The white rose
The white rose
Inge Scholl, The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943, (Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1983),
160 pages.
(The above citation must be placed at the top of page one and referenced and cited by page number
when necessary in your essay)
In 1942-1943, a group of young Germans began a campaign of resistance to the Nazi government led by
dictator Adolf Hitler (1889-1945). Originating at the University of Munich, the campaign spread among
coteries of students elsewhere, especially the city of Hamburg. Eventually the participants were
discovered, arrested, and summarily executed. The White Rose is a testament to the idealism and
commitment of the Munich group centered on brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl.
Overt forms of opposition or resistance were not possible in Nazi Germany. An illiberal, anti-democratic
state, the Nazi regime commanded absolute obedience to law and loyalty to the Fuehrer. Those who
refused could expect to be sent to one of the dozens of concentration camps reserved for political
prisoners, or if the “crime” were deemed particularly threatening—ideologically or politically—the
sentence could be death. Simply put, there was no open political space in which to question, challenge,
or offer alternative views to the incessant propaganda and demands for sacrifice by the fascist
government.
The Assignment
In a 4.5-5.0 page double spaced, pages numbered, essay, examine and discuss the elements of dissent
and resistance--both ideological and political--to the Nazi state. Pay particular attention to (and
reference) the four (4) leaflets of the White Rose resistance as well as the two additional leaflets of the
resistance sparked by White Rose group.
Below is a partial listing of elements and issues to be considered:
? The German defeat at Stalingrad
? the severe repression of dissent, however mild, within Germany itself
? endless war and anti-militarism
? liberalism: a belief in the inherent integrity of the individual with natural rights considered
inviolable
? civil liberties: rights in law that are protected from the demands of the state
? Christian idealism: a sense of moral compassion for other human beings irrespective of their
background or identity. Whether German or non-German, a belief in the universal value of the
human soul and spirit
? A direct critique of Adolf Hitler: that he was in reality a weak man, a liar, who was willing to
sacrifice German blood without limit in order to stroke his own ego
? An appeal to Western philosophy, traced back to classical Greek antiquity. A contention that the
ultimate purpose of the state is in service to society not to itself
? The murders of Jews in occupied areas of the East. An awareness of the moral gravity of
genocide (although the word is not used)
? A philosophical challenge to all Germans: to not engage or fail to oppose the crimes of the
regime is to become complicit in them
? A contention that the finest aspects of German character and tradition are being trampled
underfoot by a gang of thuggish criminals
VERY IMPORTANT Pay particular attention to (and
reference) the four (4) leaflets of the White Rose resistance as well as the two additional leaflets of the
resistance sparked by White Rose group