Nazism << NAHT sihz uhm or NAT sihz uhm >> was a fascist political movement—and later a form of government—that developed in Germany during the 1920’s. The Nazis << NAHT seez >>, led by the dictator Adolf Hitler, controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945. Nazism also describes any governmental system or political beliefs resembling those of Hitler’s Germany. The word is also spelled Naziism.
The Nazis called for aggressive nationalism, militarism, and the expansion of Germany’s borders. Nazism placed great restrictions on personal freedom but permitted private ownership of property that did not conflict with the interests of the state. The Nazis glorified the Germans and other northern European peoples, whom they called Aryans. They claimed that Jews, Slavs, and other minority groups were inferior. Nazism opposed democracy, Communism, socialism, feminism, and other political systems and movements that claimed to favor equality. It promised to build a harmonious, orderly, and prosperous society for Germans. Instead, it brought terrorism, war, and mass murder.
The birth of Nazism.
Germany experienced crippling political and economic crises after its defeat in World War I (1914-1918). While a democratic government replaced the monarchy that had ruled the country for decades, Germany suffered from severe inflation and unemployment during the postwar years. Many Germans lacked faith in the new government and began to turn to political groups that called for extreme changes. One of these organizations was the German Workers’ Party, which held its meetings in Munich. Hitler joined this group in 1919 and quickly gained control. He changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party in 1920. Nazi stands for the first word in the German name of the party.
Nazism responded to deep problems in German history. Germany had not become a united nation until 1871, and many Germans felt that Germany was inferior to other countries. This feeling of inferiority encouraged aggressive nationalism and a desire for expansion. Industry grew rapidly during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and brought great wealth to the industrialists. But workers resented what they considered an unequal distribution of profits. In addition, many middle-class and upper-class Germans had lived comfortably under the monarchy, and they feared and disliked the newly formed democratic government. Finally, many Germans blamed their problems on Jews.
Hitler’s aims were primarily nationalistic, but he also promised social revolution to win support from the masses. The Nazi Party grew rapidly in the postwar crisis. The military supported Hitler’s ideas of discipline, order, and military conquest. The middle classes and farmers were attracted by the promise of social reform. Wealthy industrialists joined to fight Communism. Powerless people responded to ideas of racial superiority, anti-Semitism (prejudice against Jews), and German strength. By 1923, the Nazi Party had 17,000 members.
The rise to power.
Nazism did not gain wide support until the Great Depression, a worldwide business slump, began in 1929. Discontented Germans then turned to Nazism in increasing numbers. Nazism promised economic help, political power, and national glory. Hitler’s fiery personality and talents as an orator also had a strong influence. The Nazi Party grew into a huge political organization with special divisions for children, youth, women, and professional people. It even had soldiers called storm troopers, who terrorized opponents.
In the elections of 1932, the Nazis emerged as the strongest party in Germany. On Jan. 30, 1933, Hitler became chancellor (prime minister). He quickly moved toward dictatorship, outlawing civil liberties and all political parties except the Nazi Party. The Nazis took over the press, the radio, and the school system. In time, they established a totalitarian state (a government that permits no opposition). They organized a powerful secret police force called the Gestapo << guh STAH poh >> and set up concentration camps for anyone suspected of opposing Nazism. Jews and members of other minority groups were also imprisoned in these camps, where the Germans either killed them or used them for forced labor. Loading the player...
Adolf Hitler and the rise of the Nazi Party
Expansion, war, and collapse.
Neo-Nazism.
Despite an official ban, a number of small neo-Nazi (new-Nazi) parties have been founded in Germany since the end of World War II. These parties have sought to reestablish Nazi principles and to regain the lands Germany lost in the war. They also worked to reunify East Germany and West Germany, the two political units into which Germany was divided from 1949 to 1990. The neo-Nazis have promoted anti-Semitism, and some have denied that the Holocaust occurred.
Neo-Nazi parties have gained support from former Nazis and from discontented or unemployed youth. After Germany’s reunification in 1990, neo-Nazis began to make frequent attacks on foreigners. The most violent neo-Nazis have been gangs of young males. Germany today is a strong democracy, and neo-Nazis have been largely left on the fringes of society.
Neo-Nazi movements have grown in other countries since 1980. In the United States, for example, neo-Nazi ideas are supported by Ku Klux Klan members, by the Nazi Party, and by Aryan Nation and other white-supremacist groups. These individuals and organizations promote racism and anti-Semitism and use violence against minorities.
