Deconstrucing the Enduring Appeal of the Third Reich

Abstract

One of the interesting aspects of contemporary culture has been the continuing appeal of the Third Reich (1933-45) in the modern imagination and this paper examines reasons for this continuing appeal. It is suggested that the reasons for this continuing appeal are complex, although possibly include: (1) the aesthetic and audio-visual nature of the regime, (2) the general appeal of a militaristic society, (3) technological achievements during the regime, (4) the historical idiosyncrasy of the regime, and (5) the discourse of tragedy which can be applied to the regime. The paper concludes with an attempt to examine the implications of the appeal of the Third Reich for the task of education for peace.