ROLE OF MAGDA GOEBBELS, ANNE KAPPIUS AND CORRIE TEN BOOM DURING THE THIRD REICH AND THE WORLD WAR II
Discussion
General Overview of women in Third Reich
During the Third Reich, Jewish women experienced great physical and emotional suffering. They were tortured just like their husbands and they became victims of extreme violence and rape perpetrated by Nazi police officers .Relocation to ghettos before being moved into concentration camps had them undergo naked body searches and public humiliation and forced sterilization and killing of their children prior or at birth was devastating. German non-Jewish women were considered to be the preservers of biological inheritance, domestic virtue and racial fountainhead. Women were expected to be married because marriage was seen to be a productive relationship. They were graded on their ability to bear many children hence fulfillment of happiness in love and birth were seen to be heroic deeds in female life.However, the Nazi family policy began advocating for kinderreich family (Pine, p.181).Children were seen to be a victory for the existence of the nation and women were expected to maintain a good family image. Because women were perceived to be unintelligent, inferior they were discouraged from acquiring education and instead expected to bear children and take care of the families. Women were very important during elections because they formed a larger percentage of the electorate than men. Some women however managed to go to school despite the Third Reich efforts to deny them education. For example, the Ursuline Convent of Sacre Couer offered education to girls.Not all German women fit into the framework developed by the Third Reich about women. Although German women get married and have children, they have succeeded in acquiring education and becoming professionals.Furthemore, they hold political office positions. Although many women got married, not all women conformed to the. . Any women who failed to conform to the roles given to women were considered to be deserter and a person who was not interested in the well being of the nation. Women who did not follow the social and racial criteria set were excluded from Volksgemeinschaft.This meant that one was denied welfare benefits and experienced discrimination and persecution.
Role of Magda Goebbels in Third Reich and World War II
Magda was born in 1901 as Magda Ritschel and went to school. The divorce of her parents led to her mothers marriage to a Jewish man known as Richard Friedlander. She married millionaire Harald Quandt in 1921 and later got divorced in 1929.After meeting Josef Goebbels,she became engaged in 1930 and later married him .Josef was the Third Reich Propaganda Minister who campaigned against the presence of Jews in Germany. Magda assumed the role of entertaining the wives of foreign heads of state who visited Germany hence her contacts with the foreign heads of states made her a prominent personality in Third Reich. Because of her husbands position in the Nazi Germany and her support for Adolf Hitler, Magda earned a high status and personal benefits from their close relations with Hitler.Magda was fascinated by the Nazi Party and became a member of the Nazi Germany upper echelons. During the early years of the World War II played an active role of supporting her husbands work as a propagandist. Magda was a great supporter of the Nazi Party and became a very close political supporter of Adolf Hitler due to her husbands high position in the Third Reich. After marrying Josef, she planned for Nazi meeting, gatherings and entertaining places in her household. Due to Josefs infidelity, Magda approached Hitler and asked him to support her divorce, a request that Hitler did not accept. Instead, she was expected to maintain the reputation of ideal family of Third Reich by remaining married to Joseph Goebbels. Her close association with Hitler made her to be considered as the First Lady of the Third Reich.
Magda believed in Hitlers political ideologies and together with her husband Joseph Goebbels, she supported the spread of pro-Nazi propaganda .In addition, she publicly supported Hitler and his decisions (Meisner, p.268).Although Magda Goebbels had earlier shown little interest in political matters, she began supporting the Nazi propaganda after attending political rallies held by Josef Goebbels. For instance, it was at the sport Palast massive Nazi meeting that she got captivated by Joseph Goebbels who she later married. Magda supported Adolf Hitlers political ideology and showed great interest in Hitlers political opinion after reading Hitlers book Mein Kampf. Magda was always captivated by the Nazi regime charismatic leader Josef Goebbels and his propaganda and her support for her husband Joseph in his work of spreading propaganda played a vital role in combating local communist and socialist parties. This was done through the media outlets that supported the Third Reich. Just like her husband, Magda was able to have some influence in the Third Reich government by portraying an ideal German family image through her marriage.
The support Magda gave to the Third Reich and her failure to oppose the actions taken by the Third Reich caused great suffering for German Jews and anti-Nazi socialists or communists. For example, in 1938, the Kristallnacht which was the first unrestrained pogrom against the German Jews by the Nazis resulted from Goebbels fierce attacks on the German Jews through propaganda .Josef Goebbels supported the governance of the Third Reich by controlling information that was released to the media. He at one time ordered that all anti-Nazi and Jewish books to be burned. Goebbels propaganda campaign was also characterized by the edition of a Berlin Nazi newspaper that was referred to as the Der Angriff. Goebbels became the Gauleiter of Berlin and became a defacto leader in Berlin. Many German Jews received constant pressure from Goebbels who forced them out of their professional and business life. More obstacles were put into place by Goebbels to prevent the Jews from living a normal life. For example, the banning of Jews from using public and transport facilities promoted discrimination and stereotyping of Jews.
