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Allison Roberts

Behrend-Martinez

History 1501-102

6 November 2018

Themes in Triumph of the Will

The propaganda film begins with a shot of Germany where its people look inspired,

hopeful, and optimistic about their country’s future. The people shown are frantically waving at

their Fuhrur, actively cheering and showing support. Later, a trumpet begins to herald upon

Hitler’s arrival in a Mercedes. Hitler is not only shaking hands with the common man, but also

young boys and girls. The gathering of the people in the streets is so large that it appears to be a

celebration or a graduation. The German people are filled with excitement as they get the chance

to partake in Hitler’s new nation. The citizens shown are practically jumping for joy at the idea

of a stronger nation under Hitler. The people were excited for a leader to help make their country

reach new heights. The primary theme throughout this propaganda is the promise of unity among

the people of Germany by inspiring the common man, the youth, the leaders, and its soldiers.

Through examination of Germany’s World War I past, this paper will aim to blend together

Germany’s defeat in the First World War and the propaganda film Triumph of the Will.

Examination of these aspects will highlight how the film is used to show a rebirth of the German

nation through the themes of uniformity, religion, and common strength.

After Germany’s defeat in WWI, the nation was forced to sign a punitive peace

agreement on June 28, 1919. The Treaty of Versailles made Germany give Alsace and Lorraine

to France, Schleswig to Denmark, West Prussia to Poland, destroyed the German navy, and made

Germany responsible for paying 33,000,000,000 to the Entente powers. After this treaty was
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signed, Germany felt ashamed of their country’s current state. They spiraled into economic

turmoil; inflation was at an all-time high and the country was in shambles. These poor conditions

in Germany contributed to the rise of Hitler and the Nationalist Party. Hitler was the epitome of

what people wanted in a leader. He wanted Germany to gain respect, power, land, and bread. In

addition, he was revered by the German people for his charisma and charm. Hitler made his

supporters feel valued and needed by saying things like, “if you are loyal to us we will be loyal

to you.” In crowds, everyone was trying to look at Hitler, waiting anxiously for what he would

say next. The German people quickly took off their hats when they were presented with the

opportunity and pleasure of getting to meet their powerful, entrancing Fuhrer. They wanted to

see the man who they thought would be responsible for restoring their nation’s previous glory.

Religion

In Triumph of the will, not only were the citizens excited and cheerful, but they also were

shown in a light that made them look like the utmost prominent members of society. Every man

participating was cleanly shaven, neat, fit, and well dressed. Nothing about a single man looked

subpar or unsatisfactory. Hitler wanted to establish the purest German society. The Brown Shirts

were told in the film: “you are flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood; we are Germany and

Germany is us.” This references is like the text from the Christian bible in John 6:53, when Jesus

said “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.” Hitler utilizes

this religious tactic by alluding that compliance with Hitler’s plan for Germany is essentially like

taking the blood and body of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. Hitler also says: “anyone who

comes against Germany, sins against Germany,” which implies that going against Hitler’s plans

is committing a sin against God. This religious symbolism gave Hitler a heavenly authority. The

Blutfahne was also a key religious element: this was a Nazi flag that had blood stains of a SA
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man who died during the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. The flag became a sacred sacrament

during many Nazi ceremonies. The flag was used to consecrate organizations of the Nazi Party,

by touching the Nazi flags with the Blutfahne, which sanctified them. This had massive religious

undertones. In addition, the SA men pledged their life and loyalty to Hitler’s Nazi Germany until

death. The Blutfahne ritualized the establishment of these sectors of the Nazi party. These

religious tactics imply that the support and participation of the Nazi party was God’s divine plan.

This made the German people think that they could lead Germany into a new era of success

lasting thousands of years, legitimizing these ideas by incorporating religious aspects.

Uniformity

Under Nazi Germany, Hitler wanted to achieve the purest blood in his nation. A speaker

in the film said they need to “weed out the weaker elements and inspect ourselves,” which to

them justifies the anti-Semitism and racism displayed by relocation of certain religious, political,

and ethnic groups to the ghettos. Members who possessed these ideal characteristics associated

with the “master race” said it was an honor to participate in the army and felt that work for the

country was not work. These men were willingly and eagerly supporting their country. The

people of Germany were doing hard manual labor, cheerfully serving their homeland. Men were

making food alongside the workers and everyone was eating together. After the meal was

collaboratively made, the people were having fun playfully wrestling and laughing in unison.

These individuals became a collective member of society - everything functioned as a collective

whole. You were either a Nazi, excluded, or worse: dead. In the film, common men were

carrying shovels instead of guns (marching like a military would), which symbolizes how the

worker and solider were essentially interchangeable in Germany’s eyes. If the citizen was

working with Germany in mind, the country will ultimately be successful in its endeavors. A
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speaker said to a crowd, “we will die, but Germany will live on in you,” which illustrates they

needed to act as part of a whole. This plants pro-fascist ideals because everything is nationalized.

The civilian and military are one. The idea was that the society’s purpose was to work for the

enhancement of the military.

Strength

Recruitment of new members was essential to Germany’s strength because when they all

work tirelessly for Germany, then they will yield great results. There were lots of young boys

shown in the propaganda film, which showed how the Nazi party emphasized the importance of

recruiting the youth. They said the work completed will endure results that will last for centuries

and beyond. Construction of the Autobahn during the Third Reich began with hundreds of

thousands of men working to improve Germany’s infrastructure. They had 52,000 men working

on various construction projects and 1,000 men working on building bridges. They were

mobilizing Germany with new technology and began getting ready for territorial expansion. If

the people were compliant with Hitler’s Germany, then they were convinced they would be

victorious in the war.

All these themes surfaced to show an explanation of the Nazi program, its German youth

and strength, and Hitler’s charisma. The German people felt it was their religious duty to comply

with Hitler because he established himself as a heavenly authority. Similarly, they lost their

individuality by becoming a collective member of society, and they were inspired by the

advancements taking place. The film successfully incorporates these aspects to reveal the rebirth

of a new and powerful Germany that Hitler had promised. Triumph of the Will helps viewers

understand what to look for in fascist propaganda in the twentieth century. The film serves as a

guide that will help society recognize red flags, so history does not repeat its devastating past.
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Works Cited

“The Nazi 1923 Blutfahne or Blood Flag.” WW2 Gravestone, 15 Mar. 2018,

ww2gravestone.com/the-nazi-1923-blutfahne-or-blood-flag