While the claim has little meaning among educated scholars, the argument has some social resonance among "layman majorities" who tend to be less able to discern (or have less access to) factual claims and materials related to history and economics —easy to sway with polemic rhetoric, even if the claim has little substance or merit.

Table of contents

1 The definition of Nazism 2 Ad-Hominem 3 Reasons Nazism is considered socialist 4 Reasons Nazism is not considered socialist 5 See also 6 External links

The definition of Nazism

The shortened term, "National Socialism," is a misnomer as well, and by itself simply means a 'nationalist flavor of socialism.' But because it is a very general term, it has some current resonance in popular discourse —particularly when it's used synonymously with Nazism.

It's polemical use within Western capitalist societies, is designed to evoke the twin demons of Naziism and (Soviet) "socialism," perhaps generating a Pavlovian response to the common "enemy, in this case . The accusation of political liberals as "socialists," (and hence by implication "Nazis" and "Soviets Communists") is a rather typical and well-documented cornerstone of conservative rhetoric in the United States and other capitalist democracies. (See smear campaign, Red scare, McCarthyism)

The Nazi party-appropriated-term "socialism," like "democracy" in the cases above, was used to appeal to German workers for political support during the tentative early years of Hitler's ascent to power. Apart from the occasional use of empty pro-worker political rhetoric, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party had no inclination towards true socialism, in the sense (democratic socialism) that it's used today. Within the context of Hitler's unified, "racially-pure" Germany, Hitler instituted and supported social programs that on their surface had socialist structure. For example, his youth programs, education and indoctrination programs, reproduction programs, all borrowed some of their structure from existing "socialist" ideas, but insead of keeping the democratic spirit of socialist ideals, he simply borrowed what was popular to serve is quest for power. Whatever appeals Nazism made to the German worker, family, culture, and society —while in a very general sense were socialist —they were simply components in the totalitarian rule of the Nazi party.

The claim that socialism and nazism are one in the same are an example of the ignatoriao ilenchi fallacy —for example, the same could be said of the United States military industrial complex, which operates with socialist/communist-like safeguards and protections, though its a part of a capitalist system.

Ad-Hominem

[1] [1] (tarring them with the same brush, as it were). Those who see a connection insist that rather then being driven by ideology, they seek only greater accuracy in political science.

Reasons Nazism is considered socialist

• Self-depiction: the German Nazi Party called itself the "National Socialist Worker's Party", and in 1927, Hitler said, "We are socialists."

• The Left Wing (examples include Gregor Strasser and Ernst Röhm), and working class brownshirts (or Sturmabteilung) within the Nazi Party supported socialist programs.

• One writer, Lew Rockwell at the Ludwig von Mises Institute, suggests that the chief difference beween Nazism and (as he puts it) others forms of socialism is that the Hitler's socialism was nationalistic while other forms (such as Communism) were internationalist. [1]

• The Nazis implemented an extensive system of wage and price controls, as well as pervasive government controls on investment and international trade.

• Throughout its rise to power and rule, the Nazis were strongly opposed by left-wing and socialist parties, and Nazi rhetoric was virulently anti-Marxist, attacking both communists and social democrats. A central appeal of Nazism was its opposition to Marxism and other forms of socialism and its claim to be a bulwark against Bolshevism and this is why they recieved so much material and political support from industrialists and conservatives.

• The Nazi ideology saw socialist collectivism as part of a Jewish conspiracy (Judeo-Bolshevism) meant to undermine the elitist principle.

• Nazis proposed that only people who were considered "racially pure" or Aryan would benefit from their policies. This can be seen as contrary to the socialist ideal of a society for the benefit of all.

• In his rise to power, Hitler reassured German industrialists that he would respect private property and fight labor unions. To the extent that permitting private property to exist is contrary to "socialism", then Nazism was not "socialist". On the other hand, some democratic countries (like Sweden) have adopted some (but not all) socialist ideas while retaining a degree of freedom to own private property and have labor unions.

• Hitler received strong support from conservatives for the "Enabling Act." This legislation was opposed by social democrats.

• After coming to power, Hitler sent thousand of communists, social democrats and unionists to concentration camps and killed communist leaders in Germany. He outlawed labor unions and guaranteed corporate profits for Krupp & Co.

• The profits of large corporations soared under the Nazis. With the exception of Jewish property which was seized and sold, capitalist enterprises were not expropriated or nationalised but remained in private hands.

• The Nazis were anti-egalitarian believing in neither equality (either among Germans or between Germans and non-Germans), collectivism, nor the rights of the "masses". According to Hitler biographer Ian Kershaw they had an elitist view of society and asserted that in competition with each other the superior individual would emerge on top. Despite the use of slogans such as "the common good comes before the private good" their vision of social relations, in practice, was in line with the ideas of Nietzche rather than Karl Marx.

• During the party's ascendency in the 1930s, so called "left wing" Nazis such as Gregor Strasser and Ernst Röhm were ruthlessly purged and even killed.

• Führerprinzip