Summary

Chapter 6: Seduction

When Martha was recovering from a cold, she was visited by Sigrid Schultz, the Chicago Tribune's chief correspondent for Central Europe. Schultz spoke of Germany's deterioration, but Martha, who called it their rebirth, disagreed. Schultz told of the beatings and abuse of the citizens. Arrests were being made of those suspected of being communists or liberals. Martha was annoyed by Schultz's accounts and thought she was exaggerating. Martha was enjoying the Berlin night life and found the Germans she met utterly charming. Many Americans in Berlin shared Martha's rosy view of the German city.

But beneath the happy veneer, German was changing rapidly and drastically. The Germans called their campaign to bring the people, universities and cultural and social institutions in line with National Socialist beliefs Gleichschaltung, which translates to "coordination". Most change occurred without...