They Thought They Were Free
They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-45 is a 1955 nonfiction book written by Milton Mayer, published by the University of Chicago Press. It describes the thought process of ordinary citizens during Nazi Germany.
August Heckscher, the chief writer of editorials of the
Contents
In 1953,
The interviewees had the following occupations: baking, cabinetmaking, clerking at a bank, collecting of bills, police, sales, studying, tailoring, and teaching. Walter L. Dorn of the Saturday Review wrote that the interviewees were from a pro-Nazi bloc that was the "anti-labor, anti-capitalist, and anti-democratic lower middle class".[2] The tailor had served a prison sentence for setting a synagogue on fire, but the others were never found to have actively attacked Jewish people.[2] Mayer read the official case files of each interviewee.[5]
The author determined that his interviewees had fond memories of the Nazi period and did not see
The end of the book describes how the post-World War II United States took a pro-militarization stance, in the context of the Cold War, after initially rejecting the idea of militarizing Germany.[9]
Release
In 2017, the book was re-published with an Afterword by Richard J. Evans.[8]
Reception
Hans Kohn, a professor at the City College of New York, wrote in his review that this work was "one of the most readable and enlightening" books written about Germany after 1945, when the Nazi government ended.[6] Kohn agreed with the majority of Mayer's analysis of German history, though Kohn disagreed with Mayer's belief that militarism is inherently a problem in Germany.[6]
Henry L. Roberts, writing for
Dorn argues that the book is "certainly one-sided" and "pleasantly discursive, not unsympathetic".[2] Dorn explains that the "muscular punch" comes from "scrupulous fairness and unsparing honesty."[2]
Franz Adler of the University of Arkansas praised the "strong appeal" and "conviction" of the book as its "strength", although he criticized the small sample size and the fact that there was a language barrier between Mayer and the subjects.[7] Adler also stated that there was "an abandoned freedom and high disregard for detail" in the translated material, originally from German, in the book.[7]
Norbert Muhlen of
In
In sum, Pisko stated that the book "is a fascinating story and a deeply moving one."[5] Heckscher argued the book is an "important contribution".[1]
Kurt H. Wolff of Ohio State University criticized the book for being "representative of the confused subject matter and its confused student."[14]
References
- Adler, Franz (October 1955). "They Thought They Were Free: The Germans 1933-45. by Milton Mayer". JSTOR 2092579.
- Muhlen, Nobert (September 1955). "They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45 by Milton Mayer". JSTOR 1032591.
- Wagener, Siegfried (Spring 1956). "They Thought They Were Free. The Germans 1933-45 by Milton Mayer". JSTOR 40095605.
- Wolff, Kurt H. (2002). "They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45".
Notes
- ^ a b c Heckscher, August (1955-05-29). "Ex-Nazi Psychology Throws Light on Germans Today". New York Herald Tribune. Vol. 115, no. 39641. p. D3.
- ^ Washington, DC. pp. 31–32. - Record on ProQuest
- ^ a b Muhlen, p. 246.
- ^ a b Adler, p. 595.
- ^ Christian Science Monitor. p. 9. - From ProQuestHistorical Newspapers.
- ^ a b c d Kohn, Hans (1955-05-08). "'Best Time of; Their Lives' THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE: THE GERMANS 1933-45. By Milton Mayer. 346 pp. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. $4.75". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-07-02. - PDF here
- ^ a b c Adler, p. 596.
- ^ The New York Review. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- ^ Adler, p. 595-596.
- Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- ^ Muhlen p. 246-247.
- ^ Muhlen p. 247.
- ^ Wagener.
- ^ Wolff, p. 389.