Nazi Ideology: Core Principles and World War II Alliances

Core Principles of Nazi Ideology

The foundational beliefs that defined Nazism included:

• Authoritarianism

  Decisions should be made by a leader with almost absolute power.

• Totalitarianism

  They believed it was the government's duty not just to devise policy but to shape, coordinate, and regulate society for the betterment of the nation. A totalitarian government must have the authority to control the press and unions, restrict civil liberties and freedoms, manage education, and employ propaganda.

• Nationalism

  Nazism was concerned only with Germany and German interests. The Nazis had little interest in forming or improving international relationships, except to advance German interests.

• Militarism

  Hitler and his followers believed that rearming and expanding Germany's armed forces was essential for the defense of the nation.

• Expansionism

  The Nazis in general, and Hitler in particular, dreamed of unifying the German-speaking Aryan peoples of Europe into a Greater German State.

• Third Way

  Nazism and Fascism considered themselves a "Third Way," an alternative to both democracy and socialism.

• Economic Sovereignty

  Economic power, prosperity, and self-sufficiency were priorities for the NSDAP (Nazi Party). The role of the state was to manage the economy, dictating what should be produced.

• Racialism

  The Nazis considered Aryans to be Europe's master race. They believed that their innate superiority granted them the right and obligation to rule over other races.

World War II Alliances

The Axis Powers

In 1936, Germany and Italy signed a pact. In the same year, Germany signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan, designed to defend against the Communist USSR. Other countries joined the Axis cause, sending troops or supplies, though they did not intervene directly in the major theaters of war. These included:

• Finland
• Hungary
• Slovakia
• Romania
• Bulgaria

The Allied Powers

Faced with the impossibility of stopping German and Italian expansion, Great Britain abandoned its appeasement policy and signed a pact of mutual support with France in 1936. The alliance expanded significantly later in the war:

• In 1941, the USA joined the war following the attack by Japan.
• The USSR also joined the war in 1941 when it was invaded by Germany, breaking the non-aggression pact signed two years previously.