Honors Theses
Date of Award
1-1-2011
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Croft Institute for International Studies
First Advisor
Kees Gispen
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
MARIE ELIZABETH WICKS: Swing Into Action: The Political and Aesthetic Role of Jazz in Nazi Germany and Occupied France (Under the direction of Dr. Kees Gispen)
The role of jazz in the culture of Nazi Germany and occupied France will be examined from a political and an aesthetic viewpoint in this thesis. Due to its American origins and close associations with freedom and independence, jazz was often championed as a statement against totalitarianism. Jazz was just as frequently listened to for its entertainment value and exhibited little, if any, political ramifications. This thesis will analyze jazz within the borders of the Third Reich and compare this atmosphere with that in German-occupied France. The methodology used consists of secondary sources: historians who have focused upon jazz in Europe during World War II. These sources will be examined within the body of this thesis, and the historians’ arguments will be compared to determine an accurate portrayal of jazz as it existed in Nazi Germany and occupied France.
The findings of this thesis reveal a tendency on behalf of the Nazis to regard jazz from an aesthetic viewpoint. By detaching jazz from any political implications stemming from its origins, they were able to listen to jazz without contradicting Nazi ideals. In German-occupied France, however, the French citizens attached a deeper meaning to the music, for it represented their former freedom that was trampled underfoot by the invading Nazis. While some efforts were made to portray jazz as more acceptable to the Nazi authorities, French jazz retained much of its original quality throughout the war.
After examining the various historical accounts of jazz’s role in wartime Europe, this thesis will conclude that though the atmosphere surrounding jazz was hostile in both Nazi Germany and occupied France, jazz in occupied France was a shade more rebellious. Due to the efforts of French jazz musicians who strove to undermine the Nazi regime, French jazz assumed a role that was closely associated with the Resistance. The Nazi regime, on the other hand, was much more interested in its image on the international stage, and therefore manipulated the shell of jazz into propaganda to further its own ideology. The combination of these forces ultimately caused jazz’s popularity to explode throughout the Occupation.
Recommended Citation
Wicks, Marie Elizabeth, "Swing into Action: The Political and Aesthetic Role of Jazz in Nazi Germany and Occupied France" (2011). Honors Theses. 2799.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2799
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