The structure of the Nazi Party greatly resembled the key features of a totalitarian state including; a system of single mass party control that did not tolerate opposition, a compelling ideology and a dictatorship with complete power over all aspects of state affairs, including the economy. Under the process of ‘Gleichaltung’ and ‘Volksgemeinshaft’ the Nazi party consolidated conformity within the structures of society and domestically; for the lives of civilians. However there exists ongoing debate as to the extent to which Hitler’s Regime qualified as a totalitarian, with the existence of institutions in society such as the Catholic Church, the army and the industrialists of society that remained independent from the Nazi Regime.
NEXT- NAZI AS TOTALITARIAN
To a great extent, the Nazi Party resembled a totalitarian state; as a regime that consolidated all major aspects of society under the policy of ‘Gleischaltung’ or synchronization. Historian Carr describes this as Hitler’s process of “dissolution and reforming to prevent any kind of anti-Nazi cell developing.” Abolishing the Trade Unions in May 1933 and replacing them with German Labour Front (DAF), enabled Hitler to “take away the fears of a worker revolt” (Evans). While the ‘Decree for the protection of people and state’ February 1933 restricted the civil liberties of German society, effectively enabling the existence of a police state.
Furthermore, the Nazi party was able to assure the maintenance of the Law, replacing all legal bodies that did not act “interests of the National Socialist State”. The Enabling act of 23rd March 1933 enabled Hitler to dissolve all existing political parties and secure control over the Reichstag for a period of four years, which was further consolidated by ‘The Law against the New Foundation of Parties’ in July. In ensuring the Nazi dominance over political parties, the court of law, and the trade unions and civil freedoms, Hitler and the Nazi party effectively established the ‘single mass party’ of a totalitarian state.
The process of 'Volksgemeinshaft' or the 'people's' community essentially enabled Hitler to bring about a cultural conformity to the ‘compelling ideology’ initiating a societal shift to the actively support Nazi totalitarianism.
In comparison to other totalitarian states such as Lenin’s Bolshevik Russia, the Nazi party came to power legally gaining a majority in the Reichstag with the highest amount of votes since the Muller government. Employing the ideologies of the Nazi Regime, Hitler was able to establish a consensual dictatorship, to which Historian Carr asserts, "dictatorship by consent" was a better term for nazi germany. Socially Hitler’s domestic policy was governed by the ideals of 'national reform'. Within Germany both women and men were harnessed to fulfill their specific roles, which for men connoted physical strength and mental obedience to ensure the nation's military prosperity, and so too for women Nazi ideologies required the physical form in order to breed the pure, Aryan race. Women's lives were governed by the policy of "KInder, KIrsch, Kuche" (children, kitchen, church), encouraged by the financial incentives provided by the Nazi Party under the 'Law for the encouragement of Marriage'. The previous freedoms granted to women such as the right to vote and work were effectively crushed in the period of Hitler's consolidation in accordance with Nazi ideologies. The Nazi Regime specifically targeted the younger generation who had managed to slip through loopholes in the construction of the Weimar Republic and thus represented a majority of Hitler's support. The Nazi Party appealed to the ingrained sense of nationalism within the education system, with the similar intention to "burn the racial sense and feeling and instinct and intellect" as Hitler asserted. The 'League of German Maidens' was made compulsory 1936, and the 'Hitler Youth' from 1938, organizations which initiated specific gender roles for the future German society, effectively creating an obedient and loyal generation wholly compliant with the Nazi Regime. Under the process of ‘Volksgemeinshaft’ Hitler was able to establish the willing support from the civilians, needed for his totalitarian Regime.
While the social and cultural conformity initiated by the Nazi Party was largely effective, there did exist groups that maintained independence and in some cases, opposition to the Regime throughout the years of 1933-1939. The existence of opposition groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates an anti-nazi parallel to the Hitler Jugen, as well as the White rose; another student led organization led by Hans and Sophie Scholl.
ARMY
Hitler’s aggressive dictatorship greatly relied upon military support, ‘The night of long Knives' of June 1934 exemplifies Hitler’s sympathy lay clearly with the army, in his tenets of dissolving apposing military groups (SA). While the army signed an oath of faith to Hitler on 30 June 1934, in comparison to other totalitarian Regimes the German Reichswehr were to a great extent, enabled to prosper as an independent of Nazi ideologies.
