This thesis examines plays written in the period from 1923 to 1933, whose subject matter is the rise of right wing radical forces and ultimately the rise of Hitler. Twelve plays, including those of well known authors such as Ernst Toller, Georg Kaiser, and Oedön von Horväth, as well as plays of minor authors, were chosen solely on the grounds of their antifascist stance. An attempt was made to interpret and analyse their contribution to the theory of fascism. The economic, socio-political and psychological issues raised in each individual play are examined in close reference to the historical events of the Weimar Republic and related to current thoughts on fascism. Although individual plays attack different outward signs of a rising tide of right wing radicalism and judge from different political view points, some common factors could be established. The rise of Hitler is largely seen as the culmination of an active counter-revolutionary movement starting the day the Republic was created. The driving force behind counter-revolution and National Socialism is seen as the economic interests specifically of the former privileged social groups and industry. Those plays which acknowledge a mass following of National Socialism see it again as motivated by economic considerations. On the whole both Hitler as Führer and National Socialism as a mass movement were underestimated. The inability of the Weimar Republic to create a just economic climate and democratically orientated institutions, specifically in the judiciary and the army, are seen as factors contributing to the rise of Hitler.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:519707 |
| Date | January 1988 |
| Creators | Sowerby, Gudrun |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11521/ |
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