Fascism in Germany: Ideology and

Rise
By David Robinson & Jessica Rabinowitz
Background
• German Defeat and Humiliation in WWI sparked resent men for other nations and
for alleged traitors at home.
• The German Revolution of 1918–1919 saw elements of navy revolt in response to
orders for a final Hail Mary attempt and defeating the British Navy. The revolution
soon spread, the monarchy was deposed, and the newly elected government
signed the armistice.
• The main protagonists of the revolution were socialists. The Social Democrats (SPD)
were non-revolutionary Marxists who wanted the new government to be a
standard parliamentary democracy. They had no interest in a soviet style of
government and so they worked with elements of the old high command to crush
the more radical elements of the revolution.
Background
• Economic Ruin of Germany in the Post war Period shakes confidence in the
economic and political order. Inflation and then rapid depletion makes mockery of
what an economy was supposed to be. This led many into conspiratorial thinking
about the cause. Many blamed the figure of the Jewish Banker.
• The Social Democratic Party was the largest party and was largely responsible for
Weimar Era Constitution. So any and all blame fell on them and critically their many
Jewish Leaders.
• The Communist Party KPD was not antisemitic but many of its members were
former SPD members who had turned against the party due to it support for War.
Many had been imprisoned for trying to get Germany out of WWI. Many more
where killed and imprisoned during the revolution for supporting a soviet style of
government. So they hated the SPD and the Constitution as well.
Ideology
• According to Nazi ideology, Germany was the verge of victory in WWI before it
was stabbed in the back by and Communists, Jews and Liberals.
• Nazism was intensity xenophobic and racist. They held that the truly German Race
was the Aryn Race who purity needed to be protected from the influence of other
races. Jews, Roma, Poles, Slav, LGBT, and Disabled people were considered
degenerates who needed to be killed or enslaved in the case of the slavs.
• Anti-Semitism was the glue that held much of this hatred together. Slavic people
where hatred both because of Germany’s past conflicts with Russia but also
because they according to Hitler had fallen to communism which Hitler regarded as
a form of Jewish disease.
 Ideology
• Jews and Communists in particular were looked at as one in the same. Jews were
the Germ; Communism was one it’s more potent diseases.
• The Nazis also adopt a kind of faux anticapitalism as well, specific capitalists were
targeted primarily Jewish Bankers or Financiers.

Bolshevism Without a Mask The String Puller The war is his Fault
Tactics
• The Nazi party portraited itself and truly was a fighting force against the rise of Communism. The SA
(Storm Detachment) was formed for this very purpose.
• The Nazi party would purposefully hold rallies in areas where they knew there was a strong communist
presence. Its violence was purposeful and deliberate. The goal was to convince Germans that they were
the only one’s capable of facing down communism.
• The message was simple and strong: Democracy is weak it cannot protect you from communism any
better than it could protect you from economic ruin. Elect Hitler and crush the enemy.
• This had script had already been confirmed too many Germans when nationalist militias has crushed
communist revolts a few years prior.
Tactics
• The Nazis where early adopters of new advertising techniques. They also had the
advantage of a rather simple message. Unity, Strength, and Hatred. Where all
themes that appealed to many Germany.
• The ability to focus on one man also allowed the Nazis to make Hitler a larger than
live figure. Nazi emphasis on the importance of Hitler got to the point that an ad as
simple as this carried enormous power. The design of the was simple and black a
white as opposed the wordier more colorful designs of other parties for this reason
it stood out.
• Third Reich: The Rise & Fall (14:17 to 15:00) video about Nazis pageantry and
its ability to build up cult like feelings.
Hitlers Rise.
• In 1932 The Nazis became the single largest party. For any non-socialist ruling
coalition the other parties would have to go into government with the Nazis as
partners. Still President Hindenburg avoided giving Hitler the chancellorship.
• In the next election however the Nazi share of votes dropped but the share of
communist votes rose. Hindenburg gave in and made Hitler Chancellor. He hoped
the other government officials could be a moderating influence on him.
• Hitler was constrained from engaging in rapid illegality for a time. However, the
Reichstag fire, resulted in Hindenburg suspending civil liberties. Hitler used this to
destroy leftist political parties. Even still he could not get a majority of votes in the
next election.
• So the Nazis proposed an enabling act which would allow Hitler to rule by decree.
The necessary 2/3rds was achieved by expelling the Communists members.
Citation
• Adolf Hitler is named chancellor of Germany. (2009, October 28).
Retrieved September 22, 2020, from
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/adolf-hitler-is-named-ch
ancellor-of-germany
• Paxton, R. O. (2005). The anatomy of fascism. New York: Borzoi Books.