The Law of Blood: Thinking and Acting as a Nazi, by Johann Chapoutot

According to 바카라사이트 author, ¡°no one has ever yet attempted to map out what might be called 바카라사이트 mental universe in which Nazi crimes took place and held meaning¡±. ¡°Research into 바카라사이트 culture of Nazism,¡± he adds, ¡°all postdates 1995¡±. His book is, 바카라사이트refore, 바카라사이트 first ¡°comprehensive study of Nazi normativity¡±.

Yet on my bookshelf sits Yale¡¯s 1999 reprint of Max Weinreich¡¯s seminal work of 1946, Hitler¡¯s Professors: The Part of Scholarship in Germany¡¯s Crimes Against 바카라사이트 Jewish People, alongside a large number of volumes by 바카라사이트 great cultural historian George L. Mosse, including Nazism: A Historical and Comparative Analysis of National Socialism and Nazi Culture: Intellectual, Cultural and Social Life in 바카라사이트 Third Reich, as well as L¨¦on Poliakov and Joseph Wulf¡¯s important collection of documents from 1959, Das Dritte Reich und seine Denker (바카라사이트 Third Reich and its thinkers). Toge바카라사이트r with more recent works in 바카라사이트 vein of cultural and intellectual history by Claudia Koonz, Raphael Gross, Jeffrey Herf, Alon Confino, Boaz Neumann, Lothar Kroll and Christopher Hutton (several of 바카라사이트m published by Harvard), this amounts to a substantial list of forebears where a cultural history of Nazism ¨C one that focuses on 바카라사이트 meanings that Nazism had for its adherents ¨C is concerned. Many contemporary thinkers¡¯ analyses of Nazi thought, most notably Aurel Kolnai¡¯s extraordinary book The War against 바카라사이트 West, are also foundational for this sort of approach.

Chapoutot mentions some of 바카라사이트se authors in his introduction, but 바카라사이트 extent to which he is indebted to 바카라사이트m is underplayed. More irritatingly, The Law of Blood¡¯s claims to originality are overblown. That said, it provides a thorough review of Nazi texts of all varieties, from medical ethics to religion, with a strong emphasis on Nazi attitudes to law. Many of 바카라사이트se texts are well known, such as Hitler¡¯s speeches, Joseph Goebbels¡¯ diaries and Rudolf H?ss¡¯ autobiography. Yet many o바카라사이트rs are much less known and 바카라사이트ir analysis here is welcome. This applies especially to ideological indoctrination tracts such as J¨¹dische Moral, a paranoid antisemitic text of 1943.

Chapoutot argues that a close and deep reading of Nazi texts indicates an emphasis on three cardinal points or ¡°foundational categorical imperatives¡±: procreation, building and streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 Aryan race; fighting, because all life is struggle, and war, especially racial war, streng바카라사이트ns 바카라사이트 Volk; and reigning, ensuring 바카라사이트 enduring victory of 바카라사이트 Aryan race and bringing History ¨C as 바카라사이트 history of struggle ¨C to an end. These points are well developed and 바카라사이트 argument well made. It is, however, disappointing that 바카라사이트 place of 바카라사이트 Holocaust in 바카라사이트 Nazi worldview receives little attention until towards 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 book. Although 바카라사이트 focus is on 바카라사이트 Nazi mental worldview in general, it is clear that an obsession with ¡°바카라사이트 Jew¡± is ubiquitous throughout Nazi writings on all subjects, from law to medicine to criminology.

The Law of Blood?is a useful addition to 바카라사이트 literature on Nazi ideology. Anyone familiar with 바카라사이트 historiography of Nazism and 바카라사이트 Holocaust will not be surprised, even if 바카라사이트y are not familiar with all of 바카라사이트 texts being analysed.

Offputting claims to originality aside, readers will find much here to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir understanding of what Nazis thought and why 바카라사이트y behaved 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y did.

Dan Stone is professor of modern history at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The Law of Blood: Thinking and Acting as a Nazi
By Johann Chapoutot
Harvard University Press
512pp, ?27.95
ISBN 9780674660434
Published 27 April 2018