antiNazi

Anti-Nazi refers to individuals, groups, or movements that opposed the Nazi Party and the ideology of Nazism, which rose to power in Germany in the 1930s. The term can encompass a wide range of activities, from peaceful protests and civil disobedience to armed resistance and sabotage.

During the Nazi era, anti-Nazis worked to undermine the party's influence and support, often at great personal risk. Many were persecuted and imprisoned, and some were executed or sent to concentration camps. Despite these risks, anti-Nazi activism continued throughout Germany and occupied territories, often through clandestine means such as underground printing and propaganda.

Notable anti-Nazi groups included the German resistance movement, which organized plots to assassinate Hitler and disrupt the Nazi war effort. Other groups, such as the Soviet partisans and the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), worked to disrupt Nazi supply lines and communications.

The concept of anti-Nazism also encompasses the broader international movement against Nazi ideology, which spread to other countries through displaced persons, refugees, and anti-fascist organizations. After World War II, anti-Nazi sentiment helped shape post-war justice and accountability efforts, including the Nuremberg Trials and the establishment of the Union of German Officers to prosecute Nazi war crimes.

Today, the term anti-Nazi often carries connotations of hatred towards modern white nationalist or far-right ideologies that draw on Nazi ideology. However, the original meaning of the term during the Nazi era referred specifically to those who actively opposed and resisted the Nazi regime and its ideology.