Mein Kampf Hitler's Nationalism Essay
Hitlerian Nationalism
What was the nature of the nationalism used by Hitler in Mein Kampf? Where did it’s focus lie? To what extent was this nationalism merely a tool of Hitler’s ambition and to what extent did he really believe in it?
Before being able to study the extent to which Hitler employed nationalism as a tool in his policies evident in his seminal work Mein Kampf (My Struggle/Battle) we must first clarify what we understand to be his definition of nationalism. Nationalism can cover a wide range of ideas that all amount to some form of allegiance to a ‘nation’. Hitler’s explication of the term is no different. Hiitler’s nationalism is not one who’s base unit is the nation-state, as is most commonly perceived in the 21st Century, …show more content…
He blamed this occurrence of this process both on the lack of foresight of the German Reich prior to the Great War and to the increasing influence of Jews in German politics. Following on from this he blamed German involvement in stock trade and dependence on international economic interdependence as reasons for German frailty and loss of the Great War. He saw the nationalistic industrialisation of his Germany (mass military rearmament being a key source of employment) as a way toward securing Germany against such failures in the future. By keeping production firmly within and under national control he would prevent the economic carpet from being pulled from beneath Germany’s feet once again.
We can see thus far the central role nationalism held in Hitler’s German manifesto. He applies the concept of nationalistic solidarity to several areas of his proposed plan for German national development. Yet, this is not the end of his policy of increased Germanism. It becomes clear that nationalism may be more than a tool for Hitler and his quest is not merely one for power or prominence but a higher racially fuelled nationalistic
What was the nature of the nationalism used by Hitler in Mein Kampf? Where did it’s focus lie? To what extent was this nationalism merely a tool of Hitler’s ambition and to what extent did he really believe in it?
Before being able to study the extent to which Hitler employed nationalism as a tool in his policies evident in his seminal work Mein Kampf (My Struggle/Battle) we must first clarify what we understand to be his definition of nationalism. Nationalism can cover a wide range of ideas that all amount to some form of allegiance to a ‘nation’. Hitler’s explication of the term is no different. Hiitler’s nationalism is not one who’s base unit is the nation-state, as is most commonly perceived in the 21st Century, …show more content…
He blamed this occurrence of this process both on the lack of foresight of the German Reich prior to the Great War and to the increasing influence of Jews in German politics. Following on from this he blamed German involvement in stock trade and dependence on international economic interdependence as reasons for German frailty and loss of the Great War. He saw the nationalistic industrialisation of his Germany (mass military rearmament being a key source of employment) as a way toward securing Germany against such failures in the future. By keeping production firmly within and under national control he would prevent the economic carpet from being pulled from beneath Germany’s feet once again.
We can see thus far the central role nationalism held in Hitler’s German manifesto. He applies the concept of nationalistic solidarity to several areas of his proposed plan for German national development. Yet, this is not the end of his policy of increased Germanism. It becomes clear that nationalism may be more than a tool for Hitler and his quest is not merely one for power or prominence but a higher racially fuelled nationalistic