Introduction
This article examines the emergence of Nazi ideology through the lens of constructivism. Constructivism provides a comprehensive view of the many circumstances that fostered the rise of this horrific ideology in interwar Nazi Germany by examining the social construction of identity, the effect of pervasive ideas, and the opposition to global norms.
The development of Nazi Germany and its associated ideology is a terrifying illustration of the catastrophic power of unrestrained nationalism and racial hate. The theories of International Relations provide useful frameworks for analyzing this issue. Still, a rudimentary realist approach, which focuses on power maximization and national interests, fails to understand the distinctive features of Nazi ideology, notably its emphasis on racial superiority and Lebensraum (living space).
Nazi Ultra-Nationalism in Germany: Through the Lens of Constructivism
Constructivism presents a major challenge to the realist concept of fixed national interests. It contends that states’ identities and interests are not predetermined, but rather emerge from a complex interaction of historical narratives, social customs, and dominant societal ideals. Nazi Germany’s rabid nationalism and Aryan superiority ideology did not spring out of thin air. The state’s humiliation in World War I, as well as the economic chaos that followed, bred bitterness and a desire for national restoration. These worries served as an effective setting for the culmination of propaganda and the rise of the Nazi party.
To the Germans, propaganda was necessary to inculcate the vigor and purpose needed to win the new “Great War” (WW2). The Germans did not wake up one day and realize their apparent superior status as Aryan descendants, brand the Jews as “sub-human,” or vow to avenge their state by waging war against the West. The intense hatred the natives felt was a culmination of intensely negative ideas fostered through years of meticulous propaganda.
In authoritarian regimes like Nazi Germany, official literature was a vital instrument of propaganda. Goebbels’s military documents coupled with Hitler’s personified account “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle) aided in casting the Germans as victims of the West after the Great War.
Nazi propaganda successfully leveraged the plight of the public, creating a convincing story of national betrayal by labeling the Treaty of Versailles, as harsh and unfair. This “grievance narrative” depicted Germany as the victim of a competitive international system governed by vengeful states such as France and Britain. The Nazi Party operated under a facade as the “defender of a wronged nation,” pledging to reclaim Germany’s legitimate standing in the global arena. The distortion of historical events, and the imposition of an “Us vs. Them” narrative, played an important role in shaping the Nazi identity.
Fabrication of Lebensraum and Alienation of the “Other”
Constructivism emphasizes the profound role of ideas in changing international politics. Nazi ideology relied largely on popular social and intellectual currents of the time. Social Darwinism, which focuses on the “survival of the fittest,” and Thomas Hobbes’ “State of Nature” formed the basis of Nazi rhetoric, proclaiming themselves to be from a superior Aryan race. Pseudo-scientific beliefs served as the cornerstone of the Nazi racial ideology. These views were not only grounds for geographical invasion; they were a basic element of the Nazi ideology, controlling their dealings with foreign governments and their treatment of “sub-human” (Untermenschen) Jews.
- Lebensraum (Living Space)
Lebensraum further demonstrates the impact of ideas on Nazi ideology. This notion portrayed German expansion as an absolute requirement for the Aryan race’s existence and growth. Social fears about population expansion and resource rivalry were ingeniously combined with the invented image of Aryan supremacy, resulting in a powerful pretext for conquering territories. This depicts how constructivism highlights the power of ideas in defining foreign policy aims and, eventually, contributing to the destabilization of the present international order.
- Alienation of the “Other”
Constructivism likewise emphasizes the importance of exclusion and the creation of the “other” in establishing national identity. Nazi Germany relied heavily on establishing a distinct difference between the allegedly superior Aryan race and lowly “others.” Romans, Slavs, homosexuals, and Jews were all seen as dangers to German purity and wealth. This exclusionary strategy served two purposes: it generated a sense of national unity and solidarity within the “in-group” while also acting as a target for Germany’s problems. The Nazi Party extensively abused the ever-present anti-semitism and xenophobia in German society, using these fears to strengthen its authority.
Propaganda and Manipulation through Discourse
The emergence of Nazi ideology cannot be properly comprehended without considering the role of propaganda and manipulation. A pastor in Nazi Germany recalled, “One would be pushed further, step by step, until he had crossed over the line, without noticing that his spine was being bent millimeter by millimeter.” The Nazis understood that persuasion was an extended strategy with various methods.
The Nazi Party had a complex propaganda machine that disseminated its ideas through radio, cinema, rallies, and the mass media. The Party relied heavily upon repetition and information control to create consent and normalize its ideology throughout German society. This manipulation of public discourse emphasizes the need to investigate how ideas and communication tactics shape the social creation of national identity. Hitler’s government found Nazi ideology as a solution to control the population, meanwhile, using it to diminish the outward influence of its adversaries. Attributing the Germans as a superior Aryan race invoked a sense of pride in the hearts of the Germans and subsequently made it easier for them to label the Romans, Slavics, homosexuals, and Jews as lowly, filthy “sub-humans” who could be abused, tortured and left to fend for themselves.
George Orwell states, “Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” The Nazis realized the correlation between power, perception, and language as a means to control. Driven by emotion rather than rationality, Hitler’s propaganda emerged from what he referred to as “the basic principle of the blood.”
This implied that the blood of everyone and their race held both the soul of the individual and the soul of his race, the Volk. Hitler claimed that the Aryans, the true German ancestors, possessed the purest blood (soul). To him, God had chosen the Aryans as the most ideal men, both physically and spiritually. This distinction gave rise to a homogenous “in-group” of true Germans and a radicalized “out-group” of the others, primarily the Jews and the powerful of the West. The inculcation of this ideology through propaganda created a nation full of animosity and cruelty fuelled by a ravaging urge to avenge those who brought the downfall of Germany.
Socio-Economic Factors
Constructivism does not dismiss the importance of socioeconomic factors. On the contrary, it provides a structure for comprehending how these variables influence societal fears and propagated beliefs. The economic woes of the Weimar Republic did not automatically result in the growth of Nazism. But they did cultivate an enthusiastic audience for a discourse that pledged national prestige while blaming “outsiders” for Germany’s woes.
Constructivism emphasizes the interaction of material forces and the social formation of identity. Economic suffering supplied the backdrop, but it was the Nazi Party’s exploitation of social fears and the creation of a national identity, based on exclusion and scapegoating, that eventually fostered the emergence of its ideology.
Conclusion
The development of Nazi Germany and its accompanying ideology serves as a vivid warning of the catastrophic power of unrestrained nationalism and racial prejudice. Constructivism highlights the various tenets that influenced this colluded perspective of Germans after WWI. The social creation of national identity, the impact of prevalent concepts like social darwinism and lebensraum, and the manipulation of social concerns and economic distress all played important roles. While material causes were important, constructivism emphasizes the importance of ideas, historical narratives, and the manufacture of the “other” in setting foreign policy objectives and, eventually, leading to the breakdown of the existing international order.
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Areeba Jamal is a bachelor’s student at the National Defence University. She is currently in the 5th semester, at the Department of Strategic Studies and wishes to share her academic work with those interested in the field of Nuclear and Defence Strategic Studies.