SV: EJ / Der Friede

["Bertil Häggman" <bertil.haggman@helsingborg.se>]

>As I heard from a still living old man (no Nazi, but before and after 1933
>nationalist and "Volkstumsaktivist"): Best was one of the "good" Nazis...


Don't say that to a Dane in the WWII generation.
He might get upset.

>We should see that single Nazis had different backgrounds and that there
>had been f.e. connections between parts of the "Konservative Revolution"
>and men who made later career in the NSDAP. One example is the "Bund
>Oberland": many members went to Niekisch in 1929/30, others went to the
>NSDAP like Richard Hildebrandt, later SS-Obergruppenführer and Höherer SS-
>und Polizeiführer in Danzig-Westpreußen.


It is true that some Freikorps went to NSDAP. Several
Freikorps flags were kept in the Brown House in Munich.
Other Freikorps members were executed by the regime. 

>I think we should start to discuss EJs "Der Friede". He wrote the first
>concept for it in the beginning of 1942 (Strahlungen, 5.1.42) - one month
>after the start of the the soviet winter-offensive and the crisis of
>moscow, two weeks after the dismissal of Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres v.
>Brauchitsch. Now the little Gefreiter Hitler was the new Oberbefehlshaber.
>Had EJ now seen that this war was no more to win?
>(I forgot: one month after Pearl Harbor)
>EJ burned his first concept for "Der Friede" on August 18th in 1942, before
>he left to Russia (See "Strahlungen").

Yes, _Der Friede_ is of great interest, especially
if one wants to discuss EJs role in resisting Hitler.



>In 1943 it seemed not too late, that Germany could decide alone on its
>destiny, make a knightly peace with keeping of its power. This was EJs
>view, and this was the view of the military opposition. In this way there
>was an accord between EJ and the military opposition. Hans Speidel and
>Rommel received "Der Friede" in 1943/44 before the 20th of July: "In den
>ersten Julitagen des Jahres 1944 gab mir Erwin Rommel die Weisung, die
>Friedensschrift `des großen Soldaten Ernst Jünger´ für eine
>Veröffentlichung im In- und Ausland vorzubereiten" (Hans Speidel: Briefe
>aus Paris und aus dem Kaukasus, in: Freundschaftliche Begegnungen.
>Festschrift für EJ zum 60. Geburtstag, Frankfurt a.M. 1955, 192)


1943 was also the founding year of the movement "Freies Deutschland"
in the Soviet Union.


>In contrary to the men of the 20th of July EJ did not recommend the
>assault: "Wenn Kniébolo fällt, so wird die Hydra einen neuen Kopf bilden."
>(Strahlungen, 497) And he was not the one to take an active part - he saw
>himself oncemore as the elitarian spectator and chronicler, standing over
>the things to happen. 


EJ did not believe in assassination. Political murder
has never been effective. If the leader of a totalitarian
regime is assassinated, the place is taken by one
of his henchmen.

>"Der Friede" - what kind of peace and how to receive it, meant EJ?
>
>If some of you are interested to discuss "Der Friede" I could organize to
>send you some special prints of it. Please email me directly for your
>adresses.


Yes, I am interested and I will send you my postal
address directly.

Thanks for an interesting contribution.

Best greetings

Bertil Haggman