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Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist Fascism

Fascism is a radical [i] political ideology [i] that combines elements of corporatism [i], authoritarianism [i] ... 

 movement in Europe, and refers especially to the movement of the German Nazi Party National Socialist German Workers Party

The National Socialist German Workers Party , generally known in English [i] as the ... 

 under Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany [i] from 1933, and Fhrer [i] of Germany [i] from 1934 until h ... 

.

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Timeline

1923   Beer Hall Putsch: In Munich Munich

colspan="2" bgcolor="BBDDFF" | Munich ... 

, Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany [i] from 1933, and Fhrer [i] of Germany [i] from 1934 until h ... 

 leads the Nazis Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the German government. Police and troops crush the attempt the next day

1930   National socialists Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 win 107 seats in German parliament - 18.3% of all the votes makes them second largest party

1933   in German elections, National Socialists Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 gain 43.9% of the votes.

1933   Dachau Dachau

Dachau is a town in southern Germany [i], in the federal state [i] of Bavaria [i]. ... 

, the first Nazi Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 concentration camp Internment

"Internment" is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without due process... 

, is completed - opened March 22.

1933   The recently elected Nazis Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 under Julius Streicher Julius Streicher

Julius Streicher was a prominent Nazi [i] prior to and during World War II [i]. ... 

 organize a one-day boycott of all Jewish-owned businesses in Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

.

1933   Stahlhelm Stahlhelm

Stahlhelm is German [i] for "steel helmet." The Imperial German Army began to replac ... 

 organizations joins the Nazi Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 party.

1933   Nazi Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 party in Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 introduces law to legalize eugenic Eugenics

Eugenics is a social theory advocating the improvement of human [i] hereditary [i] traits through variou ... 

 sterilization

1933   All non-Nazi Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 parties forbidden in Germany

1934   Night of the Long Knives Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives , also known as Reichsmordwoche, "Operation Hummingbird" or "the Blood... 

 - Nazis Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 purge the SA Sturmabteilung

The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary [i] organization [i] of the NSDAP [i] – the German [i] ... 

1934   Austrian Nazis Nazism

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist [i] mo ... 

 assassinate chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss Engelbert Dollfuss

Engelbert Dollfuss was an Austrian [i] statesman [i], serving as chancellor for two years from ... 

 during a failed coup attempt.

   More Events >>



Encyclopedia

National Socialism, commonly shortened to Nazism or Naziism, originated as a fascist Fascism

Fascism is a radical [i] political ideology [i] that combines elements of corporatism [i], authoritarianism [i] ... 

 movement in Europe, and refers especially to the movement of the German Nazi Party National Socialist German Workers Party

The National Socialist German Workers Party , generally known in English [i] as the ... 

under Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany [i] from 1933, and Fhrer [i] of Germany [i] from 1934 until h ... 

.

Introduction

Nazism refers to the ideology held by the National Socialist German Workers Party National Socialist German Workers Party

The National Socialist German Workers Party , generally known in English [i] as the ... 

 , and its so-called Weltanschauung when in power from 1933 to 1945, the time of the "Third Reich Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, refers to Germany in the years 1933 to 1945, when it was governe... 

." In terms of ideology, the Nazis believed in the superiority of an Aryan Aryan race

The "Aryan race" is a concept in Europe [i]an culture that was influential in the period of the late nin ... 

 master race, advocated the Führerprinzip—individual leadership]] in a strong, centralized government—and claimed to be defending Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 and the German people Germans

Germans are defined as an ethnic group [i], or Volk [i], in the sense of sharing a common German culture [i] ... 

  against communism Communism

Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a future classless [i], stateless [i] ... 

 and Jew Jew

Jews are followers of Judaism [i] or, more generally, members of the Jewish people , an ethno [i]... 

ish subversion and tried to form a new, cleansed world order. Since 1945, Nazism has been outlawed as a political ideology in Germany, as are forms of iconography and propaganda from the Nazi era. Still, remnants and revivalists, known as "Neo-Nazis Neo-Nazism

The term Neo-Nazism is used to refer to any social or political movement seeking to revive National Socialism [i] ... 

," continue to operate in Germany and abroad.

Free elections in 1932 under Germany's Weimar Republic Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic is the common name for the republic that governed Germany from 1919 [i] to 1933 [i] ... 

 made the NSDAP the largest parliament Parliament

A parliament is a legislature [i], especially in those countries whose system of government is based on ... 

ary fraction; no similar party in any country at that time had achieved comparable electoral success. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany [i] from 1933, and Fhrer [i] of Germany [i] from 1934 until h ... 

's 30 January 1933 appointment to the chancellorship Chancellor of Germany

The head of government [i] of Germany [i] is called Chancellor .... 

 and his subsequent consolidation of dictatorial power, marked the beginning of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, refers to Germany in the years 1933 to 1945, when it was governe... 

