N

National Socialism
The political movement and ideology of the German
NAZIparty led by Adolf HITLERfrom 1920–45. Like
other FASCIST theories, national socialism asserted
that a nation’s salvation and prosperity required a
national unity directed by a single-party, all powerful
STAT Eled by a dynamic leader (Führer). The Hegelian
idea of a universal will that is embodied in LAWcon-
tributed to this fascist vision. Besides this fascistic
feature of Nazism (which it shared with Italian and
Spanish fascism), German National Socialism added
the racist idea that its Aryan race was by nature supe-
rior to all other peoples and was by destiny the “mas-
ter race” of the world. This racial supremacy of
Germany grew partly from NIETZSCHE’s philosophy of
a ruling culture.
Intellectually, this German fascism was less sophis-
ticated than French fascist theory (Maurice Barrès or
Charles Maurras) or Italian fascist philosophy (GEN-
TILE). Only Alfred Rosenberg, in a book called The
Myth of the Twentieth Century,and Hitler’s Mein Kampf
provide the theoretical basis for National Socialism,
and they are incoherent and confused. German fascism
is more a social and political phenomenon than a
philosophical system. The success of the Nazi regime
lay in its seeming to satisfy the conflicting needs of

German society during the historical period between

World War I and World War II (1918–39). Economic

depression, the rise of COMMUNISM, destruction of tra-

ditional German culture, and the weakness of LIBERAL

REPUBLICANISMall contributed to the appeal of the sim-

ple solutions offered by Hitler and the Nazis. By call-

ing itself National “Socialism,” this movement

appealed to workers; its “nationalism” drew support

from German conservatives, and its Aryan racism

united the nation. Anti-Slavic and anti-Semitic features

of Nazism provided convenient enemies on which to

blame Germany’s problems. Its international military

aggressive followed Nazi Germany’s view of its destiny

to rule the world. The dictatorial leadership of Hitler

and industrial power of Germany imposed National

Socialism on several conquered nations (Poland,

France, Austria), but it was not respected as a political

theory. Since its defeat by its opponents in World War

II (Britain, United States, Soviet Union), National

Socialism has disappeared as an IDEOLOGYexcept for a

few extreme RIGHT-wing groups.

Further Readings

Bullock, A. Hitler: A Study in Tyranny.New York: Harper & Row,

1962.

Nolte, E. Three Faces of Fascism.New York: Holt, Rinehart and

Winston, 1965.

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