German neo-Nazi party may win seats in parliament
A few weeks ago, I ran a story about the re-emergence of anti-Semitism in Europe. Today, it seems that a neo-Nazi group may get a seat in the German government.
The Nazi party, and generally anti-Semitism in Germany, requires historical knowledge to analyze properly. Fortunately, I typed up a great deal of European history several months ago on a forum (which has absolutely no relation or relevance to this website). So, I have decided to re-use this excellent summarization of inter-war (between WWI and WWII) history to help explain the history behind the rise of fascism.
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Before WWI ended, Russia had a revolution (in 1917). Workers in Petrograd, one of Russia’s largest industrial cities, continued to gather over several days and won the support of much of Russia’s military in their grab for power. The revolution was rather nonviolent compared to the later revolutions of the 20th century, but showed that the workers had more power than the government. So, in 1917, Russia wanted to get out of WWI. Russia’s eventual exit included a huge debt to Germany as well as the forfeit of some lands.
By this time, people throughout Europe were realizing that the war would last much longer than the few months that were expected, and some people began to oppose it (they tended to be in or join communist groups). Winston Churchill, a military officer with some record of heroism from the colonial battles he had been in, proposed to attack the Turks (who were on the German/Axis side) at Constantinople, which would aid the Balkan front, increase coordination with Russia, and knock the Turks out of the war. However, an inept commander was assigned to lead the attack, and failed miserably with a loss of about 150,000 troops. Churchill became a scapegoat for the failure.
Shortly after Russia left, The US went in with fresh troops and machinery. Germany, knowing that it would not last if the war continued much longer, ordered a last attack on the western front. Germans got within about 30 or so miles of Paris, but the attack failed with huge loss of life. Germany could not replenish its troops, and would lose the war on foreign soil.
Ludendorf and Hindenberg, the German generals (who pretty much ran Germany throughout the war), negotiated a peace treaty and advanced the theory that the Aryan army was stabbed in the back by Jews and Bolsheviks (the German population saw comparatively little of their defeat, as they had not even pulled back to German borders, and had little trouble agreeing with the claim). A treaty was made in Versailles to announce the effects of the war. The US president, Wilson, had spoken of a “peace without victors”, but that desire was ignored in the treaty. France was to occupy the German Saar valley (industrial area), Germany had to pay incredibly huge reparations (mostly to France), the entire German Rhineland (industrial area that had always been a bit disputed between Germany and France) was to be demilitarized, the German army was cut down to about 100,000 (and Germany was not to make an airforce at all, while it’s naval power was also limited), and Austria was split up into the smaller nationalities that composed it (a nation of Austria remained, but it was just a husk of the Germanic people of the Austrian Empire).
Also, France was determined to prevent Germany from ever becoming a great power again. Bismarck’s war had created chaos for the French political system (they had the third republic, which was ‘reluctant’ to rule from the very start and was repeatedly challenged), and Germany devastated France in WWI. Further, German representatives were not present to finish the treaty, and claimed that it was dictated to them, while they were forced to sign it.
In short, Germany wants revenge against the Jews, is really angry at France for forcing them into the treaty, and practically goes bankrupt because of reparations.
The former axis powers soon ran into huge economic problems. Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, (and all the other nations that were once Austria) could not support industry because each nation created tariffs (industry was not centralized, so raw material would be refined in one nation and used to make a finished product in another nation after WWI. In effect, industry was crippled). All of the nations, with the exception of Czechoslovakia, became fascist within a decade or two.
Germany could not expect to pay off the planned reparations, but it tried (it was also helped by later adjustments that reduced the annual payment and total cost. These changes were guided by American bankers).
Now, I have to deviate a bit to describe fascism: it is strictly irrational and capitalizes on nationalism. It typically gets power in a quasi-legal means (it is given political control in a legal fashion, but fascist groups gain support through often illegal means), rises when a nation’s political system is paralyzed, often spreads up after a depression, and usually gains strength after a failed Bolshevik attempt for power. It was known for creating paramilitary organizations (armies or police forces for the fascist party), and having them create disorder while holding an image of the only ones capable of restoring peace (they would vandalize shops yet always march perfectly and in uniform).
Mussolini’s rise in Italy, which was the first real fascist grab for power, reflects this. Mussolini’s party organized marches, most notably the March on Rome, to show their strength and gain support. The Italian governing body, however, was similar to a senate and included many parties (none of which were really able to get a majority and control the body), so it was paralyzed. The March on Rome convinced the Italian king to make Mussolini dictator through legal means, though Mussolini had killed opponents.