. During its first year in power, the NSDAP announced the beginning of the Tausendjähriges Reich or Drittes Reich . The Nazi regime lasted until 1945, during which time Hitler and his party led Germany into World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

. At the end of that war, the party was declared a criminal organisation by the victorious Allied Powers Allies of World War II

The Allies [i] of World War II [i] were the countries officially opposed to the Axis Powers [i] during t ... 

 and was effectively destroyed. Since 1945, Nazism has been outlawed as a political ideology in Germany, as are forms of iconography and propaganda from the Nazi era. Still, remnants and revivalists, known as "Neo-Nazis Neo-Nazism

The term Neo-Nazism is used to refer to any social or political movement seeking to revive National Socialism [i] ... 

," continue to operate in Germany and abroad.

The term Nazi was coined as a quick way of referring to the Party or ideology that would later be—and, to this day, remains—closely associated with Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany [i] from 1933, and Fhrer [i] of Germany [i] from 1934 until h ... 

 . Nazi was also meant to mirror the term Sozi ; abbreviating words by taking the two first syllables was the usual way in the early 20th century . However, the Nazis from the era of the Third Reich rarely referred to themselves as "Nazis," preferring instead the official term, Nazionalsocialisten . Since then, Nazi has been most commonly used as a pejorative term, but its use became so widespread that, currently, some Neo-Nazis Neo-Nazism

The term Neo-Nazism is used to refer to any social or political movement seeking to revive National Socialism [i] ... 

 also use it to describe themselves.

Hitler played a major role in the development of the Nazi Party from its early stages and rose to become the movement's indisputable ideographic figurehead. Consequently, much of what is thought to be "Nazism" is in line with Hitler's own political beliefs Hitler's political beliefs

Historians and biographers note some difficulty in attributing the political beliefs of Adolf Hitler [i] ... 

, and the ideology and the man continue to remain largely interchangeable in the public eye. This strong influence of one man's views on the entire movement is one of the reasons why scholars often disagree on whether Nazism can be considered a coherent ideology. The problem is furthered by the inability of various modern Nazi groups to decide what their ideologies are. The original National Socialists in the different German-speaking and those in non-German parts of Europe claimed that there would be no program that would bind them, and that they wanted to reject any established world view.

Following World War II and the Holocaust The Holocaust

The Holocaust, also known as Ha-Shoah and the Porajmos [i] or Samudaripen in Romani [i] ... 

, the term "Nazi" and most other words and symbols associated with Nazism acquired extremely negative connotations in Europe Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

 and North America North America

North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i]... 

. Calling someone a "Nazi" or even suggesting that one has something in common with Nazism is considered an insult. People of all political persuasions at times attempt to draw parallels between their opponents and the Nazis in order to put their opponents in a negative light. This is a fallacy called reductio ad Hitlerum.

Nazism and Fascism


In both popular thought and academic scholarship, Nazism is generally considered a form of fascism Fascism

Fascism is a radical [i] political ideology [i] that combines elements of corporatism [i], authoritarianism [i] ... 

 - with "fascism" defined so as to include any of the authoritarian, nationalist Nationalism

Nationalism is an ideology that holds that a nation [i] is the fundamental unit for human [i] social life [i] ... 

, totalitarian movements that developed in Europe around the same time. The debate focuses mainly on comparisons of fascists movements in general with the Italian prototype, including the fascists in Germany. The idea mentioned above to reject all former ideas and ideologies like democracy, liberalism, and especially marxism make it difficult to track down a perfect definition of these two terms. However, Italian Fascists tended to believe that all elements in society should be unified through corporatism to form an "Organic State"; this meant that these Fascists often had no strong opinion on the question of race Race

The term race distinguishes one population [i] of an animal species from another of the same species. ... 

, as it was only the State and nation that mattered. German Nazism, on the other hand, emphasized the Aryan Aryan

Aryan is an English language [i] word derived from the Iranian [i] and Sanskrit [i] t... 

 race or "Volk" principle to the point where the state simply seemed a means through which the Aryan race could realize its "true destiny." Since a debate among historians to see each movement, or at least the German, as unique, the issue has been settled in most parts showing that there is a stronger family resemblance between the Italian and the German fascist movement than there is between democracies in Europe or the communist states of the Cold War; additionally, the crimes of the fascist movement can of course be compared, not only in numbers of casualties but also in common developments: the March on Rome of Mussolini to Hilter's response shortly after to attempt a coup d'etat himself in Munich. Also, Aryanism was not an attractive idea for Italians that had neither blond hair nor blue eyes, but still there was a strong racism and also genocide in concentration camps long before either was in place in Germany. The philosophy that had seemed to be seperating both fascisms was shown to be a result of happening in two different countries: since the king of Italy never died, unlike the Reichspräsident, the leader in Italy was never able to gain the absolute power the leader in Germany did, leading to Mussolini's fall. The academic challenge to seperate all fascist movements has since the 80's and early 90's been ground for a new attempt to see even more similarities.

