Nazi Etymology: Bavarian Roots Of A Dark Word

The word Nazi is derived from the German term for National Socialist (Nationalsozialist). It is short for Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterparte or NSDAP, the full German name for the National Socialist German Workers' Party. The term Nazi itself is derived from Nazi-Sozi, a derogatory nickname for the Bavarian peasant name Ignatius, which was used to refer to a stereotypically unintelligent and clumsy person. The nickname was adopted by anti-Hitler Germans who fled the country in the 1930s and 1940s, and it eventually became part of the international vocabulary.

Nazi is derived from the Bavarian peasant name Ignatius

The name Nazi is indeed derived from the Bavarian peasant name Ignatius. The name Nazi is a diminutive form of Ignatius. In Bavaria and Austria, it is no longer a popular name. The name Nazi was favoured in southern Germany among opponents of National Socialism because the nickname, from the masculine name Ignatz (the German form of Ignatius), was used colloquially to refer to a foolish, clumsy, or awkward person. Ignatz was a popular name in Catholic Austria, and during World War I, Nazi was a generic name in the German Empire for the soldiers of Austria-Hungary.

The first use of the term Nazi is in 1926 in a publication by Joseph Goebbels called "Der Nazi-Sozi" (The Nazi-Socialist). In this publication, Goebbels used the word "Nazi" only in combination with "Sozi" to refer to the National Socialist Party, the NSDAP. However, the term Nazi was soon embraced by party members, and the use of "Nazi Germany", "Nazi regime", and so on was popularized by German exiles abroad. From them, the term spread into other languages and was eventually brought back to Germany after World War II.

Nazi is short for the German term for National Socialist

The Nazi Party, or the National Socialist German Workers' Party, was a far-right political party in Germany that was active between 1920 and 1945. The party was created to draw workers away from communism and into Völkisch nationalism. Initially, Nazi political strategy focused on anti-big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalist rhetoric, but this was later downplayed to gain the support of business leaders. By the 1930s, the party's main focus had shifted to antisemitic and anti-Marxist themes.

The term "Nazi" is an abbreviation of the German word "Nationalsozialist" (National Socialist). The term was originally used as a colloquial and derogatory word for a backward farmer or peasant. It characterised an awkward and clumsy person, a yokel. The word "Nazi" was used by political opponents of the NSDAP in the German labour movement, who seized on the earlier abbreviated term "Sozi" for "Sozialist" (German for "Socialist") and shortened the NSDAP's name to the dismissive "Nazi".

The full name of the Nazi Party was Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party), and they officially used the acronym NSDAP. The term "Nazi" was not used by the National Socialists themselves until 1926, when it appeared in a publication by Joseph Goebbels called "Der Nazi-Sozi" ["The Nazi-Sozi"].

The renaming of the German Worker's Party (DAP) to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) was partially driven by a desire to draw upon both left-wing and right-wing ideals, with "Socialist" and "Workers'" appealing to the left, and "National" and "German" appealing to the right.

Nazi ideology was based on a bio-geo-political "Weltanschauung" (worldview), advocating territorial expansionism to cultivate what it viewed as a "purified and homogeneous Aryan population." The ideology was a form of fascism, with disdain for liberal democracy and the parliamentary system. It incorporated a dictatorship, fervent antisemitism, anti-communism, anti-Slavism, anti-Romani sentiment, scientific racism, white supremacy, Nordicism, social Darwinism, homophobia, ableism, and the use of eugenics into its creed.

The Nazi Party emerged from the extremist German nationalist ("Völkisch nationalist"), racist, and populist Freikorps paramilitary culture, which fought against communist uprisings in post-World War I Germany. The party was created to draw workers away from communism and into Völkisch nationalism. The party's precursor, the German Workers' Party (DAP), existed from 1919 to 1920.

The Nazi Party grew out of smaller political groups with a nationalist orientation that formed in the last years of World War I. In 1918, a league called the "Free Workers' Committee for a Good Peace" was created in Bremen, Germany. On March 7, 1918, Anton Drexler, an avid German nationalist, formed a branch of this league in Munich. Drexler was a local locksmith who had been a member of the militarist Fatherland Party during World War I and was bitterly opposed to the armistice of November 1918 and the revolutionary upheavals that followed. Drexler emphasised the need for a synthesis of Völkisch nationalism with a form of economic socialism, in order to create a popular nationalist-oriented workers' movement that could challenge the rise of communism and internationalist politics.

Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg on January 30, 1933, and quickly seized power afterward. Hitler established a totalitarian regime known as the Third Reich and became a dictator with absolute power. Following the military defeat of Germany in World War II, the party was declared illegal. The use of symbols associated with the party is still outlawed in many European countries, including Germany and Austria.

The Nazi ideology is closer to far-right fascism and authoritarianism

The term "Nazi" is a colloquial and derogatory word for a backwards farmer or peasant. It is a hypocorism of the German male name Ignaz, itself a variation of the name Ignatius—a common name in Bavaria, the area from which the Nazi Party emerged. The term was used by political opponents of the Nazi Party in the 1920s, who shortened the party's name, "Nationalsozialistische", to the dismissive "Nazi".

Nazism is a form of fascism, with disdain for liberal democracy and the parliamentary system. It incorporates a dictatorship, fervent antisemitism, anti-communism, anti-Slavism, anti-Romani sentiment, scientific racism, white supremacy, Nordicism, social Darwinism, homophobia, ableism, and the use of eugenics into its creed. Its extreme nationalism originated in pan-Germanism and the ethno-nationalist Völkisch movement, which had been a prominent aspect of German ultranationalism since the late 19th century.

The Nazi Party's precursor, the pan-German nationalist and antisemitic German Workers' Party (DAP), was founded on 5 January 1919. By the early 1920s, the party was renamed the National Socialist German Workers' Party in order to appeal to left-wing workers. The National Socialist Program, or "25 Points", was adopted in 1920 and called for a united Greater Germany that would deny citizenship to Jews or those of Jewish descent, while also supporting land reform and the nationalisation of some industries.

Hitler and the Nazis were strongly influenced by the post–World War I far-right in Germany, which held common beliefs such as anti-Marxism, anti-liberalism and antisemitism, along with nationalism, contempt for the Treaty of Versailles and condemnation of the Weimar Republic. The Nazis were also influenced by the far-right nationalist Freikorps, paramilitary organisations that engaged in political violence after World War I.

Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterised by a dictatorial leader, centralised autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. It is opposed to anarchism, democracy, pluralism, egalitarianism, liberalism, socialism, and Marxism, and is placed on the far right-wing within the traditional left–right spectrum.

Fascism emerged as a political movement in 20th-century Europe when Benito Mussolini founded the Partito Nazionale Fascista (National Fascist Party) in Italy in 1919. Germany embraced fascism more than any other country. The Nazi government that ruled under Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1945 was a fascist government.

Fascism is a far-right theory of government that opposes the political philosophies of the Enlightenment and the 19th century, including democratic liberalism, communism, and socialism. It is an ultranationalist, authoritarian political philosophy. It combines elements of nationalism, militarism, economic self-sufficiency, and totalitarianism. It opposes communism, socialism, pluralism, individual rights and equality, and democratic government.

Fascism prioritises the nation over the individual, who exists to serve the nation. It places the importance of the nation above all else. The unity of the national community is prioritised above the rights of individuals. This leads to an intense interest in defining which groups belong or do not belong to the national body.

Fascism is characterised by strident, often exclusionary nationalism, fixation with national decline (real or perceived) and threats to the existence of the national community, and an embrace of paramilitarism. In fascist states, violence is accepted—even celebrated—if it serves or advances the national community. For fascists, violence often has a redemptive or purifying quality.

Fascism rejects the practices of representative or liberal democratic government. Instead, fascist governments are one-party states led by an authoritarian leader who claims to embody the national will. Fascists define the national will as advancing the interests of the national community. This usually means protecting or elevating the rights of the national community above the rights of those seen as alien, removing obstacles to national unity and suppressing those seen as challenging it, and expanding the size and influence of the national state, often also seeking to expand territory through armed conflict.

The Nazi party sought sole control of the government and severe punishment of political enemies

The Nazi Party, or the National Socialist German Workers' Party, was a far-right racist, antisemitic, and anti-Marxist political party. It was founded in 1920 and led by Adolf Hitler. The party sought to gain control of the German government and consolidate power by persecuting political enemies and anyone who did not belong to the German "Volk" or race.

