Valkyrie, Gender, Class, European Relations and Unity Mitford’s Passion for Fascism

Kathryn Steinhaus, a history professor at Seminole State College will be discussing the fascination Unity Mitford, an upper-class British woman had for Adolph Hitler. Unity Mitford was one of a group of six sisters raised in the British aristocracy during the turbulent 1920s and 1930s. Although all of the siblings attracted media attention for their beauty and societal positions, Unity was the most notorious. She devoted her time to pursuing a friendship with Adolf Hitler after attending finishing school in Germany. Unity Mitford's radical political statements, her position between British and German cultures, and her flamboyant personality all provide clues to examine how a disgusting ideology like Nazism attracted some of its many followers.