Eps 4: Nazism

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Valerie Steward

Valerie Steward

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This article explains the ideology of Nazism, which was the official ideology of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. The article discusses the origins of Nazism and its relationship to other fascist movements in Europe.
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Nazism, or Nationalsozialismus in German, was a totalitarian movement that originated in Germany in the early 1920s. It was originally known as the German Workers' Party, or DAP, and was led by Adolf Hitler. The party soon changed its name to the Nationalsozialistischer Deutsche Arbeiterpartei and became more popularly known as the Nazi Party. Naziism refers to a full-fledged ideology which combines elements of racism, anti-communism, and militarism with extreme nationalism. Under Adolf Hitler's leadership, Nazi Germany implemented a full national socialism program that sought to create an all-powerful state based on racial purity and authoritarian rule. In addition to its political agenda, Nazism also created a distinct weltanschauung or world view which informed the views of its leaders and followers alike.
The leading figure in Nazism was Adolf Hitler, who rose to power in January 1933 and ruled until his suicide in April 1945. Under Hitler, a new Nazi hierarchy was established that ruled the German society and rebuilt the German armed forces. By 1936, Germany had annexed Austria and the German Rhineland, creating the Third Reich. Steel-like control was maintained by Otto von Bismarck and other members of the government. Nazism drew influences from socialism and liberalism while rejecting democracy and liberalism. Czechoslovakia, along with other nations, also experienced Nazi influence as Adolf Hitler sought to expand his Third Reich by any means necessary.
Naziism was a political ideology created by German cultural philosopher Oswald Spengler and adopted by Hitler that claimed the superiority of a certain race and aimed to create an empire. Hitler called this 'National Socialism' and appointed himself as the leader. This ideology became synonymous with Nazi Germany, as Hitler, its leader Adolf, used iconography and propaganda to make it one of the most recognizable political ideologies in history. Nazism was so closely associated with Hitler that his name quickly became interchangeable with it. Although many other leaders were involved in the implementation of Nazism, it was always closely associated with Adolf Hitler's leadership style and comments.
Nazism was a form of fascism that borrowed elements from nineteenth century German racialist and nationalist movements, including the volkisch movement. Nazi Germany's campaign of genocide against Jews and other minorities marked Nazism as one of the most heinous forms of racism in history. Nazi doctrine focused on biological racism, ultra-nationalism, and antisemitism as key components of their ideology. Proponents of Nazism claim that there are certain commonalities between it and other fascist movements, including features like ultra-nationalism, racism, anti-Semitism, and neo-fascism. While there were elements shared with fascism by its proponents, Nazism was uniquely characterized by its extreme use of genocide to achieve its goals. This marked a clear break from other fascist movements like Italian Fascism which lacked such explicit genocidal features.
Nazism was the ideology of the Nazi party, which was founded in 1919. The core of Nazi ideology was German nationalism, racism and militarism. Nazi policy focused on aryans as the ideal volk and sought to restore German life to its pre-World War I grandeur by any means necessary. This included a rejection of democracy, an extreme form of nationalism and an emphasis on racial purity. The Nazis believed in the superiority of Germans over other races, and this belief led to policies such as annihilation of Jews, Roma and other non-Aryan populations. The defeat of Germany in World War I caused a great deal of social upheaval with the Allies occupying Germany for much of the interwar period. This contributed to a rise in ethno-nationalist volkisch movements such as Nazism that sought to restore Germany’s pride and unity through nationalistic pride. Freikorps paramilitary groups emerged during this time that were sympathetic to Nazi ideology although they did not always support Nazi Party policies or beliefs.
Nazism is a form of national socialism which emerged in the 1920s as an alternative to democracy and socialism. The Nazi Party was founded in Germany and embraced ideologies that promoted the superiority of the German speaking Aryan people. It was considered to be part of the fascist movement, which aimed to restore power to Germanys borders. The British National Socialist Movement sought to spread Nazi ideology outside of Germany, particularly in America. Other movements such as The World Union for National Socialism sought ideological alternatives to fascism and communism.
By the 1930s, Nazi Germany had become the most powerful European nation and Adolf Hitler was determined to restore German supremacy. His goal was to unite all Germans under one banner and his invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the beginning of World War II. The Nazi party sought to revive industrial production and create jobs for unemployed Germans. Its aim was also to return Germany to its former glory, with a strong economy and military power. Its members were mostly earlier German nationalists who wanted to bring about a rebirth of German pride and unity. Nazism differed from other nationalist movements in that it sought not only national unity but also racial purity. The Nazis sought to create an “Aryan” race through extermination or enslavement of Jews, Slavs, Roma, gays and other minorities they deemed inferior.
It emerged in Germany through the German Nazi Party in the 1920s and 1930s. Naziism was a product of the German volkisch milieu, which was deeply embedded in German society at that time. Adolf Hitler and his Nazis were able to capitalize on popular discontent with the Weimar Republic and its perceived inability to restore order to Germany. Hitlerism, as it became known, was a radical form of racist nationalism that rejected liberal democracy and embraced totalitarianism. It also incorporated elements from different ideologies including socialism, conservatism, and anti-Semitism. Author Joachim Fest has argued that there were numerous nationalist movements prior to World War I who shared common characteristics with Nazism. Other historians have argued that it is more accurate to describe Nazism as a synthesis of many different movements rather than an outgrowth of one particular ideology or movement. Adolf Hitler's rise to power gave Nazism greater legitimacy and made it a major force in German politics. The Nazi Party became an important political party during the course of World War II and its leaders were among the most powerful political figures in Europe at the time.