Were the Nazis socialists?
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The podcast 'History As It Happens' tackles the persistent myth that Nazis were socialists, dismantling it with historical precision and ideological nuance. While the Nazi Party's name included 'National Socialist,' historian Roger Griffin explains this was a deliberate rebranding of socialism to appeal to the working class without embracing Marxist principles. The episode reveals that Nazism was not a workers' revolution but a far-right, nationalist movement rooted in racial purity, palingenesis (national rebirth), and anti-internationalism. Unlike Marxist socialism, which seeks global class liberation and the abolition of private property, National Socialism preserved capitalism, co-opted labor unions, and replaced international proletarian solidarity with a mythic 'Volksgemeinschaft'—a racially defined national community. The show exposes how modern right-wing pundits weaponize the 'Nazis were socialists' claim to smear progressive policies, using it as a rhetorical shield against accusations of fascism. Ultimately, the episode argues that conflating Nazism with socialism is not just historically inaccurate but strategically manipulative, serving to obscure the true nature of fascism as a reactionary, nationalist ideology that hijacked socialist language while rejecting its core values.
Nazism was a far-right, nationalist ideology that co-opted socialist language to appeal to workers without embracing Marxist principles.
The Nazi concept of 'Volksgemeinschaft' replaced international proletarian solidarity with a racially defined national community.
Hitler explicitly rejected Marxism, viewing it as a 'Jewish philosophy' designed to destroy German greatness.
National socialism preserved private property, capitalism, and industrial elites while replacing class struggle with national loyalty.
Fascist economic models like corporatism were designed to harmonize workers, bosses, and the state under national interest, not class liberation.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Myth of Nazi Socialism
“They were the Nazis that's terrible, not the socialists. Reclaiming my time, they were the National Socialist Party. But they were Nazis who killed Jews and I would get offended when you compare socialists to Nazis.”
The Origins of Fascism and the Word 'Fascist'
Roger Griffin traces the etymology of 'fascist' from its Latin roots in the fasces—a bundle of rods symbolizing state power—to its adoption by Mussolini’s paramilitary squads. He explains how the term was initially neutral, meaning 'a group,' and only later became ideologically charged, illustrating how political language evolves to serve power.
Why the 'Nazis Were Socialists' Claim Is Propaganda
“It's this fear of the collective. And of course, unfortunately, since the Russian Revolution, socialism has in practice what's called actually existing socialism. It's created a whole series all over the world of terrifying totalitarian states which have nothing to do with the original Marxist idealism.”
The Core of Fascism: Palingenesis and National Rebirth
“The crucial thing is where does a socialist see the inequality that has to be remedied? Does he or she see it solely in his own country or does he actually see it as part of a global inequality which means that you have to somehow redistribute wealth and power globally.”
The Nazi Party Program and the Reality of 'Socialism'
The podcast analyzes the 1925 Nazi Party program, revealing socialist-sounding demands like profit-sharing and nationalization of department stores. However, Griffin clarifies these were strategic appeals, not genuine commitments to worker liberation. The real goal was national unity, not class revolution.
“It's this fear of the collective. And of course, unfortunately, since the Russian Revolution, socialism has in practice what's called actually existing socialism. It's created a whole series all over the world of terrifying totalitarian states which have nothing to do with the original Marxist idealism.”
“Nazis? It's the Nazis that's terrible, not the socialists. Reclaiming my time, they were the National Socialist Party. But they were Nazis who killed Jews and I would get offended when you compare socialists. to Nazis.”
“The crucial thing is where does a socialist see the inequality that has to be remedied? Does he or she see it solely in his own country or does he actually see it as part of a global inequality which means that you have to somehow redistribute wealth and power globally.”
Host
Guest
Adolf Hitler
person
Roger Griffin
person
Martin DeCaro
person
Benito Mussolini
person
Triumph of the Will
media
Mein Kampf
book
Kraft durch Freude
organization
Richard Evans
person
Dopo Lavoro
organization
Fiat
organization
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