Lecture 12: Fascism Flashcards
Nazism –>
- revolution?
- sociological approach
- nazism vs fascism
Fascism –> 2nd great revolution alongside Communism.
- it mobilized country
- was revolutionary ideology
Sociological approach
- high pt of brutality
- look @ members sociologically; were educated, advanced, following their moral creed
- need to understand their world
Nazism vs Fascism
Fascism = came earlier, leaders not as charismatic or mobilizing, anti-semitism came much later than German case
Nazism = came later when Hitler as chancellor in 30s, highly mobilized all sectors of society under Hitler, charismatic, anti-semitism innate to Nazism; a TOTAL STATE.
Background
- 19th cen. empires
- Lebensraum
19th cen empires
- size of empire mattered
- geopolitical independence and security desired
Lebensraum –> Hitler wanted national state but not an empire; didn’t want multinationalist character of them. ex. Ukraine
- Why was there a state breakdown?
- Weimar republic constitution gave emergency powers to president & worsens poli division + electoral democracy makes majoritarian govt hard, coalitions fail often
- impact of great depression –> radicalization
- street fights = no order, military attacking communists on streets
Myth; Dolchstobblegende & 2 consequences
defeated soldiers from WWI were stabbed in back by civilian gr. of jewish, leftists, socialist, ppl
1) civilian trust in govt & left lowered
2) brings back glory & prestige of military
Rightist groups hand power over to Hitler b/c they think he can control situation
- Forces from Below - Nazi members
- who are the nazis? massive overrepresentation of ex-soldiers
- young armed men defeated in WWI
- paramilitary
- Revolutionary Ideology
& why did people joined?
- intellectuals with moral convictions
- war & german existentialism; giving meaning to a meaningless world
- joseph goebbels, min of propaganda created own ideology/orientation
- moral creed, transcendence and community
- recruited teachers, state workers, workers, peasants
- top 1500 killers were Austrians from borders who were radicalized when ethnically cleansed
People joined bc:
- projection of fear
- employment during econ. depression
- highly effective
Why was there a revolution? 3 reasons
state breakdown
forces from below
revolutionary ideology
What was on Hitler’s mind?
- loathed Communism and Jews deeply; dedicated military to Jew-killing even at end of war.
A few conclusions - Hitler’ defeat
Hitler’s lack of calculations; Germany decl. war immediately on US, a major power
- why did Hitler decide to attack Russia?
forced into 2 front war that made them lose
heterogenous intl political system
logic of realism