In 1933, the Nazi Party came to power in Germany, marking the beginning of a one-party, totalitarian dictatorship that would last until 1945. The Nazis used emergency decrees, violence, and intimidation to seize control and abolish all other political parties. They declared Germany a one-party state with Hitler as its supreme leader. The party's ideology was based on racist and antisemitic theories, advocating for the exclusion of non-Germans, particularly Jews, from German life.

To achieve their goals, the Nazis employed various tactics to suppress opposition and solidify their power. They utilized propaganda to attract attention and gain support, emphasizing anti-communism, the restoration of German cultural values, and the reversal of the Treaty of Versailles. They also tailored their messages to different audiences, assuring various groups that a Nazi government would address their specific concerns. For example, they promised farmers that they would stabilize falling agricultural prices and assured pensioners that their monthly checks would remain stable.

The Nazis also took advantage of the political and economic instability in Germany during the Great Depression. They leveraged the widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo and directed the population's anger and fear towards Jews and Marxists. The Nazi Party's membership quadrupled by the 1928 Reichstag elections, and they gained even more support in the 1930 elections due to the economic crisis.

Once Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, he moved swiftly to bring the government under the Nazi Party's control. He persuaded Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag and call for new elections. The Nazis saturated Germany with propaganda, and the government restricted the opposition press. The Nazis also deputized members of the SA and SS as auxiliary police, enabling them to attack, arrest, and kill communists and other political opponents.

The Enabling Act, passed in March 1933, further solidified the Nazi Party's power. This law allowed the Nazi government to issue laws without the consent of the Reichstag, effectively laying the foundation for the complete Nazification of German society. The Nazis worked to control all aspects of German economic, social, and cultural life in a process called "coordination." All other political parties were abolished, and government, legal, and educational institutions were purged of Jews and suspected political opponents.

The Nazi Party's control extended to sports, leisure activities, and various organizations for youth, women, teachers, and doctors. Propaganda glorifying Hitler as Germany's infallible savior was inescapable, dominating press, film, radio, and public spaces. Portraits and statues of Hitler were ubiquitous, and the public was expected to praise him and give the "German greeting" ("Heil Hitler!"). The Nazi Party's pursuit of power and its antisemitic agenda ultimately led to the persecution and destruction of Jews during World War II.

The Nazi economy had characteristics of capitalism and a state-run economy

The word "Nazi" is derived from "Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei" (National Socialist German Workers' Party). Before the rise of the Nazi Party, the term was used as a colloquial and derogatory word for a backward farmer or peasant. In this sense, the word Nazi was a hypocorism of the German male name "Ignatz" (itself a variation of the name "Ignatius"), a common name at the time in Bavaria, the area from which the Nazi Party emerged.

The Nazi economy had characteristics of both capitalism and a state-run economy. In many respects, the Nazis' economic policies were a continuation of the policies of the German National People's Party, a national-conservative party and the Nazis' coalition partner. The Nazis' economic policies were in many respects a continuation of the policies of the German National People's Party, a national-conservative party and the Nazis' coalition partner. While other Western capitalist countries strove for increased state ownership of industry during the same period, the Nazis transferred public ownership into the private sector and handed over some public services to private organizations, mostly affiliated with the Nazi Party. It was an intentional policy with multiple objectives rather than ideologically driven and was used as a tool to enhance support for the Nazi government and the party.

Hitler appointed Hjalmar Schacht, a former member of the German Democratic Party, as President of the Reichsbank in 1933 and Minister of Economics in 1934. Hitler promised measures to increase employment, protect the German currency, and promote recovery from the Great Depression. These included an agrarian settlement program, labour service, and a guarantee to maintain health care and pensions. However, these policies and programs, which included large public works programs supported by deficit spending such as the construction of the Autobahn network to stimulate the economy and reduce unemployment, were inherited and planned to be undertaken by the Weimar Republic during conservative Paul von Hindenburg's presidency, and which the Nazis appropriated as their own after coming to power.

