JillianCarlstrom NathanDePuy AlexaShick JulianaCharles September30th,2013

Nazis ANaziisdefinedasamemberofaGermanpoliticalpartythatcontrolledGermany from1933to1945underAdolfHitler(MerriamWebster1).TheNaziparty,alsoknownas theNationalSocialistGermanWorkersparty,cameaboutinAprilof1920.TheNaziparty ruledunderthebeliefsoftheFuehrerPrinciple.ThisprinciplestatedthatAdolphHitler wasthesolerulerandtheNazipartyservedunderhisauthority(HistoryLearning1). AnotherideaheldbytheNationalSocialistGermanWorkerspartywasthatGermanywas inneedformorelivingspaceand,therefore,neededtoexpand.Thisideaisknownas Lebensraum.Thispartywasalsoinfavorofastrong,unitedGermany.Theybelievedthat GermanyshouldbeeconomicallyselfsufficientandallGermanpeopleshouldbeunitedin onecountry.However,itwasalsothoughtbytheNazisthatGermanywasextremely threatenedbygroupssuchcommunistsandJews.Overall,theideaofsocialDarwinism,or thethoughtthattheAryanracewassuperiortoallothers,wasthedrivingforcebehindthe partysthoughtsandactions(BBC1).Usingpropagandaandbrainwashing,theNaziparty recruitedfollowerstohelpreininGermanyfrom1933upuntiltheirdefeatin945after6 yearsofwar. TheNaziPartygrewoutoftheGermanWorkersPartyinApril1920.TheNazi

PartysleaderwasAdolfHitler.HitlerrequiredthepartytoacceptandadopttheFuehrer PrinciplewhichmeantthatcompleteandtotalauthorityisvestedintheFuehrer(Hitler). TheNaziPartywasorganizedinaveryparticularmatterwitheightdifferentlayers.Thefirst layerwastheFuehrerortheleader,AdolfHitler.HitlersolelygovernedtheChancellery.The secondlayerwasmadeupofReichLeadersmenwhohadbeengivenspecific appointmentwithintheparty,forexample,thepartytreasure.HitlerappointedReich Leaders.Thethirdlayerconsistedoftheregionalinspectors.Thefourthlayer,the Gauleiters,becameverypowerfulmenastheyweregivenadistrictorGautogovern.A GauleiterwasappointedbyHitlerandwasdirectlyresponsibletohim.WithintheNazi Partystructure,theGauleiterswereverypowerfulmen.AGauleiterwasprobablythemost importantmanwithinadistrictandruledtheirdistrictastheirown.Thefifthlayer,the Kreisleiters(CircuitLeaders)answeredtotheGauleiterandwererequiredtoputintoplace withintheirKreisthewishesoftheGauleiter.Thesixthlayerconsistedofthelocalgroup leaders(Ortsgruppenleiter)whowereresponsibleforlocalgroups,theOrtsgruppe.Each OrtsgruppenleiteransweredtotheirKreisleiter.BelowtheOrtsgruppenleiterscamethe Zellenleiters(CellLeaders)AZellenleiterledaneighborhoodunitoftheNaziPartyand wasusuallyresponsibleforfourorfiveblocksofhouseholds.Thelowestlevelof administrationwastheBlockwarttheblockwarden.EachappointedBlockwartlooked afterablockandwasanswerabletoanOrtsgruppenleiter. UnderthepowerofHitler,thechildrenofGermanywerestronglyinfluencedtojoin theNazis..Hitlerstartedexertinghisinfluencebeginningwithchildren.Aschildrenarevery impressionable,itwaseasyfortheNazistoguidethemdownthepathtobecominga

followerofHitler.In1926,anorganizationcalledHitlersYouthwascreatedtoinfluence thesechildrenmoreproductively.HItlerbelievedthatthesechildrenwerepartofasuperior racecalledtheAryans.Hebelievedthatthesignatureoftheindividualsofthisracewere blueeyesandblondhair.TheorganizationtargetedGermanboysprimarilybetweenthe agesoftenandeighteenyearsold.Boysthatwereapartofthisorganizationwouldbe trainedonthebasicsoffightinginthearmy.Theylearnedhowtothrowgrenades,protect themselvesfromdangerousgases,anddigtrenches.Girls,ontheotherhand,were recruitedmainlybetweentheagesoftenandfourteen.Whiletheyweretrained,thesegirls hadtoparticipateinmanydifferentobstaclecoursesthattestedtheirphysicalabilities. Hitlerbeganexertinghisinfluenceinschoolsbymakingtheschoolshangupportraitsof himtoremindeveryonethathewasconstantlywatching.Thisalsoprovidedawayfor childrentobeabletoidentifyHitler.ItalsocreatedemotionalconnectionslinkingHitlerwith anultimateauthorityfigure.Obviously,thishelpedtoleadchildrenintojoiningHitlersyouth. Overall,Hitlersactionschangethelivesofthesechildrensohecouldusethemforhisown personalgain. TheNaziPartyappearedtobeverywellstructured.However,itwasknownthat Hitlerfearedrivals.Onemethodheusedtomaintainhiscontrolofthepartywastoreplicate positionsamongtheseniorNazis.Bydoingthis,itispossiblethatHitlerbelievedthatthe menimmediatelybelowhimwouldbetooengrossedinestablishingtheirownterritory againstotherrivalstobeabletoconcentrateonthreateningHitlersposition.Theother issuethatunderminedpartyadministrationwasthepowergiventointernalsecurityunits, primarilytheGestapo.TheGestapodidnothavetoanswertoaGauleiterwhomaywell

havehadhispowerunderminedbymenwhoanswereddirectlytoaseniorGestapoofficer. AstheauthoritativedictatorofGermany,Hitlerusedhispowerforallthewrong reasons.Theideasthathedrilledintothemindsofhisfollowersaswellasyoungchildren causedtremendousdamageandtookthelivesofthousandsofinnocentpeople.TheNazis wereacomplexgroupofindividualsthatwerefearedbymany.Thatispossiblywhyso Hitlerhadsomanyfollowers.Unfortunatelytherestillpeopletodaywhobelieveinbreeding perfecthumanbeingsofthearyanraceandultimatepowerandcontrol.

WorksCited

"NaziBeliefs."BBCNews.BBC,n.d.Web.01Oct.2013. "Nazi."MerriamWebster.MerriamWebster,n.d.Web.01Oct.2013. "TheNaziParty."HistoryLearningCite.N.p.,n.d.Web.01Oct.2013. http://www.everythingimportant.org/seventhdayAdventists/FuehrerPrinciple.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi_party.htm http://suite101.com/a/hitleryouththoughtcontrolandbrainwashinginnazigermanya334644 http://www.culteducation.com/reference/brainwashing/brainwashing49.html