NAZISM:

Despite the obvious militaristic nature of the fascist governments many celebrate Hitler’s success. The economy grows by about 9 percent between 1933-1939 that is similar to the level that the Chinese economy is growing today. Unemployment was lower in Germany than in the United States during the 1930s, although workers were paid less on average than U.S. workers. Many U.S. business executives at Ford and General Motors praise the Germans success like William S. Knudsen, who called Nazi Germany "the miracle of the twentieth century" and later as head of GM was the first civilian to be made into a general and played a key role in directing the economic side of the U.S. war effort in the 1940s. Hitler in turn praises industrialists like Henry Ford both for their success in business and anti-semitism. The Nazi Volkswagen project was meant to imitate the success of the Ford Model T, while Ford published articles like The International Jew. In 1936 Germany hosts the Olympics and in 1938 Hitler is named Time man of the year. Groups like the America First Committee (largely funded by business executives) were committed to non-intervention in the war and peace with Germany right up until the attack on Pearl Harbor in late 1941.

This was a period of a huge economic growth for Germany. Just like how the Nazi party rose to power riding on a wave of propaganda, so did the policies implemented by it. The money that came from creating jobs was used to finance the production of war fare machinery. Hitler was a power hungry person who wanted to rule more than just Germany, and he knew that could be achieved only by the use of force.

I choose this passage because it underlies the progress Germany made under the Nazi regime. What must be noted here is that the motive of such was to ultimately conquer major parts of the world.

Another thing is that America took it’s time to enter the Second World War. It waited for Russia to drain all it’s resources and until Pearl Harbor happened it did not enter the war. Another argument could be put forth that America saw the fall of Germany and its allies were coming. And it waited for Russia to finish the work. Had Pearl Harbor not happened, who knows what the outcome of the war would have been, or its aftermath.

1. What were some of the major reasons that led to the rise of Nazi Germany?

The rise of the Nazi party in Germany was a gradual process and many factors led to this development. Following the loss of the First World War and the Treaty of Versailles (which put the blame of the First World War squarely on Germany) many people were anger and this created a bitterness to which Hitler’s expansionism appealed. The Nazi party gave the German people hope and a chance to regain their lost pride. Secondly, the government was crippled by the weak constitution and there were loopholes in it, to which Hitler capitalized on. The Great Depression of 1929 sent shockwaves across the World and Germany was adversely affected due to its strong ties with the American economy. Widespread unemployment resulted from the crash in the stock market and the unemployed number of people rose to four million by 1930. The Nazi party capitalized on the severe economic disaster and by 1930 had become the second largest party in the Reichstag and it now became impossible to form a government without their support.

2. How did Nazis resolve conflicts between workers and owners and why was this an attractive model for business executives?

The Nazi party portrayed itself as the alternative to non-communist to the working class. They strategy was to substitute racial struggle for class struggle. They controlled class struggle by controlling the prices and wages of products and workers. Independent unions were destroyed in favor of a Nazi controlled union. It was attractive for the executives, as they were left in control of their business organizations, unlike the communist model. Moreover, the government became their biggest customer, as demands grew to supply the production of materials to support war.

3. What is the significance of the phrase “Arbeit macht Frei”?

This sign was infamously put up on many Nazi concentration camps during their regime. This phrase literally means “work makes one free”. However, on the contrary it had the opposite meaning. This was a place used to murder the Jews that were brought there to work. This sign became a defining symbol of the holocaust as it served as a reminder of the atrocities that the Jews underwent during the rule of the Nazi party in Germany.

4. What is State Capitalism and how does it relate to Nazi Germany?

State capitalism is a form of capitalism where the state performs the role of capitalist employer, exploiting the workers in the interest of the State. This can also be stated as the form of governance where there is the presence of a significant number of state owned business enterprises. During the regime of the Nazi party, most companies were directly or indirectly linked with the government. For example, Hitler believed the auto industry was vital in reviving the economy, and so his regime set up many companies that were run by his subordinates.

5. How would you evaluate the psychological causes of anti-semitism in the context of German society?

Anti-semitism was rampant during the reign of the Nazi party in Germany. People of the Jewish faith were denied basic civil rights, their property destroyed or confiscated. Jewish people holding positions in business and academics were removed from their jobs. The holocaust was set to mass murder Jews and by historical accounts about six million Jews perished during the holocaust. The German society was affected and more particularly the Jewish people were adversely affected by the actions of the Nazi party. Anti-semitism created a resentment among the German people against the Jewish people and that burden had to be carried on to the next generation.