A question about the Nazis in Germany.

[brainshrub]

Why did the Nazis call themselves "National Socialists Party"? I thought fascists hated socialism even more then they hated Jews.

Anyone have an answer?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. It as a strategic name choice early in the hstory of the party

remember Socialist is not the same as Communist, close but no cigar, and the Socialist party in germany was very popular. The NAZIs added antionalism to it, and basically tehir philosophy was everything but socialists but helped them garner the supoort of socialists and even some communists. Yes there are differences, and many of those folks later on found the truth but it was too late.

In some ways they voted against their interesets.... sound familiar, when a party that is not for the common man disguises itself as a party of the common man?

[Warpy]

2. Hitler grabbed control of a party which had been nominally

socialast and antisemitic, although ineffectually so. When Hitler's bunch managed to grab control of that party and then the government, the first people they hunted down and killed were the communists; the second were the socialists.

Anybody who tries to tell you Hitler was any variety of socialist is displaying to the world that he is the type of moron who reads a title and thinks that means he's read the book.

[bobbieinok]

4. Hitler took over a party already in existence..some of the 1st members

were some sort of socialist and wanted some socialist goals.....those who clung to socialist goals were eliminated in the 'Night of the Long Knives' in 34

Roehm and other SA (brownshirts) leaders were also eliminated then...they wanted Hitler to dump the military and use the SA (the streetfighters) as the new military...Hitler wasn't stupid enuff to dump centuries of experience in favor of the people who helped bring him to power

Alan Bullock's Hitler: A Study in Tyranny has more info about Hitler coming to power

[SoDesuKa]

6. Hundreds of Parties

There were hundreds of parties in Germany, and Hitler just happened on the National Socialists. There's no special meaning to the name, just one flavor compared to another.

[Owlet]

3. There's a difference

The Nazi's portrayed themselves as "National" socialists, as distinct from the communists who were viewed (and who saw themselves) as "International" sociailsts. There was a heavy emphasis on nationalism of the xenophobic variety, with its glorification of Aryan ethnic purity, with its roots in the Volk und Vaterland movements of pre-WWI Germany.

[Toronto Ron]

5. I like the implied analogy:

In what sense is the current gang of thugs, cheaters, liars, oilmen, and general assholes, "republicans"? From dictionary.com: A republic is "A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them."

On edit: Oh I see, the definition refers to a body of citizens, i.e. those who are white, affluent, and Christian.