Myth, nationalism, aviation and cinema in Nazi Germany - part 2

Even before the invention of the airplane, the invention of the airship in the late 19th century, named after its inventor "Zeppelin", aroused great patriotic enthusiasm in Germany and left a deep impression on popular culture. Throughout the first third of the 20th century, airships outperformed airplanes, but their advantage gradually waned, with an international arms race. At the international level, the "Zeppelin" gave Germany a sense of control over the skies. In the German internal politics, the Bavarian-born invention gave the southern part of the people a temporary sense of superiority over Prussian rule in Berlin.

Enthusiasm for airships gradually waned during World War I, in the face of the many casualties inflicted on them. They continued to operate successfully on international passenger lines after the war. For this purpose, funds were raised through well-publicized public funding, whose success increased German patriotism. "Graf Zeppelin" was an airship that operated commercially between 1928-1937. It became the world's first transatlantic flight service. The pioneering world tour, carried out by the ship in 1929, was documented in numerous cinematic news diaries, received an unprecedented public response, and in the end its participants won a victory parade in New York. The "Hindenburg" disaster of 1937, about which the news video became one of the best known in history, caused the airships to finally give way in favor of the airplane.

Airplanes aroused admiration, enveloping those who flew them in an immediate aura of daring, vitality and youth. The flight was more than a forward movement in the air. The airplane was more than a means to an end. The flight experience was seen as the ultimate empowerment of life. Aviation has become the form of the new era, on which it has made its mark. The pilot was a new kind of person. The German pilot was not just a new German man. The model deserved to have a formative impact on the entire world. There is no machine that requires so much concentration and willpower as the airplane, and the pilot knows what it means to control. In this way the spiritual connection between aviation and fascism is created. The cultivation of the new man was one side of the fascist regime, and the elimination of the others was the other side.

Oscar Meister was one of the pioneers of cinema in Germany, and the one who established the studio system that UFA. In September 1914 Meister was appointed to survey the fronts of the war. He turned the occasional news videos he had created until then from time to time into a weekly news diary. During the war, his studios worked around the clock. In addition, he also invented a sophisticated aerial camera, which contributed greatly to the war effort. This camera first used film rolls instead of glass panels. The plane became the epitome of the sense of sight.

At the end of 1917, in an attempt to raise civil morale, significant propaganda film collections began to appear in Germany as well. One of them was the 10-minute production called "Pilots on the Western Front." In the first part, the video showed a photo of enemy lines, an attack on observation balloons, and the dropping of small bombs. The second part focused on the air heroes. The main theme was Richthofen, the "Red Baron". The video ends in an air battle that ends with a British plane being shot down. The message was clear: quality propaganda for the elite corps, the young and promising eagles of the Second Reich.

After 1918, the German film industry quickly re-established itself as a serious enterprise, and within five years its output was lower than that of the United States alone. The aviation films, however, reflected little of Weimar's democratic spirit. Most of them were propaganda works. Under a spectacular mantle they attacked the enemies of the nation, praising national achievements.

Germany shaped the fighter pilot myth, originally intended for propaganda purposes, as early as World War I, using the figure of the "Red Baron" Richthofen. Ernest Udet was his deputy, survived the war, and later became the heir to the myth. This is through bold airshows that have given him worldwide publicity. The publicity brought him to the film industry, where he played his character in the "Mountain Films" series, which were a substitute for war films. They were a face of masculinity and purity, according to which the conquest of the mountains was a symbol of the personal power in a world that had lost direction. They provided a description of human control over the forces of nature.

The addition of aiplanes, especially when Ernest Udet flew them, made them much more meaningful, linking war, the conquest of nature, and aviation, in a symbolic relationship. His appearances in films were a constant reminder to the audience of the romantic heroism of the war pilot, and a means of using the character, who through "will", controls nature and technology. They praised the aircraft as a tool by which human willpower was expressed, and as a model of technological achievement.

These films created continuity between the Weimar Republic and the Nazi regime. The pilot and the mountain films in Weimar restored to German society the sense of mobility it had lost. In contrast to the political rift, German cinema in the period between the world wars was characterized by continuity, in which mountain and aviation films were a central axis. Through them there was a continuity and clear development of patriotic themes, from productions during the Weimar period to those created after 1933.

The book "A Nation of Pilots: German Aviation and the Popular Imagination" describes the transition of German public attention from airships to airp;anes and pilots. The various chapters in this book focus on the various components of the Nazi regime of  air consciousness: zeppelin, ideological coordination, gliding sport, schools indoctrination, media, civil defense, and more. The book ends in the mid-1930s and does not go on to describe the impact of aviation at the height of the regime.

In the Nazi regime, it was not the airplane itself that mattered, but the overall discourse about aviation. The aviation expressions in the regime were not only direct. They were also indirect. Hitler created a dramatic dynamic image of himself through the personal use of the passeneger airplanes. He and Mussolini had a passion for speed, and powerful planes and cars were refuge to their actions. Moreover, the airplane  provided a powerful symbol of military force. It described the German character. Accordingly, It worked to make the Third Reich air-conscious, and thus one capable of fully dealing with the challenges of the 20th century. Airplanes, with their huge and complex infra structure: airfields, industry, civil front, transportation and so on, became the wide base of the new society of the total state. 