BIG BUISNESSES
While the concept of a 'single party' involves complete power over all state affairs, in the case of Nazi Germany there existed authority institutions such as the big businesses who maintained power through out Hitlers reign. In the initial years of gaining support (1930's), the Nazi party appealed to the industrialists of society who sympathized with the return to imperial germany. In january 1932 Hitler met with Fritz Physsen leader of the industrialists, who decided to fund the Nazi party before Hitler came to power. Thus it can be argued that as a result of the party's economic reliance on the industrialists, the big businesses of society remained to a certain extent, separate institutions who maintained power, defying the concept of totalitarian control.
CHURCH
Similarly to most organizations of society, the Catholic Church was under immense pressure to conform with Nazi ideologies, however the agreement signed between Hitler and the Catholic Church in 1933, assured that the Nazi party would not interfere with the Catholic Church so long as the Church would not comment on Nazi politics. This agreement effectively enabled the Catholic Church to prosper as an independent force within society. Such freedom was short lived as in 1937 Hitler started a concerted attack on the Catholic Church arresting priests, subsequently the pope, Pius XI, issued his "Mit brennender Sorge" statement ("With burning anxiety") for the fate of Germany in the hands of the Nazi Regime. However, there was never a total clampdown on the Catholic Church in Germany it was as a world-wide movement with much international support.
While the rigidity of the Nazi Party issued a radical societal conformity under the processes of Gelischaltung and Volksgemeinshaft, the existence of external forces within society undermines the extent to which Hitler’s Regime can be considered totalitarian.
NEXT - Gleichaltung/ Volk
People willingly supported Nazism "he hitler would have counted for nothing without the support and cooperation of the german people... thousands many hundreds of thousands carried out his evil order without question" A .J.P Taylor
It is crucial to examine the foundations of the Nazi Regime and the philosophy of Mein Kampf, which was in fact Hitlers personal 'world view' which allowed him to govern according to his own specific beliefs. Where as Lenin's dictatorship, by converse, exemplified the totalitarian regime running in accordance with the political philosophy of the Communist manifesto of 1798 which stemmed from a legacy of practiced ideologies including Lenin's Bolshevik revolution of 1918. While the Bolsheviks were a minority party that came to power through revolution, the Nazi party came to power legally gaining a majority in the Reichstag with the highest amount of votes since the Muller government. Thus, the question arises as to wether Hitler established consensual dictatorship, to which Historian Carr asserts, "dictatorship by consent" was a better term for nazi germany.
NEXT- NAZI AS TOTALITARIAN
To a great extent, the Nazi Party resembled a totalitarian state; as a regime that consolidated all major aspects of society under the policy of ‘Gleischaltung’ or synchronization. Historian Carr describes this as Hitler’s process of “dissolution and reforming to prevent any kind of anti-Nazi cell developing.” Abolishing the Trade Unions in May 1933 and replacing them with German Labour Front (DAF), enabled Hitler to “take away the fears of a worker revolt” (Evans). While the ‘Decree for the protection of people and state’ February 1933 restricted the civil liberties of German society, effectively enabling the existence of a police state.
Furthermore, the Nazi party was able to assure the maintenance of the Law, replacing all legal bodies that did not act “interests of the National Socialist State”. The Enabling act of 23rd March 1933 enabled Hitler to dissolve all existing political parties and secure control over the Reichstag for a period of four years, which was further consolidated by ‘The Law against the New Foundation of Parties’ in July. In ensuring the Nazi dominance over political parties, the court of law, and the trade unions and civil freedoms, Hitler and the Nazi party effectively established the ‘single mass party’ of a totalitarian state.
The process of 'Volksgemeinshaft' or the 'people's' community essentially enabled Hitler to bring about a cultural conformity to the ‘compelling ideology’ initiating a societal shift to the actively support Nazi totalitarianism.
