Nazism, or Nationalsozialismus, is a far-right totalitarian ideology built on nationalism, antisemitism, racial supremacy, and the Organic Theory of the State[3].

Where did Nazism come from?

It grew out of 19th century Germanic nationalism and militarism, and took organized form in Germany in the 1920s during post-war hardship and hyperinflation[1].

What does Nazism mean?

The word is shorthand for National Socialism, the ideology of Hitler's Nazi Party, popularly defined as a dictatorship based on Aryan supremacy, antisemitism, and racial persecution[4].

How do you use Nazism?

In everyday use, 'Nazism' refers to the historical Third Reich ideology or to modern Neo-Nazi movements that keep pushing the same racial and antisemitic doctrine[3].

Is Nazism still popular?

No. Nazism was defeated in 1945 and is banned or restricted in many countries, though a fringe of Neo-Nazi groups still operates online and offline[4].

Nazism

1920political ideologydead

Published September 7, 2026

Nazism, also called Nationalsozialismus or National Socialism, was the totalitarian far-right ideology built around Adolf Hitler and the German Nazi Party in the 1920s. Rooted in aggressive nationalism, antisemitism, and racial supremacy, it powered the Third Reich, World War II, and the Holocaust, and its post-war descendants live on as Neo-Nazism.

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Overview

On the political spectrum, Nazism openly rejected liberalism, socialism, communism, and every form of anarchy, defining itself against the mainstream political programs of its era3. Its main tenets combined aggressive nationalism, racial and ethnic purity, social Darwinism, antisemitism, and the Organic Theory of the State, which treats the nation as one body ruled from the top down1. The doctrine also shared major traits with fascism, the other extreme movement that grew across Europe during the same interwar years1.

In practice, the ideology organized political life around one party and one leader, and it placed a mythologized 'Aryan' identity above all others, driving state persecution, concentration camps, and the industrial genocide of the Holocaust4. Adherence to Nazi doctrine after the collapse of the Third Reich is called Neo-Nazism, and it is treated as a fringe extremist position rather than a governing ideology3.

Origin & Background

Platform

Germany (political movement)

Creator

Adolf Hitler / German Nazi Party

Date

1920

The roots of Nazism trace back to 19th century Germanic nationalism and militarism, when the German-speaking peoples were split across more than two dozen states and populist movements pushed for unification around ethnic loyalty1. The modern, organized version was born in the 1920s during the extreme hardship that followed World War I, including the Treaty of Versailles reparations that assigned Germany full blame for the war and forced heavy payments2. The resulting devaluation of the German Mark drove hyperinflation so severe that by November 1923 one American dollar was worth roughly 4.21 trillion German marks2.

The official Nazi Party of Germany was founded in 1920, and Adolf Hitler took leadership in 1921, using his speeches to push German national expansionism and antisemitism3. After a failed coup on November 8th, 1923, Hitler served a lenient prison sentence and used the time to write 'Mein Kampf,' the manifesto that later defined the movement's ideology1.

How It Spread

The Nazi Party gained mass appeal with the onset of the Great Depression and the wave of extremist politics it brought, and by 1932 it was the dominant political force in Germany1. After President Paul von Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler consolidated virtual absolute power, launched the Third Reich, and set the country on the path to World War II1.

The regime collapsed with Germany's defeat in 1945, and the exposure of the Holocaust turned the ideology into a byword for genocide, with Urban Dictionary entries later describing it bluntly as a far-right dictatorship built on 'the supremacy of the white Aryan race' that killed millions4. Symbols and organizations tied to Nazism were banned or heavily restricted in Germany and several other countries after the war3.

Online, the topic keeps surfacing in historical discussion, World War II content, and fringe far-right circles operating under Neo-Nazi branding, with user-facing dictionaries still framing it in stark terms of racial hatred and criminality4.

Frequently Asked Questions

References (4)