The impacts of the foundational Nazi theories on the violence dynamics

Theme of Unity and its role in the dynamics of war 20 4. Conclusion 27 Bibliography 29 Introduction The intention of this dissertation is to analyse and provide an argument to the significant elements that made up the Nazi and the main themes that are identifiable in relation to their philosophy. By doing this analysis, I intend to demonstrate the coherency of the Nazi philosophy and how this philosophy influenced the dynamics of violence that emerged. The main themes that will be discussed entail the advancement of the notion that leadership which is strong creates unity in both racial and social aspects at the expense of pluralism that is brought by democracy that is liberal; the antagonism of Marxist theories and their substitutions with the notion of nationalism that is organic; the doctrine of race, which entail anti-Semitism, purification of races, and struggles by various racial divides to survive; and the admiration of not only force but also the use and admiration of violence.

These are summarized as the theme of leadership coupled with the consideration of might as being right, the racial and the unity themes. The relation between this proverb, which is of Latin origin, and the concept of Nazism is that the trust the Germans had in Hitler eventually led them into becoming wolves against the Jewish people. The intent is to demonstrate that men against their fellow men perpetrated Nazi violence, and that this violence was an outcome of mechanisms that are complex and which emanate from the concept of National Socialism. It is common knowledge that disagreements occur in our society on daily basis. However, violence does not often occur where we all perceive them to occur. The twentieth century saw the most tragic of World Wars thus, this dissertation will question the explanations that are less obvious to us regarding the Third Reich and the associated “raison d’être” of this period.

This group was regarded as one of the most organized, most populous and ingenious. This population was also considered to be the most productive thus was seen as one of the formidable powers that was among the Western nations. During the third Reich, Germany was under the control of a movement that was political, and one whose sole commitment was to destroy the peace settlement that had been agreed on in the year 1919. The making of this settlement was on the back of the general belief that for Europe and the world in general to be peaceful for the following decades, there was need to put in the purposes, aims, and the motives of the power holders who in Europe, at this time, were in Berlin.

This settlement rested upon an interpretation of realities that included both military and diplomatic, in a correct yet prospective and contemporary manner. The final chapter focuses on the role that unity played as a fundamental theory of Nazism in perpetuating violence against the Jews. The Theme of Leadership in the Nazi This chapter presents the main theoretical ideology upon which the Nazi and its philosophy was built. The theme of leadership is central to Nazism and the chapter intends to demonstrate the nature of the leadership style that was adopted by Adolf Hitler, the beliefs that led to the adoption of this particular style of leadership and the impact the leadership style had in the dynamics of violence that was meted by the Nazi on various racial groups, with the Jews being the most affected.

The ideology of leadership was founded on the concept of National Socialism. The founding proponent of National Socialism was Johann Fichte. However, other German intellectuals and scholars like Paul de Lagarde would not condone abandoning Christianity therefore they suggested that it be adopted into a character that was German while advocating for the destruction of money, urbanism, and the associated capitalism which were the fundamental elements of “unnatural politics”. He made declaration that it was time that the German nation shunned liberal mindedness and gotten themselves liberated. That it was time to exhibit true German character8. It was upon this declaration that Heinrich von Treitschke, who at that time was a history professor at the University of Berlin, reinforced the totalitarian formula that opposed the liberal principles and demonstrated outright support for authoritarian power.

It is upon this foundation that National Socialism was founded. Other than believing in the leader, the entire Third Reich believed in the leading function that the nation played in the entire West. The entire leadership idea was fundamental because it embodied many of the assumptions that were made in Nazism such as the worth that was attached to loyalty and obedience, which could be nothing less than total. According to Adolf Hitler, a form of obedience that was characteristically total was indispensable. In his speech delivered on September 14, 1942, at Nuremberg Parteitag, Hitler denoted that nothing would be possible if there was not one will that gave commands that had to be obeyed. 11 Within the foundations of Nazi theories and the ideology that anchored Nazism, it was important for the leader to possess absolute power and authority that came with responsibility.

Thus, they would spontaneously arise from the mass of the populace and serve not only as the channel for conveying the views of the population but also as a representation of these views. They would in turn get a welcome by the Germans who would believe in them and completely trust in their leadership role. They would be obeyed in an effortless manner. If the masses were given a leader, who at this point is considered natural, they would be loyal and obedient without questioning and thus would abandon liberal democracy and the deceptions associated with it. In disputing liberal democracy, and instituting the theme of leadership that characterized Nazi in Mein Kampf, Hitler indicated that all men with a mind that is both patriotic and nation-oriented would become rebellious against any form of governance and governments that they had a conviction would destroy the nationality that they believed was their identity.

Such men were the men of action and those whose qualities were heroic. He asserted that leaders, who were representatives of the people in parliament as was the case in other Western nations, did not fit the profile of the unique caliber of men who could be given power to make decisions on behalf of the people. This is because of their conformist shortcomings that according to Hitler were the most stupid. Hitler viewed the parliamentary system as a misuse in a cynical manner of the responsibility that was considered political. In fact, he considered this approach to leadership as a way in which these conformists would take up the role of making decisions that affected the lives of the populace and draft deals without consulting the populace, being accountable to the public for these decisions, or even assuming responsibility for them to the extent to giving their lives for it.

In fact, according to them, during the period of election, every selfish individual is in a mad rush to get a parliamentary seat and this rush compromises their principles and make them ignore their conviction. They use all the available means to get the seat regardless of the done that is done along the way. Thus, they were regarded as an elite that were unnatural and who were made up of individual emanating from specific economic or social backgrounds rather than being people of factual merit. In addition, the Nazi saw the parliament as a smoke screen that hid the rulers of the populace who were considered true and authentic. This insinuations were made by Hitler with reference to the Jews whose democracy through the parliamentary system was not only duplicitous but also had a doctrine that was destructive.

News laws proliferated and the common laws that protect fundamental human freedoms were done away with. In fact, the rule by the Nazi became characterized with lawlessness that became a catalyst for violence. Hitler would resort to using threats to the races as a justification for actions that were done by his party. By portraying both bureaucracy and the rule of law in negative light, the leadership of Nazi managed to make it convenient for them to exert their lawless authority through the use of force and violence to achieve their aim like expanding their territory and eradicating the Jews who they considered as competitors and enemies. This was the birth of force and lawlessness that formed the foundation of the violence that followed.

In fact, in the Third Reich, physical strength and might would be victorious in all situations that required a struggle or competition. The conclusion based on the theme of leadership is that Nazi would bypass any legal systems and structures that were in place, ignore them, or change them as they deemed necessary to suit their agenda. That the rule of law would ultimately be the subordinate of brutal force and violence. Through giving superiority to the use of force, leaders would use their words, beliefs and convictions as laws and impose them in their followers, regardless of how they felt. They did not only became powerful in will but also gained power in their spirit and gained statures of heroes.

He was their hope of a novel future. With time, the Germans begun associated him with features of a supreme being. For instance, Baldur von Shirach described according service to Hitler as being comparable to giving service to God. Hugh Trevor-Roper, the editor and the introducer of The Goebbels Diaries, The Last Days, furthered this when he held on to the belief that he had that such form of service to Hitler was not only pure but was also for a cause that was sacred, to the end. 24 The ideology of leadership in the Nazi had no limitation to the relationship that existed between people. It argued that the Nazis had no regard for the rule of law and considered democracy as not only weak but as a tool that liberals used to drive their personal agenda.