Nazi thoughts



Again, there was intentionally no official complete theory of fascism anywhere. Among the comments on the Nazi movement, its leader Adolf Hitler is thought to be very influential. He claimed in his book Mein Kampf Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf is the signature work of Adolf Hitler [i], combining elements of autobiography [i] with ... 

that he first began to develop his views through observations he made while living in Vienna. He concluded that there was a racial, religious, and cultural hierarchy, and he placed "Aryans Aryan

Aryan is an English language [i] word derived from the Iranian [i] and Sanskrit [i] t... 

" at the top as the ultimate superior race, while Jews Jew

Jews are followers of Judaism [i] or, more generally, members of the Jewish people , an ethno [i]... 

 and "Gypsies" were people at the bottom. He vaguely examined and questioned the policies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Dual Monarchy or k.u.k. [i] ... 

, where as a citizen by birth, Hitler lived during the Empire's last throes of life. He believed that its ethnic and linguistic diversity had weakened the Empire and helped to create dissension. Further, he saw democracy Democracy

Democracy is a form of government [i] for a nation state, or for an organiz ... 

 as a destabilizing force because it placed power in the hands of ethnic minorities who, he claimed, "weakened and destabilized" the Empire by dividing it against itself.

Nazi opinions, in an extension of various philosophies, came together at a critical time for Germany; the nation had just not only lost World War I World War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All War... 

, but was also forced to sign an intentionally devastating capitulation Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treaty [i] which officially ended World War I [i] between the Allied and Associated Powers [i] ... 

, and was in the midst of a period of great economic depression and instability. The Dolchstosslegende Dolchstosslegende

The Dolchstosslegende refers to a social mythos [i] and persecution [i]-propaganda [i] theory popul... 

, or "stab in the back" legend, held that the war effort was sabotaged internally, suggesting that supposed "lack of patriotism" had led to Germany's defeat . In the realm of politics, these charges were directed towards the Social Democrats Social democracy

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Social democracy is a political ideology [i] that emerged in the late 19th [i] a... 

 and the Weimar Weimar

Weimar is a city [i] in Germany [i].... 

 government, as the latter had been accused of "selling out" the country. Additionally, the Dolchstosslegende encouraged many to look at "non-German" Germans critically, especially those with potential "extra-national loyalties", such as the Jews Jew

Jews are followers of Judaism [i] or, more generally, members of the Jewish people , an ethno [i]... 

. Such an appeal capitalized on anti-Semitic Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism is hostility toward or prejudice [i] against Jew [i]s as a religious, ethnic, or racial g ... 

 sentiments.

Nationalism

The Nazi state was founded upon a racially defined "German Volk" and principally rejected the idea of being bound by the limits of nationalism; that was only a means for attempting unlimited supremacy. In that sense, its nationalism and hyper-nationalism was tolerated to reach a world-dominating Germanic-Aryan Volksgemeinschaft. This is a central concept of Mein Kampf Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf is the signature work of Adolf Hitler [i], combining elements of autobiography [i] with ... 

, symbolized by the motto Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer . The Nazi relationship between the Volk and the state was called the Volksgemeinschaft , a neologism that defined a communal duty of citizens in service to the Reich . The term "National Socialism", derives from this citizen-nation relationship, whereby the term socialism Socialism

Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic [i]... 

is invoked and is meant to be realized through the common duty of the individuals to the German people; all actions are to be in service of the Reich. In practice, the Nazis argued, their goal was to bring forth a nation-state as the locus and embodiment of the people's collective will, bound by the Volksgemeinschaft as both an ideal and an operating instrument. In comparison, non-national socialist ideologies oppose the idea of nations, which they see as artificial divisions that support the status quo and oppression by the capital owners. For further information on national socialism and socialism, and Nazism and fascism, see Fascism and ideology.

Militarism

Nazi rationale also invested heavily in the militarist Militarism

Militarism or militarist ideology is the doctrinal [i] view of a society [i] as being bes ... 

 belief that great nations grow from military power and maintained order, which in turn grow "naturally" from "rational, civilized cultures". The Nazi Party appealed to German nationalists and national pride, capitalizing on irredentist and revanchist sentiments as well as aversions to various aspects of modernist Modernism

Modernism is a trend of thought which affirms the power of human beings to make, improve and reshape the... 

 thinking . Many ethnic Germans were deeply committed to the goal of creating the Greater Germany Großdeutschland

Grodeutschland is a term referring to the concept of one German [i] nation-state [i]. ... 

  and some felt that the use of military force was necessary to achieve it.