Hitler’s attempt for power started with the Beer Hall Putch, which was a small riot lead by him and Ludendorf (the former German general), in 1923. Hitler was a low-ranking officer in WWI, which he enjoyed, and had applied several times to some of Germany’s art schools (he was rejected. Earth could have had a rather poor artist in Germany instead of the entire Nazi party and much of WWII). Hitler was arrested, and dictated Mein Kompf (“My Struggle”) while in jail, but the book sold poorly until it’s author took power. Most viewed the book simply as Hitler venting a bit of rage that he, and many others, had.
From 1914 until 1923, the German currency went through rapid inflation. The final event in the inflation was the French invasion of the Ruhr valley (in 1923), which was an industrial area rather close to the French border. The invasion was done to get the reparation money that Germany could no longer pay, but did little for France and made the British more sympathetic to the Germans.
After 1923, as reparation payments were reduced, Germany began a recovery until the Great Depression.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the Irish were getting impatient for independence. An Irish Home Rule Bill was passed in 1914, but was delayed because WWI took the attention of Europe. After the war, Britain’s economy was stagnant, and the nation owed a great deal of debt to the United States. In 1916, during the War, the Easter Uprising in Dublin expressed the continued desire for self-rule. The British quickly suppressed the revolt and executed the leaders, which was a huge mistake (they became martyrs, ‘saints of an ideology’ is the best term I can use to describe the word). The Irish representation in Parliament moved from the Irish Party to the extremist Sinn Fein (“ourselves alone”, got to admit the name is rather catchy) movement. In January 1919, Ireland declared independence, and the Sinn Fein formed the Irish Republican Army (the IRA for short). The IRA fought against the British army, which was supported by groups referred to as the “blacks” and the “tans” because of their uniforms. Ireland won independence in December 1921, but the British retained some territory in northern Ireland.
In 1927-ish, the Great Depression hit the US and Europe. The US had been investing heavily in Germany, but had to stop and keep money in the US to limit the collapse. Germany’s recovery fell again, and the rest of Europe suffered from the freeze of reparations.
Britain decided to return to the gold standard (I believe they based the pound on gold, but I’m not sure). They adjusted the value of the pound to make it a bit high, which resulted in an overpricing of exports. Britain tried to compensate by lowering the wages of miners, but a General Strike in 1926 (all the workers sympathized with the miners and joined their strike) lasted for over a week, until the children of the upper-class filled jobs and the strike ended (the workers were unable to win, to make it a bit simpler). Britain left the depression with about the same economy that they entered it with.
France had similar situations. It had two major fears; Germany and Bolshevism, with the latter as the largest. Around 1924, the left wing of France got a bit of power, and anti-Bolshevik (mainly fascist) groups gained support. The extra fear of Bolshevism and minor sympathy for Fascists are one of the reasons that France fell so quickly in WWII (there was also the fact that the officers would rather be fascist than communist because fascists would give them more power). France made an alliance with Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia as both a buffer against Russia and a threat to Germany.
Czechoslovakia was the only democracy to come out of all the former-Austria nations, and was lead by Massyrk.
The Nazi party, after the Great Depression, gains votes in the Reichstag (German form of the parliament), as the political beliefs began to polarize (they often do in a depression or when facing an extremist belief, like Bolshevism). The Nazis, or the German Socialist Workers Party, get a lot of support from factory owners as they beat up protestors and strikers. By 1933, the Nazis get plurality in the Reichstag (as there were several parties, none were able to get a majority of 50% or more. The dominant party had plurality, or more seats that any other party) with about 36% of the vote. The next year, the government tried to break the Nazi treasury by holding a re-vote shortly after the first, but the Nazi’s refilled their bank with last-minute donations from some factory owners, and managed to keep 30% of the seats. Hitler became Chancellor under the increasingly old (and rather unable to rule due to his age) president Hindenberg. From then on, Hitler was able to use Article 48 of the Weimar constitution (which said that Germany could be ruled without question by emergency decree. Several previous chancellors had ruled through it as well) to maintain undisputed leadership.
Hitler starts to test his limits by building an airforce, expanding the navy and army, and sends some troops into the Rhine. The only nation that says anything against him is France, so Hitler knew that the rest of Europe did not want to go into a war. Hitler then begins to assimilate other countries and regions into his control. The two main nations are Austria and Czechoslovakia. Hitler supported a coup in Austria to get a Nazi-friendly fascist leader in power. Czechoslovakia had a region bordering Germany, the Sudetenland, which was inhabited by mostly Germanic people. Hitler claims that the area should be included in Germany, and raises a lot of hell to get the land. Czechoslovakia was willing to go to war against Hitler to keep the land (it was one of few countries that were sane, to be honest), but Neville Chamberlain went to Czechoslovakia, and then Berlin, to negotiate a deal. The Berlin Conference, in which Czechoslovakia did not have representation, announced that Hitler could claim the Sudetenland, and Hitler took the region with tanks a few days later. Czechoslovakia was pretty much already defeated before WWII started, and felt betrayed by Western Europe (which encouraged it to succumb to the USSR after WWII).
