Nazi Ideology and Methods

1. Nazi Ideology and Methods

2. Ideology

3. Racial Ideology • The “Aryan Race:” • The term “Aryan” refers to prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European languages • The Nazi’s mistakenly used it as a racial term referring to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and modern Germans • Anti-Semitism • Much of the Nazi’s racism was directed towards the Jews (a Semitic—as opposed to Aryan—people • Hitler also wrote and spoke about a massive Jewish conspiracy that was in control of many Western governments, and the global economy • The Racially Pure State • A Nazi goal was to create a state that was dominated and controlled by “Aryans” • To do this, they sought to expel non-Aryans from Germany; • They also sought to prevent births among other “inferior” groups

4. Totalitarianism • The “State” (or “Nation”) was an all-consuming concept; • All individual needs, desires, and freedoms were subordinated to the needs of the State • Indoctrination: • Multiple methods were used to convince people to support and believe the Nazis’ ideology • Intolerance of Dissent: • People who vocally opposed the Nazi program were often arrested and imprisoned, or even killed • Anti-Nazi publications were not tolerated • Glorification of the “Fuhrer” • Adolf Hitler (“The Leader”) was glorified as the ultimate personification of the German State; and the savior of the German people

5. Militarism • The Treaty of Versailles had placed severe limits on Germany’s military power • Hitler rejected the Treaty as unfair (and a product of the “Jewish conspiracy”), and therefore did not believe that Germany was required to abide by it • As soon as the Nazi’s came to power, they began to re-build the country’s military • All adult males were required to serve in the military • Hitler promoted the concept of “Lebensraum:” • The idea that “superior” nations had the right to expand in order to create “Living Space” for themselves • (But initially, the Nazi’s publicly proclaimed that they desired peace, and had no expansionist objectives)

6. Methods

7. Propaganda • The two most noticeable methods of active propaganda were: • 1) Advertisements • 2) Spectacles (huge gatherings, parades, celebrations, etc. in which Nazi ideology and leaders were promoted) • Control of the Media: • After only a few years in power, the Nazi’s had gained control over all of Germany’s mass communication: • Including newspapers, radio, and movies • Social Norms: • Example: The “Hitler Salute” was expected to be given whenever members of the Nazi militia passed by, or even when encountering people in social situations

8. The Secret Police and Other Organizations • The Nazi’s used multiple organizations to promote their ideology and suppress dissent: • The SA (aka, the Storm Troopers; the Brownshirts): • The original Nazi Party militia; • Intimidated and assaulted people who did not actively support the Nazis’ program • The Gestapo and the SS • The country’s Secret Police forces; headed by Heinrich Himmler • They spied on German citizens and ran the country’s concentration camps • The Secret Police were aided in their efforts to locate dissenters by citizens who reported on each other—something that was actively encouraged by the Nazi’s • The Hitler Youth • In addition to indoctrinating children into the Nazi belief system via the Hitler Youth, the Nazi’s also took control of the nation’s school system and kept tight control over what was taught in the schools

9. “Protective Custody” • From the beginning of the Nazi regime, political opponents were often arrested and sent to “protective custody” • “Protective Custody” was the euphemism for Concentration Camps • At Dachau Camp, the camp superintendent developed a Protocol or inmates’ behavior and consequences, which was eventually adopted throughout the camp system: • Labor was required of all prisoners; • Discipline was extremely harsh; for example the punishment for discussing politics or meeting with others to discuss politics, was death • The camp system expanded throughout the 1930s, to house not only political prisoners but any “undesirables” • …especially Jews