High Treason

The Sentencing of the White Rose

The Great Crime of Telling the Truth

Perhaps the looming question in anyone's mind who reads the story of The White Rose, is how several beautiful young people could be executed for questioning the morality of a government. The cruelty of the Third Reich is without parallel: it has become synonymous with the worst that can happen. Still, one would think in a 20th century society, among World Powers in Europe, that execution would not follow mere protest, especially by Guillotine. To understand why the Scholls and others actions caused so great a reaction, one must understand the reasoning behind the charge of High Treason.

Normally when one charges a person with High Treason, it is because they have willfully betrayed their country, and put many lives and national security at severe risk. In Hitlerian Germany, the People and the State were seen as one, and inseparable. The VOLK a greater concept than just a population, entailed not only the people of Germany, but their ancestry, their heritage, their bloodlines, culture, and so on, taking on an almost supernatural quality. Hitler and his hierarchy saw the Volk and the State as One: therefore to betray the State in one form or another, was to betray the People of Germany. If one betrayed the Reich, one must then forfeit citizenship. Further, Hitler's 'moods' were seen as integral with the morale of the war effort, so to criticize the Fuhrer or cause him to be demoralized was tantamount to an assasination attempt. See quote on White Rose The White Rose was a formidable opponent to Hitler, even though it was comprised mostly of idealistic college students and peripheral artists & scholars. It was formidable because this intellectual and faith-based element was considered potentially very influential among the domestic German population. At the time, one could not even speak about or broadcast the politics of peace---these young people and their advocates were working actively towards it.

Their activities during peacetime would seem mundane, especially on a college campus. The printed and distributed leaflets decrying euthanasia, anti-Semitism and war: they painted the words, "freedom" and "down with Hitler" on the street walls leading into U of Munich, a misdemeanor of graffiti, at the worst. Instead, these young persons were charged with High Treason and sentenced to Death.

The exact charges and reasonings behind the charges are listed to the left. It is important to remember that these influential and brave persons were seen as threatening because they might have rallied support to end the Reign of the 3rd Reich.