Perhaps I need a lesson here. What is the difference between socialists and national socialists which would prompt Nazis to persecute other socialists? Or was the national socialist party really just socialist in name only?
Perhaps I need a lesson here. What is the difference between socialists and national socialists which would prompt Nazis to persecute other socialists? Or was the national socialist party really just socialist in name only?
National Socialism, the German version of fascism was rightwing so against leftwingers like communists and socialists, but, as the name implies, they had some socialist, anti-capitalist, pro-working class ideas, especially in the beginning.
But in 1934, in The Night of the Long Knives, Hitler had many anti-bourgeosie radicals like Röhm (leader of the SA) arrested and executed, mainly because he was anticipating a power struggle and needed the support of the German industrialists for his plans of rearmement, and those guys were very wary of the anti-bourgeoisie rhetoric of the SA.
After Hitler had come to power in 1933, the days of clashes between the SA and communist street fighters were pretty much over, so the unruly hooligan elements in the SA started to look for new targets, like the new rich. So Hitler broke the power of the SA by executing the leaders and used the SS to do so.
Psychologically this was also a clever move, because from this day on the Germans knew if Hitler was capable to do something like this to his closest allies, members of his own party, what would he do to his enemies?
That's a bit of history that's obviously bit mentioned much outside of Germany. Even my grandmother never really talked about it. There were just hints at how scary things were getting around this time. This also makes more sense of that poem from Martin Niemöller.