When Goering declared "We must be a nation of pilots",He declared the Nazi commitment not only to training the reserves of military pilots, but also to assimilate and cultivate the moral values ​​of aviation, which were self-sacrifice and service to the nation community. Through a special ministry, the Nazis reorganized the aviation clubs, took full control of all activities on the subject, and began planning the establishment of the Luftwaffe - the new air force. At the same time, the entire media and the film industry were nationalized.

Herman Goering was the patron of Udet and his former commander in the "Flying Circus" squadron. He managed the Nazi economy and was also responsible for the issue of the Jews. Udet became a senior general under him, responsible for the design of fighter airplanes and the doctrine of air strikes. 

Hermann Goering was the second most important person in Nazi Germany, the figure most identified with aviation and in many ways the true leader, with the title of the most popular person in Germany. He was the man who signed the Nuremberg Laws and the "Final Solution" order, made the Gestapo the main tool of power in the dictatorship, was first and foremost to use forced labor in the economy he ruled, commanded in World War II, looted European art treasures, and more. The German public loved him for his colorfulness, popularity and despite his weaknesses, in contrast to Hitler who had a distant image.

Myth, nationalism, aviation and cinema in Nazi Germany - part 1

The airplane and the pilot are myths with an ideological connection, They are in a natural relationship with the government, and are meant to serve it, like any other political symbol. They are parallel to Daedalus and Icarus from the mythological legend, which is a central pillar in the canon of Western culture.

The flight, which depends on the constant movement of the airplane in the air, was a source of inspiration for action in every country, in almost every sphere, in the 20th century. Precious technology obliged the industry to be upgraded at all costs, the abolition of the importance of physical boundaries justified an arms race, and the aircraft became a source of inspiration for original nationalism, which also found widespread expression in film culture.

Given the large number of aviation films, it is surprising that the subject of "cinema, aviation, nationalism and myth" has been so little researched. The relationship between them exists from the first aviation films, made in the early twentieth century, to those dealing with the Vietnam War and beyond. Hollywood has created more aviation movies than any other country. But similar processes have taken place around the world. They created an icon of the knightly fighter pilot, a stereotype that influences popular culture to this day.

The golden age of aviation, from the end of World War I to the 1950s, coincided with the golden age of cinema. Cinema developed at the same rate and drama, and both quickly established themselves as the most exciting and popular form of leisure and activity, while becoming an incredibly effective channel for disseminating ideas, attitudes and qualities that society deserves to preserve. The first aviation films reflected the Gospel of the Wings, according to which air transport would bring with it a golden age of progress, and the pilot is a romantic and chivalrous figure.

In the interwar period, popular cinema still paradoxically promoted these familiar themes, but also exploited fears of an aerial bombardment in the next great war. At the same time, cinema during this period used photographs of the pilot and the aircraft for nationalist propaganda, which showed achievements in the subject as the spearhead of the national technological initiative.

Flight is an archetypal symbol of human spirit and freedom. The original experience in the early days of aviation was a religious experience, full of hopes for peace and equality. In contrast, flight and pilot were also significant metaphors for the mythical modernity of Italian fascism and German Nazism. The biographies of Gabriel D'Annunzio and Herman Goering establish the connection between the war experience and the hyper-masculine culture of the 1920s and 1930s. They had supreme feelings and racism, similar to those of right-wing groups at the time.

In Hollywood, three major aviation films were made between the two world wars. Dozens of imitations were made on them, including using unnecessary photographic materials. The films are:

"Wings" (1927) - the first Oscar-winning film to be named "Best Picture" at the 1928 Academy Awards. The film deals with the young and popular American fighter pilots of the First World War, and includes light-hearted romantic dialogues alongside dramatic aerial combat scenes. There is an impressive soundtrack of an uninterrupted dramatic concert throughout.

"Hell's Angels" (1930) - The prestigious production of billionaire Howard Hughes, the personality who is identified with the entire period, as a film producer and aircraft manufacturer. In the biographical film about him, "The Aviator" (2004) by Martin Scorsese, the individual and capitalist dimension of his character is shown, which is typical of American culture, which presented the character of the pilot in parallel to the character of the cowboy. The movie featuring dozens of real airplanes, was filmed several times, partly due to the transition to the sound film, which took place during its production. Despite the lengthening of production and the increase in expenses it became profitable. The plot is about two friends who fight as fighter pilots against the Germans, sharing love with the same girl. Dramatic aerial scenes depict the bombing of airships and bombers.

"Dawn Patrol" (1938) - a film that is unique in that the emphasis is not on the romantic and chivalrous pilot character, but on the many sacrifices demanded by the air front. It includes clashes between commanders on the subject, and criticism of senior command policy. This approach highlighted an ideological difference compared to German-Nazi cinema, which advocated sacrifice for the nation. The stars of the film were David Niven and Errol Flynn, and it is the second version of a production from the early 1930s.

