Nationalsozialistische

Nationalsozialistische is the German term referring to National Socialism and its adherents. The adjective is used to describe things connected with the movement and, in noun form, to identify supporters or members, such as Nationalsozialisten. The broader ideology is usually called Nationalsozialismus and is historically associated with the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), or Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler.

Nationalsozialismus combined extreme nationalism, racism, antisemitism, and anti-democratic principles with a totalitarian state structure. It promoted a racially hierarchical worldview, sought expansionist foreign policies (Lebensraum), and aimed to homogenize German society through Gleichschaltung—coordinating all institutions under party control. The regime relied on propaganda, censorship, and paramilitary formations such as the SA and later the SS to enforce conformity and carry out persecutions.

The Nazi seizure of power in 1933 established a dictatorship that suppressed political opposition, dismantled civil liberties, and implemented discriminatory laws, including the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 that deprived Jews of citizenship. The regime also orchestrated widespread atrocities, culminating in the Holocaust, in which six million Jews and millions of others were murdered.

After Germany’s defeat in 1945, Nazi institutions were dissolved, and leaders were prosecuted at the Nuremberg Trials. Nationalsozialismus is studied as a dark chapter of 20th-century history and is condemned for its crimes and totalitarian ideology. In contemporary culture and law, Nazi symbols and propaganda are heavily restricted in many countries, reflecting the period’s unequivocal rejection.