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English Terms
Nazis
Nazi A member of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or National Socialist German Workers' Party. It was founded in 1919 as the German Workers' Party by a Munich locksmith, Anton Drexler, adopted its new name in 1920, and was taken over by HITLER in 1921. The Nazis dominated Germany from 1933 to 1945. In so far as the party had a coherent programme itconsisted of opposition to democracy and a fascist belief in a one party state. It claimed that a pure Aryan race existed and promulgated ANTI-SEMITISM, allied itself to the old Prussian military tradition, and encouraged an extreme sense of nationalism, inflamed by hatred of the humiliating terms inflicted on Germany in the VERSAILLES PEACE SETTLEMENT. The Nazi's declared their views were supported bythe racist theories of the Comte de GOBINEAU, the national fervour of Heinrich von Treitschke, and the superman theories of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nazi beliefs were given dogmatic expression in Hitler's Mein Kampf (1925). The success of the Nazis in dominating completely what had previously been regarded as a civilized country is to some extent explained by the widespread desperation of Germans overthe failure of the WEIMAR REPUBLIC governments to solve economic problems and by a growing fear of BOLSHEVIK power. Through Hitler's oratory, Germans in the 1930s appeared to accept his pronouncements, despite their lack of logic and rationality. Only after Hitler had obtained power by constitutional means was the THIRD REICH established. Rival parties were banned, and the army, industry, and thebanks supported Hitler in his mission to launch Germany on a war of conquest. By now virtually the whole German nation supported him, his few opponents were either murdered or frightened into acquiescence. Over six million Jews, Russians, Poles, gypsies, homosexuals, disabled people, and others were incarcerated and exterminated in German CONCENTRATION CAMPS. The German Nazi Party was disbanded in1945 after it had led Germany into a humiliating defeat, and its revival was officially forbidden by the Federal Republic of Germany. Worldwide revulsion at German policies of genocide and the enormous burden of guilt borne by the German people for their enthusiastic participation in Hitler's monstrous plans have ensured that Nazism has disappeared from mainstream politics, although occasionalresurgences do occur in extreme right-wing fringes.
World war 1
World War 1 was a major conflict fought in Europe and around the world between July 28th 1914 and November 11th 1918. Nations from across all non polar continents were involved and over eight million people died, although Russia, Britain, France, Germany and Austria-Hungary dominated. Much of the war was characterized by stagnanttrench warfare and massive loss of life in failed attacks.
European politics in the early twentieth century were a dichotomy: many politicians thought war had been banished by progress while others, influenced partly by a fierce arms race, felt war was inevitable. In Germany this belief went further: the war should happen sooner rather than later, while they still (as they believed) had an advantageover their perceived major enemy, Russia. As Russia and France were allied Germany feared being attacked from both sides and had developed the Schlieffen Plan to deal with it: a swift looping attack on France designed to knock it out early, allowing concentration on Russia.
After rising tensions, the catalyst occurred on June 28th 1914, when Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand wasassassinated by a Serbian activist, an ally of Russia. Austro-Hungary asked for German support and was promised a 'blank cheque'; they declared war on Serbia on July 28th. Russia mobilised to support Serbia, so Germany declared war on Russia; France then declared war on Germany. As German troops swung through Belgium into France days later, Britain declared war on Germany too. Declarations continued until...