A Historic Perspective on Maus 1935-1937 Adolf Hitler worked his way through the ranks of the German Government until he was elected Chancellor of the country. After achieving this, Hitler demolished the democracy and became the sole dictator, giving birth to the Third Reich. In just a few short years, Hitler had successfully converted what was supposed to have been a strictly defensive military, as stated in the Treaty of Versailles, into the single most dominant offensive military in the world at the time. This impressive force would be used to invade both the demilitarized Rhine region as well as the Saar region that was at this time neutral. By the end of 1937 Germany had found an ally in Italy, creating the Axis Powers. On the other side of the globe, Japan invaded central China from their occupied Manchuria. Tensions were building all around the world and whether or not it was realized, war was imminent.
The early effects of Hitler’s rule and anti-semitic policies can be seen early on in Maus. As seen in the panel above, the sight of the Nazi flag strikes fear in many Jews, because it foreshadows the oppression that could come to them should Hitler gain greater power. In the panels to the right, one can see a clear demonstration in Maus of what happens to Jews in territories that fall under Hitler’s control. They faced extreme hostilities, had to give up their businesses, were publicly humiliated, and some were even killed. Antisemitism became so severe under Hitler that entire communities began priding themselves on their level of anti-semitism before the Nazis even reached Poland, as can be seen in the bottom left panel.
1938-1940 September 1st, 1939, the German military invaded Poland using their infamous, though very effective blitzkrieg at 4:45 am. The blitzkrieg or blitz translates literally into “lightning war” which is exactly what it was. This strategy comprised of three different waves: first, the German Luftwaffe (air force) attacked the targeted area with multiple waves of high-level bombers to decimate the area and put the people into a frantic shock. Next came the mechanized warfare, this being the tanks and other armored vehicles. Their objective was to demolish everything that the planes didn’t get: churches, factories, military headquarters, etc. Lastly were the infantry, whose sole mission was the clean-up. The blitz is very similar to General Sherman’s March to the Sea during the last leg of the American Civil War. This March was from Atlanta to Savannah, burning every city they passed through. Both the German blitz and Sherman’s March are perfect examples of Total War. Total War is a type of warfare that is not only directed towards the opposing military, it encompasses everybody, military, civilians, and the like. The goal was to completely cripple the enemy to the point where they could do nothing offensive, thus forcing them to either give in or be completely dominated. Hitler’s tour of destruction continued through April of 1940 when the Germans invaded both Denmark and Norway. The next month proved to be very influential for both sides. On May 10th, Germany successfully invaded four nations simultaneously; these being France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Holland. These invasions are a good example of just how extensive
Hitler’s military was. This same day in May was also the day that Winston Churchill was elected as Britain’s Prime Minister, under his leadership Britain would cease the appeasement and tighten down for the massive fight they had ahead of them. One of the greatest miracles in WWII began just seventeen days later. The evacuation at Dunkirk took place from May 27th to June 4th and saved an astonishing 338,000 Allied lives. Britain mounts its first major offensive on the night of August 25th when they bombed the German capital of Berlin. This angered Hitler greatly and he would let his anger get the best of him as he was about to commit one of his five mishaps when he redirected his bombers’ target from the air force bases to London. This gave the R. A. F. time to recuperate and come back to win the Battle of Berlin.
The social effects on Jews came rapidly, even before Hitler had entered Poland. As seen in the above panel, there was always a certain level of animosity towards the Jews in Poland, as well as surrounding regions, so it was not difficult for Hitler to play on these sentiments once he gained control, easily turning the native population against the native Jews. Here we also notice that non-Jews are portrayed differently by Art Spiegelman, neither in the “lowly” portrayal of the Jews as mice, yet neither the vicious portrayal of Nazis as cats. They are merely a neutral animal, a pig. Yet, they quickly begin acting more like sheep when under the pressure of their community to oust and attack Jews.
While there is very little fighting in Maus, I believe that this is probably an accurate portrayal of battle for men like Art. In it, he doesn’t even consider his enemy a Nazi or German, he is only someone who might kill him first and so he must be killed.
