Nazism #
Nazism took power in Germany in 1933 and ruled until 1945, leading Europe into WWII and committing the Holocaust: the systematic murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others.
1. Nazi Ideology #
Racism (“Aryan” superiority), antisemitism, Lebensraum (living space in the East), Führerprinzip (absolute leader), pan-Germanism, anti-communism and anti-democracy.
2. Hitler’s Rise to Power #
From 2.6% of the vote in 1928 to Chancellor in January 1933. The Reichstag fire gave him emergency powers. By August 1934 he was Führer (absolute leader).
3. The Nuremberg Laws (1935) #
Jews stripped of citizenship, banned from professions and schools. Kristallnacht (9-10 November 1938): synagogues burned, Jewish shops destroyed.
4. Foreign Policy: Toward War #
Rearmament, occupation of the Rhineland, Anschluss with Austria (1938), Munich Agreement, invasion of Czechoslovakia, then Poland (1 September 1939) → WWII.
Conclusion #
Nazism is one of the darkest chapters in human history. Born from Germany’s post-WWI crisis, it exploited fear and prejudice to build a regime of terror that led to WWII and the Holocaust. Studying it is essential to recognize the signs of totalitarianism.
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