Date
8-29-2024
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
Chair
Wiliam Skiles
Keywords
ideology, early Nazi Party, occultism, eugenics, Nietzsche, Haushofer, Kant, Thule, Haeckel, Liebenfels, List
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
Thrower, David Joseph, "The Ideological Background of National Socialism in Regard to Its Central Narrative Convictions" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5953.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5953
Abstract
The origins of the National Socialist Party in Germany in the early 20th century are multifaceted and constitute four areas of influence – mythological/occult, Darwinian eugenics, prior völkisch political movements comprised of disenfranchised war veterans and youth activists, and a number of philosophical influences. The ideas assimilated from these sources constitute the construction of a narrative based on a series of questions that form what are called Central Narrative Convictions (or CNCs). The focus is to determine which of these were borrowed in regard to the Nazi platform as well as those unique to their own identity. These convictions also address other questions as well, such as whether the Nazis were left-leaning or right-leaning, whether they were a product of the Enlightenment or a reaction against it, and to what degree these earlier ideas influenced the early leadership in the party prior to Hitler’s joining in 1919. While in many ways Hitler’s ideas dovetailed other early Nazi figures (Drexler, Feder, Harrer, Eckart, and others), the focus for purposes here are ideological origins of National Socialism leading up to Hitler’s joining the party, as well as the years leading up to the Third Reich itself when the National Socialists were one among many extremist parties on the German political landscape. Additionally, there are also contradictions to address, such as why the Nazis would persecute groups and individuals who originally contributed to their evolution.