Aerial propaganda films were more important in countries where national pride suffered a blow as a result of the war, and they were defeated or angry. In Germany, one way to achieve this was technological progress, which was seen as proof of recovery and superiority. During the 1920s, the rapid development of aircraft began to gradually offer more practical insights than other nation-building aircraft. The heroic status of the air crew members, the rapid spread of soaring and flight sports clubs, the growth in commercial aviation, the success of the national company "Lufthansa", all testified to the popularity and public support on the subject.

Important German aviation film productions during the Weimar Republic were:

"Icarus" (1918) - represents the fighter pilots and aviation films of the First World War. The plot revolves around a German fighter pilot who invents a revolutionary engine, which his beloved French Countess tries to steal from. It production began at the end of the war, and a patriotic ending was originally planned for it. After the surrender of Germany, the scene ending the film was changed to cosmopolitan.

''Money'' (1928) - a Franco-German co-production that represents the cosmopolitan atmosphere and the abandonment of financial speculations in France before the economic depression. The improvements in aircraft made it possible to search for raw materials in places that had not been explored until then. The film depicts entrepreneurs who are only interested in financial gain, invest in new planes and send daring pilots to look for resources. The result is a stock market surge, followed by a landslide.

"Woman on the Moon" (1929) - a film by Fritz Lang that deals with the gold rush, but includes in its second half long scenes depicting the launch of a manned spaceship into space, as will actually be done decades later. The German public's much interest in missiles began in 1923, culminating in 1929. The music in the film is semi-hypnotic, as are the actors' movements under the condition of "lack of gravity", which evoke similar feelings in the viewer.

"Mountain Movies" starring Ernest Udet - Arnold Punk began serially producing, beginning in the 1920s, once a year or so, movies that dealt with the Germans' love of mountaineering in the Alps, which were called "Mountain Movies". It was a unique German genre, initially characterized by symbolism, but gradually became nationalist, presenting climbers as a social cult that values ​​physical and spiritual forging, as opposed to expressionist films which delved into the depths of the individual's psyche. In three films which he made in the years before the rise of the Nazis, Punk, for a significant supporting role, alongside his film star Lenny Riefenstahl, presented the pilot Ernest Udet, who appears in these films in his own role, as a pilot rescuing trapped in the snow. Udet became a senior Nazi general.

Riefenstahl directed "Mountain Films" herself, and at the same time developed the style of "Heroic Reportage" in her well-known documentaries, such as "Triumph of the Will" (1935) and "Olympia" (1938). Her films have greatly influenced German feature filmmakers.

Carl Ritter - filmmaker, agitator and Nazi pilot

Carl Ritter is the personal embodiment in the Nazi regime of the Gordian tie between aviation, cinema, myth and nationalism. The Gordian tie was developed as a result of: A. The importance of aviation to mankind. B. The parallel development of cinema in the twentieth century. C. The widespread use of mythical modernity in the Fascist regimes. D. The embodiment of airplane and pilot myths in many popular movies. Carl Ritter is a key figure in a group of Nazi filmmakers identified with this connection.

The golden age of aviation, from the early 20th century to the 1950th, coincided with that of cinema. Cinema developed just as fast and dramatically as flight, and both quickly established themselves as the most exciting and popular form of leisure and activity, while becoming an incredibly effective channel for spreading ideas. During the interwar period, popular cinema took advantage of fears of an aerial bombardment in the next great war. At the same time, cinema during this period used photographing of the pilot and the aircraft for nationalist propaganda, which showed achievements in this subject as the spearhead of the national technological initiative.

The flight experience was seen as the ultimate empowerment of life. Aviation has become the form of the new era, on which it has made its mark. The pilot was a new kind of person. The German pilot was not just a new German man. The model deserved to have a formative impact on the entire world. Germany shaped the propaganda pilot myth for propaganda purposes as early as the First World War. Ernest Udet, heir to the stereotype, came to the dream industry, where he played his character in a series of mountain films that created continuity between the Weimar Republic and the Nazi regime. Through its popular commander Hermann Goering, who was Hitler's deputy, this regime became identified with the subject of aviation. The airplane became in Nazi Germany a social-industrial-military locomotive and a mythical-propaganda icon that propelled world-wide political processes. The aviation films of Karl Ritter and his colleagues, who were all very popular in Germany, were mobilized for politics.

At the same time, the Nazis nationalized the German film industry, under the framework of the huge UFA company, which was established at the end of the First World War. At its peak, UFA also competed with the major Hollywood studios, and the German film industry was the second largest in the world. The thousands of films produced by the company, in all genres, have been watched by hundreds of millions of viewers. After the Nazis came to power, in 1933, they made it their main propaganda tool.

