Foundational Principles of Nazism

 

The subject of Adolf Hitler is one of the significant topics in international relations. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the National Socialist Workers Party or Nazi Party grew into a mass movement and ruled Germany through totalitarian means from 1933 to 1945. Founded in 1919 as the German Workers Party, the group promoted German pride and anti-Semitism and expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the 1919 peace settlement that ended World War I (1914-1918) and required Germany to make numerous concessions and reparations.

National Socialist Workers Party or Nazi Party grew into a mass movement under the leadership of Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) and ruled Germany through dictatorial means from 1933-1945. Founded in 1919 as the German Workers Party, the group promoted German pride and anti-Semitism and expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the 1919 peace settlement that ended World War I (1914-1918) and required Germany to make numerous concessions and reparations.

 

Hitler joined the party the year it was founded and became its leader in 1921. In 1933, he became chancellor of Germany and his Nazi government soon assumed dictatorial powers. After Germany's defeat in World War II (1939-45), the Nazi Party was outlawed and many of its top officials were convicted of war crimes related to the murder of some 6 million European Jews during the Nazis reign. Following are the foundational principles of the Nazi Party:

Nazi Ideology

In 1919, Adolf Hitler joined a small right-wing group called the German Workers Party. He took over as its leader and changed its name to the National Socialists (Nazis). The party developed a 25-Point Programme, which after the failure of the Munich Putsch in 1924  Hitler explained further in his book 'Mein Kampf'.

Major Tenets

1. Führer: The idea that there should be a single leader with complete power rather than a democracy.
2. Autarky: The idea that Germany should be economically self-sufficient
3. A strong Germany: The Treaty of Versailles should be abolished and German-speaking people united in one country.
4. Germany was in danger: From Communists and Jews, who had destroyed.
5. Lebensraum: The need for 'living space; for the German nation expand.
6. Social Darwinism: The idea that the Aryan race was superior and Jews were 'subhuman'.

 

Structures of Control in the Nazi State

1. Government (political): The way Hitler consolidated power in 1933-1934 meant that the Nazis had absolute control of national and local government. 
2. Religion (social): Hitler believed that religion was a threat to Nazi control over people's minds so he tried different ways to reduce the power of the church over people. 
3. Culture (social): Hitler ordered Nazification  the imposition of Nazi values  on all aspects of German life. 
4. Work (working): Dr Robert Ley, head of the DAF, boasted that he controlled workers lives from the 'cradle to the grave'. 
5. Education and youth (working): The lives of young people were controlled both in and out of school to turn them into fanatical Nazis. 
6. Terror (method of control): Germany became a country where it was unsafe to do or say anything critical of the government. 
7. Propaganda (method of control): Josef Goebbels controlled the Propaganda Ministry, which aimed to brainwash people into obeying the Nazis and idolizing Hitler. The Nazi Party demanded the creation of a German National Press where no non-German paper or contributor could be permitted to publish articles.

Role of Women in the Nazi State

Women were expected to stay at home and look after the family. Women doctors, teachers and civil servants were forced to give up their careers. Even at the end of the war, women were never asked to serve in the armed forces. Their job was to keep the home nice for their husband and family their life should revolve around the three 'Cs':

1.       Church 

2.       Children

3.       Cooking

 

Hitler wanted a high birth rate, so the population would grow. The Nazis considered making it law that families should have at least four children. The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave newly-wed couples a loan of 1000 marks and allowed them to keep 250 marks for each child they had. Mothers who had more than eight children were given a gold medal. 

Critical Analysis

In 1919, army veteran Adolf Hitler, frustrated by Germany's defeat in World War, which had left the nation economically depressed and politically unstable, joined a fledgeling political organization called the German Workers Party. Founded earlier that by a small group of men including locksmith Anton Drexler (1884-1942) and in Karl Harrer (1890-1926).

The party promoted German nationalism and anti-Semitism and felt that the Treaty of Versailles, the peace settlement that ended the war was extremely unjust to Germany by burdening it with reparations it could never pay.

In 1929, Germany entered a period of severe economic depression and widespread unemployment. Hitler gave speech after speech in which he stated that unemployment, rampant inflation, hunger and economic stagnation in postwar Germany would continue until there was a total revolution in German life.

Most problems could be solved, he explained, if communists and Jews were driven from the nation. His fiery speeches swelled the ranks of the Nazi Party, especially among young, economically disadvantaged Germans.

The Nazis capitalized on the situation by criticizing the ruling government and began to win elections. In the July 1932 elections, they captured 230 out of 608 seats in the "Reichstag" or German parliament. In January 1933, Hitler was appointed on the chancellor and his Nazi government soon came to control every aspect of German life.

Conclusion

After the war, the Allies occupied Germany, outlawed the Nazi Party and purge its influence from every aspect of German life. The party's swastika flag quickly became a symbol of evil in modern postwar culture. Although Hitler killed himself before he could be brought to justice, several Nazi officials were convicted on war crimes in the Nuremberg trials, which took place in Nuremberg, Germany, from 1945 to 1949. However, it needs to be understood that the Nazi Party left a permanent mark on the world and the horrors of that time should be avoided. This can only be done if the world leaders shun nationalism and populism as their primary political tool and work for the social betterment of their citizens.