What is Nazism?

The Great War

The start of the Nazi Party and Nazism can be traced back to the aftermath of WWI. The war ended in November of 1918, with the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was one of the "Central Powers", the side that lost. The terms of the treaty left Germany in pieces economically, politically, and militarily. Not only did Germany lose the war, but under the treaty terms, they lost land and most of their military. This was paired with billions of dollars' worth of debt. To pay off this debt, more money was printed, causing hyperinflation. German citizens were left in economic crises.

Das Führer

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria in 1889. He moved to Germany in 1913. Throughout his upbringing and early education, Hitler became a devote Nationalist, obsessed with Germany and the "purity" of German people. Hitler was a solider in World War I and, like many others, had felt strongly over the loss of the Germans. He decided to join the German Workers' Party. His strength in public speak eventually earned him the title of leader for the party. Hitler then changed the party's name to the German National Socialist Party, which shortened to the Nazi Party. To the party, Hitler brought not only his intense Nationalism for Germany and German people, but also his hatred and disdain for Jewish people.

Where They Stood

The ideology and ideals of the Nazi Party were rooted in their extreme nationalism, antisemitism, and anti-communism. They believed that German people were racially superior to all other Europeans and races, creating the idea of the "Aryan race". Scientific racism and eugenics were at the core of their belief system. They believed that Jewish people were the "the lowest form of humanity". They preached that Jewish people were dangerous to society and used them as a scapegoat for all that went wrong. They used hateful rhetoric and fear mongering tactics to gain power.