Magda and Josef Goebbels believed that the Jews contributed to the German economic and spiritual catastrophe and their influence led to the production of propaganda films such as Triumph of Will and the Eternal Jew, the Jews were portrayed as a bad race. The films also emphasized the might of Hitler and the undying power of German skills. Deportation of Austrian and German Jews to unknown destinations was coordinated by Josef Goebbels.Relocation of German Jews to ghettos and concentration camps led to the death of Magdas step father hence Magdas failure to oppose this move caused the suffering of German Jews. Goebbels advocated that Jews living in Vienna, Berlin and Prague be deportated.This occurred despite the difficulties that were encountered in transporting them. Through editorials on the Das Reich, a weekly paper, Goebbels managed to convince the public to consider Jews as a threat in the German society. With Goebbels appointment as the General Plenipotentiary for Total war in July 1944, more suffering of the Jews continued even during the World War II.
Magdas support for the Third Reich led to the death of her whole family. After the Nazi regime was defeated on April 1945, Magda and her husband sought refuge in Hitlers place. She is alleged to have murdered her six children when the Red Army got victory over Berlin during the end of the World War II. Magda Goebbels together with her husband then committed suicide. The cost of her actions was the death of her husband, children and her own life.Magdas failure to defend her step father and other Jews from suffering and death removed any opposition to the actions taken by the Hitler and her husband. With her high position in the regime, speaking out against the actions may have reduced discrimination and suffering of the people. Her relations with Hitler put her at a good position of convincing Hitler and her husband to handle the Jew problem in a humane manner and end discrimination of women.Magda should have empowered women to acquire education instead of assisting him to convince women to conform to the Reich form of family.
Role of Corrie Ten Boom in Third Reich and World War II
Corrie Ten Boom was born in 1892 in a Christian family that was recognized for its act of social commitment and generosity. Her ability to save Jews from persecutions was due to her occupation as a watch maker in her grandfathers shop that was located in Haarlem in Holland. Corrie was in her late forties when persecution of Jews under the national socialist regime of Hitler during the Third Reich regime and World War II occurred. The hiding place is estimated to have measured 0.7m in width and 2.5m in length. About six or seven people could fit into the hiding hue. It is estimated that Corrie managed to save about 800 Jews, numerous members of Dutch resistance and students who refused to cooperate with the Nazis from persecution
After Germany invaded Holland in 1940, Boom and her family members assisted the Jews to escape persecution and suffering caused by the Gestapo during the Third Reich and the World War II(Sherrill et al,p.45 ).This was because Boom and his family members were devoted Christians. Because she worked as a watch maker in her house familys house located in Harlem, Boom would hide many Jews in a small room that had been built behind her houses walls. Because Corrie was a watch maker, she worked in her grandfathers shop and this helped to prevent any suspicions about her actions .As a result, Boom managed to save many Jews from great suffering or death. Corrie was a Christian holocaust survivor and her most critical role was the saving of Jews lives and facilitating the escape of Jews who were escaping the Nazi Germany. Furthermore, Corrie was involved in efforts that provided a place for hiding refugees to stay. The major reason why Corrie was committed to saving lives and ending suffering of the German Jews was her Christianity and belief in that Jews were the Gods chosen people. Corrie also hid other members of the resistance movement that were being sought by Gestapo who were German Secret State Police officers
She became a heroin of the Dutch resistance and because The Third Reich invasion of Holland led to the persecution of Jews, Corrie hid Jews who would have been arrested or deported as a way of minimizing the suffering and death of many people.Corrie and her other family members belonged to the Dutch reformed church which rejected the persecution of the Jews hence to her what the Nazi Germany was doing was an injustice to other human beings and a defiance of divine authority. For example, in the religious motivations that Corrie cited to justify hiding Jews, she showed her strong family belief in the tenets of religion. Corrie believed in the equality of all people or human beings in the eyes of God and with her other family members had established good Jewish-Christian relations. Another vital role that Corrie played was to assist the Jews whom she hid to establish contacts with the persons of their choice (Boom, p.72).
The Nazis also sought young men to provide forced labor and therefore Corrie provided shelter to the young men who were escaping forced labor. From the shop, Corrie build contacts with various resistance workers and these workers assisted Corrie o provide ration and a hiding place for the Jews.Corrie and her sister Betsie never got married and they risked their lives to save those of others who were being persecuted. The invasion of Holland by Germans made it difficult for Corrie to hide refugees and to provide a hiding place for the Jews without being noticed. After they were discovered and arrested in February 1944, Corrie and her family members were taken to a concentration camp. While there, Corrie and her sister encouraged other prisoners through evangelism (Boom, p. 26).A nurse used to give he a bible during the naked inspections and supervised showers they would undergo in prison. As a result, she managed to give the other captives new hope and new life. In addition, her endurance to hardship and humiliation inspired other people who were suffering. Her book which was referred to as The Hiding Place became an inspiration to many. Due to her actions, Corrie and her family members were arrested. She lost her family members before she was released on December 31st 19944 due to a clerical error .Corrie became a motivational speaker and an evangelist. If at that time Corrie did not offer a hiding place to the people who were being persecuted, people who managed to escape would have lost their lives. If more people had offered to help like Corrie, many lives would have been saved. Her courage and belief in God despite what she went through was inspiring.