Carl Ritter, who came to the film industry by chance in 1926, was a fighter pilot and flight instructor in his military past, and a successful and enthusiastic Nazi graphic artist as a citizen. With a close family relationship with composer Richard Wagner, he sought to present the flight skills as appropriate to each person. The issue of aviation was identified for him with the values ​​of the Nazi party.

In early 1933, Ritter received from Joseph Goebbels  an invitation to a three-year employment contract with UFA. Under the contract he received his own production group, with which he worked during the dozen years of the Third Reich. He enjoyed a tidy production studio and budgets that otherwise would not have fallen on his part. Between the years 1936-1945 he played a major role in the creation of about twenty films. About a third of them were significant aviation films.

He clearly described his goal as a cinematic filmmaker in ideological terms: "The path of German films will uncompromisingly lead to the conclusion that every film must remain in the service of our community, of the nation and of our Fuhrer." Although he declared himself a propagandist, and worked in the studio method, he can be defined as an author. This is due to the unique background he brought to the film industry and his adherence to a typical style.

At the beginning of the Nazi regime, under the influence of the film "Potyomkin", the propaganda film "Hitler's youth Quack" (1935) was created, had a huge success and influence, and Carl Ritter was its producer. Ritter's first propaganda-plot-aviation film as a director was "Traitor" (1936), a contemporary spy thriller set in an aircraft factory. During 1937, he created a trilogy of war-propaganda films set in World War I, which was watched by some 6 million viewers. The aviation narrative in these films exists, but is still marginal.

In Nazi Germany, the shortage of original feature films stood out before the war, ones that would present the life of the German laborer as dynamic and satisfying. Carl Ritter was the first to fill in the gaps, in a style he called "Zeitsfilm". It was in fact Lenny Riefenstahl's 'Heroic Reportage' style, adopted for widespread use thanks to its modernity, surprising ability, and visual totality.

Carl Ritter films were formalists, with a high degree of redesign of reality. The clear symbol of mythical totalitarian modernism in Germany and Italy was the airplane. The Nazis formulated a neo-classical style with modern lines. The plane, with its flowing lines, had great aesthetic significance, in addition to being of technological, practical and ideological significance. The plane has been a mythical icon in cinema since its inception, and has become the central semiotic and photogenic symbol in Carl Ritter's films, using various aircraft models that star in his films, combined with their air crews. In the second circle, his films show the ground crews at the airfield. In the third circle is the civilian front, where the loved ones of the air crews live, and the plane allows for quick physical contact with them. Ritter found, in this way, a perfect format for describing the new German society.

Nazism was run as a corporation selling a brand, which is a myth cultivated for mass consumption purposes. Criticism of myth theory claims that they are intended to strengthen the political system. The world becomes through them a hollow harmonious picture. Man is inhibited by the myths, and sent by them to be a prototype that they define. Because the myths express central cultural values, they appear in mass media channels, and in particular in cinema which is a multi-participant industry. Karl Ritter, thanks to his in-depth acquaintance with the top echelons of the Nazi regime, the heads of aviation, and the artistic and ideological elite, best suited the task of shaping the Hitler Youth.

In 1938, Carl Ritter created his most important film, ''Pour Le Merite'', which was a founding cultural event, in which, semi-officially, all German history was rewritten from the end of World War I until after Hitler came to power, in a manner consistent with both the Nazi version and the development of aviation in Germany. The film deals with a group of former fighter pilots, who according to prominent biographical characteristics are from the "The Flying Circus", headed by the last commander Herman Goering. He leads his men after the war to revolt against the occupation and the new democracy in Germany.

Ritter has created, as a screenwriter, producer and / or director, several other propaganda-plot films in the style of "Zeitsfilm". Most of them are aviation films, including: "The Condor Legion" (1939), "Shtuckas" (1940), "Above All in the World" (1941), "Red Terror" (1942), "The Dora Team" (1943).

He developed, in stages, the myth of the plane and the pilot in his aviation films: the plane as a photogenic object is shown in the films "Traitor" and "The Condor Legion". The process of forging the character of the lone pilot as a national superhero is shown in the film "Pour Le Merite". The archetypal "duo" motif is central to the film "Shtuckas". The duo matures into an organized group in the romantic aviation drama "The Dora Team".

The development of aviation in Germany largely explains the phenomenon of the Nazi regime. This is not to say that other factors such as racism, anti-Semitism, anti-communism and anti-democracy did not work in it. But they were relatively negligible compared to the need to present a positive ideological discourse, in the spirit of mythical modernity, in a way that would allow them to ignore others. Ritter did not focus on the vague figure of the supernatural. His starting point was the popular forged soldier-civilian, who exist as a potential in every person.

Carl Ritter became a senior executive at UFA, earning a prestigious professorship of culture. However, his ideological zeal, connections and success, and at the same time the cumulative Luftwaffe failures from the 1940s onwards, were not liked by Joseph Goebbels, who was in charge of him, and he gradually distanced him from filmmaking.

