Nazism as One of the Genera European Fascisms - Essay Example

Nazism as one of the genera European fascisms Introduction Fascism in the study of political science and history refers to a radical nationalist movement that just as any other seeks to unify the people in either a country or an identifiable region through their common identity. Fascists unlike other forms of nationalist movements in the early history was more radical and more authoritarian1. They believed on their call for unity of either a race or a specific interest group and therefore sought their interests regardless of the costs. Fascism was a common in the early European community, which thrived on the use of hostility against liberal democracy, communism and sociology. While the different forms of fascism in the early European nations differed, they share a number of ideologies some of which validated the German Nazism as one of such. Nazism is an acronym referring to the National Socialism. It was an early political ideology largely practiced in Germany among other regions in the early European community. Despite its widespread practice, the German Nazism was more prominent owing to its radical form of governance and its conspicuous portrayal as a form of fascism movement2. Nazism in Germany evolved progressively from the Pan Germanism a radical political movement that sought to unify Germans under a common identity and shared a common dislike for communism. The movement therefore fought against the spread of communism in the post First World War Germany. It was a radical movement that openly used racism as a means of unify the people of common interests compelling them to share a common goal and therefore strive for its attainment3. For such reasons and for the strategic management of the German Nazism, the movement therefore portrayed itself not just as a major political movement that resulted in the creation of the modern day Germany but a fascist movement that would use any amount of force for the attainment of its common interest4. The movement used far right racisms against people it did not consider legitimate Germans. The level of racism in Germany was far right implying the highest level of racism in any society5. It allowed for the domination of the society by a race commonly considered superior. The movement sought to defend the national interest through the effective protection of the interests of those it thought legitimate citizens. Those considered inferior therefore faced intense discrimination, which culminated in the mass murder of more than six million Jews in the society, the holocaust. The Nazi Germany led by its radical leader, Adolf Hitler authorized the development of more than four thousand facilities, which it used to hold concentrate, hold and kill the more than six million Jews. Id doing this, the state sponsored murder began by killing children and women an effective mechanism through which it could systematically eliminate an entire race. By eliminating the women and children first, the government ensured that it contained the population increase of the race since it is only through the women and the children that the race could safeguard its future. For the time being, the government permitted the use of the Jews men as slaves in the plantations and other facilities that belonged to the legitimate Germans, the Nazis. The Nazi government used the genocide as a means of consolidating the country’s resources to the Nazis. It was a perfect method of eliminating competition and conflict of interest thereby resulting in a country with common interest. The government termed the mass killings as a solution to the Jews problem6. Apparently, the Jews a religious grouping and therefore an ethnic community, which often opposed the authoritarian Nazi government. It therefore presented a substantial opposition to the effective governance of the country. With a population of more than seven million people, it was a minority group but occupied a sizable piece of land in the country that the government thought best befitted the Nazis7. Additionally, their continual call for communism threatened the interest of the authoritarian government factors, which validated the government’s use of excessive force in eliminating them. Besides the mass murder of the children and Jews women, the annihilation of the Jews also coincided with the mass murder of more than five hundred people with disabilities and the Romani another minority group in the region. One of the key characteristics of fascism, which validated such as nationalism movement, was its consistent invocation of the primacy of the state. The movement sought to foster and sustain the interest of the nation. However, it had a partisan view to the nation often referring to the interest of the majority while stifling and obliterating the interest of the minority. Such gave room for the rise of extremist leaders. The German Nazism through its authoritarian leader, Adolf Hitler authenticated the Nazism as a fascist movement. Through his government, Adolf Hitler sought to consolidate the wealth of the nation and use them to develop the interest of the country. The authoritarian government sought to consolidate Germans a feature that Hitler used to stifle any form of opposition to his reign thereby earning him a seamless governance. The Jews were the only source of threat in the German society. The rest had a common identity through the race. Hitler therefore took advantage of the common identity to vouch common interest and use such to antagonize the other minority groups. Through such tactics, he managed to convince the other stakeholders in the government to develop the concentration camps in which they killed the millions of Jews8. Adolf Hitler was an integral figure in fostering the radical fascist movement. As an authoritarian figure, he used varying amounts of force not only to contain his territory but also to eliminate resistance to his regime. Communism was a political ideology that threatened his political relevance thus survival. He therefore systematically united the majority race in the country under the umbrella of Nazism a mechanism through which they earned a common identity and thought they deserved similar rights most of which superior to the rights of the Jews, a minority group in the region. This way, the Nazis developed common contempt against the Jews giving Hitler a prime opportunity to thwart the development of a communist social structure through the holocaust9. Holocaust in Greek refers to a form of animal sacrifice offered to the gods in order to earn favors, in such sacrifices, the animals are