Holocaust
and Aviation
Aviation
in Nazi Germany as Major Cause for the Holocaust
Poetic
and Healing Research
Part I
– Chapter 2
Importance
of human flight
Author: Avinoam Amizan
Sub Chapters
§
Aviation historian Richard
Hallion
Aviation in human cultures
Impact of transport on human existence is immense.
Development and success of any country in peace and war is directly dependent
on the means of transport at its disposal. Throughout history the unity and
strength of each country changed upon its success in developing the means and
routes of transportation.
In early civilizations large rivers shaped empires.
Nile and Yangtse, for example, were routes of transportations along which common
people, merchants and armies moved and established themselves. They created
rivers cultures which were present in any aspect of life.
In this pattern, thousands of years later, the Romans
control of overland transport using engineering skills to build roads, led to
the flourishing of the Roman Empire.
In the same All Inclusive pattern the British Empire
had emerged thanks to British shipyards, which created for military and
commercial fleet the finest vessels in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Development of transport by rail in these centuries
brought about the expansion of the United States from coast to coast. Railroads
were a major component in the Industrial Revolution, spread of urbanization
around the world, and the development of international trade.
Today all civilized countries are investing their
means developing innovative transportation systems and routes and keeping them.
Government investment, subsidies, supervision of the ownership and use, make
transportation very identified with nationalism.
Today it is very difficult to imagine how
revolutionary was the invention of the airplane. Cradle of human life is the
sea and all activity by it is natural. For thousands of years the marine
transportation flourished along the coasts and rivers and shaped the ancient
world.
Overland transport innovations like the wheel, which
was invented more than five thousand years ago, created social, political and
military revolutions whose influence exist to this day.
Aviation transportation revolution is only about two
hundred years old and it lacks any cultural background. The invention of the
airplane and its accelerated development was a big surprise to mankind. In
Early 20th century most people still thought that heavier then air flying
machines would be impossible in their lives.
All psychological thoughts were about flight’s
religious sources, mythology and folklore. The thoughts of human flying were
originated from selected texts that describe supernatural vision of gods and
demigods, or animals. These texts are most important because of their impact on
the human mind, ever attracted to them as a primary spiritual source.
Judaism described God's image as an eagle hovering
over the chicks. Angels are always winged and the high ceilings of the
Christian cathedrals are decorated with their figures. In Greek mythology the
legend of Icarus and Daedalus is very famous, and as well known is the winged
horse Pegasus. In Far East cultures dragons are flying. One of the heroes of
the Koran is the angel Gabriel, appearing before Muhammad wherever he wants.
This exotic picture emerges in the mind when talking
about flying in the classic context.
Compared to aviation, the stories about life on land
and sea are documented very well in ancient civilizations. Kings recordered
their military voyages and poets combined land and sea transportation stories
in all ancient tales. The Iliad and the Odyssey, for example, which tell the
story of the Trojan War and Odysseus's maritime journey, is a showcase of the
competition beween sea and land civilizations, each with their advantages and
disadvantaes.
The huge gap between land and sea cultural heritages
to that of air cultural heritage widened along the ages, as land and sea
transportation developed rapidly, while air transportation remained a dream.
Desire to soar in the skies and fly like birds
captivated always the human imagination. But this desire to rise above aerthly
environment and conquer the ocean of air increased manyfolds in the modern era,
as technology and free mind changed the human world rapidely. What was a
regular calm feature of many cultures in the ancient and medeival world became
a technological obsession and race of many minds and countries by the beginning
of the 20th century.
Aviation in modern history
Impact of aviation on modern history is huge. One
proof for it is the direct chronological connection between developments in
aviation and important historical events in modern times. Airplane is a means
of transportation that allows physical movement of people and goods from place
to place, overcoming physical obstacles. This means a complete change of the
balance of power between nations. Therefore the 20th century was characterized
by the worst wars in human history. Aviation is not the only factor that brought
the historic changes. But the dream of flight is a symbol of human spirit
freedom and so it is at the center of interest of human endeavor. Aviation is
naturally associated with this central symbol of the soul. It has therefore the
ability to serve as a touchstone, litmus paper, a clear explenation for many
phenomena and events, allowing daring short and clear historical commentary.
The first sign of the unstable political climate that
innovations in aviation created can be found at the end of the 18th century, in
the French Revolution which took place in 1789, just few years after the
invention of the balloon in 1783, the first successful aerial transport in
history. First impression of the giant silk balloon, which took off from Paris
by hot air by the Montgolfier brothers was most intense. Anyone could now rise
up and fly to watch the world down as he wishes. Sublime and supreme were no
longer a thing of the aristocracy. The result was that the people revolt
against a corrupt monarchy. But in the absence of proper cultural background
social chaos took place, in the form of the bloody French Revolution. Napoleon,
ambitious artillery officer who was the first to use balloons for army
observation purposes, tried to stablize the nation but instead went to wars and
his defeats against other monarchies created prolong political reaction which
lasted the entire 19th century.
World War I broke out in 1914, 11 years after the
first airplane flight, which was invented by the Wright brothers in 1903.
Before the rapid development of military aircraft industry during the war came
many flying event such as the first crossing of the English Channel and
demonstration of airpalne qualities to the public and for military purposes
throughout Europe. Together with the airplane, airships at that time became
threatening weapons and completed the picture of the dawn of aerial age.
People under emperors sought, in the spirit of 'Spring
of Nations' of the mid 19th century, liberty and equality. European empires
wanted to keep the old order, but failed and went to war under stupid politcal
pressure.
During World War I airplanes gradually became an
important weapon which increasingly attracted much attention. The air war was
colorful and dynamic, compared to the battle on the ground, with frozen
trenches lines after enormous bloodletting of the parties. Each new aircraft
model which entered combat changed slightly the balance of power and created
expectation for miracles among the masses. Myth of the 'Air Ace' was created,
although flight in those days was very dangerous and many inexperienced pilots
died after only few hours of flight.
Air raids on civilian population during the war
defined the Total War. Zeppelin attacks on London during World War I marked the
beginning of this new era. For the first time in history capitals of large
countries were exposed to massive enemy attacks. Natural boundaries become
valueless.
