German Catholics and Hitler's Wars: A Study in Social Control

by Gordon C. Zahn

Prior to the outbreak of World War II, nearly forty thousand German Catholics were involved in the German Catholic Peace League, a movement that caused many people in various countries to seriously reconsider the dimension of pacifism in their faith. During the course of the War, however, many of these same German Catholics raised no serious objection to serving in Germany's armies or swearing allegiance to Adolph Hitler. First published in 1962, German Catholics and Hitler's Wars created a furor, ultimately causing a serious reevaluation of church-state relationships and, in particular, of the morality of war. This work began as an attempt to understand the demise of the German Catholic Peace League. But because of various factors, including the destruction of vital records, Gordon C. Zahn began to consider the behavior of German Catholics in general and the evidence of their almost total conformity to the war demands of the Nazi regime. Using sociological analysis, he argues convincingly for the existence of a super-effective system of social controls, and of a selection between the competing values of Catholicism and nationalism. Although Zahn never speculates, conclusions are inescapable, chief among them that the traditional Catholic doctrine of the "just war" has ceased to be operative for Catholics in the modern world.

Genres: History

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 1988

Reviews

[William Shep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic sociological study about the actions of the German Catholic bishops and their flock who generally supported the war effort of Nazi Germany despite the obvious injustice of their means and goals. Zahn's findings are not so much inherent flaws with the German people but rather misguided or wrongheaded notions of Catholics to 'render unto Caeser what is Caeser's,' even to the point of supporting nationalistic war aims that are direct contradictions to many of the basic precepts of the Church. He further concludes that Catholics in other nations, from Britain to France to the United States would have, and continue to act in the same manner. Even if the bishops in any given country condemn a war as unjust the Catholic rank and file tend to continue to support the state. This constitutes a spiritual and moral problem for the Catholic Church today as millions of Catholic continue to support their national war machines, even to the use of weapons of mass destruction against rival populations.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

not an easy read but excellent points, solid argument, very insightful.