Essay on Were the Nazis Socialists?

Were the Nazis Socialists?

Was it true that the Nazis were socialists? No way, not after 1934, and especially not in any meaningful sense. But, in order to adequately confront this myth, one must first examine the origins of the party.

The Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP; German Workers’ Party) was formed in 1919 by Anton Drexler, a Munich locksmith. In the early years of the Weimar Republic, political parties were still new phenomena in Germany, and the DAP—renamed the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP; National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazi Party) in 1920—was one of the numerous peripheral players seeking for dominance.

If it had not been for Adolf Hitler’s efforts, the Nazis could have remained a provincial party fighting to achieve recognition outside of Bavaria. Hitler became a member of the Nazi Party soon after it was founded, and by July 1921, he had practically complete control over the Nazi political and paramilitary organization.

It would be an understatement to suggest that Hitler appreciated the importance of words. His ascent to power was heavily influenced by propaganda. To that aim, Hitler gave lip service to the principles implied by a name like National Socialist German Workers’ Party, but his primary focus was on gaining power at any cost and pushing his racist, anti-Semitic agenda. Following the Beer Hall Putsch’s failure in November 1923, Hitler became persuaded that he needed to use the Weimar government’s shaky democratic mechanisms to achieve his objectives.

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