It created the modern Total State, where all citizens
are mobilized for the war effort. States had to restructure their society. Each
citizen was recruited for the war machine. Women were significant workforce and
replaced enlisted men in many jobs in factories and public services.
World War I had totally changed the world.
Fermentation of various nationalities led eventually to the collapse of
empires. German, Habsburg, Russian and Ottoman empires collapsed at its end and
modern states replaced them.
Formation of Total States, established on the ruins of
empires, occurred out of the collapse of old order that lasted thousands of
years. For this reason and because of the mechanical nature of the era, many
citizens pushed for total new beliefs which had nationalistic aspects. Citizens
wanted to escape from belonging to the mob and wanted to enjoy the fruits of
the aerial age. They tried to redefine their identity out of superficial ideas
in the social vacumm. Political integration between the personal psychological
need of flight and the requirements of the state was self-evident. It resulted
in movements of extreme nationalism and Fascism that flourished in every state
in Europe and in Italy and Germany in particular. This is how the dictatorships
in the new aerial age were so prominent.
Golden Age of Aviation was the period in the history
of aviation between 1919 and the beginning of World War II in1939, in which
civil aviation, fueled by many daring and dramatic record-breaking feats,
became popularized. It was made possible in part by inexpensive surplus
military aircraft made available after World War I, and the craze was fueled by
lucrative prize-money offered in competitive air racing and for
"firsts" such as trans-atlantic and round-the-world flights. This
period coincided with the prime development of airshows which had existed
before World War I and air races of that earlier era. Their maturation in the
Golden Age of Aviation produced a number of the most skilled pilots who would
be instrumental in the success of military air forces during World War II on
all sides of the conflict. The adoption of aluminium aircraft construction
which started in Germany during World War I, became internationalized during
this time. In the 1930s development of the jet engine began in Germany and in
England.
Most famous from this period is Charles Lindbergh
story of first crossing of the Atlantic, but there are many more examples. Here
are two of them:
First flight around the world - First flight around
the world, in 1924, has been described in the media as an opportunity for great
social and scientific progress. Flight lasted six months. In total pilots
landed in 29 countries. Hundreds of thousands of people were waiting for the
airplanes at the high points of the path. This flight aroused more interest
than the Lindbergh flight, three years later.
Italian airship ’Norge’ journey to the North Pole -
This airship took off from Rome on April 1926. Large and enthusiastic crowd
accompanied the opening section of Norge journey above Europe. Norge was a ship
filled with hydrogen and length of 107 meters. She crossed Europe and cruised
comfortably at 80 km per hour with 21 expedition members onboard. On 11 May
1926 the ship passed over the North Pole, and then turned south, over the
frozen ocean not known at the time and after flying more than 4830 miles in 71
hours it landed in Alaska. It was the first time of flying across the world
from the Mediterranean to the Pacific Ocean via the North Pole. This drew great
satisfaction to the Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, who ordered for a second
similar expedition few years later with the airship ‘Italy’, a flight which
ended tragically, as many other daring flights in that era.
Germany in the Golden Age of Aviation led the world in
aviation development. There was enormous attention in the German media for
aviation. Nazis came to power in Germany with the desire to cancel the Treaty
of Versailles, in which one of the main clauses prevented Germany's ability to
develop its air force and aviation industry, on which it was so proud.
Mobilization of Nazi Germany society was mainly through accelerated development
of aviation, which created millions of job, was the backbone of rearment and
focus of international politic.
Hitler started World War II based on Nazi air
superiority, which dictated its development until the end. The Nazis were
convinced, until the last moment, that they will tip the scales using
miraculous air weapons, such as ballistic missile and jet airplanes.
In all regional wars after World War II air superiority was a key factor. Air
Superiority played a major role in world politics as a whole.
Vietnam War of the 1960th, for example, went on and on
because the Americans tried to win it through the use of combat helicopters.
Yom Kippur War in 1973 began after the Egyptians
believed that accumulated enough air defense against the Israeli airforce.
1960th and 1970th were
characterized by the space race which United States won, after it launched the
first man to the moon. About 10 years later it started the space shuttle
missions and widened the the gap between its rival the Soviet Union, which
eventually collapsed.
United States became the only superpower in the world
also thanks to its advantages in military aircraft and cruise missles. It won
with them regional wars in Afganistan and Iraq.
Using ‘Shuttle Diplomacy’, characterised by frequent trips
of its secretaries of states, United States remained No. 1 super power,
enforcing World Peace with a fleet of aircraft carriers.
In recent years, with the downturn of the U.S.A space
program, the ongoing global peace is crumbling, especially as a result of
rising fundamentalist terrorism. Islamic terrorists attack on U.S.A using
passengers airplanes on 9/11/2001 and continous occupation of Afghanistan and
Iraq as a result, are a clear expression of a new global order that is
developing. There are complex reasons for the slowness in aerospace technology
and industry development in U.S.A. One of the reasons is, apparently, the
failure to understand the full social meaning of aviation for society in the
global era.
Aviation and Globalism
Aviation, more than anything else, emphasized the
relationship between national aspirations and technological advancement.
Because It promised military advantage along with controlling the forces of
nature, aviation became obvious criterion, best and most effective sign of
success, personal, social and national. Aviation systems are heavly dependent
on other services, chaining the whole defense and civil system. Financial cost
of air weapons is enormous.
Aviation is equally inextricably involved with
personal existential dimension. There is relationship between the development
of aviation and human development. This is due to the importance of the
experience of flying in the reality of creative imagination. ‘Flight of ideas’
is not a worn phrase. Flight is the engine of our thoughts and aviation is a
tangible expression of it, much like the flight of birds in the past. Aviation
images were very popular during the first half of the 20th century because they
expressed ability and opportunity. World of Aviation was perceived as being
rich in resources, so everyone could find his own world in it. The airplane
expressed desire to control the physical world and thinkers of the Golden of
Aviation treated it as a superb political machine. Working class can breathe a
sigh of relief, said Bertolt Brecht because aviation heralded a better future
for him. Russia made the airplane almost religious icon. It represented G-d and
the salvation of man. Aviation was designed to release the Russian nation from
the shackles of the past, when most Russians were slaves and serfs of the
emperor and nobility. Underdeveloped society expected a quick transition to the
level of most advanced and powerful nation in the world.
