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'''National [[Socialism]]''' ('''[[Nazism]]''') is a [[totalitarian]] system originally created in [[Germany]] immediately following [[World War I]], and characterized by intense [[nationalism]], [[dictatorial]] or [[draconian]] [[police state]] rule, mass appeal, brutal use of violence, disregard for the law, and a racial policy emphasizing the subjugation or extermination of people considered inferior, based heavily on a belief in social [[Darwinism]], as advocated by people such as Heinrich von Treitschke and Houston Stewart Chamberlain.<ref>[http://history.memphis.edu/dunowsky/worldcivdocs/socialdarwinismtreitschkeandchamberlain.html</ref> This philosophy extrapolated Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theory and said that persons, groups, and races are subject to the same laws of [[natural selection]] that Darwin proposed for animals.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/551058/social-Darwinism Britannica's entry on social Darwinism]</ref>  

'''National [[Socialism]]''' ('''[[Nazism]]''') is a [[totalitarian]] system originally created in [[Germany]] immediately following [[World War I]], and characterized by intense [[nationalism]], [[dictatorial]] or [[draconian]] [[police state]] rule, mass appeal, brutal use of violence, disregard for the law, and a racial policy emphasizing the subjugation or extermination of people considered inferior, based heavily on a belief in social [[Darwinism]], as advocated by people such as Heinrich von Treitschke and Houston Stewart Chamberlain.<ref>[http://history.memphis.edu/dunowsky/worldcivdocs/socialdarwinismtreitschkeandchamberlain.html</ref> This philosophy extrapolated Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theory and said that persons, groups, and races are subject to the same laws of [[natural selection]] that Darwin proposed for animals.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/551058/social-Darwinism Britannica's entry on social Darwinism]</ref>  

The name [[Nazi]] is a contraction of the full party name, [[National Socialist]] German Workers Party.  Nazism, in short, is simply one of several varieties of [[socialism]]. As a political party it controlled Germany from 1933-1945 under [[Adolf Hitler]], resulting in [[World War II]] and a campaign of mostly anti-[[Jewish]] and [[racist]] [[politics]], resulting in [[genocide]] (see the [[Holocaust]]).

The name [[Nazi]] is a contraction of the full party name, [[National Socialist]] German Workers' Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; NSDAP).  Nazism, in short, is simply one of several varieties of [[socialism]]. As a political party it controlled Germany from 1933-1945 under [[Adolf Hitler]], resulting in [[World War II]] and a campaign of mostly anti-[[Jewish]] and [[racist]] [[politics]], resulting in [[genocide]] (see the [[Holocaust]]).

Supporters of [[Communism]], or of [[socialism]] in general, like to pretend that Nazism was not socialist but "[[right wing]]".

Supporters of [[Communism]], or of [[socialism]] in general, like to pretend that Nazism was not socialist but "[[right wing]]".

Added to these beliefs was the science of the time, specifically the theories related to “survival of the fittest” and “natural selection” as postulated by British naturalist Charles Darwin; these theories would be used later as justification for Nazi removal and extermination of non-German people throughout much of Europe prior to and during World War II.

Added to these beliefs was the science of the time, specifically the theories related to “survival of the fittest” and “natural selection” as postulated by British naturalist Charles Darwin; these theories would be used later as justification for Nazi removal and extermination of non-German people throughout much of Europe prior to and during World War II.

When Hitler joined and took control of the German Worker’s Party in 1920, he added what could be the most damaging elements:  

After Hitler joined and later took control of the German Workers' Party in 1921, he added what could be the most damaging elements:  

*A rabid hatred for anything and anyone not German;

*A rabid hatred for anything and anyone not German;

*and a passionate German nationalism which demanded an expansion of German territory by force or other means.   

*and a passionate German nationalism which demanded an expansion of German territory by force or other means.   

National Socialism did not come into its own until after Germany’s defeat in World War I.  What gave it impetus was the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, in which Germany was forced to assume guilt and responsibility for causing the war and the death and destruction which resulted.  The Allies’ insistence on the drafting of the Treaty without German participation, the heavy reparations, the despair and disillusionment felt by many Germans after the war, and those diplomats Hitler felt had agreed to cease the war (the “November criminals”) were all used in Hitler’s propaganda to persuade as many Germans as possible to support the Nazi cause.  The hyper-inflation of 1923 which wiped out middle-class savings and made the German mark worthless added to the National Socialist cause.

National Socialism did not come into its own until after Germany’s defeat in World War I.  What gave it impetus was the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, in which Germany was forced to assume guilt and responsibility for causing the war and the death and destruction which resulted.  The Allies’ insistence on the drafting of the Treaty without German participation, the heavy reparations, the despair and disillusionment felt by many Germans after the war, and those diplomats Hitler felt had agreed to cease the war (the “November criminals”) were all used in Hitler’s propaganda to persuade as many Germans as possible to support the Nazi cause.  The hyper-inflation of 1923 which wiped out middle-class savings and made the German mark worthless added to the National Socialist cause.

Hitler went into detail as to what National Socialism would be when he wrote his political testament while in prison in 1922.  In ''Mein Kampf'' he outlined his racial policies and theories, his theories regarding German expansion, and his understandings of mass psychology and propaganda; in the latter he understood that a weak-minded people would be led by someone who can speak at their level, regarding "truth" less important than "success":

Hitler went into detail as to what National Socialism would be when he wrote his political testament while in prison in 1924.  In ''Mein Kampf'' he outlined his racial policies and theories, his theories regarding German expansion, and his understandings of mass psychology and propaganda; in the latter he understood that a weak-minded people would be led by someone who can speak at their level, regarding "truth" less important than "success":

:''"It is part of a great leader's genius to make even widely separated adversaries appear as if they belonged to but one category, because among weakly and undecided characters the recognition of various enemies all too easily marks the beginning of doubt of one's own rightness."''

:''"It is part of a great leader's genius to make even widely separated adversaries appear as if they belonged to but one category, because among weakly and undecided characters the recognition of various enemies all too easily marks the beginning of doubt of one's own rightness."''