Die Welle ( The Wave) is a book, and now a movie, written by Morton Rhue about an experiment a history high school teacher conducted on his students. He wanted to show how easy it is for people to fall under the control of a dictatorship by using people's natural desire to be part of a community. It is based on a experiment conducted at Cubberley High school in Palo Alto, California in 1967, where during a Nazi Germany history class, the teacher Ron Jones tried to demonstrate why and how so many Germans supported the Nazi movement. He called it "the third wave" in reference to the ocean waves, where the third wave is suppose to be the largest and strongest.
There is a German movie version called Die Welle, released in March 2008 starring Juergen Vogel as Herr Wegner and is set in 21st century Germany. It begins with the class discussion of Nazi Germany and how the students don't understand why so many Germans would support a nazi dictatorship. They believe that in a modern society with education and information everywhere, such a dictatorship would not be possible. Herr Wegner then challenges the students to do an experiment that would prove how easily people can be manipulated under the right conditions. He asks the students what they think is needed for successful dictatorship and they decided that the three important principles needed are:
Macht durch Disziplin! Macht durch Gemeinschaft. Macht durch Handeln!
Power through discipline! Power through community! Power through Action.
This is the begining of "The Wave', which is the name of the new 'nazi-isch' following. Wegner begins the experiment by doing small things first, such as implamenting strict discipline such as making the students address him as Herr Wegner, standing when he enters the room, standing when being asked a question etc. Second he makes the Wave a community by requiring the students to wear a white button up shirt (where in a school with no strict dress code, this would make the students really stand out as a group). The students also created a salute, a hand gesture of a ocean wave (similar to the Hitlergruss, the diagonal arm upward Nazi salute). The also had a logo and branded it all over the city, and on public property. They had The Wave beach parties and get-togethers that were exclusive to members of The Wave and went to sporting events to support members taking part in competitions. They even stick up for each other when a member is being bullied. This is the community they build. It is not long before other students not in the class want to be part of The Wave and the students begin to take it more seriously than they should. Things begin to get out of hand when fights break out with established gangs in the city, and with students who have been ostracized from the group because they disagreed with it. Eventually things become too serious and Herr Wegner's experiment works gets completely out of hand, while simultaneously proving his point.
This is an excellent movie to watch, and provides such a great insight into the power of a community. Everyone agrees that in retrospect, the Nazi's were terrible and never should have come to power. However many Germans and other people around the world supported the Nazi party at their prime. They were extremely organized, had disciplined soldiers and a loyal following. They had a Nazi-salute, the Nazi Swastika and made all the Germans feel united and strong after they suffered the defeat of world war one. Adolf Hitler managed to blame all the problems German had on the Jews and others (an escape goat), and made the Germans believe that the Nazi's were there to benefit all Germans, for Germans by Germans. Manipulating the vulnerable position of post-world-war one Germans and their desires for national pride, belonging and prosperity.
So when we watched "Triumph des Willens" (Triumph of the will) it should not be so unimaginable to believe that so many people supported the Nazi's. It can not be seen purely as some propaganda film but rather a real-life social experiment of the power of community and discipline. Dictatorships prosper on the idea of community and discipline. Democracy, despite the "majority rules" idea, really emphasizes individuality and the power of your personal vote. Dictatorships function under the principle that everything is for the greater good of the entire community, and that those who do not want to be part of the community should be removed. Democracies emphasizes the idea that if you do not agree with the one decision you are free to criticize it and form your own opinions and community.
And before you think this is a distant idea that has to do with politics and military regimes and not with everyday life, stop and think that this idea of "community" is prevalent everywhere, it is part of human nature. Think of your favorite sports team, or your favorite musician or group of friends. By manipulating this desire to belong, it is possible for even the innocent of communities to become destructive with the wrong kind of influence. Think how quickly you are ready to insult a rival sports team when yours is being attacked! Or ganging up with a stranger to defend a similar taste in music to someone who does not like you kind of music. Not to suggest we are all a insult away from being Nazi's, but only to explain how a group or community dynamic can severally alter a person's actions, motives and beliefs. There is safety in numbers as they say.
Anyways, I strongly suggest you read the book ( I only have a german copy) or watch the Movie as I think It is out now on DVD. It was really good and had a dramatic end! The link to the trailer is posted click Watch Trailer!
Macht durch Disziplin! Macht durch Gemeinschaft. Macht durch Handeln!
ReplyDeletePower through discipline! Power through community! Power through Action.
I think this is really interesting when you compare it to Triumph of the will. In Triumph of the will they mentioned community so many times (and clearly discipline was also a given here). In both cases, it was a feeling of belonging that drove people to do what they did. The aspect of community was so ironic in either situation, because both times it was only their little exclusive community that they stood up for, as opposed to a global one.
yeah that is the power of a community. It is not really a community if everyone is included. Exclusivity is the where the pride and strength of a community is rooted. The fear of being excluded outweighs any thoughts of disagreement. So even if some Nazi followers didn't believe in everything the Nazi Party stood for, they still believed in the community. It take a special kind of strength to stand up against them and risk being ostracized.
ReplyDeleteYes, and usually those people who are generally weaker on their own are stronger members of this community. The boy that could not take the end of the Wave in the end of the movie shows this. He did not have friends before the wave and all of a sudden he had all these people stand up for him. It was horrible for him when the whole thing ended and he went completely cray. A group of people protecting you seems really great to you if you had to suffer before.
ReplyDeleteThere was an After School Special based on this story too back in the 80s. I haven't seen it in a long time (maybe it's up on youtube), but I remember it being interesting how much the teacher actually started to change as a result of having so much control over his students. The whole thing reminds me of the German movie, which is also based on a true story, The Experiment. The movie is directed by the same person who made Downfall (Oliver Hirschbiegel) and, like The Wave, looks at the same aspects of how far people are willing to go given even just the illusion of power.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think the interesting thing about these kind of ideas is the question of whether such communitarian efforts are bad in and of themselves or whether it depends on what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteWould it be possible for a group to have a distinctive outfit, distinguishing characteristics, slogans, signs, songs, a charismatic leader -- and not be bad? Perhaps it depends on what the group is trying to do.
I really want to see this movie now, thanks for the review, Tuku! Sounds very interesting and relevant.
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