Hitler’s WWII-causing military action was the invasion of Poland. Polish troops, like those of Czechoslovakia, were thinking properly and fought like hell against the Nazis. However, Hitler had all of Germany on a wartime economy for several years before WWII started (he took unemployment down to about 5%, when it was at 15% to 20% before), and the Nazi guns and tanks decimated the Polish troops (who had no tanks to speak of). The Warsaw garrison in particular was very resistant against Nazi artillery, starvation, and everything else, especially considering that it was occupied mainly by civilians. The remaining Polish military had to retreat and planned for further fights against the Nazis, but they were unable to last for long.
Stalin had made an agreement with Hitler that they would both attack Poland and split the country. This deal cost the international communist parties a lot of members, as the Nazis and communists were mortal enemies. Many have claimed that Stalin made the deal to buy time so he could effectively fight the Nazis. The Nazis got Western Poland and began to move troops west (they also took Denmark and Norway somewhat quickly, I believe. Control of both the countries allowed the Nazis to stop communication between Britain and Russia). Russia got Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (which were the nations with access to the Baltic, and Which Russia had wanted for quite some time, I believe), as well as their half of Poland.
For a few weeks, nothing happened on the Western Front. Britain was moving troops into France in preparation for an attack, and French troops were waiting behind the Maginot line (a line of fortifications in French territory. They did not extend far enough North, where Germany attacked, through the Netherlands and Belgium, as had happened in WWI). www.onwar.com has a nice chronology of WWII, and I think it does the early days of it very well.
-------------------------------------------------
So, now that I’ve covered the history, time to get to the news of the day.
The NDP, National Democratic Party, appears rather well-known as a neo-Nazi party. Because I’ve already made the post on anti-Semitism, and the above quote provides all the critical information, I don’t believe much more analysis is needed. My email address is in the column on the right, and comments are always welcome, for responses of any type, excluding flames and hatemail.
The Nazi party, and generally anti-Semitism in Germany, requires historical knowledge to analyze properly. Fortunately, I typed up a great deal of European history several months ago on a forum (which has absolutely no relation or relevance to this website). So, I have decided to re-use this excellent summarization of inter-war (between WWI and WWII) history to help explain the history behind the rise of fascism.
-------------------------------------------------
Before WWI ended, Russia had a revolution (in 1917). Workers in Petrograd, one of Russia’s largest industrial cities, continued to gather over several days and won the support of much of Russia’s military in their grab for power. The revolution was rather nonviolent compared to the later revolutions of the 20th century, but showed that the workers had more power than the government. So, in 1917, Russia wanted to get out of WWI. Russia’s eventual exit included a huge debt to Germany as well as the forfeit of some lands.
By this time, people throughout Europe were realizing that the war would last much longer than the few months that were expected, and some people began to oppose it (they tended to be in or join communist groups). Winston Churchill, a military officer with some record of heroism from the colonial battles he had been in, proposed to attack the Turks (who were on the German/Axis side) at Constantinople, which would aid the Balkan front, increase coordination with Russia, and knock the Turks out of the war. However, an inept commander was assigned to lead the attack, and failed miserably with a loss of about 150,000 troops. Churchill became a scapegoat for the failure.
Shortly after Russia left, The US went in with fresh troops and machinery. Germany, knowing that it would not last if the war continued much longer, ordered a last attack on the western front. Germans got within about 30 or so miles of Paris, but the attack failed with huge loss of life. Germany could not replenish its troops, and would lose the war on foreign soil.
Ludendorf and Hindenberg, the German generals (who pretty much ran Germany throughout the war), negotiated a peace treaty and advanced the theory that the Aryan army was stabbed in the back by Jews and Bolsheviks (the German population saw comparatively little of their defeat, as they had not even pulled back to German borders, and had little trouble agreeing with the claim). A treaty was made in Versailles to announce the effects of the war. The US president, Wilson, had spoken of a “peace without victors”, but that desire was ignored in the treaty. France was to occupy the German Saar valley (industrial area), Germany had to pay incredibly huge reparations (mostly to France), the entire German Rhineland (industrial area that had always been a bit disputed between Germany and France) was to be demilitarized, the German army was cut down to about 100,000 (and Germany was not to make an airforce at all, while it’s naval power was also limited), and Austria was split up into the smaller nationalities that composed it (a nation of Austria remained, but it was just a husk of the Germanic people of the Austrian Empire).