Racism

The Nazi racial philosophy wholly embraced Alfred Rosenberg Alfred Rosenberg

Alfred Rosenberg was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi [i] party, who l ... 

's Aryan Invasion Theory, which traced Aryan peoples in ancient Iran Iran


Throughout history, Iran has been of great geostrategic [i] importance because of its centr ... 

 invading the Indus Valley Civilization Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilisation was an ancient civilisation [i] thriving along the Indus River [i] and th ... 

, and carrying with them great knowledge and science that had been preserved from the antediluvian Antediluvian

The word antediluvian is used to describe a period of time that allegedly preceded the Great Flood [i] o ... 

 world. This "antediluvian world" referred to Thule Thule

Thule is in classic sources a place, usually an island.... 

, the speculative pre-Flood/Ice Age origin of the Aryan race, and is often tied to ideas of Atlantis Atlantis

Atlantis is the name of an island first mentioned and described by the classical Greek [i] ... 

. Most of the leadership and the founders of the Nazi Party were made up of members of the "Thule Gesellschaft" , which romanticized the Aryan race through theology and ritual.

Hitler also claimed that a nation was the highest creation of a race Race

The term race distinguishes one population [i] of an animal species from another of the same species. ... 

, and great nations were the creation of homogeneous populations of great races, working together. These nations developed cultures that naturally grew from races with "natural good health, and aggressive, intelligent, courageous traits". The weakest nations, Hitler said, were those of impure or mongrel races, because they had divided, quarrelling, and therefore weak cultures. Worst of all were seen to be the parasitic Untermensch , mainly Jews, but also Gypsies, homosexuals, the disabled and so called anti-socials, all of whom were considered lebensunwertes Leben owing to their perceived deficiency and inferiority, as well as their wandering, nationless invasions . The persecution of homosexuals History of gay people in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust

Gay [i] men and, to a lesser extent, lesbians [i], were two of several groups targeted by Nazi [i]s during the ... 

 as part of the Holocaust The Holocaust

The Holocaust, also known as Ha-Shoah and the Porajmos [i] or Samudaripen in Romani [i] ... 

 has seen increasing scholarly attention since the 1990s.

According to Nazism, it is an obvious mistake to permit or encourage multiculturalism Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is an ideology [i] advocating that society should consist of, or at least allow and inc ... 

 within a nation. Fundamental to the Nazi goal was the unification of all German-speaking peoples Germanic peoples

The Germanic peoples are groups of people identified by their use of the Germanic languages [i] that are ... 

, "unjustly" divided into different Nation State Nation-state

A nationstate is a specific form of state [i], which exists to provide a sovereign [i] terri ... 

s. Hitler claimed that nations that could not defend their territory did not deserve it. Slave races like the Slavic peoples Slavic peoples

The Slavic peoples are a linguistic and ethnic branch of Indo-European people [i]s, living mainly in Europe [i] ... 

 he thought of as less worthy to exist than "leader races". In particular, if a master race should require room to live , he thought such a race should have the right to displace the inferior indigenous races Indigenous peoples

The term indigenous peoples has no universal, standard or fixed definition.... 

.

"Races without homelands", Hitler proclaimed, were "parasitic races", and the richer the members of a "parasitic race" were, the more "virulent" the parasitism was thought to be. A "master race" could therefore, according to the Nazi doctrine, easily strengthen itself by eliminating "parasitic races" from its homeland. This was the given rationalization for the Nazis' later oppression and elimination of Jews, Gypsies, Czechs Czech people

Czechs are a western Slavic [i] people of Central Europe [i], living predominantly in the Czech Republic [i]... 

, Poles Poles

The Poles are a western Slavic [i] people [i] inhabiting the country of Poland [i] and a numb ... 

, the mentally and physically handicapped, homosexuals and others not belonging to these groups or categories that were part of the Holocaust The Holocaust

The Holocaust, also known as Ha-Shoah and the Porajmos [i] or Samudaripen in Romani [i] ... 

. Hitler and his living space doctrine found immense popularity among the largely condensed German population of over sixty million. The Waffen-SS Waffen-SS

The Waffen-SS was the combat arm of the Schutzstaffel [i]. ... 

 and other German soldiers , as well as civilian paramilitary groups in occupied territories, were responsible for the deaths of an estimated eleven million men, women, and children in concentration camps, prisoner-of-war camps, labor camps, and death camps such as Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp

Auschwitz, Konzentrationslager Auschwitz-Birkenau, KL Auschwitz, Nazi German Conc... 

 and Treblinka Treblinka extermination camp

Treblinka was a Nazi Germany [i] extermination camp [i], part of the Holocaust [i] ... 

