The Oath of Allegiance
the five German military pledges
[1888-1918] [1919-33] [1934-45] [1962-90] [since '56] each one: height 14" (360 mm)

The value of free thought and action be-comes especially clear in the face of the military's discipline, curtailment of will and loss of individuality, the war-time consequence of which leads to the re-pression of - and forcing of one's own ideology upon - the enemy. The oath of allegiance demands total surrender of one's free will to the point of blind sub-mission. It is a focal point of a system's ideology and the epitome of complete submission, even unto death. An analy-tical comparison of the five (!) different German oaths of allegiance can lead to surprising insight.