Power Behind The Swastika

Alyssa Franklin

ENC 1102

Ms. Martin

7 February 2016

The Power Behind the Swastika

In 1933 Germany, a man came to power over a bleak and desperate country. He took complete advantage of this seemingly hopeless nation with his promise of vengeance and

“justice”. This man we now know by the infamous name, Adolf Hitler. When Hitler grew in popularity, so did the corrupt symbol he was famous for, the Swastika. Many people associate him and his time of power directly with this sign. This was a symbol that, in its prime era, was a beacon of hope, prosperity, and a better future. For the oppressed, poverty stricken people of

Germany, the swastika was symbolically a way to escape the life that they so desperately wanted to change. It was easy for them

Hitler gave his movement the symbol of the Holocaust. That symbol meant great change and a positive future to the German, they never knew what was going to become of their home. After receiving all the money from propaganda and donations Hitler used that money secretly to build concentration camps and start speeches to persuade people into believing the Jews were terrible and manipulative people that had to be exterminated.

The Swastika was quickly and abruptly turning into a symbol the country of Germany was ashamed to be known by. An army that brought upon tyranny and horror to the nation it inhabited. A nation who put their trust into the wrong man with empty promises. During the years of concentration camps and the mass genocide of the Jewish citizens of numerous

European countries. This ambush bought onto the Jews was backed by years of hatred and false patriotism. During these years, the swastika remained a symbol of strong and powerful force. It symbolized a seemingly insurmountable force that struck fear into the hearts of all who was under attack. This corruption of the symbol started to change and give off a feeling of fear rather

than patriotism. According to the Holocaust Teacher Resource Center, “The Swastika Flag’s

This however is what Hitler wanted all along. He was after the fear and the terror of people he thought wronged him. This was justice in his eyes. The swastika began its irreversible change from a beacon of hope to a source of terror.

Even after many years, the Swastika is still known for the dark period of suffrage and death due to Hitler and his army. Former soldiers and supporters live with tattoos and marks of the Swastika for the rest of their lives. No matter if they are a changed person or not, when a person sees the tattoo or finds out about their past they will have an immediate judgment on that person. They will think about all the death and hardship that person inflicted on others and put their families through hardships. This symbol has completely made path of destruction by being affiliated with such hennas crimes against humanity. Soldiers were forced to see the horrific images and videos of the concentration camp. Some in the image are crying, covering their eyes, and overall, they seemed ashamed of what they have been a part of. Many of these men had no choice and they were forced into the acts of terror they were a part of. You can see that on