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In this discourse history, W J Dodd analyses the 'unquiet voices' of opponents whose contemporary critiques of Nazism, from positions of territorial and inner exile, focused on the 'language of Nazism'. Individual chapters review 'precursor' discourses; Nazi public discourse from 1933 to 1945; the testimonies of 'unquiet voices' abroad, and in private and published texts in the 'Reich'; attempts to 'denazify the language' (1945-49), and the legacies of the Nazi past in a retrospective discourse of 'coming to terms' with the Nazi past. In the period from 1945, the book focuses on contestations of 'tainted language' and instrumentalizations of the Nazi past, and the persistence of linguistic taboos in contemporary German usage. Highly engaging, with English translations provided throughout, this book will provide an invaluable resource for scholars of discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and German history and culture; as well as readers with a general interest in language and politics.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: Towards a Discourse History of National Socialism.- Chapter 2: The Emergence of National Socialist Discourse.-Chapter 3: The National Socialist Discourse "Community": Norms and Contradictions.- Chapter 4: Voices from Abroad:Chapter 5: Voices at Home (I): Private Notes for Posterity.- Chapter 6: Voices at Home (II): From Resistance to 'Resistenz' in the Printed Word.- Chapter 7: Voices at Home (III): The Case of the Frankfurter Zeitung.- Chapter 8: Aftermath ENTNAFIZIERUNG.- Chapter 9: Legacy: VERGANGENHEITSBEWÄLTIGUNG.- Chapter 10: Conclusion.
About the author
W J Dodd is Emeritus Professor of Modern German Studies at the University of Birmingham,UK. His research in this area has been recognized by a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowshipand a Senior Fellowship of the Alfried Krupp Institute for Advanced Study, Germany.
Summary
In this discourse history, W J Dodd analyses the ‘unquiet voices’ of opponents whose contemporary critiques of Nazism, from positions of territorial and inner exile, focused on the ‘language of Nazism’. Individual chapters review ‘precursor’ discourses; Nazi public discourse from 1933 to 1945; the testimonies of ‘unquiet voices’ abroad, and in private and published texts in the ‘Reich’; attempts to ‘denazify the language’ (1945-49), and the legacies of the Nazi past in a retrospective discourse of ‘coming to terms’ with the Nazi past. In the period from 1945, the book focuses on contestations of ‘tainted language’ and instrumentalizations of the Nazi past, and the persistence of linguistic taboos in contemporary German usage. Highly engaging, with English translations provided throughout, this book will provide an invaluable resource for scholars of discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and German history and culture; as well as readers with a general interest in language and politics.
Additional text
“Jargon-free and accessibly written, with translations provided throughout, a careful glossary of terms, and a targeted bibliography following each chapter, it strikes just the right balance between comprehensive overview and penetrating digest, and will appeal as much to an interested non-specialist reader as a specialist. … Dodd provides the perfect amount to encourage further independent research and reading.” (Kirstin Gwyer, Modern Language Review, Vol. 114 (3), July, 2019)
“Dodd has written an important book. It should be on any reading list of key works on German history and thought over the last two centuries.” (Joachim Whaley, Journal of European studies, Vol. 48 (3-4), November, 2018)
Report
"Jargon-free and accessibly written, with translations provided throughout, a careful glossary of terms, and a targeted bibliography following each chapter, it strikes just the right balance between comprehensive overview and penetrating digest, and will appeal as much to an interested non-specialist reader as a specialist. ... Dodd provides the perfect amount to encourage further independent research and reading." (Kirstin Gwyer, Modern Language Review, Vol. 114 (3), July, 2019)
"Dodd has written an important book. It should be on any reading list of key works on German history and thought over the last two centuries." (Joachim Whaley, Journal of European studies, Vol. 48 (3-4), November, 2018)
