Brothers Beyond the Sea

Jonathan F. Wagner

Description

During the years 1933 to 1939, a pro-Nazi movement developed in Canada. With the support of the German National Socialist Party, Canadian pro-Nazi institutions were formed: clubs, rallies, schools, and newspapers. The movement ended in failure. The author analyzes the reasons for the formation and decline of the National Socialist Party in Canada, describing in the process the general characteristics of the German community in Canada, the extent of Nazi activity in this country, and the influence of the Canadian environment on the movement. The book, well researched and carefully documented, is an original contribution to Canadian history of the 1930s.

Informations

• Publié par: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
• Date de parution: 30 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781554588121
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

BROTHERS BEYOND THE SEA
NATIONAL SOCIALISM IN CANADA BY JONATHAN F. WAGNER
During the years 1933 to 1939 a pro-Nazi movement developed in Canada. With the support of the German National Socialist Party, Canadian pro-Nazi institutions were formed-clubs, rallies, schools, and newspapers. The movement ended in failure. The author analyzes the reasons for the formation and decline of the National Socialist Party in Canada, describing in the process the general characteristics of the German community in Canada, the extent of Nazi activity in this country, and the influence of the Canadian environment on the movement. The book, well researched and carefully documented, is an original contribution to Canadian history of the 1930s.
Jonathan Wagner, Associate Professor of History at the University of Winnipeg, holds the Ph.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin. His articles on modern German and German-Canadian history have appeared in such journals as Central European History; the Canadian Historical Review, and Archiv f r Kulturgeschichte.
BROTHERS BEYOND THE SEA
NATIONAL SOCIALISM IN CANADA BY JONATHAN F. WAGNER

Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Wagner, Jonathan F. (Jonathan Frederick), 1940- Brothers beyond the sea
Bibliography: p. Includes index. ISBN 0-88920-096-3
1. National socialism - History. 2. German Canadians - Political activity. 3. Canada - History - 1918-1939.* I. Title.
DD255.C2W33 324.271 02 C81-094875-3
Copyright 1981
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY PRESS Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L3C5 81 82 83 84 4 3 2 1 Cover Design: David Antscherl
No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system, translated or reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher.
To Nathaniel Johanna, and Sarah
Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Frequently Used Abbreviations
Chapter One. The Canadian Germans
1. German Immigrants in East and West
2. The European Backgrounds
3. Occupational Patterns and Problems
Chapter Two. The German Effort in Canada
1. The German Image of Canada
2. The Ausw rtiges Amt
3. The Deutsches Auslands-Institut and Volksbund f r das Deutschtum im Ausland
4. The Auslandsorganisation and Other Nazi Propaganda Agencies
Chapter Three. Canada s Pro-Nazis
1. The Deutscher Bund Canada
2. The Arbeitsgemeinschaften
3. The Tage
4. The German-Canadian Press
Chapter Four. The End of the Movement
1. Opposition to the Nazi Movement
2. Suppression and Internment
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
Ludwig Kempff, German Consul-General for Canada in Montreal, 1921-1937
Heinrich Seelheim
Deutscher Tag in Winnipeg, 1938
DAI Representative Karl G tz visiting Hugo Von Schilling in Loon River, Saskatchewan, 1936
Deutsche Zeitung title page
Franz Straubinger
Deutscher Tag in Saskatchewan
Bernhard Bott
Winnipeg celebration of Hitler s coming to power, January 30, 1939
L. Pfau s NSDAP Membership Card
Group picture of Saskatchewan internees, Fredericton, N.B.
Internment camp leaders
Ludwig Kempff, German Consul-General for Canada in Montreal 1921-1937

Heinrich Seelheim

Deutscher Tag in Winnipeg, 1938 Left: Wilhelm Rodde Right: Fritz Bringman

DAI Representative Karl G tz ( right ) visiting Hugo Von Schilling ( left ) in Loon River, Saskatchewan, 1936

Deutsche Zeitung title page

Franz Straubinger

Deutscher Tag in Saskatchewan

Bernhard Bott

Winnipeg celebration of Hitler s coming to power, January 30, 1939 Top left: Wilhelm Rodde Top right: Otto Janssen

L. Pfau s NSDA Membership Card

Group picture of Saskatchewan internees, Fredericton, N.B.