Nowadays the dramatic impact of airplanes as
technological innovation largely faded, but in the second half of the 20th
century airplanes, and even more the missile, had decisive effect on the
international political system. It is very difficult to estimate the economic
return resulting from investments in the development of aviation. Means of
modern aviation usually end their lives after several years as junk and give
way to a new generation. Preliminary decisions may turn out to be mistaken, and
changing them costs a fortune. Every decision in this area is a strategic
military, economic and political decision that affects deeply the nerves of any
state.
Here are two examples:
‘Lavi’ fighter project of Israel was canceled in
advanced stage, because it was considered too expensive. Critics argued that
Israel will turn into 'airplane that has a state’. The economic decision
weakened the political status of Israel as an independent state. Corruption
scandal uncovered at the time led to increased prices of fighter planes from
U.S.A. Savings achieved eventually by cancelling the project were minimal.
Cancellation of the Lavi was thought by enemies of Israel as expression of mind
weakness, some time later a wave of suicide terrorism started.
Sweden faced similar dilemma. Despite financial
burdens, it decided to develop its own fighter plane. Following this decision
Sweden is considered nowdaysmore independent politically and economically. All
technologically related industries, such as electronics and automobiles,
continued keeping competitive advantage.
High costs of developing modern means of aviation,
along with the ability to move with airplanes high above physical obstacles,
contributed much to utopian vision of united world. Aviation did so probably a
lot more than any other idea or technological innovation in history. First pilots
expressed utopian ideas and intentions, but failed to prevent two world wars in
20th century.
Space flight caused too a shift in public perception
of the world. Earth from space looks as magical oasis, green and blue, small
and fragile against black space that surrounds it. Astronauts' impressions
gradually filtered into international public consciousness, particularly after
constructing the International Space Station.
Today, economy of the world is greatly global.
Economic benefits win national aspirations. But globalization does not
guarantee economic rationality. It may create a sense of economic diziness,
similar to that prior the Great Depression of the 1930th. Chronological
proximity of the Great Depression with Golden Age of Aviation is indicative of
the relations between them. Spiritual vision is the dream of every individual,
and aviation is vital for securing the skies.
Greatest ordeal of a any state is whether it is
capable of holding aviation strategy, using the appropriate resources, including
personnel, media etc., by understanding the nature and vulnerability of itself.
Successes and failures of air forces throughout history were resulted not on
acount of date but due to circumstances. Not technology, but foresight and
understanding of aviation management equation correctly, recognition of the
importance of supporting factors, played a major role. This created great
opportunity for personal interpretation.
Swinging 1920th were age of euphoria, a result of
eliminating physical limits thanks to airplane and radio. Economic behaviour
became greedy. Financial pyramid schemes were popular and so were baseless
acquisitions of real estates. The law of prohibition in U.S.A was ignored and
the number of bars had more than doubled over the period. Sports stars salaries
became imaginary. But the real sport was buying and selling of stocks. Stock
market surge in the 1920th was psychological. Public followed it eagerly. It
was popular as popular sports. Speculations were amazing. It was unbelievable.
Everybody engaged in speculation and speculation only. People hovered in the
air, losing ground underfoot. No one cared. Market created a fake, made fake
prosperity, finding its expert commentators. High-tech stocks took an important
part in the stock market soaring. They prompted speculators to raise the stocks
to extreme level.
It is possible to link between the financial crisis of
2008 to the existence of the International Space Station, expansion of cheap
air travel and rapid development of personal aviation. They all create a sense
of global utopia, but do not guarantee robust economy and society.
Aviation does not guarantee real rational behavior as
normal trade does. Regular trade is an equation where two sides benefits equaly
and it is a Win-Win game. Aviation as a trade give unique advantages to its
operators.
Nobody is interested in a global vision in which he
does not have full equality. Globalization is controlled by giant corporations,
based in developed countries. These corporations control the civil life in
their countries. Developed countries span technological and economic umbrella
over developing countries.
Any individual in modern society suffers from
stresses: personal, professional, economic, political and more. When pressures
are local, the individual finds easy ways to relax. When pressures arise from a
remote source, the result is often alienation, helplessness and exhaustion. Today,
communication satellites network circle planet earth. The most common
broadcasting channels are small local stations.
Economy has not yet found the mechanism for fair
competition in globalization. Competition is sacred value of human society. It
highlights the best over the worst. After World War I few stagnated European
empires disintegrated into dozens of small vivid nation states.
There are unique problems in aviation itself.
Pilot training is a dangerous activity. During World
War I most pilot casaulities were a result of accidents. To be suspended
between heaven and earth is not trivial. Particularly dangerous is landing,
which is the transition from transparet and divine sky to the tough ground.
What appear initially as a calm activity is actually totally engaging, with
multi challenges, of many options and many risks. Pilots are required to adjust
to a new 3D orientation perception which vary greatly from that of normal human
movement.
Passenger airline passengers often experience a sense
of loss in flight. Rapid distance leapings stress, fear of heights, along with
jet lags resulting from disruptions in the biological clock, cause significant
increase of weakness and depression. Depression and fatigue are common nowdays
more than any time.
There is no better cure for depression than coming
home to a supportive environment. There is an African proverb: 'It takes a
village to raise a child’. This wise proverb describes the strong forces
pushing people towards Localism.
There is therefore uncertainty and rotation between
global and local visions. This cycle which individuals are passing influence
also countries with great powers. Each country debate on the subject.
Good examples of the conflict between Globalism and
Localism are:
Continuing debate about Colonialism in the 19th
century.
Political divide between left and right in modern
countries. Weimar Republic failed because its leaders failed to express German
Localism compared to the Nazis who emphasized and highlighted it by violating
the Treaty of Versailles and investing of large part of the national budget in
aviation.
Wars in Iraq and other developed countries. Major
players in the international arena fails to impose order in developed
countries, because there is a persistent minority who still prefer local
interests, which are usually that of familial and ethnic groups.