burnt completely10. The term was common in earlier societies, which believed in different deities. The subsequent societies in Europe used the term in reference to different massacres. After the German Massacre of the Jews, historians adopted the term in reference to the specific German massacre of the Jews. Additionally, the development of the film, Holocaust that portrays the German’s mass murder of the Jews further propagated the use of the term in reference to the massacre. Analytically, the Nazi government used the Jews as systematic sacrifices meant to expand resources for the Nazis11. Through their systematic annihilation, the Nazis would consolidate the land that they believed legitimately belonged to them among other resources that belonged to the Jews. Additionally, the absence of the Jews would result in the lack of resistance to their autonomous leader thereby resulting in the development of a single and effectively unified country. Fascist movements in the early European history sought to consolidate the resources of the county thereby seeking to develop strong economies for those considered true nationalists. Nazism therefore strived to create an ideal society for the Nazis. In doing so, the Adolf Hitler led government needed to mobile every resource in the country. This way, he would have unrivaled governance and amass as much wealth as possible. The historical times were unstable and the countries kept vested and conflicting interests12. By permitting the growth and development of the Jews who had a common hatred for the Hitler governance, the authoritarian leader could have made himself and his governance exposed to foreign inversion who could have possibly used the Jews to stage a systematic and successful revolution against him. Hitler therefore did not only require the resources capable of enabling him to purchase the best weaponry with which to defend Germany from foreign invasion but he also needed the common support of the German people. The development of the Jews among the German community therefore threatened his development, therefore the stability of the country and its economy. In so doing, he gave legitimacy to the Nazis thereby successfully developing conflicts and contempt for the minority group. By eliminating them, he creates a comprehensive and cohesive society comprising of people with common interests. Such was therefore easy to govern and develop. He therefore managed to safeguard his interests as an authoritarian leader and the interest of the Germans by earning them land among other resources, which they employed and paid taxes to his government thereby enabling him to amass as much wealth as he needed to safeguard his interests13. Fascist movements share a number of common characterizes most of which validated the German Nazism as such. One of such common characteristics included the devotion to a strong leader. The Germans devoted to the unity that Hitler sought to develop for the people with a common identity14. As an iconic figure, Germans adored Hitler and believed in him as though a god. They executed every of his command a feature which enabled him to carry out the ritualistic sacrifice of the Jews with the unanimous support of the rest of the Germans. Hitler therefore embodied Nazism and the fascist ideologies. Additionally, fascists view political war and the subsequent use of violence as an effective means to achieving their goals. Hitler managed to brainwash his followers making the embrace the use of violence15. As such, they embrace violence, which they systematically developed in target of the Jews. Prior to the inhumane annihilation, the Jews had faced intense discrimination from the Nazis and an excessive use of force from the government authorities. Such therefore developed an enabling environment for the eventual massacre of the entire race, the worst genocide in human history. The use of the excessive force and the subsequent mass murder of the Jews therefore served as an effective means of achieving their primary goal. The Germans needed to develop a cohesive society and discourage the spread of communism in the region. The two factors could only thrive in the Jews society16. By carrying out the mass murder, which preceded the universal denial of government services to the Jews, the Hitler led government developed enabling infrastructure for it to foster its individual interests and those that Hitler managed to convince the German were legitimately theirs. Hitler used such to develop universal hostility against liberal democracy and communism thereby developing an enabling environment for his authoritarian rule. This implies that he did not only seek to safeguard the interest of the Germans who used them to safeguard his personal interests. In retrospect, fascism was an entirely negated movement in the early European history as such sought to consolidate unify common people thereby developing a systematic and effective government that ruled themselves. The precarious ties in the history of politics witnessed both economic and political wars. Such environment therefore enabled the development of the fascist movements17. However, the Hitler led German was more radical and used excessive force in the pretext of defending the interest of the majority Germans who Hitler considered legitimate citizens. The government spread propaganda, which managed to develop a systematic hatred for the Jews thereby making it possible for the government to carry out the human sacrifice in order to defend the interest of the iconic leader. Bibliography Hilberg, R. (1985). The Destruction of the European Jews, New York: Holmes & Meier. Lucy D. (1987). The War Against the Jews. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Kershaw, K. (2000). The Nazi Dictatorship - Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation, London: Arnold. McDonough, F. (2008). The Holocaust, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Michael M. (2000). The Holocaust in History. Toronto: Key Porter 2000. Payne, S. (1995). A History of Fascism, 1914-45. London: UCL Press. Perry, M & Schweitzer, F. M. (2002). Antisemitism: myth and hate from antiquity to the present, Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan. Raul H. (1985). The Destruction of the European Jews, New York: Holmes & Meier. Ronnie L. (2006). The Nazi Holocaust. London : IB Tauris. Rubenstein, J & Roth, J. K. (2003). Approaches to Auschwitz: the Holocaust and its legacy, Louisville, Ky; London: Westminster John Knox Press. Wolfgang B. (2000). The Holocaust. A German historian examines the genocide. New York: Columbia University Press. Read More