1941-1943 Arguably, 1941 is the most infamous year of the entire war for the United States. As we all know Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii was bombed on the morning of Sunday, December 7th at 0700 hours. The next day America entered WWII. Just a few months after the U.S. entered the war Germany began using unrestricted submarine warfare, that is, they sank any Allied ship, especially off the eastern U.S. coast. March 20th of this year proved to be a very dark day for the prisoners of Nazi camps, as this day marked the beginning of “industrial scale” killings. The killings on this day specifically were committed by poison gas. The U.S. mounted their first major offense against the Japanese on April 18th by successfully bombing Tokyo during the Doolittle Raid. The Allies continued to take charge all the way into 1943 by sinking 41 German U-Boats within a total of just three weeks. As a result of this major loss, all remaining U-Boats were ordered to retreat. The momentum of the Allies rolls on into Italy when the Italians were forced to surrender just five days after being invaded.
Once Hitler had taken over Poland, the persecution of Jews became as terrible as it had been in other areas occupied by Hitler. While there are many images of all types of persecution throughout Maus, I have chosen the images that I believe to most powerfully exemplify the persecution and struggle the Jews went through during this time. The Jews were forced to live in the Ghettos on measly rations, and the above panels demonstrate what happened to anyone caught with black market rations that were used to make extra money to feed their families. While they haven’t been tattooed yet, they are all wearing the yellow Star of David.
This panel shows the point in Maus where persecution turns into genocide. The Jews are rounded up into a cramped stadium and are then judged on whether or not they are fit enough to be worked to death in a labor camp, or if they should just be exterminated right away. This panel to me was particularly powerful, especially when you consider Art’s representation of the Jews as mice. They are considered to be the lowest form of life, and are chosen to live or die on the whim of the inspector. It hits home that they are being systematically exterminated as though they really are mere mice.
In what I believe to be the single most powerful panel from the graphic novel, this panel demonstrates how many Jews must have felt under Hitler’s thumb across Europe. In the panel, Anja and Vladek have escaped being sent to a labor camp, yet now they, just like many Jews all over Europe, have absolutely nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Hitler has turned everyone against them, and has completely encircled them in his anti-semitic net, leaving them with absolutely nothing. They could trust few for fear of being turned in and taken to an extermination camp.
1944 1944 showed some changes in Allied strategy. In order to slow down German forces, the Allies changed their bomb targets to the German fuel supplies. Just a short month later the Allies would work together like never before and accomplish the greatest land invasion in this world to date. Operation Overlord took place on June 6th, 1944; this was the invasion of German occupied France through the beaches of Normandy. The invasion began at 0600 hours when 141 Airborne landed behind enemy lines via parachute, within hours the beaches of Normandy were stormed with approximately 156,000 Allied troops. For those that have seen the 2008 film Valkyrie, the following occurrence should be fairly familiar. On July 20th, 1944, Adolf Hitler survived an assassination attempt but not by Allied forces, instead by his own senior officers. Hitler sustained only light bruises and abrasions. 1944 was the greatest year for the Allied offense and the fighting would continue until the middle of the next year when Hitler committed suicide on his mountain-top resort known as The Eagle’s Nest on April 30th. Germany surrenders a week later on May 8th ending the war in Europe.
When Anja and Vladek eventually risked asking for help, they much like many Jews in their position, were still treated as second class human beings much of the time. In the panels to the left, you can see a woman explaining they must stay in the cellar or her husband will turn them in. They must live among rats or they will be treated like rats, and die like rats. How propaganda shaped the Grand narrative
Finally, after having evaded the Nazis for so long, they are turned in by a fellow Jew in exchange for supplies. In the panel to the left you can see the common experience the Jews shared on their way to a concentration camp. The cramped trucks filled with other Jews, some of who were already dead. The vicious Nazis and dogs awaiting you on your arrival to sort you out and determine whether you lived or die on the spot. The gates of Auschwitz must have been the most dreaded thing most Jews saw in their life at the time, knowing they were either going to be gassed, or worked to death.
