Not all Germans supported Hitler, but most did not offer resistance to the Nazis. Following the start of the war and the expansion of the eastern front, Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie Scholl determined to fight back against those who were leading Germany astray. Born into a family of devoted faith, Sophie grew up as the country descended into madness, with books banned, freedom of thought circumscribed, and political oppression of all enemies, real or imagined. Entering the university in the footsteps of her older brother Hans, Sophie quickly discovered that he was involved in a group that wrote and published pamphlets opposing the Nazis and their senseless war, predicting correctly that it would bring ruin to Germany. Sophie found it invigorating to defy the regime.
\When they were caught by the Gestapo, they were interrogated, condemned to death and executed. Others followed them to the guillotine, but everyone, even Sophie's executioners, admired her courage and dedication. Written by Inge Scholl, Sophie's younger sister, in 1947, The White Rose was aimed at younger students, and attempted to explain how so many adults were willing to embrace, or at least tolerate, the abuses that their society was committing in the name of a new and prosperous Germany. Based on letters, diaries, published pamphlets, and conversation with fellow prisoners, The White Rose tells a story of courage in the face of overwhelming odds, and clearly explains why some chose to resist.
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