![]() But the context is important to understanding this unsavoury snapshot from the national side's past. It started with a poignant moment of reflection at the Kindertransport Memorial. None of this makes it any less shocking to see the England players giving the Nazi salute. Two Chinese tourists discovered the hard way that giving the outlawed Hitlergruss or Nazi salute in front of the Reichstag building in. The Daily Mail and its owner, Lord Rothermere, had been openly supportive of the Nazi regime the Duke of Windsor was known to be sympathetic to the Nazis (last year he was shown in a family film giving the salute with his niece, now Queen Elizabeth II) and many upper-class English people became close to leading Nazis, such as Mitford sisters Diana and Unity. Entdecke F007907 Gruppe von Völkern Grußtruppen. It is also important to remember that Nazism was not wholly anathema in British society at the time, particularly among the upper classes. While then it was a gesture associated with an aggressive foreign power, it is now directly linked to the worst horrors of Nazism – particularly the systematic murder of more than 10 million Jews, Slavs, homosexuals, disabled persons, and others considered undesirable by the Nazis. What's more, the salute carries considerably more negative weight today than it did in 1938. READ MORE: The Battle of Beverwijk, Dutch Football's Brutal Hooligan Nadir Then as today, footballers were not exactly well versed in international politics. The players were acting on instruction from an official they were not spontaneously or independently supporting Nazism, a doctrine they are unlikely to have known a great deal about. Although there are no contemporary Roman texts that make reference to this salute, the Nazis can be forgiven for believing it was Roman as many 19th and 20th century plays, artwork and movies depicted the salute as ‘Roman. It is of course necessary to put the gesture into context. Adopted in the 1930s it is commonly believed that the salute was based on an ancient salute used by the Romans. England beat Germany comfortably, but there was indignation in sections of the British press. In the days of Frederick the Great, people still saluted with their hats, with pompous gestures. ![]() "Eddie Hapgood, normally a respected and devoted captain, wagged his finger at the official and told him what he could do with his Nazi salute, which involved putting it where the sun doesn't shine."īut Henderson's intervention was enough to force the players into submission. This short little gem of 100 pages will further the reader’s understanding of an essential yet seldom discussed tool that helped Hitler succeed in motivating the masses of Germany to perpetrate their heinous crimes.Stanley Matthews – who was among the goal-scorers in a 6-3 England win – recalled: "All the England players were livid and totally opposed to this, myself included. It was used in massive rallies where the master of ceremonies would shout “Sieg” (meaning “Victory”) and the tens of thousands in attendance would respond with “Heil.” In Hitler’s Germany the notion of the salute was a galvanizing social element. He required that it be used as public greeting and salutation accompanied with the words “Heil Hitler,” which means “Hail, Hitler.” In Hitler’s mind, the parallel between the salute proffered him and the salute demanded by the great conquering Caesar was clear, direct, and incontrovertible. Bei der Parade grüßten die Soldaten den General. begrüßen v grüßen v (military) The soldiers saluted the general at the parade. Clearly, Hitler made the salute his own. salute ( sb.) verb ( saluted, saluted) jdn. Like many of the other trappings of Hitler and Nazi Germany, it was borrowed from a great society and given a special twist. The Hitler salute was by no means original. The Hitler Salute is a translation from the German Der Deutsche Gruß, better translated as “the German salute.” The question becomes, how much of the salute was for Germany and how much was for Hitler? ![]() There are places in the world where a hand gesture literally communicates an entire paragraph of ideas and emotions. Some are insulting, some are complimentary.
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