It is wrong to see in Carl Ritter's films a reconciliation with a humane worldview. He stood out as a propaganda filmmaker and as one of the leading cultural figures in Nazi Germany. He created a popular cinema, guided by an ideological worldview, which served well the flourishing marketing machine that operated at the base of this regime.

Ernest Udet Chapter 5 - The Devil's General

 

In 1939, ahead of the campaign in Poland, Reinhard Heydrich, who was an active and outstanding pilot in Luftwaffe, turned to Udet and asked him for fighter jets for reconnaissance missions. Udet agreed, and in return received a police car number and a blue flashing headlight for his fast car.

In the summer of 1941, in the midst of the invasion of the Soviet Union, discussions were held at the Ministry of Aviation to locate the culprits in the poor supply of aircraft to the Luftwaffe. Erhard Milch, Udet's bitter rival, publicly accused him of this, and won Goering support. Udet threatened his friends with suicide as a result of these accusations, and appointing of Milch to be in charge of him.

The worried Goering, who was also the founder of the Gestapo, turned to Heydrich and asked him to spy on Udet. Heydrich concluded, from letters he had discovered, that Udet might flee to Sweden. He forbade Udet to fly himself. Udet tried to soften the decree by inviting Heydrich on a joint hunting trip, which lasted several days, but the ban remained. At the end of August 1941, Udet was hospitalized, under Goering's instruction, due to exhaustion and alcoholism. This was after a lengthy conversation with Goering at his estate, in which he sought to resign but was refused.

His confrontation in the last period of his life was in the face of the failures of the Lopwafa, and in the face of the betrayals of his loved ones in him. Before he committed suicide he wrote down who were to blame for ending his life: Goering the Iron Man, his lover, and Erhard Milch. Udet committed suicide, by shooting a gun, on November 17, 1941. He said, before joining the Nazis, that for the sake of aviation he was willing to team up with the devil himself.

Using the method of myths and archetypes in the context of Ernest Udet is very effective. It allows to connect different narratives, such as cinema, war, aviation, hero, propaganda, artist, leader, cult of personality, popular culture, and more. Mythology allows for a comprehensive characterization of the Nazi regime.

The cult of personality of the leader, and other propaganda heroes, was one of the salient features of the fascist regimes. One of the early multidisciplinary stars was Ernest Udet, the idol of the masses who was in the spotlight throughout the period between the two world wars. He was: a pilot from his youth, a war hero, a stunt pilot, a cartoonist, a playboy, a media star, a film actor, an advertising brand, a propaganda character, a character to identify with, and an immortal. Udet turned his life into a kind of absolute work of art. His private and public life could not be separated. Udet's actions lost to the importance of his image in public. Fiction and reality began to mix. In this way, many public impressions about him have been strengthened again and again.

Udet as an icon shows how far the magic of flight can go. He was aware of the influence of his name. Advertising companies have been sponsored for various products. The Nazis made good use of it in their propaganda service. Whether a Nazi believer or not, he has rallied to their service. In the media in Germany and abroad, his name was carried as one of them. He did not do this to be rewarded on flights or for advertising purposes, but flourished in a very senior military career. His suicide was disguised as an accident by the regime, because otherwise the image blow would have been too great. His funeral was one of the most glorious. It was an unforgettable Hollywood-style production, with the Fuhrer saluting his body in the Burial Hall of the Heroes of the People, and the Reichsmarshal in a long eulogy, after which he marched behind the coffin with a large honor guard.

Udet's death could have brought an end to his popularity. Very few heroes continue to live in the memories of people beyond their deaths. But the play about him became a blockbuster about the mythological battle between the archetypal characters of the general and the devil. His character in the play is not Nazi. At worst he is a careerist. The mixture of imagination and reality made him a tragic hero after his death. The Fighter pilots from World War I are immortalized after him in many aviation films made after World War II.

Karl Zuckermeier, a Jew who converted to Christianity, was one of the most famous playwriters and screenwriters in Germany between the two world wars. He was also a good friend of Ernest Udet, from the time of their military service, until his escape from Germany after the rise of the Nazi regime. Zuckermeier learned about the suicide during the war, while living in the United States. He decided to write a play about the man, under the title "The Devil's General". The play took the stage in Germany in 1947, was a great success, and was performed thousands of times. In 1955 a successful film based on the play was also produced.

The film is in black and white, very stylish, and based on quick dialogues. The character of Udet is played by the tall and handsome actor Kurt Jorgens. The film ostensibly depicts the last days of Udet's life, General Haras in the movie. At the beginning Haras is a very popular general, and the potential leader of Germany. Senior SS officials Seek to connect with him to create a dominant power center, and a beautiful young woman seeks his friendship. He himself is aware of his power.

The first half of the film takes place entirely in a lavish party in is lavish apartment, where Haras hosts his friends, but the SS. Listens using hidden microphones. The guests are beautiful, the atmosphere is great, and the event also forges romantic relationships. The presence of his patron the Reichsmarshal is covert but powerful, because Haras is called to telephones  from him. In the back room, Haras helps a couple of Jewish acquaintances to escape. An SS general, an outwardly kind man, comes to visit. He raises the question of the number of airplanes that recently crashed following unknown technical malfunctions. The subject is the responsibility of Haras, and the general invites him to join Himmler to solve the problem by joint forces. Haras rudely refuses. This is where the chain of events that leads to its end begins.

