Joachim von Ribbentrop

Germany Speaks

By numerous authors. Nazi Germany explains itself to the English speaking world: the full original text from 1938 by foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and 21 state and party leaders.

In the year immediately preceding the outbreak of the Second World War, the German foreign office launched an unprecedented campaign in Britain to explain the inner workings of Nazi Germany.

The highpoint of this campaign was this book, a four part set of 21 essays by leading party and state officials, each explaining in detail the practical implementation and rationale of their policies. Contributors include Otto Dietrich, Fritz Todt, Robert Ley, R. Walther Darré, Wilhelm Frick, Ritter Von Epp, and many others.

The first part deals with the foremost political issues: the state structure, population growth, race, Jews, the judicial system, women’s rights, the educational system, and the role of propaganda. This section includes a detailed account of the eugenic measures adopted by the state to prevent the spread of heritable diseases and to boost marriage and childbirth rates.

The second part explains the Reich’s economic system, its agrarian, social, labor, and welfare policies.

The third part details the organization of day-to-day life in the Third Reich: sport, culture, entertainment, and a fascinating exposition of the motoring industry and autobahn construction program.

The final part discusses Germany’s foreign policy, and includes world economics, colonies, trade, the world press, and politics, and finally, a plea for lasting peace between Germany and Britain in particular.

Some extracts:

The Chancellor wants peace not only for his own country’s sake, but also because a European war would be the end of the white races and of white civilisation. Not only Central Europe, but France, Italy and Great Britain also, would perish, whilst Bolshevism would be the real victor.

Most open to misinterpretation are National Socialist views on the relations between the various races of the world. It has been questioned whether the fundamental racial principles of the new world theory must not breed condescension, even contempt of people of different race. Quite the contrary; these very principles offer the very best guarantee for mutual tolerance and for the peaceful cooperation of all.

We appreciate the fact that those of another race are different from us. Whether that other race is “better” or “worse” is not possible for us to judge. For this reason, we have nothing in common with chauvinism and imperialism because we would extend to other races peopling the earth the same privileges we claim for ourselves: the right to fashion our lives and our own particular world according to the requirements of our own nature.

We do not wish our people to intermarry with those of alien race since through such mingling of the blood the best and characteristic qualities of both races are lost. But we will always have a ready welcome for any guests who wish to visit us whether of kindred or foreign civilisation, and our racial views only lead us to a fuller appreciation of their essential peculiarities in the same way as we would want our own peculiarities respected.

CONTENTS

Führer and Reich Chancellor: Frontispiece

Preface: Joachim Von Ribbentrop, Reich Minister for Foreign Affairs

Publishers’ Note

Part I: Fundamental Principles of the New Germany

1 Germany as a Unitary State: Dr. Frick, Reich Minister of the Interior

2 Population Policy: Dr. Arthur Gütt, Head of the National Hygiene Department in the Ministry of the Interior

3 National Socialist Racial Thought: Dr. Walter Gross, Head of the Reich Bureau for Enlightenment on Population Policy and Racial Welfare

4 The Administration of Justice in National Socialist Germany: Dr. Franz Gurtner, Reich Minister of Justice

5 The Place of Women in the New Germany: Frau Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, Reich Women’s Leader

6 Education in the Third Reich: Bernhard Rust, Reich and Prussian Minister of Science, Education and Popular Enlightenment

7 The Essence of “Propaganda” In Germany: Dr. G. Kurt Johannsen, Managing Director of the Hanse Press

Part II: How Germans Live — Labour

1 Financial Policy: Fritz Reinhardt, Secretary of State in the National Ministry of Finance

2 The National Food Estate: R. Walther Darré, Reich Minister of Food and  Agriculture, Reich Farmers’ Leader, Reichsleiter of the National Socialist Party

3 Social Policy in the New Germany: Dr. Robert Ley, Leader of the National Labour Front

4 The State Labour Service in Germany: Senior Labour Leader Müller-Brandenburg, Leader of the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Department attached to the Reich Labour Leader

5 The National Socialist Welfare Organisation and the Winter Help Scheme: Erich Hilgenfeldt, Head of the National Socialist Welfare Organisation

Part III: How Germans Live — Leisure

1 German Sport: Hans Von Tschammer Und Osten, Reich Sports Leader

2 German Culture and Literature: Dr. Hans Friedrich Blunck, Honorary President of the Reich Chamber of Literature, Member of the Reich Culture Senate and of the Senate of the Academy of Literature

3 The Motor Highways Built By Herr Hitler—The Planning, Construction and Importance of the Reich Motor Roads: Dr. Todt, Inspector-General of the German Road and Highways System

Part IV: Germany and the World

1 Germany’s Position in World Economy: Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, Reich Minister and President of the Reichsbank

2 The Colonial Problem: General Ritter Von Epp, Reich Governor in Bavaria, Reich Leader of the Colonial League and the Colonial Board of the National Socialist Party

3 Developments in German commercial publicity, Its Reorganisation and Relations to Great Britain: Ernst Reichard, President of the National Board for Trade Publicity

4 Germans Abroad: E. W. Bohle, Head of the Foreign Organisation of the National Socialist Party and Secretary of State in the Foreign Office

5 The Press and World Politics: Dr. Dietrich, Secretary of State, Reich Chief of Press

6 Germany and England. What Has Been: What Is: What Ought to Be: Freiherr Von Rheinbaben, former Secretary of State

236 pages. Paperback.

$15.95

Additional information

Weight 11.12 oz
Dimensions 6 × 0.49 × 9 in
Writer

Joachim von Ribbentrop

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