Also, France was determined to prevent Germany from ever becoming a great power again. Bismarck’s war had created chaos for the French political system (they had the third republic, which was ‘reluctant’ to rule from the very start and was repeatedly challenged), and Germany devastated France in WWI. Further, German representatives were not present to finish the treaty, and claimed that it was dictated to them, while they were forced to sign it.
In short, Germany wants revenge against the Jews, is really angry at France for forcing them into the treaty, and practically goes bankrupt because of reparations.
The former axis powers soon ran into huge economic problems. Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, (and all the other nations that were once Austria) could not support industry because each nation created tariffs (industry was not centralized, so raw material would be refined in one nation and used to make a finished product in another nation after WWI. In effect, industry was crippled). All of the nations, with the exception of Czechoslovakia, became fascist within a decade or two.
Germany could not expect to pay off the planned reparations, but it tried (it was also helped by later adjustments that reduced the annual payment and total cost. These changes were guided by American bankers).
Now, I have to deviate a bit to describe fascism: it is strictly irrational and capitalizes on nationalism. It typically gets power in a quasi-legal means (it is given political control in a legal fashion, but fascist groups gain support through often illegal means), rises when a nation’s political system is paralyzed, often spreads up after a depression, and usually gains strength after a failed Bolshevik attempt for power. It was known for creating paramilitary organizations (armies or police forces for the fascist party), and having them create disorder while holding an image of the only ones capable of restoring peace (they would vandalize shops yet always march perfectly and in uniform).
Mussolini’s rise in Italy, which was the first real fascist grab for power, reflects this. Mussolini’s party organized marches, most notably the March on Rome, to show their strength and gain support. The Italian governing body, however, was similar to a senate and included many parties (none of which were really able to get a majority and control the body), so it was paralyzed. The March on Rome convinced the Italian king to make Mussolini dictator through legal means, though Mussolini had killed opponents.
Hitler’s attempt for power started with the Beer Hall Putch, which was a small riot lead by him and Ludendorf (the former German general), in 1923. Hitler was a low-ranking officer in WWI, which he enjoyed, and had applied several times to some of Germany’s art schools (he was rejected. Earth could have had a rather poor artist in Germany instead of the entire Nazi party and much of WWII). Hitler was arrested, and dictated Mein Kompf (“My Struggle”) while in jail, but the book sold poorly until it’s author took power. Most viewed the book simply as Hitler venting a bit of rage that he, and many others, had.
From 1914 until 1923, the German currency went through rapid inflation. The final event in the inflation was the French invasion of the Ruhr valley (in 1923), which was an industrial area rather close to the French border. The invasion was done to get the reparation money that Germany could no longer pay, but did little for France and made the British more sympathetic to the Germans.
After 1923, as reparation payments were reduced, Germany began a recovery until the Great Depression.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the Irish were getting impatient for independence. An Irish Home Rule Bill was passed in 1914, but was delayed because WWI took the attention of Europe. After the war, Britain’s economy was stagnant, and the nation owed a great deal of debt to the United States. In 1916, during the War, the Easter Uprising in Dublin expressed the continued desire for self-rule. The British quickly suppressed the revolt and executed the leaders, which was a huge mistake (they became martyrs, ‘saints of an ideology’ is the best term I can use to describe the word). The Irish representation in Parliament moved from the Irish Party to the extremist Sinn Fein (“ourselves alone”, got to admit the name is rather catchy) movement. In January 1919, Ireland declared independence, and the Sinn Fein formed the Irish Republican Army (the IRA for short). The IRA fought against the British army, which was supported by groups referred to as the “blacks” and the “tans” because of their uniforms. Ireland won independence in December 1921, but the British retained some territory in northern Ireland.
In 1927-ish, the Great Depression hit the US and Europe. The US had been investing heavily in Germany, but had to stop and keep money in the US to limit the collapse. Germany’s recovery fell again, and the rest of Europe suffered from the freeze of reparations.
Britain decided to return to the gold standard (I believe they based the pound on gold, but I’m not sure). They adjusted the value of the pound to make it a bit high, which resulted in an overpricing of exports. Britain tried to compensate by lowering the wages of miners, but a General Strike in 1926 (all the workers sympathized with the miners and joined their strike) lasted for over a week, until the children of the upper-class filled jobs and the strike ended (the workers were unable to win, to make it a bit simpler). Britain left the depression with about the same economy that they entered it with.
