Doing History: Ideologies of the Axis Powers

DOING HISTORY

Ideologies of the Axis Powers

  1. Making comparisons: What aspects of the Japanese document might Hitler have viewed with sympathy, and what parts of it might he have found distasteful or offensive?
  2. Criticizing the West: In what ways did Hitler and the authors of Cardinal Principles find fault with mainstream Western societies and their political and social values?
  3. Considering ideas and circumstances: From what sources did the ideas expressed in these documents arise? What kinds of people would have found them attractive, and why?
  4. Considering ideas and action: To what extent did the ideas articulated in these documents find expression in particular actions or policies of political authorities?
  5. Noticing continuity and change: To what extent were the ideas in these documents new and revolutionary? In what respects did they draw on long-standing traditions in their societies? In what ways did they embrace modern life, and what aspects of it did they reject? Have these ideas been completely discredited, or do they retain some resonance in contemporary political discourse?