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NSDAP und Antisemitismus 1919-1933

NSDAP und Antisemitismus 1919-1933

Volkswirtschaft - Open Access LMU - Teil 01/03 vor 24 Jahren

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As there are apparently no doubts concerning the existence of Nazi
anti-Semitism before 1933 regarding this topic - having largely
been ignored by scholars of contemporary history - seems to be no
use. This article tends to trace the role of anti-Semitism during
the ascend of the Nazi-movement. Therefore, the author describes
the theoretic function of this phenomena for the NSDAP by referring
to Hitler's Weltanschauung and the official program of the party.
But how did this anti-Jewish ideology find its way into the party's
day-to-day agitation? By analysing Hitler's political speeches it
is shown how, after 1925/26, the Führer tried to present himself as
a moderate politician - for he had realised that the NSDAP had to
become a mass-movement in order to gain political power in Weimar
Germany. Vis-à-vis the party's antisemitic membership, mainly
retailers and graduates, anti-Jewish stereotypes were pushed in
propaganda. Yet, National Socialist anti-Semitism was not only
opportunist in that it was played up or down depending upon when
and where it hit responsive chords, it was also subject to the
regional Gauleiter if this phenomena was promoted like in
Streicher's Franconia or restricted like in Württemberg, Hamburg or
Danzig. Only after the world-wide economic crisis of 1929 the NSDAP
had considerable success in the Reichstag's elections. The party
presented itself as the only power being capable to establish a new
order in Germany. The propaganda focused on the main enemies of the
National Socialists: Communism and the liberal democracy - in this
context, the anti-Semitism was negligible.