Journal of an Enemy of the State (HW 20)

Things have not gone well in Germany since the elections of 1932. The Nazi party, having grown immensely since its formation, has become the indisputable authority in my country, despite Hitler having been denied the position of Chancellor by President Hindenburg. I suspect that some amount of political corruption was involved in that man's rise to power. If Germany's Nationalist leaders had the idea that Hitler and his followers could be controlled, they were evidently mistaken. The situation has quickly gotten out of hand. The SA, Hitler's loyal private army of Storm Troopers, has caused endless grief for anyone who dares to oppose the Nazi ideology. My fellow party members of the KPD have been subjected to brutal violence by these thugs, I myself having narrowly escaped death or injury multiple times.

It has been made clear that the National Socialists of Germany do not look fondly upon the Socialists of the Soviet Union, and I recognize that Stalin's methods have not had ideal results. But, having lived under these circumstances, it is difficult not to wonder if Germany is really better off being led by Hitler. My party had expected that this would happen in the event that Hitler rose to power, and I, along with other communists, have publicly spoken my mind on the matter. As such, I fear for my life. I have seen, often in the confusion and excitement of Nazi rallies, close friends being pulled aside and stabbed to death by the SA, while the crowds looked on as if they did not recognize the chaos around them. In fact, it is possible that they are not aware of it, as it is not easy to focus on anything when surrounded by the overwhelming amounts of propaganda employed by the Nazis, ranging from eye-catching banners to blaring loudspeakers.

These days, however, I see most of this from my windows. I am afraid to leave my home, knowing that I now qualify as an "Enemy of the State." I have heard stories of the concentration camps, and the "Deaths Head" units that run them, their uniforms adorned with skulls and crossbones. I am almost beginning to find it amusing how the Nazis seem to go out of their way to portray themselves as hateful villains through the use of such emblems. But they have effectively created a police state that rules with fear as much as propaganda, and I can not pretend to be immune to either of these. Goebbel's efforts have blurred the lines between myth and reality, to the extent where even I am failing to remember what is true. Meanwhile, the threat of the Gestapo has me afraid to sleep at night. At any moment, I could be dragged from my home and forcibly thrown into a prison camp, serving as an example to others who might make the mistake of thinking freely or with morals. I can only remain in hiding for so long, with nobody left to trust. Even now, as I write in this journal, I think that I am growing anxious to hear the police knock on my door, so that I can finally know what my fate will be.