Extras Liberation Dates of German Labor/Extermination Camps: • Auschwitz-Birkenau – January 27th • Dachau – April 29th **Nazis had many camps all over Europe, the ones listed are just some of the largest.
Animated Map of D-Day • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwtwo_map_overlord/ index_embed.shtml
How propaganda shapes the Grand Narrative The history of Jewish people in Europe has been influenced greatly by continual conflict with Christianity. Jews were originally invited into European countries, because they possessed great skills in economics. It was believed that the presence of Jews in a nation would lead to eventual economic prosperity. However, the introduction of Christianity in the region created a rift in society, because Christians felt that Jews were “scum.� Martin Luther, a Christian leader, went as far as to create a process that could be implemented to eradicate the Jews. Jewish people were gradually ousted from many European countries, but a large population remained in Poland where they were considered superior citizens. Some four hundred years later, the Nazis emerged and used Martin Luther’s process to implement what is now known as the Holocaust. " As one could imagine, Hitler could not simply order a genocide with one command. Instead, he had to implement a gradual process that gathered followers through repeated exposure to propaganda. In retrospect, his decision to use propaganda proved to be extremely effective.
Before the German invasion of Poland, Polish Jews were treated with a level of equality. The image on the left recalls Vladek in his younger days as a textile businessman, and his dress suggests that he is perceived no differently than any other Pole. The infamous “Star of David” is not pinned to his clothing, and he points out that he worked to make a living. This image helps support Hitler’s underlying use of Propaganda, because it demonstrates that the Polish people were tolerable of the Jews prior to the German invasion. This portrayal of tolerance makes it hard to comprehend the ideas that have been instilled by the grand narrative of World War II and the Holocaust, because there is no indication that the Polish people would have any underlying conflict with the Jews. Because most readers are familiar with the before mentioned grand narrative, they understand that the Jews had few, if any, allies during the war. Every country that Germany invaded responded with the eventual persecution of their own Jewish populations. This occurrence was remarkable, because Hitler, a radical, was effectively manipulating all occupied territories. Questions, thus, begin to rise over how Hitler managed to manipulate such vast populations, and Maus offers many good examples of such efforts. The persecution of Jews in Germany was the first instance of Nazi hostility, and their methods were often quite violent. Hitler was inspired by Martin Luther’s plan to eradicate the planet of Jews. Thus, Hitler gradually stripped Jews of all rights and his methods became increasingly severe. Hitler’s propaganda tactics in Germany were much more aggressive and straightforward because he had already developed a constituency before the invasion of Poland. The first two images below help to depict Hitlers use of Propaganda on the German people. Not only did he support feminism in hopes of gaining female constituency, but he also depicted himself as a sort of immortal figure. When the Nazis took power in 1933, the majority of the population did not support Hitler, so he censored every form of media. Every song and film served some role in glorifying the Nazi party, and the German population was gradually put into a trance. Hitler skillfully developed a sense of trust, and was able to expand upon it.
After more of the German population supported him, Hitler was able to use harsh propaganda to raise anti-Jewish sentiment. The image above provided from Maus helps demonstrate the harsh propaganda that Hitler used in Germany. Rather than using subtle propaganda, Hitler sought to humiliate the Jews in front of their fellow German citizens. Their humiliation created the idea that they were lesser beings. Simultaneously, Hitler forced Jews to hold signs that used harsh descriptions.He hoped that his supporters would use such derogatory terms regularly to further belittle the Jews. When the Germans began their invasion of Poland, draft notices were sent out and Vladek was called to service.
At this time in Maus, there were still no negative attachments associated with Polish Jews. While a history of tension existed between both Christians and Jews, there was no reason to believe that such tension would surface.