The result of this conflict is that we live in partial
Globalism. The international system is a conflict between few partners
competing for hegemony in world markets.
This competition is best reflected in the aerospace
industry:
Space industry of the Soviet Union didn’t allocate
enough resources to develop the Soviet space shuttle when it was slightly
behind the American space program. The result of stopping the project was a huge
deterioration in international prestige of the Soviet Union, which led
ultimately to its collapse. Russia which emerged out of the collapse was in
deep economic recession and found international markets almost blocked to the
many products of its aerospace industry. Russians are now working hard to
return to international markets.
Americans collaborate in building the international
space station 'Freedom' with many other countries and especially Russia. This
step is essentially economic, but has far-reaching political implications. It maintains
world peace, but at the same time open a doorway for Russia's return to the
status of the Soviet Union togehther with the Cold War.
Europe is currently a political and economic union.
European Union invests in many aerospace programs, knowing that this is the key
to continued stability development. Airbus company, which manufactures advanced
passenger airplanes all over Europe, is one of the flagships of the Union. EU
has serious economic and social problems, particularly in light of the
technological gap between the North South richeststates, but also because of
not having a brilliant showcase space program of its own.
China's economy depends on the export of its goods
worldwide. Yet the Chinese are developing independent space industry targeted
for man made missions, in purpose of creating a much needed sense of identity,
authenticity, originality and national prestige, prestige that each successful
space mission brings.
India sends probes to Moon and Mars, in order to
create the image of technologically advanced superpower. Competition with China
is a major consideration in investing many resources on the subject.
Japan was defeated in the technology intensive
competition on world markets against cheap China. Economic strategy chosen by
Japan is printing money to the markets in order to rescue its economy from
ongoing recession. This policy mimics the economic rescue measures of the
United States. Japan's space policy favors too more international cooperation,
through the International Space Station partnership where it has a separate
unit.
Clumsiness of the cristalization of Globalism nowdays
shows that it can become huge conflict, in light of the individual's dependence
on his family, community and ethnic group in which he grew up and was
developed. Globalism failed again and again throughout history because it had
always a central control mechanism, liberal but authoritative.
Many empires rose and declined while representing the
world’s best of their time.
Huns defeated the Romans, Mongols defeated the
Chinese, Indians defeated the British. The fate of the Jewish people in the
diaspora is proof of that. They always paid the highest price for the faith in
united world. German Jews are the best example.
Aviation development highlighted excessivly, in a
demagogic style, any social gap. For many radical groups aviation was a
symbolic primary weapon, legitimate in their eyes, vital and destructive.
It was used for radical change by unsatisfied
political movements, such as Nazism or Islamic terrorism. Its high profile made
any aviation operation succesful eventually, even if it failed. Governments'
attention for it only fueled the conflicts.
Spiritual flying experience is the secret dream of
every individual. It involves natural and organic connection with many life
aspects and systems. During maturation of the Aviation Age, when airplanes
became the primary means of war and flight became, in parallel, mass
experience, there was dramatic shift in the expectations of many people. They
experienced frustration, loss of control, lack of social balance, euphoria and
crash out of hopes. Disapointment was much stronger than the hope at the
beginning of the era.
1960s are perhaps the best example of the gap that the
global aviation program for personal flying experience. Although this period
mankind has reached its peak in flight, through launching man to the moon, the
earth has developed the drug culture, and youth were mostly recreational drugs,
they are looking for in this way the personal flying experience. Could perhaps
be concluded that in Western countries has reached maturity airport development,
with the understanding that there is no link between the psychological flying
experience fascinating experience of flying in airplanes, drive buses became dull,
but rather will think that the youth felt frustrated as a result the airport
experience in space, with all the advantage economic and technological that
gave it, has become a thing of the narrow elite only.
Use by terrorists attack passenger planes September
2001 and more decisive response of the United States, indicates that the
airport remains , the local and the level and global alike, in the forefront of
the human soul , and that the relationship between flight experience flying
experience and will stay there forever.
Description of intense conflict between globalization
Llokelizm brings famous science fiction writer HG Wells. In 1907, Wells
published a book : " The air war . The book describes the destruction of
the world as a result of the air war between the superpowers. As the war begins
a personal war mongering by the German airship captain. The result is the rapid
spread of war throughout the world , a global destruction of civilian
population centers , after which the economy back to a primordial , as well as
non ending of the war , which continues somewhere after the hero returns to his
native village was destroyed .
Book two of the more famous Wells is ' shape of things
to come ' from 1936. The book describes the collapse of the international
political system after World War I , ending a devastating global air war .
After the world is broken, turns left somewhere on the number of pilots, planes
transport connection innovators from place to place. Transportation monopoly
encourages them to establish the ' dictatorship of the airport. This global
association of airlines, the director wisely the world as a whole. The organization's
first conference held in the city of Basra. The book became a movie in 1938. UK
viewers see on screen surges London bomber aircraft. The public reaction was
that this is science fiction to his name, there is no chance that it will materialize.
Wells described the book world becomes free, the
atomic holocaust, and in The Island of Dr. Moreau, the abominations of the
genetic modification on the basis of race theory. He won the honor of kings
after World War II , as most visions realized.
Wells was a believer in global government, composed of
the educated elite. Yet full realization of the vision seems difficult today,
because persistent struggle going on globalization in several regions around
the world, particularly the Arab and Muslim world where the extended family
institution is dominant.
Historical experience shows that during the thousands
of years of human culture remained similar to human adolescence experience
every generation strives to re- invent the world. Humanity has evolved through
leaps of thought, derived largely as a result of the experience of
enlightenment of individuals. Enlightenment is momentary flash of inspiration
and insight in which pops up a solution exists. Enlightenment may develop in
many cases experience spiritual vision, which disengage once the shackles of
gravity and hover over reality. So the airport, which is the real expression of
spiritual vision, appropriate to its activities enlightenment finds the
approval and develop. In the absence of appropriate cultural heritage
transportation revolution revolutionary aviation flight polarity between the
axis and the axis of the global economy may continue for the foreseeable future,
as an aircraft that various Istcllo also the greater number of people they like
the experience of personal spiritual vision. So that the question of vision
underpins consciousness wishes of mankind.
