Date of Graduation

1968

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

O rganized i n March 1936 a t a convention i n B u ffa lo , New York, th e N a z i-in s p ire d German American Bund began i t s s h o r t and storm y e x is te n c e by seek in g to u n ite th e e n tir e German American community under i t s d ir e c tio n . The Bund had been p receded by numerous N azi s p l i n t e r groups and an o rg a n iz a tio n known as th e F rien d s o f th e New Germany. The c h ie f d is tin c tio n between th e Bund and i t s p re d e c e sso rs was th e req u irem en t t h a t o n ly American c itiz e n s could h o ld le a d e rs h ip p o s itio n s i n th e o rg a n iz a tio n . The Bund a ls o t r i e d to be more circum ­ s p e c t i n i t s r e la tio n s w ith N azi ag en c ie s in Germany. In i t s e f f o r t to u n ite th e German American community th e Bund p reach ed N azi d o c trin e s , e s p e c ia lly th e id e a t h a t Germans everywhere form ed p a r t o f a unique r a c i a l community and owed t h e i r f i r s t a lle g ia n c e to th e T hird R eich. A v i r u l e n t a n ti-S e m itism rem ained a c o n s ta n t i n Bund id eo lo g y , and i t s h a te campaigns d ir e c te d a t P r e s id e n t R o o sev elt and o th e r American p u b lic fig u r e s a t tim es approached obscene ra v in g s . The le a d e rs h ip p r in c ip le in v e s te d th e n a tio n a l le a d e r o r B undesfuehrer w ith a b so lu te powers and form ed th e b a s ic o rg a n iz a tio n a l p a tte r n o f th e Bund. In a d d itio n , th e n a tio n a l le a d e r c o n tro lle d numerous s u b s id ia r ie s such a s camps, a p ro s p e c tiv e c itiz e n s * le a g u e , a youth d iv is io n , a newsp a p e r, and an economic o rg a n iz a tio n w hich prom oted German made p ro d u c ts . The Bund was d iv id e d in to e a s te r n , m idw estem and w e ste rn departm ents b u t i t s g r e a te s t source o f s tr e n g th came from n o rth e a s te rn urban c e n te rs . A t th e h e ig h t o f i t s power, i n 1938, th e Bund*s membership p ro b a b ly numbered 8500.

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