Role of Anne Kappius
Anne Kappius was married to Jupp Kappius, a German national who was the became the first Office of Strategic Services agent. She became a secret agent was worked as a Red Cross nurse. Jupp Kappius was a German migrs who lived in London and in September 1944 parachuted into Germany (Delattre, p.187). The United States in 1944 had returned to the German territory to assist the Allies and their efforts hence established the Office of Strategic Services to infiltrate into the Nazi Germany. The Office of Strategic Services was formed in 1942 and was vital in providing vital information to the Allies about the Third Reich and its preparation for the World War II. Through agents like Anne Kappius and her husband, the Allies were able to get into Nazi Germany, gather intelligence information and establish resistance networks.
Anne assisted her husband to obtain vital information about the Third Reich and the living conditions of its people. She collected information during her journeys to Germany and Switzerland. For example, her journeys enabled her to write a thirteen page account that explained how resistance was increasing in Germanys Ruhr region during the Third Reich. Anne Kappius husband Jupp Kappius worked to ensure the Faust Mission Downed was successful. The mission engaged the first OSS agents to provide valuable information about the Third Reich. Jupp Kappius first work was in the northwest Germany Industrial Ruhr region and because together with Anne got engaged in anti-Nazi efforts. Her husband created an underground organization to resist Nazi regime internally and because Anne was trained as a secret agent together with Hilde Meisel, she was able to deliver the information collected by Jupp. Other efforts that Anne supported against the Nazi included subversion and acts of sabotage against the Nazi Germany.
Office of Strategic Services ability to infiltrate into Nazi Germany allowed Anne and Jupp Kappius to carry out their work of gathering important information about the Third Reich. Through the Labor Branch, also referred to as the Bach section, forging of documents, creation of cover stories, preparation of agents that would gather information as well as creation of resistance networks in Third Reich was possible .Anne was intelligent and brave hence it was easy for her to carry out her work. She became an agent of her husband after he found it difficult to get information from the OSS handlers. At that time there were few forms of sending information and Kappius had to find a way of communicating with his OSS officers. Anne would get into Germany on foot through the Swiss border and together with Hilde Meisel would meet with Kappius in Ruhr and return to Switzerland with information. On the way back, Anne Kappius would acquire information from the other labor resistance members. She assisted the OSS and her husband to get crucial information about manufacturing, troops movements, underground groups and industrial strength of the Nazi Germany .Because their importance during the World War II led to the establishment of a network of internal saboteurs and spies, they assisted the OSS and the Labor Branch to plan for onslaught infiltration missions.
Anne Kappius played a vital role in the downfall of the Third Reich during the Second World War. Because she enabled the Labor branch to succeed in infiltrating the Third Reich, the information she together with her husband collected was very vital in planning for the war. For example, the information of home front morale, troops location and war material production was utilized by the Allies to identify targets for bombing attacks. The Allies also were able to prepare for Germany counteroffensives. They also developed a very good understanding about the enemys homeland. The OSS actions because of the information that was delivered by the Anne Kappius are considered to have shortened the duration of the World War II because the information was also vital in reducing the number of casualties during the Second World War and bringing down the Third Reich. The Office of Strategic services (OSS) and Labor branches were located in Switzerland, Bair, London and Algiers. Through cooperation and connection with the other labor groups in Europe, OSS assisted the Allies to get into Germany early during the war. Anne Kappius no doubt played an important role to end the suffering of German Jews and members of minority groups that were discriminated in Nazi Germany. The Third Reich led to the suffering of many people through persecution and discrimination (Sax, and Kuntz, p.82).Together with her husband Jupp Kappius, she enabled the American OSS to have access to vital information about the Third Reich and the situation in Germany. This led to the collapse of the Third Reich after the end of the war.
Magda Goebbels,Anne Kappius and Corrie Ten Boom are women who played a vital role during the Third Reich regime and the World War II.Magda caused suffering to many people by supporting the Third Reich which persecuted the German Jews.In addition, the leadership executed socialists in Germany.Magda failed to save his step father who was a Jew from death and murdered her six children with the help of her husband Josef Goebbels.Josef Goebbels had a high position in Hitlers administration and his work concentrated on spreading propaganda that was pro-Nazi. Anne Kappius provided valuable information to the American OSS while collaborating with her husband.Corrie Ten Boom has been admired for her role in saving German Jews who were escaping persecution by the Nazi Germany. Through a hiding place in her house, she hid many Jews who later managed to escape.
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