Aviation and the 1960th
‘Sixties’ in popular culture is a term used to
describe counterculture and social norms revolution in clothing, music, drugs,
art, customs, emancipation of women and others, which characterized the decade
from 1963 to 1974 or so, and has significant influence to these days.
Conservatives condemned the decade as suffering from excess of extravagance,
responsibility and social order decay, becaause of social taboos relaxation
that occurred during the period.
Sixties have become synonymous in politics around the
world with new, radical events and trends and political subversion. In Africa
it was major period of radical political change and approximately 32 countries
received their independence from colonial rule. Equal rights demands in the
developed world, especially demonstrations of blacks in U.S. under leadership
of Martin Luther King, changed the political map. Great wave of liberal feminism began,
together with tolerance to sexual orientations. Most important, drugs of all
kinds were commonly use and although were not legal, entire subversive ideology
of mind expansion was developed around them.
More than any decade, 1960th will be remembered
because of the permissive youth culture, developed mainly in Western developed
world in North America and Europe as Hippie Subculture. It evolved together
with the expansion of mass media but rejected it. Subculture activists,
pacifist and anti-capitalist, rejected the values of their
parents' generation and spoke out against old sexual and social taboos, with
marijuana and birth control pill at their hand. Rock bands and Pop art were
pioneers of this culture. London was known as celebration capital excelled in
Hippie culture of manners, style, music and art, all young and original.
Some commentators see this period as end of classic
cycle of ending of a rigid culture, unable to contain requirements for greater
individual freedom of the younger generation, who freed themselves from social
constraints of the previous age through extreme behaviour. However, this alone
does not explain the mass nature of the phenomenon.
In the International relationship arena world peace
has deteriorated considerably during the Cold War between the United States and
the Soviet Union, which almost resulted in nuclear holocaust in 1962 and 1973.
Establishment of Berlin Wall and Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia demonstrated
the ongoing diplomatic rift between the two superpowers. Cold War was
manifested in conventional military wars, especially in Vietnam and the
Arab-Israeli conflict. It was manifasted especially in technological arms race.
Most of this arms race was of ballistic missiles with atomic warheads.
As part of military balance of terror the super powers
were armed with thousands of missiles with nuclear warhead. This race lasted
about thirty years, from the 1950th to the 1980th. It stopped after U.S.A and
U.S.S.R signed agreements of partial dismantling of these weapons which a small
percentage of them could destroy the whole world.
The arms race of the Cold War created hostility and
cultural and social disconnect between the capitalist and communist blocks. The
nuclear confrontation created a strange time for the individual too on both
sides. World was controlled by a small number of politicians and generals, so
none of ordinary citizens, everywhere, knew what will bring next day. Sense of
logic was missing in world politics. Insanity of the arms race created
suspition among the youth in every corner on the planet. It created the
post-modern, underlying despair and skepticism towards the establishment, with
a need for relying only on self and search for alternative culture haven.
Arm race had a by product of civil race to space with
a relatively small budget and using military technology. It began by sending
the first satellite and first man into space by U.S.S.R and reached its climax
in landing of the first man on the moon by U.S.A. In sharp contrast to the
early Hippies culture, 1960th technological achivements were outstanding.
Missiles reached very important place in the media
after World War II. The front place in the headlines was analogous to that of
the airplanes before the war. Missiles had become the largest flame in the
global campfire. Television was nicknamed Global Electronic Campfire, referring
to the few available channels where all news and entertainments programs were
broadcasted.
Subject of nuclear missiles is seemingly
incomprehensible by ordinary citizens. In fact it is nothing but a modern form
of the intense and irrational fire which is the basis of civilization, as Freud
described. These are the instincts that are operating and simmering beneath
civilization. Ballistic missiles are perceived in human consciousness as most
dangerous weapon on one hand, but as exhilarating means of transportation to
conquer space on the other. Ballistic missiles, as result of the terror balance
they created with global armament, are paralyzing the spine with fear reflex.
Paradoxically, through the powerful vertical flight to uncharted boundaries,
they also free us from this fear.
In the 1950th fear of atomic missiles atack was in top
of global agenda. In 1960th conquest of space, managed by the same rocket
scientists, became gradually the most important issue.
In 1959, first cosmonauts and astronauts were chosen.
Golden Age of the race to conquer space started. Short time intervals occured
between launching missiles of the parties, each of which represented a
significant technological improvement over its predecessor. Each launch was
more impressive. It was a race similar any race, vivid, fascinating, prestigous
and with lots of funs. The Space Race was with stressed schedules, so countless
rockets and satellites of both sides crashed. Biggest failures were that of the
Soviets.
On 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin was launched into space
and became first human who view whole planet earth. First American astronaut,
Alan Shepard, was launched a month after Gagarin flight.
Experience of Gagarin and all cosmonauts and
astronauts after him is holistic experience of united world, a result of a
floating weightless in space, along with viewing beautiful planet earth,
knowing that they are at the top of an advanced technology enterprise and eyes
of the world are watching them. This holistic world view penetrates gradually
to the international political arena.
Extasy gripped the Soviets after the landing and was
used by their political leaders for expanding internal and international
influence. Sending the first man into space created a global resonance. It was
a tremendous blow to American prestige that forced president Kennedy to
announce launch of a man to the moon within ten years. Kennedy turned to former
Nazi rocket scientist Von Braun to formulate a plan that would put U.S.A back
in first place. Von Braun wrote in reply that he believes it is possible to
land on the moon before the Soviets. Kennedy made historic speech to the
American people to devote themselves to achieving this goal by the end of the
1960th.
Second half of the 1960th were climax of the race to
conquer space with the American program to land a man on the moon on top.
American Apollo program began to take shape, while Gemini program progressed
rapidly at the same time and pairs of astronauts were launched almost every two
months in competition with the Soviets.
