Changing plans already

Monday, February 1st, 2010 | Doctoral Research Seminar, School Work |

I needed to rethink my proposal for my paper. The comments I got back were “too vague,” “too broad,” “need focus,” and “what aspect.” Yeah, I knew that already. But when you write the new proposal 30 minutes before you turn it in, and 10 minutes after you think it up… well, it don’t look pretty.

So I’ve had some more time to think about my topic, and have searched for sources, and I think I have a better grasp on what to do.

Reconstructed Horton 2-29

Now the paper will be on science and technology in the Weimar period. More specifically, I’ll look at how popular, political and scientific attitudes about science and technology influenced German leaders going into World War II. Germany had some pretty incredible technology in World War II. They had the first jet aircraft, the first ballistic missile, and this awesome airplane (I have posted about before)!

I also found an interesting quote from Hitler, where he supposedly said “Germany’s technology, industry, and morale were sufficient to fight an indefinite war.” So was there something in the Weimar period that lead Hitler to believe this. Certainly he did, as did the scientists and researchers who were so innovative.

So now I’ll come up with a better one paragraph proposal, and I might feel comfortable enough about it to post it. And now it’s on to find sources (primary and secondary) about popular, political, and from the field itself, attitudes about science and technology in Weimar Germany! I’ll start by looking in the field of aviation, since that is my passion, if I have such a thing.

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2 Comments to Changing plans already

Jeremy Boggs
February 4, 2010

Interesting topic, Ammon. I’d be curious to know how much of the discussion of science/tech in Germany was more rhetorical or perceived strength than substantive. There seemed to be a great deal of secrecy with military technology, which could lead to “imaginations running wild,” so to speak.

I suspect you could do some nice propaganda analysis, of how science/tech were used to symbolize or demonstrate German superiority. The image you use in the post seems like a good example of this. Of course, I don’t know what sources are available for this, or if other work on this has already be done. But I have a thing for 40s-60s space posters, and how people imagine space life and travel to be, so I’d really like this angle. :)

ammon
February 6, 2010

Thanks for the thoughts Jeremy. It will be interesting to see if the populace is gearing their science and technology to war in the 1920-30s.

I’m with you on the space stuff. I also don’t know what’s been done or what’s available, so this should be a fun project. :)

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