Internment camp leaders Front row, right: Otto Thierbach, leader of Deutscher Bund Canada
Preface
Like the United States, Brazil, South West Africa, and so many other countries with substantial German minorities, Canada experienced a pro-Nazi movement within its German community during the years 1933-1939. The history of National Socialism among Canada s Germans constitutes the subject of this study. The object of Brothers Beyond the Sea 1 was clear from the outset: to describe the membership, the organization, and the expression of the Canadian National Socialist movement and to analyze the reasons for its being, its aims, and its accomplishments. Because it was acted out by individuals who usually felt more German than Canadian and because these pro-Nazis were supported by Germany, it constituted from the beginning as much a problem in German as in Canadian history. To a considerable degree, it represented German history being made in Canada. Since this was so, a dual approach to the movement seemed to be the most appropriate; that is, the Nazis in Canada were studied from both the German and the Canadian angles.
In the former instance, this meant that the German backgrounds of Canada s Germans had to be examined to discover both the strength and the nature of their German consciousness. Such an investigation was designed to shed light on the kinds of Germans in Canada who became Nazis. Moreover, to understand the German role in the movement, it was necessary to know what the German government and Nazi officials in Germany thought about Canada, Canada s German community, and the possibilities for developing National Socialism here. Finally, it was necessary to consider what the various German Nazi agencies and officials were doing in Canada to advance the Nazi cause, for such German aid represented a crucial factor in the movement s development.
With respect to the Canadian side of the problem, an effort had to be made to measure the influence of the Canadian environment on the Nazi movement. The measuring process included considering the issue of assimilation-how much of and how far the Canadian German community had been Canadianized. In addition, the influence of the prevailing social and economic conditions on Canada s pro-Nazi forces had to be taken into account. Finally, the attitude and stance of the Canadian public and government toward the Nazi movement in Canada during its rise and fall had to be dealt with. All of these factors would figure prominently in the success or failure of Canada s Nazis.
The book s basic concern with the pro-Nazi movement as a German-Canadian ideological and social phenomenon has naturally limited its scope. Although the study touches on the policy of the Canadian government vis-a-vis Germany, it never attempts to provide a history of Canadian-German relations. Likewise, in relation to the internment problem, it does not offer a comprehensive discussion of internment. Most of all, the book does not purport to be a history of Canadian fascism. In the following pages, little effort has been made to tie the German-Canadian Nazis to such native fascist groups as those headed by Adrien Arcand or William Whittaker, for the simple reason that the German aspect of the movement limited relations from ever becoming very close. Of course, this is not to claim that no contacts with other fascists existed or that the German-Canadian Nazis did not share certain ideological prejudices. They did. Nevertheless, the xenophobic and racial-national excesses of the Canadian Nazis rendered collaboration with other reactionary forces difficult.
One last caveat. Since this book is about Germans in Canada, some may ask what is meant by the term Germans. Defining German is a little like trying to impart a precise meaning to Christianity or democracy. It can be done in more than one way and no single definition ever seems completely acceptable. Generally speaking, I have included several elements (unfortunately often vague in themselves) in my conception of German. For example, someone would qualify as a German in Canada if he or his forefathers emigrated from Germany or the German-speaking areas of Europe. In Canada he might list German as his mother tongue, but not necessarily so. He could speak German at home, but even this would not be a necessary condition for belonging to Canada s German community. Nevertheless, because of either the linguistic association or because of the connection to a German community in Europe, the persons with whom this work is concerned would define themselves as Germans over against the English, the French, or some other Canadian ethnic group.
At this point, I would like to express my gratitude to some of the many persons and institutions which made this book possible. On more than one occasion, the University of Winnipeg generously made available funds for research and travel. The Canada Council provided a Leave Fellowship which allowed me to live in Germany and to research the numerous sources available there during my sabbatical year, 1975. In my research in both Canada and Germany, I continually met with the greatest courtesy and co-operation from librarians and archivists. I would specifically like to thank Jay Atherton and Arthur Grenke of the Public Archives of Canada in Ottawa, Drs. Hans Booms and Ernst Ritter of the Bundesarchiv Koblenz, Dr. Weinandy of the Politisches Archiv des Ausw rtigen Amtes Bonn, Daniel Simon of the Berlin Document Centre, and Sandra Zuk of the University of Winnipeg Library. In addition, a number of other persons deserve to be singled out for special recognition. My thanks go out to Professors Theodore S. Hamerow of the University of Wisconsin and Cornelius Jaenen of the University of Ottawa for their early encouragement for