France had similar situations. It had two major fears; Germany and Bolshevism, with the latter as the largest. Around 1924, the left wing of France got a bit of power, and anti-Bolshevik (mainly fascist) groups gained support. The extra fear of Bolshevism and minor sympathy for Fascists are one of the reasons that France fell so quickly in WWII (there was also the fact that the officers would rather be fascist than communist because fascists would give them more power). France made an alliance with Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia as both a buffer against Russia and a threat to Germany.
Czechoslovakia was the only democracy to come out of all the former-Austria nations, and was lead by Massyrk.
The Nazi party, after the Great Depression, gains votes in the Reichstag (German form of the parliament), as the political beliefs began to polarize (they often do in a depression or when facing an extremist belief, like Bolshevism). The Nazis, or the German Socialist Workers Party, get a lot of support from factory owners as they beat up protestors and strikers. By 1933, the Nazis get plurality in the Reichstag (as there were several parties, none were able to get a majority of 50% or more. The dominant party had plurality, or more seats that any other party) with about 36% of the vote. The next year, the government tried to break the Nazi treasury by holding a re-vote shortly after the first, but the Nazi’s refilled their bank with last-minute donations from some factory owners, and managed to keep 30% of the seats. Hitler became Chancellor under the increasingly old (and rather unable to rule due to his age) president Hindenberg. From then on, Hitler was able to use Article 48 of the Weimar constitution (which said that Germany could be ruled without question by emergency decree. Several previous chancellors had ruled through it as well) to maintain undisputed leadership.
Hitler starts to test his limits by building an airforce, expanding the navy and army, and sends some troops into the Rhine. The only nation that says anything against him is France, so Hitler knew that the rest of Europe did not want to go into a war. Hitler then begins to assimilate other countries and regions into his control. The two main nations are Austria and Czechoslovakia. Hitler supported a coup in Austria to get a Nazi-friendly fascist leader in power. Czechoslovakia had a region bordering Germany, the Sudetenland, which was inhabited by mostly Germanic people. Hitler claims that the area should be included in Germany, and raises a lot of hell to get the land. Czechoslovakia was willing to go to war against Hitler to keep the land (it was one of few countries that were sane, to be honest), but Neville Chamberlain went to Czechoslovakia, and then Berlin, to negotiate a deal. The Berlin Conference, in which Czechoslovakia did not have representation, announced that Hitler could claim the Sudetenland, and Hitler took the region with tanks a few days later. Czechoslovakia was pretty much already defeated before WWII started, and felt betrayed by Western Europe (which encouraged it to succumb to the USSR after WWII).
Hitler’s WWII-causing military action was the invasion of Poland. Polish troops, like those of Czechoslovakia, were thinking properly and fought like hell against the Nazis. However, Hitler had all of Germany on a wartime economy for several years before WWII started (he took unemployment down to about 5%, when it was at 15% to 20% before), and the Nazi guns and tanks decimated the Polish troops (who had no tanks to speak of). The Warsaw garrison in particular was very resistant against Nazi artillery, starvation, and everything else, especially considering that it was occupied mainly by civilians. The remaining Polish military had to retreat and planned for further fights against the Nazis, but they were unable to last for long.
Stalin had made an agreement with Hitler that they would both attack Poland and split the country. This deal cost the international communist parties a lot of members, as the Nazis and communists were mortal enemies. Many have claimed that Stalin made the deal to buy time so he could effectively fight the Nazis. The Nazis got Western Poland and began to move troops west (they also took Denmark and Norway somewhat quickly, I believe. Control of both the countries allowed the Nazis to stop communication between Britain and Russia). Russia got Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (which were the nations with access to the Baltic, and Which Russia had wanted for quite some time, I believe), as well as their half of Poland.
For a few weeks, nothing happened on the Western Front. Britain was moving troops into France in preparation for an attack, and French troops were waiting behind the Maginot line (a line of fortifications in French territory. They did not extend far enough North, where Germany attacked, through the Netherlands and Belgium, as had happened in WWI). www.onwar.com has a nice chronology of WWII, and I think it does the early days of it very well.
-------------------------------------------------
So, now that I’ve covered the history, time to get to the news of the day.
As disenchantment with the federal government grows over its failure to tackle rampant unemployment and a sluggish economy, the NPD's popularity has risen to a point where polls suggest it will win nine percent.
That score, compared to 1.4 percent in 1999, would be enough to give the party seats in parliament and rattle the German political world.
The NDP, National Democratic Party, appears rather well-known as a neo-Nazi party. Because I’ve already made the post on anti-Semitism, and the above quote provides all the critical information, I don’t believe much more analysis is needed. My email address is in the column on the right, and comments are always welcome, for responses of any type, excluding flames and hatemail.
posted by Chris at
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