„Третата сцена“ на германската външна политика (1933–1945)
The “Third Stage” of German Foreign Policy (1933–1945)

Summary/Abstract: A new stage in the history of German foreign cultural policy began with the coming of National Socialism to power. Although being the “third stage” in the framework of foreign policy, it made a doubtless contribution both in the sphere of cultural exchange and in the realization of the foreign policy and economic links of the Reich. The effectiveness of culture, distinguished by indirect but delicate lasting influence, was property evaluated by the Nazi foreign policy centres. The system was innovated and restructured on an enourmous scale, in tune with the new tactics and the new objectives. The network of institution was expanded with the Ministry of Propaganda (1933), the Ministry for Science, National Education (1934) and the Foreign Policy Service of the Nazi party (1933). Headed respectively by Goebbels, Rust and Rosenberg, they interfered grossly interfered in cadre diplomacy. A reorganization took place also in the Cultural Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1936. Its renaming to Cultural-political had to show the world the strong link between culture and politics in the conditions of New Germany. In view of the paramount importance of the spread of the language was set up a specialized Language Department which operated in co-operation with the German Academy in Munich, with its lectureships abroad and with the local Goethe institutes. Second place in importance was occupied by the communications in the sphere of higher education and science. Two separate departments were responsible for them, and Goebbels and Rosenberg expressed categorical claims to their territory of influence. The strong ideological colouring of the institutions headed by them, however, did not predispose foreign partners in their favour. The reorganization also affected the relatively independent bilateral cultural societies. Having discovered in them a flexible means of the presence of the Reich in foreign cultural life, it centralized their activity and placed them under the supervision of the Alliance of the Inter-state Unions and Organizations. Increasingly the “third stage” of German foreign policy was turning into a convenient manoeuvring ground of which were played the moves of the cultural-political “offensive” of the Third Reich.

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