Haras is imprisoned for many days in order to scare him. After his release he discovers that Germany has meanwhile declared war on the United States, and realizes that this is the beginning of the apocalyptic end. His loyalty prevents him from escaping, and he tries to solve the mystery of the crashes. He travels to the military base to check it out for himself. The SS Are following him. He takes off for a test flight together with the engineer in charge. Seconds before a crash, the engineer turns a handle stuck in the cockpit, and so Haras realizes that he is the man responsible for the accidents. After they land the engineer tells that he caused them in order to try to get Germany back on track. Haras, for whom this is the chance to purify his name, nevertheless decides not to do so. When the SS general Comes in and asks him, for the last time, to join the new order in the great and new homeland which is under construction, Haras tells him that the initials of the word "Father Land" are satanic: war, terrorism, and concentration camps. He then takes off again alone, and dives and crashes to his death.

The richness and dynamism of the play and movie created reactions in the audience, which can be compared to those evoked by the first fighter pilots. The simplistic myth continued to exist in the audience, and even brought on other important layers: the pilot became a general, who is the perfect incarnation of the warrior hero archetype. He also became the archetypal Scarifying Savior. Haras is embodied as an archetypal guide, with a truth that is revealed in an internal moral decision and not in the external reality. The play evokes a nostalgic sense of Germanism, masculinity and heroism. It also casts doubt on the question of the legality of moral resistance, which is contrary to the ideal of national identity.

Zuckermeier understood the negative impact of the play on the public, and warned about it, but the pilot myth overcame it. The original figure of the devil, or his demonic powers, do not appear. The characters and their actions are all human. Haras maintains a dialogue with Satan's messenger. The apostle, who is a central character in the plot, is the general sent by Himmler, with a kindly appearance, his purpose is to recruit Haras into their ranks. He does so in a friendly manner until the last minute.

A subtle mention of the Holocaust is found in a scene in which two elderly Jews commit suicide at the train station, but the real act of Satan, according to the narrative that develops throughout the plot, is actually the sabotager of the planes, who also caused Haras' son-in-law to die. Haras confronts the terrorist engineer, in a way that makes viewers think he is the devil.

The Devil and the General are an incarnation of the archetypal duo "The Magician" and "The Superhero". They highlight the Gordian knot between myth and aviation. The suicide of Haras highlights the moral dilemma involved, thus broadening the horizons of the discussion of Nazism.

Ernest Udet chapter 4 - Myth, Aviation, Cinema, and Fascism

 

A. Manfred von Richthofen - the first mythical pilot 

in late 1917, in an attempt to raise civil morale, significant propaganda film collections also began to appear in Germany. One of them was the 10-minute production called "Pilots on the Western Front." In its first part, the film showed filming of enemy trenches, attacking observation balloons, and dropping small bombs. The second part focused on the air heroes, Imelman, Bolka, and even Herman Goering. The main theme was Richthofen. He is seen in several poses. With his dog, laughs and jokes with other pilots, and hosts a captured British pilot. Everyone looks relaxed and happy. The film ends in an air battle that ends in a British plane being shot down. The message is clear. This is quality propaganda for the elite corps, the young and safe eagles of the Second Reich. Substantial footage of the band remained, and it is scattered among documentaries about them, such as: The Red Baron: Master Of The Air. 

In his best-selling autobiography, Richthofen portrays a social, friendly, idyllic and ideal, authentic, charming figure, especially suited to young people before enlistment. He defines himself primarily as an athlete: a rider and a hunter. The autobiography is a key document in the design of the icon. His aura was so great that after he was finally overthrown, in April 1918, even the Allied news diaries devoted extensive coverage to him. His early and undecipherable death made him a myth. Generations of experts have tried to solve the question of how he was overthrown. However, the legend began when, since the beginning of 1918, the High Command systematically portrayed him as the example. 

The young and brilliant lieutenant was to serve as a symbol of German militancy and the desire to succeed, at a time when it was also difficult to persuade young people to become pilots. He was supposed to remain the invincible hero forever. The elite felt insecure, and received compensation in a military culture where hunting and warfare skills were highly valued. Richthofen's death, like his life, embodied many changes in the European aristocracy that had taken place. It is no coincidence that the men who fought in the colors of the Knights of the Flying Circus were descendants of the men who fought in bright colors, as the warrior elite of the Middle Ages. They grew up to see themselves as socially and militarily superior to ordinary people.  

After World War I, at a time when the United States, Germany, Britain, and France made only limited reference to the subject of air warfare, it was inevitable that Germany's most important war movie of the period would be: ''Richthofen, The Red Knight of the Air'' [1927]. It was an interesting mix of reconstructed footage from his career, combined with newsreels material. This film ends with the state funeral procession held for him in Berlin in 1925, which was the largest in the history of Berlin. German Air Force Day is set for the date of his death.

