The Book Europe at Work in Germany: Sauckel Mobilizes the Labor Reserves

The Book Europe at work in Germany: Sauckel mobilizes the labor reserves.
Miranda Smith
Southern Utah University
December 2000

The book, Europe at work in Germany: Sauckel mobilizes the labor reserves, is a great example of the German propaganda used in WWII. With a labor shortage because of the war and other factors, the leaders of Germany brought in workers from conquered areas of Europe. In order to appease the German people, who wondered at the giving of jobs to those very masses that Hitler proclaimed not of the "master race," the book was written. This book, found at www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/sauckel.htm, has the purpose of reconciling the German people and convincing them that Europe was agreeing with the German Socialist way, and vigorously supporting the war effort. Not only does this work contain bald faced lies, it relies on glittering generalities, transfer, name-calling, and card-stacking in order to sway the opinion of the German people.

Fritz Sauckel, the author, uses the introduction of the book as a springboard to launch his propaganda. He calls the treatment of foreign workers "exemplary" and "correct." While expounding upon these ideas, he lies about their treatment, citing vacations, good food and plenty of clothing. He claims to have been a prisoner of war and uses positive words such as "care" and "justice" to describe his experience. He writes of "order," "cleanliness," and also of the "passionate" vigor of foreign workers. Sauckel commends Germant's people for the "valiant" efforts they have made. "Stalwart," he calls them, and "unwavering." These words are aimed at instilling in Germans a feeling of pride and security that they truly are doing the right thing. These glittering generalities, soliciting the approval Germany's masses, put all that transpires in the labor sector in a noble light. Sauckel concludes this appeal to sense of nobility by informing the German people that they are Europe's "teachers," "models" of a good economy and a superior way of life.

To further illustrate the furor of Europe's desire to help usher the third reich to the rest of the continent, Sauckel uses the technique of transfer. He associates Adolf Hitler with all that is good. Hitler's pictures are hung in the factories, a testimony to the jobs and great economy that is Hitler. All virtue is transferred from other sources to the National Socialist Party in this piece and Hitler, god of the religion of state, is its head. There is even some transfer to the people of Germany. They are all that has overcome. The German people represent all that has been deprived and all that has surmounted overwhelming odds. The German people ARE endurance and forbearance. Sauckel even takes the opportunity to set himself up as the savior of millions of other Europeans. He is all compassion and caring. He has saved these poor, misguided brothers and sisters in Europe and shown them the German way. Sauckel portrays himself as the embodiment of love and tenderness.

But he has no such tender feelings towards the Allies. By use of name-calling, he associates the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union with all that is evil. He takes time out to call the Jews all sorts of names. He speaks of Jews as conspirators, involved in a plan of world dominion. He calls them "corrupt criminals" and lashes against their "plutocracy." And their "lackeys" are the Allies. The Soviets are "Bolshevist hangmen," and they incur "Bolshevist terror" in the people of Eastern Europe. Stalin is a "mass murderer." While the latter may be true, Sauckel omits the genocidal practices of the Nazis. Britain and the United States are involved in "capitalist exploitation." Churchill leads Britain with a "cynical grinning lying face," and Roosevelt's is one that is "larval" and "plutocratic."

Using favorable pictures and telling all sorts of stories of contentment, Sauckel builds an overwhelming case in favor of the German Reich. He neglects to mention the advancements of other countries. He doesn't even give a small nod of approval to the development of Europe before Germany began conquering it. Sauckel fails to mention the atrocities committed by himself and others in Hitler's regime. By stacking all the facts and creating some new and ludicrous facts to the one side, he aims to convince the German people that the war is just and not even caused by German aggression.

Throughout the book Sauckel represents to Germany's people, through propaganda, justification for the war. It is disguised as an appeal to them to accept foreign workers. Even this appeal serves the purpose of further clarifying that Germans are to be the "master race." By arresting feelings of uncertainty with glittering generalities, instilling a sense of pride in leaders by use of transfer, causing fear and distrust of others by name-calling, and further quashing any doubts by card-stacking, Sauckel attempts, and most likely succeeds, in covering German eyes and convincing them that they are in the right.