.

The belief in the need to purify the German race lead them to eugenics Eugenics

Eugenics is a social theory advocating the improvement of human [i] hereditary [i] traits through variou ... 

; this culminated in the involuntary euthanasia Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the practice of terminating the life [i] of a person [i] or an animal [i] because they ... 

 of disabled people and the compulsory sterilization Compulsory sterilization

Compulsory sterilization programs are government policies which attempt to force people to undergo surgi... 

 of people with mental deficiencies or illnesses perceived as hereditary.

Religion

Hitler extended his rationalizations into a religious Religion

Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of belief [i]s or attitudes concerning ... 

 doctrine, underpinned by his criticism of traditional Catholicism. In particular, and closely related to Positive Christianity Positive Christianity

Positive Christianity is a term adopted by Nazi leaders to refer to a model of Christianity [i] consiste... 

, Hitler objected to Catholicism's ungrounded and international character - that is, it did not pertain to an exclusive race and national culture. At the same time, and somewhat contradictorily, the Nazis combined elements of Germany's Lutheran Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a movement within Christianity [i] that began with the theological [i] insights ... 

 community tradition with its Northern European, organic pagan Paganism

Paganism is a blanket term which has come to connote a broad set of western spiritual [i] ... 

 past. Elements of militarism found their way into Hitler's own theology, as he preached that his was a "true" or "master" religion, because it would "create mastery" and avoid comforting lies. Those who preached love Love

Love is a profound feeling [i] of tender affection [i] for or intense attraction [i] ... 

 and tolerance, "in contravention to the facts", were said to be "slave" or "false" religions. The man who recognized these "truths", Hitler continued, was said to be a "natural leader", and those who denied it were said to be "natural slaves". "Slaves" – especially intelligent ones, he claimed – were always attempting to hinder their masters by promoting false religious and political doctrines.

Anti-clericalism can also be interpreted as part of Nazi ideology, simply because the new Nazi hierarchy was not about to let itself be overode by the power that the Church traditionally held. In Austria, clerics had a powerful role in politics and ultimately responded to the Vatican Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal see [i] of Rome [i]. ... 

. Although a few exceptions exist, Christian persecution was primarily limited to those who refused to accommodate the new regime and yield to its power. The Nazis often used the church to justify their stance and included many Christian symbols in the Third Reich . A particularly poignant exemplar is the seen in the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German [i] Lutheran [i] pastor [i], theologian [i] and partic ... 

.

Other Roots

The ideological roots that became German National Socialism were based on numerous sources in European history, drawing especially from Romantic Romanticism

Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century [i] Western Europe [i] ... 

 19th century idealism, and from a biological reading of Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche , a Prussia [i]n-born philologist [i] and philosopher [i], produced critique ... 

's thoughts on "breeding upwards" toward the goal of an Übermensch Übermensch

The bermensch German: "superhuman person", English: "overman" or "superman" is the philosophical c... 

 . Hitler was an avid reader and received ideas that were later to influence Nazism from traceable publications, such as those of the Germanenorden  or the Thule society Thule Society

The Thule Society, originally the Studiengruppe fr germanisches Altertum 'Study Group for Germanic A... 

. He also adopted many populist ideas such as limiting profits, abolishing rents and generously increasing social benefits - but only for Germans.

Variants of Nazism and Hitlerism abroad

Nazism as a doctrine is far from being and can indeed be divided into various sub-ideologies. During the 20s and 30s, there were two dominant NSDAP factions. There were the followers of Otto Strasser Otto Strasser

Otto Johann Maximilian Strasser was a German [i] politician and left-wing [i] member of the National Socialist [i]... 

, the so-called Strasserites and the followers of Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany [i] from 1933, and Fhrer [i] of Germany [i] from 1934 until h ... 

 or what could be termed Hitlerites. The Strasserite Strasser brothers

The Strasser Brothers were Gregor [i] and Otto Strasser [i]. ... 

 faction eventually fell afoul of Hitler, when Otto Strasser was expelled from the party in 1930, and his attempt to create an oppositional 'left-block' in the form of the Black Front failed. The remainder of the faction, which was to be found mainly in the ranks of the SA, was purged in the Night of the Long Knives Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives , also known as Reichsmordwoche, "Operation Hummingbird" or "the Blood... 

, which also saw the murder of Gregor Strasser Gregor Strasser

Gregor Strasser was a politician of the German Nazi Party [i]. ... 

, Otto's brother. After this point, the Hitlerite faction became dominant. In the post war era, Strasserism has enjoyed something of a revival with many neo-Nazi groups openly proclaiming themselves to be 'Strasserite'. Whether they genuinely eschew Hitlerism in favour of Strasserism, or whether they simply think that by distancing Nazism from Hitler they can somehow make the ideology more acceptable is a matter of intense debate however.