B. Ernest Udet - the second mythical pilot

Richthofen added Ernest Udet to his ranks when he was already a squadron commander, and shot down more than 20 planes, making him a star in his own right. The chance to fly with Richthofen was unstoppable for him. After Richthofen's death, Udet became the temporary commander, with the highest number of scores. But an instruction came from above that the regular commander would be Goering, who came from another squadron, and was also a much less good pilot, and not so well-liked. Competitive Udet may have been personally hurt by this.

Young Ernest Udet, born April 24, 1896, with the Medal of Heroism "Pour Le Merit" at the age of 22, also received his own autobiographical book during the war, published in August 1918, a few months after Richthofen's death. The content also appears in his late and extended 1935 autobiography: ''Mein Fliegerleben'', which sold 600,000 copies in its first year.

The debut book is called: ''Kreuz Wider Kokarde: Jagdflüge Des Leutnants Ernst Udet'', and the chapters mostly describe his air battles. The name of the author on the cover is his. Inside the book are many beautiful paintings of the flight experiences in the war. It is likely that they were painted in colors originally, but due to printing limitations they were printed in black and white. The technique is combined: photography, painting and drawing. It is clear that the painter is Udet himself, although there is no signature on the paintings. This can be discerned by the subjects of the paintings, and by the wavy drawing line, which has become the central feature of his cartoons style.

The name of the book, which in translation is: "The Cross Against the Lily", is important. The "cross" was the symbol on the wings of German planes. The "lily" was the symbol of the color circles on the wings of French planes. Both are archetypal symbols of wholeness. But here the cross is, also, the sight of the machine gun, and the lily is the target board mark. When the cross is placed above the circle, an optical illusion of a spinning propeller, or swastika, is created. 

Between 1919 and 1929, before becoming a movie star in "Mountain Movies", Ernest Udet was mainly a stunt pilot, who made a lot of money and became an international celebrity, thanks to many airshows he held in front of a large audience across Europe and later USA. He was of great value to Nazi propaganda, and Goering recruited him and made him a senior general and in charge of the fighter airplanes industry.

C. Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema

Memory of the First World War was built through the myth of the war experience, which gave it legitimacy by changing the true picture of reality. The image engraved in the collective memory, of the romantic fighter pilot, disguised also the terrifying reality of a World War II pilot, capable of destroying entire cities. Private and collective memory is built and is not copied. This construction is done not alone, but out of social, cultural and political discourse. That’s why aviation filmmakers, most of whom were air crews during the war, shaped their memories in less frightening terms. They sought to make their experiences less painful. But the roots of the stereotype lie in the war propaganda. These films had a great impact on the way the public thought about aerial warfare, and the way new aviation films were created. They have created a model for future generations, and an iconography that exists to this day. 

The golden age of aviation, from the early 20th century to the 1950th, coincided with the golden age of cinema. Cinema developed just as quickly and dramatically as flight, and both quickly established themselves as the most exciting and popular form of leisure and activity, while becoming an incredibly effective channel for disseminating ideas, attitudes and qualities that society deserves to preserve. Very quickly the first films reflected the Gospel of the Wings, according to which air transport would bring with it a golden age of progress, and the pilot is a romantic and chivalrous figure. 

In the interwar period, folk cinema still paradoxically promoted these familiar themes, but also took advantage of fears of an aerial bombardment in the next great war. At the same time, cinema during this period used photographs of the pilot and the aircraft for nationalist propaganda, which showed achievements in this subject as the spearhead of the national technological initiative. 

Aerial propaganda films were more important in countries where national pride suffered a blow as a result of the war, and they were defeated or angry. In Germany, one way to achieve this was technological progress, which was seen as proof of recovery and superiority. For example, the "Missile Madness," which began in 1923 and peaked in 1929. During the 1920s, rapid airplanes development gradually began to offer more practical insights for nation-building. The heroic status of the air crew, the rapid spread of gliding and flight sports clubs, the growth of commercial aviation, the success of the national company Lufthansa, and the almost fanatical interest in the flights of the new zeppelins, all testified to the popularity and public support. 

After 1918, German cinema quickly re-established itself as a serious enterprise, and within five years its output was lower only than that of the United States. The aviation films, however, reflected little of Weimar's democratic spirit. Most of the films were propaganda works. Under a spectacular cover they attacked the enemies of the nation and praising national achievements. The aviation films were a clear channel of self-praise. The struggle of the airplanes against the forces of nature depended not only on the technological superiority, but on the moral qualities of man in the cockpit, the "new man" who symbolized the best in the nation. 

The first aviation film after the end of the war was: ''Ikarus, Der Fliegende Mensch'' [1918]. The film was created as a patriotic film before the end of the First World War, but was re-edited and distributed after it, as a film with universal messages. The protagonist of the film is a young German inventor of a revolutionary engine, which the French covet, and enlist a beautiful countess to seduce him. The young man becomes an outstanding fighter pilot in the war, falls captive to the beloved Countess, but is rescued and at the end of the film he also reconciles with her. This impressive film is a romantic and light-hearted aviation-cinematic spectacle. The title of the work, the plot, and the timing, express the Gordian knot between aviation, cinema and myth.