Hitler's priority was rearmament and the buildup of the German military in preparation for an eventual war to conquer Lebensraum in the East. The policies of Schacht created a scheme for deficit financing, in which capital projects were paid for with the issuance of promissory notes called Mefo bills, which could be traded by companies with each other. This was particularly useful in allowing Germany to rearm because the Mefo bills were not Reichsmarks and did not appear in the federal budget, so they helped conceal rearmament. At the beginning of his rule, Hitler said that "the future of Germany depends exclusively and only on the reconstruction of the Wehrmacht. All other tasks must cede precedence to the task of rearmament." This policy was implemented immediately, with military expenditures quickly growing far larger than the civilian work-creation programs. As early as June 1933, military spending for the year was budgeted to be three times larger than the spending on all civilian work-creation measures in 1932 and 1933 combined. Nazi Germany increased its military spending faster than any other state in peacetime, with the share of military spending rising from 1 per cent to 10 per cent of national income in the first two years of the regime alone. Eventually, it reached as high as 75 per cent by 1944.

In spite of their rhetoric condemning big business prior to their rise to power, the Nazis quickly entered into a partnership with German business from as early as February 1933. That month, after being appointed Chancellor but before gaining dictatorial powers, Hitler made a personal appeal to German business leaders to help fund the Nazi Party for the crucial months that were to follow. He argued that they should support him in establishing a dictatorship because "private enterprise cannot be maintained in the age of democracy" and because democracy would allegedly lead to communism. In the following weeks, the Nazi Party received contributions from seventeen different business groups, with the largest coming from IG Farben and Deutsche Bank. Historian Adam Tooze writes that the leaders of German business were therefore "willing partners in the destruction of political pluralism in Germany". In exchange, owners and managers of German businesses were granted unprecedented powers to control their workforce, collective bargaining was abolished and wages were frozen at a relatively low level. Business profits also rose very rapidly, as did corporate investment.

The Nazis were hostile to the idea of social welfare in principle, upholding instead the social Darwinist concept that the weak and feeble should perish. They condemned the welfare system of the Weimar Republic as well as private charity, accusing them of supporting people regarded as racially inferior and weak, who should have been weeded out in the process of natural selection. Nevertheless, faced with the mass unemployment and poverty of the Great Depression, the Nazis found it necessary to set up charitable institutions to help racially-pure Germans in order to maintain popular support, while arguing that this represented "racial self-help" and not indiscriminate charity or universal social welfare. Nazi programs such as the Winter Relief of the German People and the broader National Socialist People's Welfare (NSV) were organised as quasi-private institutions, officially relying on private donations from Germans to help others of their race, although in practice those who refused to donate could face severe consequences. Unlike the social welfare institutions of the Weimar Republic and the Christian charities, the NSV distributed assistance on explicitly racial grounds. It provided support only to those who were "racially sound, capable of and willing to work, politically reliable, and willing and able to reproduce". Non-Aryans were excluded, as well as the "work-shy", "asocials" and the "hereditarily ill".

The Nazis claimed that communism was dangerous to the well-being of nations because of its intention to dissolve private property, its support of class conflict, its aggression against the middle class, its hostility towards small business and its atheism. Nazism rejected class conflict-based socialism and economic egalitarianism, favouring instead a stratified economy with social classes based on merit and talent, retaining private property and the creation of national solidarity that transcends class distinction. The Nazis argued that free-market capitalism damages nations due to international finance and the worldwide economic dominance of disloyal big business, which they considered to be the product of Jewish influences. Nazi propaganda posters in working-class districts emphasised anti-capitalism, such as one that said: "The maintenance of a rotten industrial system has nothing to do with nationalism. I can love Germany and hate capitalism".

Hitler told a party leader in 1934: "The economic system of our day is the creation of the Jews". Hitler said to Benito Mussolini that capitalism had "run its course". Hitler also said that the business bourgeoisie "know nothing except their profit. 'Fatherland' is only a word for them." Hitler was personally disgusted with the ruling bourgeois elites of Germany during the period of the Weimar Republic, whom he referred to as "cowardly shits".

In Mein Kampf, Hitler effectively supported mercantilism in the belief that economic resources from their respective territories should be seized by force, as he believed that the policy of Lebensraum would provide Germany with such economically valuable territories. He argued that the United States and the United Kingdom only benefitted from free trade because they had already conquered substantial internal markets through British colonial conquests and American westward expansion. Hitler

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