Hitler's theories were not only attractive to Germans: people in positions of wealth and power in other nations are said to have seen them as beneficial. Examples are Henry Ford Henry Ford

Henry Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company [i] and father of the modern assembly line [i] use ... 

, founder of the Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American [i] multinational corporation [i] and one of the largest ... 

, and Eugene Schueller, founder of L'Oréal L'Oréal

The L'Oral Group , headquartered in Clichy [i], France [i], is one of the world's leading cosmetics [i] ... 

. Nevertheless, the support for these theories was highest among the general population of Germany.

Homosexuals

The significance of homosexuals in the Nazi Party is acknowledged by most recent historians' work. For example authors like Scott Lively and Kevin E. Abrams in The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party argue that many homosexuals were involved in the inner circles of the Nazi party: Ernst Röhm Ernst Röhm

Ernst Julius Rhm, also known as Ernst Roehm in English [i] was a German [i] ... 

 of the SA , Horst Wessel Horst Wessel

Horst Ludwig Wessel, German [i] Nazi [i] activist, was made a posthumous hero of the Nazi ... 

, Max Bielas, and others. Their homosexuality was well known at the time and basis for satire and jokes. Although Hitler abhorred homosexuality, the SA and SS had not a significant, but still a surprisingly representative number of gay members, which was generally ignored. But together with his ambitions, Röhm's sexuality became intolerable and he was killed, disguised as a prevention of a coup d'etat.

Key elements of the Nazi ideology

  • The National Socialist Program
  • The rejection of democracy Democracy

    Democracy is a form of government [i] for a nation state, or for an organiz ... 

    , and consequently abolishing political parties, labour unions Trade union

    "A Trade Union , ... is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or imp... 

    , and free press Freedom of the press

    Freedom of the press is the guarantee by a government [i] of free public press [i] for its citizen [i]... 

    .
    • Führerprinzip Führerprinzip

      The Fhrerprinzip, the German [i] name for the leader principle, refers to a syst ... 

        as a total belief in the leader
  • Extreme Nationalism Nationalism

    Nationalism is an ideology that holds that a nation [i] is the fundamental unit for human [i] social life [i] ... 

    • Anti-Bolshevism Bolshevik

      Bolsheviks were members of the Bolshevik faction of the Marxist [i] Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party [i]... 

    • Strong show of local culture
    • Social Darwinism Social Darwinism

      Social Darwinism is a term used to describe a range of political ideologies [i] which are held ... 

    • Defense of Blood and Soil
    • The Lebensraum policy of creation of more living space for Germans in the east
  • Racism Racism

    Racism is a belief in the moral or biological superiority of one race or ethnic group over another or ot... 

     and Eugenics Eugenics

    Eugenics is a social theory advocating the improvement of human [i] hereditary [i] traits through variou ... 

    :
    • Anti-Slavism Anti-Slavism

      Anti-Slavism, also known as Slavophobia, a form of racism [i] and xenophobia [i], refers to variou ... 

    • Anti-Semitism Anti-Semitism

      Anti-Semitism is hostility toward or prejudice [i] against Jew [i]s as a religious, ethnic, or racial g ... 

    • The creation of a Herrenrasse .
    • White Supremacism; more specifically, ranking of individuals according to their race Race

      The term race distinguishes one population [i] of an animal species from another of the same species. ... 

       and racial purity, with the Nordic race Nordic theory

      Nordic theory was a theory of racial [i] supremacy prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centur ... 

       favoured the most
  • Limited religious freedom Freedom of religion

    Freedom of religion and belief is considered by many to be a fundamental human right [i]. ... 

     .
  • Rejection of the modern art Modern art

    Modern art is a general term used for most of the artistic production from the late 19th century [i] unt ... 

     movement and an embrace of classical art Classicism

    Classicism, in the arts [i], refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity [i], as ... 

  • Association with Fascism Fascism

    Fascism is a radical [i] political ideology [i] that combines elements of corporatism [i], authoritarianism [i] ... 



Nazism and romanticism

According to Bertrand Russell Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM [i], FRS [i] ... 

, Nazism would come from a different tradition than that of either Liberalism or Marxism. Thus, to understand values of Nazism, it would be necessary to explore this connection, without trivializing the movement as it was in its peak years in the 1930s and dismissing it as little more than racism Racism

Racism is a belief in the moral or biological superiority of one race or ethnic group over another or ot... 

.

