--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In general, the attitude towards Nazi…" description: "\"In general, the attitude towards Nazi Germany was not that hostile, especially if you look at the U.S. State Department reports. In 1937 the State Depa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/noam-chomsky-42_attitude_in-general-the-attitude-towards-nazi-ger_1709402.jpg" --- # In general, the attitude towards Nazi Germany was not that… ![“In general, the attitude towards Nazi Germany was not that hostile, especially if you look at the U.S. State Department reports. In 1937 the State Department was describing Adolf Hitler as a "moderate" who was holding off the forces of the right and the left.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/noam-chomsky-42_attitude_in-general-the-attitude-towards-nazi-ger_1709402.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/noam-chomsky-42_attitude_in-general-the-attitude-towards-nazi-ger_1709402.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/noam-chomsky-42_attitude_in-general-the-attitude-towards-nazi-ger_1709402.jpg) > “In general, the attitude towards Nazi Germany was not that hostile, especially if you look at the U.S. State Department reports. In 1937 the State Department was describing Adolf Hitler as a "moderate" who was holding off the forces of the right and the left.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. U.S. officials once described Hitler as moderate, showing early misreading of Nazi threat. **In simple terms:** Early U.S. misread Hitler. Key Takeaway Recognize early signs of authoritarianism. Themes history politics misinformation Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical educational When to use this quote - foreign policy analysis - educational curricula - media literacy Key Concepts diplomacy propaganda early warning Questions to Reflect On - How do we improve early threat assessment? - What lessons apply today? A Different Perspective Historical context can be complex; not all misreadings are intentional. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Germany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germany/) [Nazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazi/) [Nazi germany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazi-germany/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) ## Related quotes > [All Germany was in turmoil. 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Hitler was an artist and a revolutionary at heart. He wanted to completely upend and remake German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-samaan/there-was-nothing-conservative-about-adolf-hitler-hitler-was-an/) [A.E. Samaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-samaan/) > [Although eugenics flourished in Nazi Germany, the ideal of a blond-haired, blue-eyed master race wasn’t Adolf Hitler’s. 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Shirer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-l-shirer/) > [“Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, honestly believed that he could reason with Adolf Hitler in good faith. Now, most history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/neville-chamberlain-the-prime-minister-of-the-united-kingdom-honestly/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [“Eighty years ago, Martin Heidegger extolled Nazi Germany as providing the best hope for rescuing the glorious civilization of the Greeks from the barbarians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/eighty-years-ago-martin-heidegger-extolled-nazi-germany-as-providing/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [When I was growing up in the 1930s and '40s anti-Semitism was rampant. It wasn't like Nazi Germany but it was pretty serious -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/when-i-was-growing-up-in-the-1930s-and-40s-anti-semitism-was-rampant/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ The British had an even stronger \[then America\] business interest in Nazi Germany. And Benito Mussolini was greatly admired. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-british-had-an-even-stronger-then-america-business-interest-in/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [No liberal newspaper ever talked about the invasion of Vietnam; they talked about the defense of Vietnam. And then they were saying, "well, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/no-liberal-newspaper-ever-talked-about-the-invasion-of-vietnam-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are historical analogs, which are not exact, of course, but are close enough to be worrisome. This is a whiff of early Nazi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-historical-analogs-which-are-not-exact-of-course-but-are/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ The reaction we should be having to \[rich liberals\] is not ridicule, but rather self-criticism. Why aren't we organizing them? I mean, we are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-reaction-we-should-be-having-to-rich-liberals-is-not-ridicule-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Today's Democrats are pretty much what used to be called moderate Republicans a generation ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/today-s-democrats-are-pretty-much-what-used-to-be-called-moderate/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. 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