Exercise Of Power In Gender Roles In Nazi Germany

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Intro: At the height of his reign, Adolf Hitler was the most powerful and influential leader of his time. From his appointment as Chancellor of Germany in 1933 to his suicide in 1945 marking the close of WW2 in Europe, the hand of Hitler and the Nazi Party would stretch to all reaches of Germany enforcing totalitarian ideals and practices, a reflection of Hitler’s own fantasy. A country led by one party, led by one man as Hitler would cite, “ There must be no majority decisions, but only responsible persons, and the word 'council' must be restored to its original meaning. Surely every man will have advisers by his side, but the decision will be made by one man.” (Cited in Mein Kampf, 1925) Once power was established by the Nazi Party, Hitler would exercise his control over all aspects of German military and civilian life, including Education, economy, sport, religion, art and culture, and quite importantly gender roles most focused on women. Aims: Hitler believed solely in the theory of ‘eugenics’. “Superior individuals” will be more likely to survive and pass on perfect genetics to their offspring so such a populace will grow in numbers, while the ‘weaker’ individuals will eventually perish. Hitler sought the “Aryan” race to be the perfect model for Germany. This would ensure the dominance of the Reich ‘for a thousand years-’ as Hitler would boast. Traits of the master race would include physical perfection based on traditional ‘Nordic’ imprints. Blond-haired, Blue-eyed, tall, slim, athletic and mentally superior, tough, hard-working and strengthened through war, as Hitler would quote, “Mankind has grown strong in eternal struggles and it will only perish through eternal peace.” (Cited in Mein Kampf, 1925) As writer and historian Humber P. acknowledges, “[On Hitler] In his chapter entitled “Nation and Race,” he said,
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