Some historians say that the anti-Semitic element, which did not exist in the sister fascism movements in Italy Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European [i] country. ... 

 and Spain Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

, was adopted by Hitler to gain popularity for the movement. On the other hand, anti-Semitism was shown to be a handy tool for Nazis to gain support, mainly due to the popular Houston Stewart Chamberlain Houston Stewart Chamberlain

Houston Stewart Chamberlain was a British [i]-born, naturalized German author of works wh ... 

. Personal accounts by August Kubizek, Hitler's childhood friend, have varied, offering ambiguous claims that anti-Semitism did and did not date back to Hitler's youth. One reason is the higher Jewish community in Austria and Germany because Germany had been a haven for many Jews over the years, including influential families such as the Rothschilds Rothschild family

The Mayer Amschel Rothschild family, is an eminent international banking [i] and finance [i] dynasty of... 

, although World War I and the Dolchstosslegende helped to end that legacy. Likewise, anti-Judaism was transformed into anti-Semitism due to the new Europe-wide post-Darwin theory of racism Racism

Racism is a belief in the moral or biological superiority of one race or ethnic group over another or ot... 

. Historians universally accept that Nazism's mass acceptance depended upon nationalistic appeals and fear against "unnormal people" and a patriotic flattery toward the wounded collective pride of defeated World War I veterans. Early support for the Nazis, displayed in various parades, came from the old conservative order that was the military.

Many see strong connections to the values of Nazism and the anti-rationalist tradition of the romantic movement Romanticism

Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century [i] Western Europe [i] ... 

 of the early 19th century in response to the Enlightenment. Strength, passion, frank declarations of feelings, and deep devotion to family and community were valued by the Nazis though first expressed by many Romantic artists, musicians, and writers. German romanticism in particular expressed these values. For instance, Hitler identified closely with the music Music

Music is an art, entertainment [i], or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds a ... 

 of Richard Wagner Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was an influential German [i] composer [i], conductor [i], music theorist [i] ... 

, who harbored anti-Semitic views as the author of Das Judenthum in der Musik. Some claim that he was one of Hitler's role models, a comment of Kubizek's that is also disputed. Nevertheless, Wagner's most important opera Opera

Opera is a dramatic [i] art [i] form, originating in Italy [i], in which the emotional content or... 

s of the Ring cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen

Der Ring des Nibelungen, commonly translated into English [i] as The Ring of t ... 

 express Aryanist ideals, and contain what some people interpret as anti-Semitic caricatures. Hitler admired Wagner's widow and visited Bayreuth Festival Bayreuth Festival

The annual Bayreuth Festival in Bayreuth [i], Germany [i] is devoted principally to performances of opera [i] ... 

 regularly.

The idealization of tradition, folklore, classical thought, leadership , their rejection of the liberalism of the Weimar Republic Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic is the common name for the republic that governed Germany from 1919 [i] to 1933 [i] ... 

 and the decision to call the German state the Third Reich  has led many to regard the Nazis as reactionary .

Nazism and mysticism


Nazi mysticism Nazi mysticism

Nazi mysticism is a quasi-religious [i] undercurrent of Nazism [i]; it denotes the combination ... 

 is a term used to describe a philosophical Philosophy

[i]
... 

 undercurrent of Nazism that denotes the combination of Nazism with occultism, esotericism, cryptohistory Historical revisionism

Historical revisionism has both a legitimate academic use and a pejorative meaning.
... 

, and/or the paranormal. The esoteric Thule Society Thule Society

The Thule Society, originally the Studiengruppe fr germanisches Altertum 'Study Group for Germanic A... 

 and Germanenorden were secret societies that, while only a small part of the Völkisch movement, led into the Nazi party.

Dietrich Eckart Dietrich Eckart

Dietrich Eckart was a German politician, one of the early key members of the National-Socialist German [i] ... 

, a member of Thule, actually coached Hitler on his public speaking skills, and while Hitler has not been shown to have been a member of Thule, he received support from the group. Hitler later dedicated Mein Kampf Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf is the signature work of Adolf Hitler [i], combining elements of autobiography [i] with ... 

to Eckart.

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Himmler

Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel [i] and one of the most po ... 

 showed a strong interest in such matters, although as Steigmann–Gall points out, Hitler and many of his key associates attended Christian services.

Ideological competition

Nazism and Communism Communism

Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a future classless [i], stateless [i] ... 

emerged as two serious contenders for power in Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 after the First World War World War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All War... 

, particularly as the Weimar Republic Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic is the common name for the republic that governed Germany from 1919 [i] to 1933 [i] ... 

 became increasingly unstable. What became the Nazi movement arose out of resistance to the Bolshevik Bolshevik

Bolsheviks were members of the Bolshevik faction of the Marxist [i] Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party [i]... 