The first image mentions that Vladek and Anja spent a year together before the draft occurred, and this was important because it further strengthened Jewish independence in Poland. Unfortunately, Polish Jews began to receive news of the persecution of Jews in Germany, and fear of the Nazis began to develop. Poland ultimately fell to German advances, and Vladek was taken as a POW. The time that Vladek spent at the concentration camp was the first real demonstration of Hitler’s flexibility, and a sort of propaganda was implemented. Upon arrival at the POW camp, Jews were separated from other Polish POWs and forced to stay in tents. Meanwhile, the Polish POWs were allowed to stay in heated cabins. In this instance, Hitler was working to pin “regular” Poles against the Jews by making them feel superior. The Jews were portrayed as inferior, and this subtle demonstration was enough to spark an air of superiority in the Polish POWs. Hitler’s tactics varied, and he seemed to implement varying degrees of oppression at different times in different locations. Each of the POWs were forced to work, but Hitler allowed the non Jewish captives to feel as if they were given humane conditions, and this was important, because Hitler knew that there were still underlying tensions involving the Jews in Poland. Not only were the Jews known as “rich,” but they were also known as the group of people that received unfair “favored” treatment in Poland. While this favored treatment was something predominantly based in the past, there was enough suppressed emotion to stir the society. Hitler played with this idea, and some of the non Polish Jews began to recognize how Hitler was operating.
The dialogue in the first image supports the idea that the Poles were aware of Hitler’s operations. Janina, a non Jewish Pole, mentioned that the Nazis were “stirring everybody up!” Anja responds by acknowledging that underlying tensions still existed involving the Jews. Hitler’s initial goal was to gain support from the non Jewish Poles. Once this support was acquired, Hitler could seek more brutal methods to further Nazi engagements. This process unfolded in Poland, and what started as moving Jews from their homes and into Ghettos quickly changed into various murders. A preferred method used by the Nazis was that of hanging. Hitler knew that he had to keep the attention of those in the countries he occupied. Thus, he needed some method that might double as extermination and propaganda. The Nazis would often leave the Jews hanging for weeks at a time. This process constantly reminded every Jew not incarcerated what punishments they could face. In addition, every non Jewish Pole was reminded that the Jews were filthy, and inferior. Public displays of such atrocities would have been considered inhumane in most, if not all, modernized countries of the time. However, Hitler did not consider the Jews to be people. In his mind, Jews were comparable to animals like rats. It was through such tactics that Hitler was able to gain a dominant foothold in every country the Nazis invaded. Comparing and contrasting Germany and Poland is beneficial because it allows the reader to understand how manipulative the Nazis were. Rather than openly presenting themselves as ruthless, they chose to, instead, adapt their practices to each country they visited. Hitler knew that winning the trust of constituents would not be an issue as long as the Nazis were presented as the most agreeable party. So, Hitler worked to first gain trust, and then proceeded to rapidly expand with mass exterminations. " "
The deaths of many Jews occurred at concentration camps. Jews were rounded up from every country that Nazi Germany occupied and sent to camps where they were put through a variety of torments. All were required to do hard labor, but in most instances, the young and the old were killed immediately. Some died by gas chamber, some by hanging, some by gunshot, and still others were tossed into raging fires. The propaganda associated with concentration camps is more convoluted than the others, and once found comes across as rather “disgusting.” The entrance sign to Auschwitz (depicted to the left) translates to “Work Makes You Free,” and this statement seems to have been implemented in hopes of mocking the Jews. To outsiders, the entrance acted as reassurance that Hitler and the Nazis were being fair. This propaganda helped distract people from the atrocities being committed inside. However, on the inside, the Jews knew that the sign was meant to be a reminder. They were to be reminded both that they were the Nazis’ slaves, and that they were probably going to be killed before the war was over. Hitler and the Nazis were responsible for killing some six million Jewish people, and that number is merely an estimate. Unfortunately, it is impractical to count the bodies buried in mass graves, or to weigh the ashes left from furnaces. Hitler gained power because he offered a solution to a country struggling to repay war debts. He made Germany prosper during the Great Depression, and instituted mass systems of propaganda to maintain order. Hitler, and the Nazi officers that he trusted most, were able to manipulate entire countries throught the use of propaganda. In some situations, the Nazis started small by planting seeds of deceit, and in others they acted by force and ruled with terror.