Another film is: "Flight to Death" [1921], which deals with a flight contest. A major attempt to glorify the new man was Richthofen's biography from 1927. The film was distributed in the United States with a soundtrack. Even more successful were Ernest Udet's appearances in Arnold Punk's popular mountain films.

The Nazis did not enforce full control of the film industry until 1942, but the remaining filmmakers in Germany regularly reflected on Nazi ideology. Through UFA, the German huge nationalized film industry, there was a continuity of productions from the 1920th to the 1940th. Aviation films, in particular, had the continuity and clear development of patriotic themes, from productions in the Weimar period to those created after 1933. Example is Carl Ritter, who was an influential Nazi producer and director, beside being a veteran fighter pilot. He made several important aviation films during the period of 1920th-1940th.  

D. Aviation, Fascism and Mythical Modernity

A clear symbol of mythical totalitarian modernism in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy was the airplane. The linguistic symbols and metaphors associated with aviation discourse, its perception and interpretation, are many, and the sources that can be relied on in this context are very numerous. They include important cultural events, artwork, books, magazines, propaganda products, and more. Gabriel D'Anoncio and Futurism are of great significance as a distinct model, thanks to the respectable place they occupied in the overall cultural discourse. It was not the aviation itself, but its connections, not the pilot himself, but the concepts involved, that were the focus of attention. They served as a means of revolutionary liberation from the burden of the past. The social agenda, which has been the focus of attention in fascist regimes, is clarified through the narrative of aviation heroes, and through the vision of the new man that fascism has tried to make a reality through an anthropological revolution. The protagonists were models and prototypes that citizens were required to use in order to shape their lives. The norms and values ​​that the media published as embodied in those heroes permeated the social reality, and the world was understood according to their register. The plane and the pilot were totems, in the fullest sense of the word, of icons with archetypal characteristics, of modernity in fascist regimes. Indirectly, they reflected the desire for order. Directly, they were the embodiment of modernity. The spiritual reciprocity between fascism and aviation was unequivocal. It has created mythical modernity, as opposed to liberal modernity. 

Aircraft aroused admiration, enveloping those who flew them in an immediate aura of daring, vitality and youth. The flight was more than a forward movement in the air. The plane was more than a means to an end. The flight experience was seen as the ultimate empowerment of life. Aviation has become the form of the new era, on which it has made its mark. The pilot was a new kind of person. The German pilot was not just a new German man. The model deserved to have a formative impact on the entire world. There is no machine that requires so much concentration and willpower as the airplane, and the pilot knows what it means to control. Every pilot is an innate fascist. In this way the necessary spiritual connection is created between aviation and fascism. The cultivation of the new man was one side of the fascist regime and the elimination of the others was the other side. 

Hitler and Mussolini had a passion for speed, and powerful planes and cars where tools for their call for action. Moreover, the airplanes provided a powerful symbol of military force. They described the German character. Accordingly, the Nazis worked to make the Third Reich air-conscious, and thus one capable of fully dealing with the challenges of the 20th century. When Goering declared "We must be a pilot nation", he declared the Nazi commitment not only to training the reserves of military pilots, but also to assimilate and cultivate the moral values ​​of aviation, which were courage combined with self-sacrifice and service to the national community. Through a special ministry, they reorganized the aviation clubs as the "German Aviation Association", took full control of all activities on the subject, and began planning the establishment of the Luftwaffe - the new air force. Hitler created a dramatic dynamic image of himself through the personal use of air transportation. 

Nazi air propaganda began seriously in a film about the Nazi Party Conference in Nuremberg: ''Tag Der Freiheit - Unsere Wehrmacht'' [1935]. Lenny Riefenstahl made this film, which celebrated the Nazi armament program, announced in March 1935. The film deals with the political conference and military demonstration that took place at the assembly, which introduced the new mechanized army, and the concept of the ''Blitzkrieg''. The Air Force and Air Defense are given central screen time, and the film ends with a flight in a swastika formation.

Propaganda was strengthened in the cinematic news diaries of the period. One newsreels from 1936 revealed the new types of aircraft in the army. The most interesting scenes deal with bombers. The background music is threatening, and you see bombers loaded with bombs. Bombers performs maneuvers and they all hit their targets on the first try. The film ends in a mass flight, when the announcer announces: "The German Air Force is strong and proud, ready to maintain German peace and protect the land of the ancestors."  

The accumulated imagery was strong enough to arouse widespread fear in other countries, allowing Hitler to use the Luftwaffe threat as a political weapon in his foreign policy during the late 1930s. Air operations during the Spanish Civil War, and in particular the attack on Guernica, which was widely covered in film diaries, confirmed the power of the Luftwaffe and the threat it posed.