Nazism, or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus, the first part pronounced as "Nazi"), is a variety of fascism that incorporates biological racism and antisemitism.[1] It was the ideology of the Nazi Party in Germany and related movements elsewhere.[2][3][4][5][6] Nazism developed from the influences of pan-Germanism, the far-right Völkisch German nationalist movement and the anti-communist Freikorps paramilitary culture which fought against the communists in post-World War I Germany.[7] It was designed to draw workers away from communism and into völkisch nationalism.[8] Major elements of Nazism have been described as far-right, such as allowing domination of society by people deemed racially superior, while purging society of people declared inferior, who were said to be a threat to national survival.[9][10] Both the Nazi Party and the Nazi-led state were organized under the Führer principle ("leader principle"), a pyramidal structure with the Führer - Adolf Hitler - at the top, who appointed subordinate leaders for all branches of the party and the state and whose orders had the force of law.[11]
Nazism claimed that an Aryan master race was superior to all other races.[12] To maintain what it regarded as the purity and strength of the Aryan race, Nazis sought to exterminate Jews and Romani, and the physically and mentally disabled.[13] Other ethnic and social groups deemed "degenerate" or 'inferior' received exclusionary treatment, including homosexuals, blacks, Jehovah's Witnesses, slavs,[14][15] and political opponents.[13] The Nazis supported territorial expansionism. According to Nazi ideology, the gaining of Lebensraum ("living space") is a law of nature for all healthy and vigorous peoples of superior races — who, as they grow in population size and face overpopulation in their territory, expand their territory and displace peoples of inferior races.[16]
Nazism rejected the Marxist concept of class struggle and instead promoted the idea of Volksgemeinschaft ("people's community"). Nazis wanted to overcome social divisions which they considered artificial; instead, all parts of the racially homogenous society should cooperate for national unity.[17] Nazism denounced both capitalism and communism for being associated with Jewish materialism.[18] Like other fascist movements, Nazism supported the outlawing of strikes by employees and lockouts by employers, because these were regarded as a threat to national unity.[19] Instead, the state controlled and approved wage and salary levels.[19]
