HSC Core Study: Power and Authority in the Modern World

3.3 The Nature of Nazi Ideology

Source 1

The Nazis had core beliefs, which were based on Hitler’s vision for Germany. While in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf outlining his views but by 1920 he had already written the 25 Points as an “unalterable expression” of the party’s political philosophy.

Key Features:

Anti-Semitism- discrimination, prejudice or hostility towards Jews

Social Darwinism- Nineteenth-century social theory that applied Charlies Darwin's ideas about evolution and natural selection in plants and animals in nature to humans

Lebensraum- 'living space', a term employed by Hitler to describe Germany's need for expansion to the east in order to claim land for the Reich's swelling population

Hitler Youth- a movement based on the idea that the future of Germany lay in the development, training and education of German children

The Hitler Youth Movement reflected the key features of the Volksgemeinshaft as leaders sought to integrate boys into the Nazi national community and to prepare them to lead the Third Reich

Nazi Ideology Handout.docx

Handout

The "Ideal" German Student

Racial Views and Social Darwinism

The Nazis had developed a deeply racist world view that had been born in the 19th Century. While racism was common among many people and nations, see the White Australia Policy as a local example, the Nazis held extreme views. The Nazis held the view that all life was a struggle, and that only the strongest races would prosper. To the Nazis this meant the Germanic Aryan race was destined for greatness and needed to rid Germany of weaker races in order to fulfil its destiny. In particular the Jews were seen as a “misfortune” to be gotten rid of. Initially this meant persecution and depriving Jews of their German citizenship, but it would become the Holocaust during WW2. The idea that only the strongest should survive is known as Social Darwinism, a “survival of the fittest” view taken from evolutionary theory written by Charles Darwin. This view would also mean German expansion at the expense of so-called lesser people in to the East of Germany such as Poles and Russians.

Fear and ScapeGoating

The Nazis viewed Germany as always in danger from external impure, non-Aryan influences. Scapegoating the Jews was typical Nazi propaganda, but the other great enemy of Germany was Communism, sometimes referred to as Marxism or Bolshevism. These dangers must be fought, either from within through arrests, deportations, ad later killings, or fought externally by invading other countries.

Lebensraum and Grossdeutschland

German, as a powerful nation populated with the “master race” needed to expand its borders. Lebensraum is a German word meaning “living space”. To create more room for its people Germany would have to forcefully annex territory from inferior people. This would mean taking over countries in the East such as Czechoslovakia and Poland, and would lead to WW2 and an attempted invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany after WW1 had lost territory due to the Treaty of Versailles, and reunifying these lost German territories and people was also a goal of the Nazis. The new German borders would make up a Grossdeutschland, a “Greater Germany”. Creating the Grossdeutschland would of course mean tearing up the Treaty of Versailles.

Autarkey

Autarkey means economic independence or self-sufficiency. All this new land was needed for Germany to become elf sufficient economically, industrially, and agriculturally.

Britain had a large overseas empire to trade with and exploit, Hitler saw Germany as having its own Empire as one large area of Europe. All of Germany’s food and resources such as coal and steel would be supplied within German borders. The Nazis wanted to be free from ever needing to trade again. This would also avoid repetition of the disaster of the Great Depression caused by reliance on US loans. The Nazis embarked on an unsuccessful 4 year plan to achieve self sufficiency in 1936.

Fuhrerprinzip

Translated as the Fuhrer or Leader Principal, this was the idea that ultimate authority rests with the leader and everyone subordinate must follow orders explicitly. This was true of every leader within the party responsible for their own area, e.g. airforce, finance etc, but it was particularly true of Hitler who took on increasing roles as head of the German State. All things were seen to come from Hitler’s will, and all orders from the Fuhrer must be obeyed without question.

Rudolph Hess, the Deputy Leader of Germany once said:

“Hitler is Germany and Germany is Hitler. Whatever he does is necessary. Whatever he does is successful. Clearly the Führer has divine blessing.”

Source 2- One People, One Realm, One Leader

Source 3

Adolf Hitler on Russia and Bolshevism, an extract from his autobiography Mein Kampf, published in 1924:

“Never forget that the rulers of present-day Russia are common blood-stained criminals; that they are the scum of humanity which, favoured by circumstances, overran a great state in a tragic hour, slaughtered out thousands of her leading intelligentsia in wild bloodlust, and now for almost ten years have been carrying on the most cruel and tyrannical regime of all time.

Furthermore, do not forget that these rulers belong to a race which combines, in a rare mixture, bestial cruelty and an inconceivable gift for lying, and which today more than ever is conscious of a mission to impose its bloody oppression on the whole world. Do not forget that the international Jew who completely dominates Russia today regards Germany not as an ally, but as a state destined to the same fate.

Activity

Task 1:

Complete this Worksheet

Hitler's 25 Points Worksheet

Task 2:

Compare Sources 1, 2 & 3 as evidence about Nazi Ideology (8 marks/ 300 words)

This is a comparison question. Use words that compare such as:

Source 1 is different from Source 2 because…
Is similar to…
Varies from…
Whereas Source 3 shows… Source 2 only shows…

Extension

Source 4- M Geyer, (1986) 'The Nazi State Machine or Morass?', History Today, vol.36, p. 36

The Nazi state and the emerging Nazi society were not centred around production and maintaining its conditions, but around the ability to prey on other people and whole societies, much as industry preys on nature.

Evaluate what the Nazi state was based on.
Discuss how this system reflects Nazi Ideology

How to Revise for this Area

The Nature of Nazi Ideology

Your notes will have to be flexible here. Likely a question specifically about Nazi ideology would only be low marks e.g. outline two aspects of Nazi ideology.
Recognise, however, that ideology can and should be linked to many of the other dot points and this could be a larger mark response. For example: Assess the impact of Nazi Ideology in shaping German society from 1933-39
Keep this section concise, one dot point each on key examples from your booklet for example:
- Racial issues – Volksgemeinschaft vs Racially inferior groups
- Fuhrerprinzip – leadership structures
- Ultranationalism (could connect to TOV)
- Anti communism/Anti Capitalism
- War and struggle/Social Darwinism
- Lebensraum/foreign policy goals

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