Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Islam and Nazi Germany's War

2016; Oxford University Press; Volume: 30; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/hgs/dcw045

8756-6583

Gerhard L. Weinberg,

Communism, Protests, Social Movements

This is a very detailed study of Germany's efforts during World War II to mobilize the Muslim world against the Reich's enemies, generally defined as the British, the Soviet Union, and the Jews. As the author notes, while World War I had seen some German interest, including practical steps such as special religious services and the building of Germany's first mosque for Muslim prisoners of war, it was really only in 1941 and 1942 that Germany began to make substantial efforts. These were the product of practical considerations such as heavy casualties on the Eastern Front and the need to send a German force to Libya to rescue the Italians from the British. Hitler himself thought of Islam as a warrior religion that could be helpful to Germany, and both Heinrich Himmler and Gottlob Berger, who headed the main office responsible for SS recruiting, were enthusiastic about enlisting Muslims and utilizing German propaganda in the Muslim world (always perceived as a unit).