Nazi Ideology

Introduction

Introduction

In this study it is intended to examine Nazi ideology and its symbolism, and the way in which Nazi ideology was transmitted the German population.

to

It is also intended to examine the origins of

Nazi ideology - seeking to discover whether it was solely a product of its era, or whether it had an historical dimension. will be addressed

in the course of this examination,

Many questions concerning the

composition of the ideology itself, its role in propaganda and mobilisation, its relationship

to thinkers of the nineteenth and early

twentieth century, and its connection with the thought of the

Enlightenment.

Nazism has often been treated as a ragbag of ideas without any formulation systematic

foundation.

"" The particular type of myth

which underlies fascist ideology is palingenetic in nature, which denotes that it encompasses

an idea of "re-birth"

following

"a period

destruction of or perceived dissolution". 12 Within fascist ideology this becomes a vision of a new order in society and the world, a new order underlain by ultra-nationalism. nationalism 13 Griffin maintains that if a populist

becomes linked with an idea of rebirth from decadence,

then fascism will be the result.

Nevertheless, such fascism would

only become a mass movement if actual social conditions were such as to engender a feeling of substantive crisis within the population-14

"In other words", he says, "our ideal type suggests that from the moment populist nationalism

coincided with a climate of palingenetic

fascism expectancy was 'bound' to appear. Yet it also suggests that it was only likely to gain any sort of mass following objective structural

dysfunction

profound

9 ibid., p. viii 10ibid., p. 27

11ibid., p. 28 ý- ibid.,

p. 33

13 ibid., pages35 and 38

23

14ibid., pages201-202

5

in conditions

" ibid., p. xviii.

There is much debate over whether Nazism and fascism are the same can of which overview good -a be found in Kershaw's The Nazi Dictatorship. In it, Kershaw acknowledges the extent of controversy and disagreement over the question of the nature of fascism and Nazism, and over whether Nazism can or cannot be described as a form of fascism. He explains that the Communists, for example, were clear that Nazism was simply a specific form of fascism i. e. "Hitler fascism" -a function of capitalism (see pages 18,24 and 36). Even some other, non-communist, interpretations stressed the importance of Hitler - saying that Nazism could most aptly be described as Hitlerism

(see pages 20 and 39). In addition, there is an argument that generic definitions of fascism cannot encompass Nazism's "singularity" (see p. 35). However, other interpretations stress the similarities between Nazism and fascism in such a way as to locate Nazism within the boundaries of fascism (see

p. 37). Kershaw concludes that "there need be no contradiction, therefore, between acceptance of

Nazism (as the most extreme manifestation of) fascism and recognition of its own