Cerveaux en uniforme. Textes allemands – “Brains in Uniform. German Texts, ” published by Librairie des Champs-Élysées. Paris, 1934 – First edition. An early publication by an anonymous author intended to alert the world to the dangers posed by the Nazi Party, based on documents that unequivocally indicate the principle of race as a central component of its policy. The author relies exclusively on full quotations from official texts by Adolf Hitler (as they appeared in Mein Kampf, among others) and by the leaders of the Nazi Party themselves, on the Nazi Party platform, as well as on statements made by all those at the head of the Nazi apparatus, and official publications of the Party. The book is accompanied by photographs of senior Nazi officials and of early public events held by the Party, official documents, Hitler Youth parades, texts distributed within the Hitler Youth, and more. One of the earliest known publications intended to warn of the catastrophe Germany was about to unleash upon all humanity. French. (Cover design by Jean Bernard).
“We believed, with regard to Hitler’s revolution, that it was fitting to know it and to make it known not only through its material actions, through the exercise of its temporary power, but also—and primarily—through its doctrines, its ideology, its educational program… Old imperial Germany prided itself on upholding objective science; it prided itself on teaching love of science for science’s sake: we draw from its lesson… Objectivity is the only talent claimed by the publisher of this book.” (From the publisher’s foreword).
Throughout the book, the author presents, in their original wording and without commentary or editing (“quotation marks will be my weapon, ” as stated in the foreword), official works and speeches, laws, decrees, circulars of organizations and professional bodies, authorized teaching manuals, and publications of indisputable nature. At the beginning of the book, there are short biographies of Adolf Hitler and his loyal followers—senior Nazi Party officials Göring, Goebbels, and Wilhelm Frick—accompanied by their photographs. The author then presents the Nazi Party platform submitted ahead of the 1933 elections, which includes clauses such as the demand to annul the Treaty of Versailles and the practical implementation of the race doctrine, for example: “Only those who have German blood may be members of the nation, regardless of their religion. No Jew can be a member of the nation, ” or: “All non-German immigration must be prohibited. We demand that all non-Germans who have immigrated to Germany since August 2, 1914, be required to leave the Reich immediately, ” and also: “It must be legally forbidden for any non-German to financially participate in or influence the operation of German newspapers, ” along with other clauses intended to transform Germany into a dictatorship governed by a single ruler.
The editor then presents excerpts from Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf (from the 1933 edition, highlighting the book’s widespread circulation in Germany through a bookstore announcement published in the German press, which declared that the book’s distribution had surpassed the first million copies and that it had sold out in stores). The focus is primarily on the passages in which Hitler established the superiority of the Aryan race and the inferiority of all other races as a practical doctrine: “We all sense that in the near future, problems may arise for mankind—problems that only a superior race, a nation of masters… will be tasked with solving.” Also featured are sections on the sanctity of war and the total nature of the “national state, ” such as: “Germany must be and remain the only great continental power, and if necessary, crush all others.” Further on, the book includes quotations from other Nazi leaders, such as Goebbels: “Anyone who dares to question the correctness of the National Socialist idea must be branded a traitor, ” and more.
The author also presents transcripts of official directives issued to German state bodies immediately after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, which already at that stage clearly indicate the intention to establish a dictatorship under the Führer, a systematic persecution of opponents of the new regime, and the persecution of Jews: “We must eradicate not only liberalism, but also the Jewish spirit, as it is unleashed in unrestrained propaganda against Germany and as it has already manifested in this country through numerous writings…” Likewise, official instructions to the German press appear: “Editors are specifically required to remove from newspapers anything that might weaken the power of the German Reich, either externally or internally—its defense capabilities, its culture, or economy; anything that harms the honor of the German…” Also included is the practical implementation of Aryan racial supremacy as binding decree: “Civil servants of non-Aryan descent are to be dismissed, ” and more.
In the second part of the book, the author presents quotations from official textbooks used in German schools, which convey the practical principles derived from the Aryan racial superiority doctrine, such as: “All Nordic races are under threat… Europe now finds itself in a tragic state… We have no connection whatsoever to the specter of general humanist education. We want to train real Germans…” He also includes a wide array of educational materials directly imposed upon youth by the Nazi regime following the party’s seizure of power. These materials promote racial superiority through official content presented to the youth and compiled by Paul Sommer, according to which the “Hitler Youth” was educated. This includes transcripts of antisemitic songs sung at Hitler Youth ceremonies, quotations from official school textbooks used in German schools, instructional guidelines detailing what is “permitted” and “forbidden, ” and more.
[22], 200 pages. Light stains on the cover. Good condition.