In comparison to other totalitarian states such as Lenin’s Bolshevik Russia, the Nazi party came to power legally gaining a majority in the Reichstag with the highest amount of votes since the Muller government. Employing the ideologies of the Nazi Regime, Hitler was able to establish a consensual dictatorship, to which Historian Carr asserts, "dictatorship by consent" was a better term for nazi germany. Socially Hitler’s domestic policy was governed by the ideals of 'national reform'. Within Germany both women and men were harnessed to fulfill their specific roles, which for men connoted physical strength and mental obedience to ensure the nation's military prosperity, and so too for women Nazi ideologies required the physical form in order to breed the pure, Aryan race. Women's lives were governed by the policy of "KInder, KIrsch, Kuche" (children, kitchen, church), encouraged by the financial incentives provided by the Nazi Party under the 'Law for the encouragement of Marriage'. The previous freedoms granted to women such as the right to vote and work were effectively crushed in the period of Hitler's consolidation in accordance with Nazi ideologies. The Nazi Regime specifically targeted the younger generation who had managed to slip through loopholes in the construction of the Weimar Republic and thus represented a majority of Hitler's support. The Nazi Party appealed to the ingrained sense of nationalism within the education system, with the similar intention to "burn the racial sense and feeling and instinct and intellect" as Hitler asserted. The 'League of German Maidens' was made compulsory 1936, and the 'Hitler Youth' from 1938, organizations which initiated specific gender roles for the future German society, effectively creating an obedient and loyal generation wholly compliant with the Nazi Regime. Under the process of ‘Volksgemeinshaft’ Hitler was able to establish the willing support from the civilians, needed for his totalitarian Regime.
While the social and cultural conformity initiated by the Nazi Party was largely effective, there did exist groups that maintained independence and in some cases, opposition to the Regime throughout the years of 1933-1939. The existence of opposition groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates an anti-nazi parallel to the Hitler Jugen, as well as the White rose; another student led organization led by Hans and Sophie Scholl.
ARMY
Hitler’s aggressive dictatorship greatly relied upon military support, ‘The night of long Knives' of June 1934 exemplifies Hitler’s sympathy lay clearly with the army, in his tenets of dissolving apposing military groups (SA). While the army signed an oath of faith to Hitler on 30 June 1934, in comparison to other totalitarian Regimes the German Reichswehr were to a great extent, enabled to prosper as an independent of Nazi ideologies.
BIG BUISNESSES
While the concept of a 'single party' involves complete power over all state affairs, in the case of Nazi Germany there existed authority institutions such as the big businesses who maintained power through out Hitlers reign. In the initial years of gaining support (1930's), the Nazi party appealed to the industrialists of society who sympathized with the return to imperial germany. In january 1932 Hitler met with Fritz Physsen leader of the industrialists, who decided to fund the Nazi party before Hitler came to power. Thus it can be argued that as a result of the party's economic reliance on the industrialists, the big businesses of society remained to a certain extent, separate institutions who maintained power, defying the concept of totalitarian control.
CHURCH
Similarly to most organizations of society, the Catholic Church was under immense pressure to conform with Nazi ideologies, however the agreement signed between Hitler and the Catholic Church in 1933, assured that the Nazi party would not interfere with the Catholic Church so long as the Church would not comment on Nazi politics. This agreement effectively enabled the Catholic Church to prosper as an independent force within society. Such freedom was short lived as in 1937 Hitler started a concerted attack on the Catholic Church arresting priests, subsequently the pope, Pius XI, issued his "Mit brennender Sorge" statement ("With burning anxiety") for the fate of Germany in the hands of the Nazi Regime. However, there was never a total clampdown on the Catholic Church in Germany it was as a world-wide movement with much international support.
While the rigidity of the Nazi Party issued a radical societal conformity under the processes of Gelischaltung and Volksgemeinshaft, the existence of external forces within society undermines the extent to which Hitler’s Regime can be considered totalitarian.
NEXT - Gleichaltung/ Volk
People willingly supported Nazism "he hitler would have counted for nothing without the support and cooperation of the german people... thousands many hundreds of thousands carried out his evil order without question" A .J.P Taylor
It is crucial to examine the foundations of the Nazi Regime and the philosophy of Mein Kampf, which was in fact Hitlers personal 'world view' which allowed him to govern according to his own specific beliefs. Where as Lenin's dictatorship, by converse, exemplified the totalitarian regime running in accordance with the political philosophy of the Communist manifesto of 1798 which stemmed from a legacy of practiced ideologies including Lenin's Bolshevik revolution of 1918. While the Bolsheviks were a minority party that came to power through revolution, the Nazi party came to power legally gaining a majority in the Reichstag with the highest amount of votes since the Muller government. Thus, the question arises as to wether Hitler established consensual dictatorship, to which Historian Carr asserts, "dictatorship by consent" was a better term for nazi germany.
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