders that have no thoughts beyond their own gains. And he's basically one of the few that sees this, and the fact that he does most likely is written off for incessant, blatant patriotism, as Herr Zeller so kindly needles him for.
I'm inclined to think that his strong opinions are a knee-jerk reaction to a long-standing string of atrocities against his homeland. For starters, there's that whole "the empire dissolved" issue. For another, a fascist regime was installed in Austria in 1934, and I highly doubt that anything of that nature is up Georg's alley in terms of ideology. So when the Nazis come along as a lifeblood to Germany and start to eye Austria, I'm sure he's just like, "Sh*t, more fascists, hate hate hate with all of my hate" and then once the strains of German superiority start leaking in is when he has the last straw. And then we have Hitler, an Austrian that's all "LOL GUYS NOPE MUST BE GERMAN," stooping to a level of hypocrisy that Georg could never, ever respect -- never mind that basically none of the Nazi brass actually earned their way to the top and it was all just handed to them (oh, and most were failed artists, architects, painters, and musicians, so basically a bunch of sore losers are running the show. Sounds like a great basis for a new Reich!
).Also, Georg's a smart guy, so I'm sure he recognized early strains of anti-Semitism and didn't appreciate that, much, either. In fact, he probably identifies strongly with it as an Austrian who's constantly told by the political elite (which were pushing very hard for the Anschluss) that it doesn't matter anymore, being German is most important above all. Deutschland über alles, the saying went.
My point being, I think, that most interpretations of Georg's hatred for the Nazis are very one-dimensional or the author takes the liberty of assuming the reader will understand because of the disgusting nature of Nazi Germany's legacy (I include myself in this) and what we know now. It can be exceptionally hard to block out what we know in order for the reality of the time to take over, so I've just been sitting here mulling over a much narrower range of time in terms my knowledge of the Nazi party, timeline, and agenda with respect to the political implications of annexing Austria.
I read a great article once about the topic, and the last line stuck with me: "Debate still smolders on whether Austrians were Hitler's first victims or willing accomplices." I think that closer highlights a lot of Georg's own anger about the issue, as he has access on a daily basis to much of the aristocratic, political elite, who are by and large pushing for this annexation, and then you have the home front, where people are reluctant to voice an opinion (it was illegal to be a Nazi Party member before the Anschluss, but you also didn't want to speak against it to the wrong people) or otherwise apathetic.
And here we have Georg, a man who has put his life on the line again and again for a country that's basically abandoning everything it has ever been for a future in the hands of despicable, narcissistic leaders that have no thoughts beyond their own gains. And he's basically one of the few that sees this, and the fact that he does most likely is written off for incessant, blatant patriotism, as Herr Zeller so kindly needles him for.
