[Der Untergang, Downfall] – Anti-smoking & health campaigns of Nazi Germany

 

Many primary sources suggest that Adolf Hitler was a non-smoker, teetotaler and vegetarian.

Although there is dispute that Adolf Hitler wasn’t a strict teetotaler, non-smoker nor vegetarian, most of his health habits incorporated such habits.

During the movie Untergang(Downfall) smoking and alcohol consumption by each character is associated with their prospections of the Battle of Berlin.

 

 

As Adolf Hitler disliked smoking and alcohol consumption, those who’ve completely lost faith in him would extensively smoke and drink while those who still put faith on him would at least some or drink only in his absence or after his death.

 

 

The best description for the health promotion campaigns by the Nazi is ‘Bad people do good things for a bad reason’. German scientists during the Weimar Republic and the 3rd Reich (under the Nazi party control) were the first to research the relationship between smoking and lung cancer.

The early concept of the term ‘passive smoking’ (passivrauchen) was actually developed by the research of the physicians of the 3rd Reich.

 

Adolf Hitler personally himself disliked alcohol, smoking and maintained a plant-based diet. Throughout the movie, or even other films, often times scenes of people rushing to take out their tobacco before meeting Hitler are depicted.

However, Adolf Hitler also promoted anti-smoking and health promotion including the reduction of alcohol consumption for the public based on Eugenical beliefs.

 

 

 

Nazism incorporated eugenics in terms of ‘preservation of the Aryan race’. Many scientists under the control of the SS would conduct horrific medical experiments and even participate in the Nazi’s brutal sterilization campaigns to create the ‘master German race’.

In this perspective, Adolf Hitler required massive promotion of general health to preserve the master German race.

During the early 1933’s and throughout the end of 1945’s(end, downfall of the Nazi regime) Hitler and his administration would raise taxation rates on tobacco, ban smoking in public, and put restrictions on tobacco advertisements.

 

 

The “Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases” (Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses) passed on 1933 even allowed the sterilization of extensive alcohol dependent individuals.[1]

Although, the Nazi government didn’t put a complete ban on tobacco and alcohol, still the anti-tobacco and anti-alcohol campaigns were aggressive.

 

 

The Nazi party would also promote general health measures in terms of pesticides, radiation, cancer and other significant factors as well.[2]

For the Nazi regime, maintaining health was an important duty for the German citizens in both preservation of the German race and participation for the war.

 

 

Despite Hitler and the Nazi party’s belief, many sources suggest Hitler was addicted to various types of drugs thus, it is hard to say Adolf Hitler’s life style is ideal.

Also, still alcohol and tobacco consumption were active among the Nazi party members.

 

 

As per Adolf Hitler’s personal preferences and the Nazi’s mission for the German race, people would be cautious in smoking or drinking especially during occasions when they would confront Hitler himself.

Before Hitler knows for sure he is doomed as he finds out that Felix Steiner refused to attack Berlin, nobody would try to smoke or drink in the Fuhrer’s Bunker.

Only after, Hitler slowly prepares for his suicide, people would get drunk even in the bunker.

 

 

It is also impressive that the first thing the military officers do after Hitler’s death is to smoke inside the Fuhrer’s Bunker as much as they want.

For characters like Hans Krebs and Bergdorf, they seem to appear somewhat satisfied that they could smoke as much as they want in the Fuhrer’s Bunker.

Even though, deep down, both knew that they could only smoke as much as they want because their life is over for sure.

 

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[1] United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1933-1938/law-for-the-prevention-of-offspring-with-hereditary-diseases.

[2] “Paperback.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University, https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691070513/the-nazi-war-on-cancer.