160 Chapter 7
judgethatcommunismand NationalSocialismweremorealikethantheyweredifferent
fromeachother.^61
Theseanti-capitalistsentimentsmoreoverfindconcordancein the philosophyof Hit-
ler’s propagandaminister,JosephGoebbels.GermanhistorianHelmutHeiberwritesthat
Goebbelsmaintaineda lifelong“oppositionto the bourgeoisieanda beliefin classcon-
flict.”^62 Goebbels’s newsletter,NationalsozialisticheBriefe (NationalSocialistBriefings, or
NationalSocialistLetters), teemswithsocialistbuzzterms.In phrasessimilarto Hitler’s, it
announces,“We are socialists;we are enemies,mortalenemies,of the present-daycapital-
ist economicsystemwithits exploitationof the economicallyweak,withits injusticein
wages.”^63
WhenGoebbelsinitiallyjoinedthe Nazimovement,he expressedadmirationfor the
Sovietson accountof theirsocialism.As GoebbelsmailedoutNationalSocialistLetters
fromOctober1, 1925,to early1926,the periodical’s readersexperienceddifficultydeci-
pheringwhetheror not Goebbelshimselfshouldbe considereda communist;his rhetoric
wasnot discretefromtheirs.^64 Goebbelsstressed,“We are livingin the era of the masses”
and also,“I believein the determinationof the Proletariatto makesacrifices.. .”^65
WilliamL. Shirerconcurrentlyfindsthatin this sameperiod,Goebbels’s privatediary
was“full of expressionsof sympathyfor Communism.. .” and that Goebbelswantedthe
NaziPartyto revolvearoundthe proletariat.^66 JoachimFestdoublyaffirmsthat Goebbels
went“lookingfor formulaswhichcouldunitethe nationalisticsocialistsandCommu-
nists,” and that he “founda wholecatalogueof identicalattitudesand convictions.”^67
In Goebbels’s words,“We willneverget anywhereif we leanon the interestsof the
culturedandpropertiedclasses.Everythingwillcometo us if we appealto the hunger
and despairof the masses.”
InNationalSocialistLetters, Goebbelsemphasizedsocialismovernationalismto a con-
siderabledegree.Thisdegreewasso considerable,thathe triedto reconcileSovietcom-
munismwithGermannationalsocialism.^68 Thenceon January31, 1926,Goebbelsasked
himselfin his diary,“Where” can we Nazis“get togetherwiththe leadingCommu-
nists?”^69 Goebbelsworkedon a speechentitled“Leninor Hitler?” In this speechGoebbels
ultimatelyconcludedthatHitlerwasthe betterleader,but thatthis wassomethingof a
closecall;he did not concealhis admirationfor Lenin.
Goebbelsdeclaredin ink,“WhenRussiaawakes,the worldwillwitnessa national
miracle.” Elsewherehe pronouncedthatGermansshouldnevertakeup arms“in the pay
of Capitalism—perhaps,in all likelihood,in the ‘HolyWaragainstMoscow.’” Rhetorical-
ly, he queried,“Couldtherebe a greaterpoliticalinfamy?” He alreadyknewthe answer
he wanted—no.^70
WilliamL. Shirerreportsthat,in this period,Goebbels“publishedan openletterto a
CommunistleaderassuringhimthatNazismandCommunismwerereallythe same
thing.‘YouandI,’ he declared,‘are fightingoneanother,but we are not reallyene-
mies.’”^71 The warmfeelingbetweenGoebbelsand the Sovietswasmutual.Sovietwriters
reciprocatedGoebbels’s sympathy.^72
Despitehis rootingfor the Nazisidein any militaryconflictbetweenNazisandthe
Soviets,Goebbelsjudgedin a journalentrydatedOctober23, 1925,“In the finalanalysis,
it wouldbe betterfor us to endour existenceunderBolshevismthanto endureslavery
undercapitalism.” Goebbelsincreasinglycameto sidewiththe Nazisoverthe Bolsheviks,
proclaimingthe former’s superiorityoverthe latter.Still,he regrettedthatthe twosides
keptsquabblingoverpower.He felt theyshouldfocuson unitingagainsttheircommon
enemy,Jewishcapitalism.He sighed,“I thinkit is terriblethatwe” Nazis“and the Com-
munistsare bashingin eachothers’ heads.”^73 Whenthe Nazipropagandaministerfinally
and fullylost his last bit of faithin the Soviets,it wasbecausehe decidedthattheywere
not loyalenoughto the socialistcause.“Communism,” he eventuallysurmised,“is noth-