Koriolov, head of the Soviet space program, also
received approval to fly to the moon, with rocket N-1, but with a limited
budget. At the same time he designed the
spacecraft to carry cosmonauts there. In 1969 N-1first launch failed in a huge
explosion on the launch pad, thus ended the space race between the United
States with secret decition of Soviet leaders to stop investing in it. It was
fatal mistake of the Soviet leadership which preferred to invest instead in
military missiles. Soviets opened the space race and led at first by a big
margin. Not only had they launched the first satellite, first animal and the
first man, but also the first satellite to the Moon. They made the first
spacewalk and created the first and very succesful space station. All of this
may have led to complacency sense down the road, which U.S. utilized to catch
up.
Even today the achievements of the U.S.A do not
overshadow those of the Soviets. Soviet experience in space was well expressed
during the construction of the International Space Station. They recognized
before the Americans the importance of the near space and operated large space
station for decades. Their lessons were important for the construction of the
ISS, of which the first component was launched in 1998 and it is in ongoing
construction in 2013.
Half a billion people worldwide watched TV
braodcasting launching Apollo -9. On 20 July 1969 Neil Armstrong landed on the
moon. It was a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind. It took all of
humanity to a new reality, seemingly magical.
Von Braun initiated another five successful manned
flights to the Moon. The fact that the Nazi rocket scientists ran the space
program of U.S.A added confusion for the younger generation, who could not tolerate
it, togehther with the continuing arms race, regional conflicts and dictating
media dominance.
1960th were the best example of
the gap that existed between government aviation programs and personal
spiritual flying experience. Although in this period mankind had reached the
peak in mechanical flight, on Earth drug culture was developed with many young
people engaged in it, looking in this way for their the personal flying
experience. It could perhaps be concluded that Western countries civilization has
reached maturity with the understanding that there is not allegedely a link
between the spiritual flying experience and the fascinating flight of airplanes
and spaceships. Large passenger airpalne become common in the 1960th and flight
in them became dull as bus traveling. But the extensive drug culture of mind
expansion shows rather that the youth felt frustrated as a result of the
control of small elite on all aviation and space technology, togehter with all
economic, technological and cultural advantages it gave.
Since all significant aviation and space operations
were in exclusive control, political, social and economic elite concluded that
they can create a direct continuation of this situation through a strategy to
create a stable society. It was called The Strategy of Desire. Psychologcal
advertisment was main tool for distributing this strategy which was originally
created by Freud’s nephew in the 1930th and adopted by totalitarian and
democratic regimes as well. It is psychological conditioning where the material
new product is not intended to provide a direct need, but also indirect
psychological need. It create material surrounding to strengthen the self with
consumer products that have the ability to uncover hidden desires and give
people a sense of common identity with those around them. Most powerful people
in the world were those who could read or even generate public opinion, in
order to to satisfy the masses by providing profitable products, through
advertisments in the then few existing mass media channels.
But psychologists have discovered how difficult it is
to understand and influence the internal structure of personality. They chased
a ghost idea by which the human mind can be manipulated and influenced from
outside by external factors. They found that humans are much more complex
creatures. Application of childish psychoanalysis received sharp criticism for
not answering fundamental problems and needs, such as the neglect of youth and
creating problems of surplus products.
Emptiness created by artificial abundance resulted in
emotional frustration. Humans have a wide range of emotional expressions that
need a living space and should not be forced with normative consumereism.
Source of evil is not internal conflict but society itself. This debate spilled
over into violence in the 1960th. Resistance to mass consumer culture brought
waves of protest, influenced by thinkers who opposed the theory of Freud as
interpreted by the establishment. Student protest movements have been
established, they tried to confront directly with the ruling establishment
which shaped their lives not according to their will.
May 1968 events in France, birth place of modern
aviation and the French Revolution, were a volatile period of civil unrest
punctuated by massive general strikes and the occupation of factories and
universities across France. It was largest general strike ever attempted in
France and first ever nation-wide wildcat general strike. In the height of its
fervor, the unrest virtually brought the entire advanced capitalist economy of
France to a dramatic halt. The events
had a resounding impact on French society that would be felt for decades to
come.
Events began with a series of student occupation
protests, followed by strikes involving 11,000,000 workers, more than 22% of
the total population of France at the time, for two continuous weeks and its
impact was such that it almost caused the collapse of French President Charles
de Gaulle's government. The movement was characterized by its spontaneous and
de-centralized wildcat disposition. This created contrast and sometimes even
conflict between itself and the establishment trade unions and workers parties.
Student occupations and wildcat general strikes
initiated across France were met with forceful confrontation by university
administrators and police. Tall de Gaulle administration's attempts to quell
those strikes by police action only inflamed the situation further, leading to
street battles with the police in the Latin Quarter, followed by the spread of
general strikes and occupations throughout France. Protests reached such a
point that government leaders feared civil war or revolution. Tall de Gaulle
went to a French military base in Germany and after returning dissolved the
National Assembly and called for new parliamentary elections for 23 June 1968.
Violence evaporated almost as quickly as it arose. Workers went back to their
jobs, and when elections were finally held in June, the Gaullist party emerged
even stronger than before.
Uprising failed. As a result, young people began
gradually thinking that if it is impossible to eliminate the mind police by
eliminating corporations and the state, there should be a way to enter the mind
and get rid in it of the control mechanism they implanted in it. This in purpse
to create a new self and consequently a new society, by reaching full human
potential through internal search. One of the dominent techniques designed to
release the mind and teach the human being to be himself was the seminars of
Werner Erhard. According to Erhard, the idea that every individual has a core
of self is another way to limit personal freedom. In reality there is no fixed
self. The purpose of his seminars was to expose the layers of personality up to
the last and most internal ones, to find out that the nucleus is essentially
meaningless. As humans shed all their personality layers to the last one, they
found that what remains is an empty space.
Empty space is a great place to stand and an
outstanding starting point to start from. Only from empty space it is possible
to create originality and design a life that is invented honestly. Be what you
want to be. Without linking to it directly, Erhard's teachings have a direct
connection to the conquest of space. One can compare the astronaut in white
space suit, a tiny figure floating in outer space against the dark void, to the
insights of personality’s internal empty space.
There are many similarities between 1960th to the
1930th. Fascism and Nazism were carried out by young people in a radical turn
to the nationalist right, as a result of what they thought was irresponsible
and decaying social order.
