Episode 87: They Thought They Were Free
/Shortly after the end of World War II, journalist Milton Mayer visited an ordinary town in West Germany to live with and interview former civilians of Nazi Germany. His goal was to answer some deep questions: to what extent are ordinary people complicit in the creation of authoritarian evil? In what ways did ordinary Germans accept moral responsibility, deflect it, or avoid it? The results of his Nazi oral history are as fascinating as they are horrifying.
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Try my podcast series "Nazi Germany and the Battle for the Human Heart"-- What led to the rise of Nazi Germany? The answer may surprise you…Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? To what extent are ordinary people responsible for the development of authoritarian evil? This 13 part audio-course explores these massive questions and more through the lens of Nazi Germany and the ordinary people who collaborated or resisted as the Third Reich expanded. You'll not only learn about the horrifying, surprising, and powerful ways in which the Nazis seized and maintained power, but also fundamental lessons about what fascism is-how to spot it and why it spreads. Through exploring the past, I hope to unlock lessons that everyone can apply to the present day. Check it out on my Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory.
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