-inspired insurgencies that occurred in Germany in the aftermath of the First World War. The Russian Revolution of 1917 Russian Revolution of 1917

The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia [i], which, after the eliminat ... 

 caused a great deal of excitement and interest in the Leninist Leninism

Leninism refers to various related political [i] and economic [i] theories ... 

 version of Marxism Marxism

Marxism refers to the philosophy [i] and social theory [i] based on Karl Marx [i]'s w ... 

 and caused many socialists to adopt revolutionary principles. The 1918-1919 Munich Soviet and the 1919 Spartacist uprising Spartacist League

[i] revolutionary movement organized in [[Germany]... 

 in Berlin were both manifestations of this. The Freikorps, a loosely organized paramilitary group was used to crush both these uprisings and many leaders of the Freikorps, including Ernst Röhm Ernst Röhm

Ernst Julius Rhm, also known as Ernst Roehm in English [i] was a German [i] ... 

, later became leaders in the Nazi party.

Capitalists and conservatives in Germany feared that a takeover by the Communists Communist Party of Germany

The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany [i] between 1918 and 1933, and a m ... 

 might be inevitable and did not trust the democratic parties of the Weimar Republic Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic is the common name for the republic that governed Germany from 1919 [i] to 1933 [i] ... 

 to be able to resist a communist revolution. Increasing numbers of capitalists began looking to the nationalist movements as a bulwark against Bolshevism Bolshevik

Bolsheviks were members of the Bolshevik faction of the Marxist [i] Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party [i]... 

. After Mussolini Benito Mussolini

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was the Prime-Minister and fascist [i] dictator of Italy from... 

's Fascist Fascism

Fascism is a radical [i] political ideology [i] that combines elements of corporatism [i], authoritarianism [i] ... 

s took power in Italy Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European [i] country. ... 

 in 1922, fascism presented itself as a realistic option for opposing "Communism", particularly given Mussolini's success in crushing the Communist and anarchist Anarchism

Anarchism is the name of a political philosophy [i] or a group of doctrines and attitudes that are cente ... 

 movements that had destabilized Italy with a wave of strikes and factory occupations after the First World War. Fascist parties formed in numerous European countries.

Many historians, such as Ian Kershaw and Joachim Fest, argue that Hitler's Nazis were one of numerous nationalist and increasingly fascistic groups that existed in Germany and contended for leadership of the anti-Communist Anti-communism

Anti-communism is an ideology of opposition to communist [i] organization, government and ideo ... 

 movement and, eventually, of the German state. Further, they assert that fascism and its German variant, National Socialism, became the successful challengers to Communism because they were able to both appeal to the establishment as a bulwark against Bolshevism and appeal to the working class base, particularly the growing underclass of unemployed and unemployable and growingly impoverished middle class elements who were becoming declassed . The Nazis' use of pro-labor rhetoric appealed to those disaffected with capitalism by promoting the limiting of profits, the abolishing of rents and the increasing of social benefits while simultaneously presenting a political and economic model that divested "Soviet socialism" of elements that were dangerous to capitalism, such as the concept of class struggle, "the dictatorship of the proletariat" or worker control of the means of production. Thus, Nazism's populist anti-Communism Anti-communism

Anti-communism is an ideology of opposition to communist [i] organization, government and ideo ... 

 and anti-capitalism Anti-capitalism

Anti-capitalism refers to opposition to capitalism [i], in terms of beliefs or attitudes. ... 

 helped it become more powerful and popular than traditional conservative Conservatism

Conservatism is a political philosophy [i] that necessitates a defense of established values or the stat ... 

 parties, like the DNVP German National People's Party

The German National People's Party was a national-conservative party in Germany [i] during the time of... 

. The simplicity of Nazi rhetoric, campaigns, and ideology also made its conservative allies underestimate its strength, and its ability to govern or even to last as a political party Political party

A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political [i] power within a government [i] ... 

. Michael Mann defined fascism as a "transcendent and cleansing nation statism through paramilitarism", with "transcendent" meaning that the all classes were to be abolished in order for a new, organic and pure people: all classes are abolished by transition, all "others" .

Support of anti-Communists for Fascism and Nazism

Various far right-wing politicians and political parties in Europe welcomed the rise of fascism and the Nazis out of an intense aversion towards Communism. According to them, Hitler was the savior of Western civilization Western culture

Western culture or Western civilization is a term used to refer to the culture [i]s of the people... 

 and of capitalism against Bolshevism Bolshevik

Bolsheviks were members of the Bolshevik faction of the Marxist [i] Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party [i]... 

. During the later 1930s and 1940s, the Nazis were supported by the Falange Falange

The Falange is the name assigned to several political movements and parties dating from the 1930s [i], m ... 

 movement in Spain, and by political and military figures who would form the government of Vichy France Vichy France

Vichy France, or the Vichy regime was the de facto French [i] government of 1940-1944 durin ... 

. A