Futurism was dominant artistic and social movement
that flaurished in Italy at the first half of the 20th century and is
significant to these days. It was largely Italian, but there were parallel
movements also in Russia, England and many other countries. Futurism turned to
the feelings of modern man with his experiencing of new means of mass
production, electricity grid, radio, television, cinema, phones network, modern
home appliances, advanced cars and highways, airplanes and fast food. These
changes influenced all aspects of life and in this way altered the modes of
expression of the poet and painter. Futurism expressed an intense loathing for
all that is old, especially political and artistic tradition. Futurists admired
speed, technology, youth and violence. They liked the car, airplane and the
industrial city. All of these represented for them triumph of human technology
over nature. Futurists artists were in most art fieldst, including painting,
sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, industrial design, interior design,
theater, film, fashion, literature, music, architecture and even gastronomy.
Airplane became major player in the Futurist drama. Aerial paintings were at
top of Futurist art achievements and typical of the final stage of Futurism
development in the late 1930th and early 1940th.
There were many links between Nazism and Futurism.
Love of the future and youth, love of modernization and technology, violence,
nationalism, war and more. Hitler and other leaders of the Nazi movement
started their ideological career in the spiritual associations 'Tula' and
'Vril'. These were just two of many cults for spiritual development, inspired
by famous spiritualist figures from the 19th century. Tula was the cult where
Hitler practiced his mental skills in his early stages. Berlin’s Vril and
Munich’s Thule were interested in society and politics as well as with personal
development and science. Members held
concentration exercises, yoga and meditation. Head of the cults was professor
Karl Haushofer, a retired general from World War I and a student of Japanese
samorais, Tibetan shamans and famous Russian mystic Gurdjieff who was popular
in the 1960th as well. Haushofer eventually became central pillar in the Nazi
movement as professor of Geopolitics who conceived the notion of Living Space,
was mentor of Mein Kampf and designer of Nazi’s international strategy and
extreme form of eugenics policy.
In early 20th century use of intoxicant drugs, nowdays
forbidden by law was legal and common. There is a theory that one source of
Hitler's mental distortion and that of many of his followers originates from
drugs use, including hallucinogens. Hitler recognized the immense popularity of
intoxicants in his time and his Nazi party offered colorful substitute for drug
addiction which became another addiction for childish minds. Hitler was
addicted to drugs, including amphetamines from his personal physician. They
were originally used to calm tensions but they had huge impact on his fateful
decisions. He acted under influence of euphoric feeling. During the war use of
stimulants was common among front line fighters of German army with
prescriptions from military doctors.
Feminism, sexual tolerance and equal rights were a
major differance between 1930th and the 1960th. Futurist and Nazis believed
that women's place is at home.
However, debate regarding Nazism and Holocaust in
particular were deleted in 1960th from public agenda of the establisment and
that of the Hippies too. Rocket scientists did not like recalling their dark
past and Hippies did not like the similarity between their youth subculture to
that of the 1930th. Holocaust became a Black Hole in the public mind in the
same fashion of the black holes of deep space.
In 1960th long wild hair was very commom among the
young. Long hair, flapping in the wind, is the best expression of the air
element in human body. The musical ‘Hair’ is one of most important cultural
symbols of the 1960th. 'Hair' depicts the short life of a rebellious young man,
who is sent to Vietnam as a soldier and dies in the war.
As in the musical, the era of 1960th ended with
defeat, in Vietnam and Yom Kippur wars, of the United States and its westeren
allies.
Cold War continued after these wars, but the parties
understood that the arms race is too dangerous and acted for arms reduction.
Although defeated in the Domino game of international relationship,
achievements of the Americans in the race to space, particularly manned
missions to the moon and space shuttle launches, kept their political, social
and technological superiority that is continued up to the 2010th. Cold war
walls collapsed.
Origins of the world energy crisis, which affects even
the economies of 2010th, are in Yom Kipur war of 1973. In retrospective the
energy crisis can be described as a plan from the outer space above to take
care of planet earth ecology, in times when global heating is a great danger to
it. High prices of oil force developing substitute technologies of clean
energy.
1960th ended with a crisis that
strengthened the alternative cultures of the period in western democracies.
Alternative culture became progressively central, through engaging topics such
as the environment, sustainability, self improvement, spirituality, religion,
Holocaust, individual rights, cultural pluralism and more. These are nowdays
the core of Western culture.
Ex Hippies from California developed the personal
computer as a new form of self expression. Most international media and
communication today is via the Internet which gradually replace the traditional
newspaper, television and phone. Internet, with its infinite channels,
symbolizes the potenial for personal aviation and spiritual flight experiences
for every human being.
Aviation historian Richard Hallion
Richard Hallion is eminent historian of aviation and
one of the founders and curaters of Air and Space Museum in Washington, which
has the largest number of visitors in the world. Hallion wrote many books,
among them "Taking Flight" which deals with the development of
aviation from dawn to present. Hallion is among the few historians who think
that the invention of the airplane is particularly important and determines
that the airplane completely changed the face of reality. But Hallion does not
attribute to the development of aviation the same importance granted to it in
"Holocaust and Aviation", as the most influential factor in shaping
modern history. The reason for this, among other things, is that he does not
use the concepts of Aerial Awarness and Aerial Conciousness.
Central role in the overall approach of researcing the
airplane phenomenon is the use of the terms Aerial Awarness and Aerial
Conciousness.
The term Aerial Awarness was created by researchers to
explain the initial enthusiasm of the American people for the flying machine.
In addition historians began to use the term to describe the nation's interest,
of groups or individuals, in any aviation related subject. The term originally
referred to the flight enthusiasm of flying machines, but its use also refers
to all the traditions and symbols that make up the approach to the subject and
the diversified practices of it.
The term Aerial Conciousness means wise use of aerial
propoganda to create a complete world view. In other words, this is a unique
culture based on the concepts of aviation.
Hallion consequently does not use the term Aerial
Dictatorship. In the first half of the twentieth century four dictatorships
were established based on Aerial Conciousness: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy,
Soviet Union and Imperial Japan. In these countries the airplane was more than
just a flying machine. While statesmen from Western powers saw the airplane
only as key technology component and a measure of progress, dictatorships of
aviation attributed to it also symbolism as the precursor to national pride.
