THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF NAZISM - HISTORY - 2025

The Nazism is characterized as the party of the working class founded by Adolf Hitler after the First World War ended. It was an ultra-nationalist political movement that did not place its faith in the liberal-democratic ideas of the time. Nazism was characterized by seeking revenge for the humiliation that Germany had undergone during the Treaty of Versailles.

The Nazi Party initially presented itself as the nationalist answer to international socialism. In this way, he attracted the attention of those who did not believe in the resurgence of the German government after the catastrophe resulting from the First World War.

The Weimar constitution in 1919 endorsed the development of a complete democracy, but the government that appeared during this time was unable to counteract the weight of the difficult situation resulting from the result of the First World War.

The lack of satisfaction with the parliamentary institutions led to the creation of the Nazi Party with Adolf Hitler as its leader from the year 1933. One of the most important characteristics of the Nazi Party was its ability to transform the structure of the German state in a relatively short time..

In this way, the New Reichstag (the lower house of the parliament) passed in 1933 an "Enabling Law" in order to end the stress of the State and the nation. Through this act, all power in the country was transferred to Hitler, who started the Nazi era throughout Germany.

Main characteristics of the Nazi Party

The Nazi Party commanded by Hitler had the following characteristics:

1 - Totalitarian

The entire German state was included by the Nazi Party. The subordination of the individual to the omnipotent State was expressed in multiple ways.

Freedom of expression and association were abolished, this is how all the media that could shape public opinion - press, theater, cinema, radio, schools and universities - were under complete control of the State. Also, all the political parties and unions were dissolved.

Cultural and social life was controlled and supervised by the state. In October 1933, a Reich Chamber of Culture was established, under the supervision and control of Dr. Goebbels, who was to watch over all cultural aspects of life.

In relation to economic life, the Minister of the Economy was appointed as in charge of ensuring the welfare of the German economy, being able to take any action deemed necessary to maintain said welfare (History, 2014).

2 - A single party state

Nazi Germany was a one-party state. Only the National Socialist Party was legally recognized.

The Nazi Party was endorsed by law as the one in charge of protecting the ideals of the German State. The swastika was the emblem of the state and its leader was the head of state.

Numerous powers were transferred to the party organizations, such as the right of municipal councilors to congregate, the selection of juries and members of the governing boards of educational institutions, the investigation of people's backgrounds, and access to any State matter.

3 - Purity of the breed

The Nazi state claimed to be a descendant of the Nordic race. This is how he affirmed that the family of the Germans belonged to the family of the Nordics, who had been in charge of achieving the greatest achievements in the annals of history.

For this reason, the State considered that the nation should maintain its impeccable and glorious racial record, with a single race that was pure and preserved without being contaminated by inferior races, such as the Jewish.

Thus, Nazi Germany not only snatched the belongings of the Jews living within its territory, it also subjected them to brutal persecution.

4 - A single responsible leader

The Nazi state was based on the principle that there was only one leader responsible - directly or indirectly - for the life and behavior of all individuals in the state. This supreme leader was Adolf Hitler.

The actions and decisions of the leader were not subject to any kind of scrutiny or criticism, as they were assumed to be correct.

Democracy and any talk about a state in which the people had power were self-deception, since all state power belonged to a single leader.

Therefore, his will was considered as law. Those who opposed the leader's will were forced to obey it, otherwise they would be thrown into concentration camps.

5 - The Nazi Economy

With the goal of improving the Nazi economy, the finance minister had the goal of making Germany a self-sufficient country (autarky).

The autobahn (German highway system) created jobs for those who were unemployed, with the aim of creating new roads. Also, new weapons and vehicle factories were opened.

Some jobs in the military were created for the unemployed. Jews were arrested and in this way many jobs were left open to those who had no jobs, mainly as teachers or doctors.

6 - State of terror

Hitler's initial goal was to establish a totalitarian dictatorship in Germany, with himself as the supreme leader. In order to achieve this, the opposition had to be eliminated, and people had to freely heed its directions.

This was achieved through a policy of a state of terror, an element that became an icon of Nazi Germany.

Under the orders of Heinrich Himmler, the paramilitary group Schutzstaffel or the SS was formed, with the commitment to control internal state security, carrying out tasks such as guarding the concentration camps or destroying the Sturmabteilung or SA (a Nazi paramilitary organization that went against Hitler's ideals).

7 - Jewish concentration and extermination camps

The Nazi Party created concentration camps, controlled by the SS to contain and exterminate “enemy” prisoners (national minorities, Jews, communists and traitors).

Some prisoners would be employed as slave labor or would be executed. In 1935 the Nuremberg Laws were introduced to segregate and persecute Jews, making them unsafe even in their own homes.

The Wannsee conference for its part introduced the idea of ​​a Final Solution to eliminate all Jews at the same time.

This event was the height of the Nazi terror against the Jews, as the worst and most terrifying case of persecution and xenophobia in history. This is probably one of the most remarkable characteristics of Nazi Germany.

8 - Propaganda

Propaganda is a form of psychological manipulation. It is the promotion of specific ideas through the use of repetition.

In Germany, from 1933 to 1945, Goebbels was the minister of propaganda. He had a deep hatred for Jews and was enthusiastic about their persecution.

The newspaper Der Stümer was quite popular at the time and promoted hatred for Jews, for this reason it was Hitler's favorite newspaper.

On the other hand, the swastika was used in the Nazi flag and by 1935 it became the flag of Germany.

At the Nuremberg meetings, thousands of people had to shout “Sieg Heil” in unison and people were forced to say “Heil Hitler” when they passed other people on the street.

Radio, books, and movies promoted hatred for Jews and the greatness of Hitler and Nazism. In this way, the propaganda contributed to the modification of the beliefs of the people against Nazism and the Jews.

9 - Antisemitism

One of the best known characteristics of the Nazi state in Germany is anti-Semitism. At first, not much attention was paid to this issue, as Hitler needed the majority of the inhabitants of Germany to vote for him. However, with the passing of time the brutality towards the Jews increased considerably.

Anti-Semitism turned into an extreme form of racism and hatred towards a race of people. In 1933 there was a boycott of Jewish stores. Hitler blamed the Jews for the Treaty of Versailles and the country's economic problems, such as the economic depression.

All Jews were removed from government posts and professional duties. In 1934, Jews were excluded from public places, including parks and swimming pools. All this was due to Hitler's will to preserve the purity of the Aryan race.

10 - Foreign Policy

Hitler's main goal was to destroy the Treaty of Versailles. He also wanted more living space and the union of all German-speaking countries. In this way, Hitler disarmed the treaty by invading the Rhineland.

On the other hand, Hitler and Mussolini (both sanctioned by the League of Nations) formed the Axis of Rome and Berlin in 1936.

This was later strengthened by the Pact of Steel in 1939, during the Munich conference, where other leaders tried to calm Hitler's pretenses, but he finally obtained the Sudetenland and the rest of Czechoslovakia.

At this time, Hitler was unstoppable and the invasions continued, involving other republics such as France, Poland, and the British Isles.

References

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