Otium wrote:Here's a quote from the Reich Press Cheif, Dr. Otto Dietrich, from a secret interview between himself and Lord Kemsley (at 11:00 a.m. on July 27th, 1939), an English press magnate with connections to HMG government:
"We often read in the English press and others, that Germany is out for 'world domination'. This is utterly wrong. I am personally in constant contact with the Führer and I know that this idea is wrong and unfounded. Hitler has no mind to dominate the world. He only wants to serve the racial interests of the German nation. Of course you must remember that we are a numerous people."
The National Archives, Kew: FO 800/316.
There must be a reason for the polemical type of targeting of Dr. Dietrich in the Allied press:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/arti ... 20DietrichWhat Dr Dietrich says there was actually supported by the overall content of NS-publications at the time. That is indeed a problem for orthodox historians, but they found a way of 'solving' that problem, which is otherwise enormous. They simply cherry-pick snippets from Mein Kampf, Speeches and other Publications as well as several policies and actions undertaken by the NS-Government in the 1930s and then extrapolate it to fit their preconceived notion on 'how things really were'.
E.g. they may pick the following:
* snippets from Mein Kampf that use the term "Lebensraum".
* The fact that they reintroduced compulsory military service and increased the size of their Army (from 1935 onward).
* The armaments.
* The 'demand for Colonies' in the NSDAP-program (25 points).
* The 'Remilitarization of the Rheinland'.
* Policy wise the re-annexation of formerly German territories. (Saarland, Austria, Sudetenland, Bohemia, etc. )
* The "Militarism', which is attributed to the SA, SS, HJ wearing uniforms similar to military uniforms.
* Of course the Hitler Youth was organized with ranks, uniforms and also engaged in sports, marching, camping, etc. That CAN be conducive for military training later. But to construct 'world domination' as intent behind this is rather rich.
With this in the pocket, they then start poisoning the well further. In fact that is done almost automatically with the perpetual information provided via the media and book that tries to criminalize and demonize the German armed forces.
This is however not exactly a rational approach and the logic is twisted. It's highly suggestive, deceptive and misleading to work like this and try to get the audience to reach your foregone conclusions. It's essentially using the audiences lack of knowledge what went on in the 1930s on the overall level. Also the experiences with aggression against Germany prior to the NSDAP having taken over in 1933 are entirely ignored. Germany was invaded during the 1920s by France and Belgium and this went with abuses against the civilian population. It made clear that Germany needed a military force sufficient to defend the country an to be taken seriously on the international level. You won't be taken seriously by other countries and governments, if they think you are weak and not ready to use military force, if necessary.
There was of course an international campaign going on as well. And Hitler was perpetually accused of planning aggression against its neighbors or 'world domination'. This is actually quite odd, given what the reason for this might be. Germany was only one of many countries. So why the obsession with Germany and Hitler?
One can e.g. search and look for "The German danger" and Churchill.... this went on for quite a while:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/search/advance ... startPos=0