Another important aviation historian, Peter Fritzsche,
author of "Germany - a Nation of Pilots”, which parts of it are the basis
of few chapters in “Holocaust and Aviation”, discusses the development of
German Aerial Conciousness before the rise of the Nazis. He too sees aviation
as very important phenomenon, but secondary to the complex social factors that
have shaped the history of the 20th century. It may be that the book was a bold
intellectual experience for him and he abandoned it as advancing in academic
career.
Peter Fritzsche is missing the use of the term Flying
Psychology, developed by the philosopher Gaston Bashelard. Aerial phenomenon
provides general guidelines which are basic important psychological principles.
Experiences of taking of, rising, height, lift, floating, hovering, depth,
landing, sinking, fall and so on are the experiences that sum up the human mind
above anything else. Nothing explains them but they explain everything. More
simply, if a person wants to live and feel them and above all to compare them,
he realizes that they have an initial quality and they are more natural than
all the others.
Richard Hellion deals in the first part of his book
with the dawn of flight dream in humanity, as a process of spiritual
purification and scientific investigation. He describes flying legends in
ancient cultures, the impact of birds on the Greek and Roman civilizations, the
consciousness of the spiritual flight in early Christianity and Islam, and the
insistence of individuals in the Middle Ages on aviation experiences with
meager means. Then he moves to the beginning of the modern ages, with the
invention of gunpowder that also led to the development of military use of
rockets, and he ends with the description of the scientific conflicts in early
industrial revolution era regarding the proper way by which one can bring a
person into the sky.
The second part of Hellion's book is devoted to the
invention of the balloon and airship. An important chapter deals with the
'Magnificent Year' of 1783 when the balloon was invented. First floated, in the
same year and same city - Paris, balloons which soared by hot air or using
hydrogen, in competition greatly resembling race into space of nowadays. Each
of the inventions had advantages and disadvantages and they both together
forever changed the face of society. Hellion describes the effect of the
inventions of the balloon on Paris fashion, but he is not connecting the
balloon to the French Revolution which began in 1789 and started one of the
most important processes in human history which heralded the era of the modern
democratic state. The Flying Psychology of Gaston Bashelard explains well how
single technological invention was able to influence in such significant way
French society and the whole world.
Hellion finishes his book, which deals primarily with
the development of the aircraft at the beginning of the twentieth century with
a major part devoted to the Wright Brothers, with an epilogue about the events
of 11 September 2001, when a number of airliners that terrorists had kidnapped
crashed on major buildings in the United States. The damage and the relative
ease with which terrorists were able to act led to worsening security
regulations, and a simultaneous decrease in the number of passengers in
airplanes. Spectacular airplanes in the sky suddenly became scaring.
September 11, 2001 events are a direct continuation of
the Nazi worldview. A similar concern was the head of the public agenda even
before World War II. Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in
the early 1930th said that the man in the street has to realize that there is
no place where the strategic bomber is not able to get and it is better if the
airplane had not been invented, but it is now mandatory to incorporate it in
religious values.
Hellion states that like all technological inventions,
whether the aircraft is good or bad depends on who use it and briefly reviews
other periods in the 20th century when the airplane was described as precursor
of human solidarity on the one hand, but was used as a weapon in destructive
wars. He focuses on Nazi Germany and quotes the last lines from the diary of
Joseph Goebbels, written in Hitler's bunker in Berlin shortly before their
suicides, in which he wrote that the issue of helplessness against air
superiority of Allied bombers which constantly bombarded German soil was
repeated on and on in his last conversations with Hitler.
Hellion, like the rest of aviation historians, hardly
applies in his book to the contribution of Nazi Germany to the development of
modern aviation. Aviation achievements were the mainstay of the regime but they
contradicted all his evil deeds. In addition, Hellion may wish to emphasize the
contribution of his homeland to the development of aviation and space
technologies. The process worked out by the Nazi political leadership, which
combined the construction of the world's most sophisticated airplanes with the
establishing the mechanism for genocides of innocent folks, is described in
detail in “Holocaust and Aviation” only. It was a process of trial and error of
integrated ideology and technology, where the sense of Nazi racial superiority
intensified together with their aerial superiority and their need of jenocides
intensified as their air superiority declined.
The moral aspect which occurs as by itself let
“Holocaust and Aviation” be a poetic and healing research for the soul,
contrary to Holocaust studies of the academic establishment, which focuses on
conventional explanations and therefore it is still a 'black hole' for them.
Aviation is the cornerstone of Israel's security and this gap created social
crisis that results in deep social fracture. Holocaust rememberance is
incomplete.
The author of these lines grew up as a teenager in the
1960th and experienced the Yom Kippur War. It formed the stimulus for a mental
turnaround that led to writing “Holocaust and Aviation” on the foundation of
his parents' memories, who were holocaust survivors, memories which
he recorded and edited. This multi-year process was done while watching the
awakening of public interest in the Holocaust as the clear gap between everyday
life of post-modern era to questions of history and future became obvious.
The Many international crises occurred after
significant breakthrough in aviation development in the 20th century raise the
question of what will be, in the foreseeable future, major developments in
aviation. There are four different directions of development, each of which
bestows on the other:
a. Space is gaining maximum public attention and the
people of planet earth will gradually reach more meaningful and distant places
through powerful missiles and large spaceships, mostly unmanned.
B. Automatic unmanned airplanes with elaborate
guidance technology will replace mankind in the celestial wilderness. The
drones rapidly replace manned military aircraft and the process has huge influence
on civil aviation.
C. Personal aviation, in which each person will own an
aircraft, will grow immensly in scope. Recreational aviation is very popular
nowdays, after it become affordable and available to all. But the big push will
be to bring important means of advanced propulsion and guidance to solve the
range, navigation and landing problems in 3D reality.
D. Economic aviation using the floating principle,
which takes advantage of the air cushion created between the airplane's wings
and the ground when flying only a few feet above it, will replace traditional
shipping routes and will bring development to remote sea shores.
Holocaust and Aviation is personal and independent research
English version is summary of the full book which is available in Hebrew online.
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