“Strength Through Joy Organization” in the Ideological Fortification of Nazi Germany

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the role, position, and function of the Organization of Strength Through Joy (Kraft durch Freude- KdF), which was established in 1933, in Nazi Germany. In the context of the projection on the social and economic structure of the aims of totalitarian regimes to intervene in social life without leaving any gap, in Nazi Germany, KdF organized events that affected many points of social life, especially holiday organizations, and strengthened the Nazi regime until the year it ended its actions, taking the principles and goals of national socialism at the center of these activities. At this point, the KdF first played a major role in increasing the trust and loyalty regarding the Hitler government. Second, it constituted one of the transporter and application areas of the eugenics politics at the point of Nazism's project of creating a pure race. Finally, it contributed to the establishment of socio-economic and socio-cultural harmony between German society in accordance with the ideological structure of Nazism, and to the cultural production based on this harmony.

Keywords

• Ideology
• Totalitarianism
• National Socialism
• Organization of Strength Through Joy

Nazi Almanya’sının İdeolojik Tahkiminde “Neşe Yoluyla Güç Örgütü”

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı, 1933 yılında kurulan “Neşe Yoluyla Güç Örgütü (Kraft Durch Freude-KdF)”nün Nazi Almanya’sındaki rolü, konumu ve işlevi incelenmesidir. Totaliter rejimlerin hiçbir boşluk bırakmaksızın toplum hayatına müdahale etme amaçlarının sosyal ve ekonomik yapıdaki izdüşümü bağlamında Nazi Almanya’sında da KdF, faaliyetlerini sona erdirdiği yıla kadar başta tatil organizasyonları olmak üzere sosyal hayatın pek çok noktasına temas eden ve Nazi rejimini tahkim edici etkinlikler düzenlemiş, bu etkinliklerin merkezine ise nasyonal sosyalizmin ilke ve hedeflerini almıştır. Bu noktada KdF birinci olarak Hitler iktidarına ilişkin güven ve sadakatin arttırılmasında büyük rol oynamıştır. İkinci olarak Nazizm’in arî ırk yaratma projesi noktasında öjenik siyasetinin taşıcısı ve uygulama alanlarından bir tanesini teşkil etmiştir. Son olarak Nazizm’in ideolojik yapısına uygun olarak Alman toplumu arasında sosyo-ekonomik ve sosyo-kültürel uyumun tesis edilmesine, bu uyum esasında kültürel üretilmesine sağlanmasına katkı sağlamıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Nasyonel Sosyalizm
• Neşe Yoluyla Güç Örgütü
• İdeoloji
• Totalitarizm

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