National Socialism

A special place among prominent ideological precursors of

National Socialism and is a well-known German geographer Friedrich Ratzel. Like many other German scientists of the times of Imperial Germany, he was a man of conservative mindsets, in addition infected the extreme nationalist spirit. His characteristic way of thinking and philosophy influenced not only his political views, but also on the direction of scientific research. Only this can explain the fact that, along with many really valuable from a scientific point of view the works of Ratzel published the book "Political geography", marked the beginning of geographic justification of the policy of expansion and takeovers.

One of the most important points of the concept, which was developed by Ratzel in this book was the theory of "the spatial growth of the size of government", which, according to Ratzel, is an inevitable consequence of the growth process of Nations. As the main argument for the proof of his theory of Ratzel used a reference to a constant increase in the population. This increase, he argued, puts pressure on the boundaries of the state, which respectively show a constant tendency to expand. Stimulating effect on this trend, according to the views of Ratzel, have and other factors: geographical discoveries, improved means of transport and communication, creating the possibility of effective control of more territory, the economy, etc.

To adapt this theory to the particular interests of the German bourgeoisie, Ratzel has expanded her thesis according to the size of States to the level of people's culture. He claims that the peoples standing on the lowest rung of culture /282/ form, as a rule, small States, while for highly cultured peoples was characterized by the formation of large state organisms. It followed the conclusion that the absorption of small States large is an inevitable consequence of the growth of culture.

Subsequently the ideas of F. Of Ratzel were picked up by Swedish Professor Rudolf Chellanam and a retired German General Karl Haushofer, who formulated the basis of the so-called "geopolitics", science, widely used by the Nazis to justify foreign takeovers in the 30 –40-ies.

The social content of the Nazi ideology

The aristocracy and "the people", nationalism and the idea of a supranational community of Nazis, capitalism and the theory of creative capital, the preaching of autarky and the idea of a single European market, the racist justification of caste and the proclamation of national community, built in the theory of contempt for the mass and the proclamation of the working man salt of the fascist social order.

Even if we consider that Nazi ideology was in constant motion, which, not being a development, however, was characterized by frequent change of slogans, and to make allowances for demagoguery, thoroughly pervading Nazi ideological concept, the incompatibility of separate parts of the ideology of the national socialists remains extremely obvious. With all the incompatibility of the individual ideas passed on to the arms of fascism, they were not just taken from the reactionary ideological heritage, but carefully selected at a certain angle of view. The main principle of this selection was the antimarxist.

Nazi leaders have consistently emphasized the special importance of this aspect of their ideology. Speaking in may 1933 Congress of the German labor front in Berlin, Hitler said: "14-15 years ago I said of the German nation, see what its historical purpose was to destroy Marxism. Since then, I constantly repeat what was said. These are not mere words, but sacred oath that I will abide until then, until you give up the Ghost".

Defining the purpose of the Nazi ideology, the chief expert of the Nazi party on those issues Rozenberg noted: "the Choice of the way of all States and peoples depends primarily on their relation to Marxist ideology. . . We, national socialists, can proudly refer to the fact that from the beginning, our struggle (against the Marxist worldview. – A. G.) was carried out with unwavering determination and unrelenting ferocity".

The antimarxist Nazi ideology was allowed to create the illusion of its wholeness. But most importantly, of course, was not the point. It was only under the slogans of antimarxist and it was possible in those conditions at least temporarily to unite in the interests of the ruling classes of various social groups in contemporary Germany with their conflicting economic and political interests.

First of all anti-Marxist slogans was completely satisfied by the German big bourgeoisie, whose position was constantly subjected to attacks by the organized labor movement, speaking under the banner of Marxism. In the context of political instability, particularly exacerbated by the economic crisis of 1929-1933, the antimarxist the national socialists seemed to her "virtue", which is already by itself completely offset the "unpleasant", from her point of view, the properties of the NSDAP – a political adventurism, extreme susceptibility to demagoguery, etc.