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National Socialist Germany: A Far-Left Socialist Regime Misclassified
The misconception that Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Germany was a far-right regime is a distortion perpetuated by Marxist-Keynesian academics who mislabel its collectivist, state-controlled economy as capitalism. The far-right, defined by individual liberty and free markets—entirely free from state intervention—is the antithesis of National Socialism’s policies. With an extensive welfare state, centralized economy, wealth redistribution, and nationalization of over 500 large companies, National Socialism aligns with far-left socialism. As Günter Reimann’s The Vampire Economy: Doing Business Under Fascism (1939) details, there were no real private business owners; businesses were taken over from within by the state, reducing owners to mere “leaders” executing state directives, while workers were designated “followers” in a collectivist hierarchy. Nationalism and socialism, both unifying a collective under state authority, are essentially interchangeable, as evidenced by Hitler’s vilification of free-market capitalism as Jewish. Historians Adam Tooze, Avraham Barkai, Richard J. Evans, and Götz Aly accurately document the regime’s state-controlled economy, but their conclusions that it was capitalism are incorrect, as their own evidence of state dominance, nationalization, and the absence of free markets proves it was socialism.
1 A Welfare State for Aryans: Leftist State Domination
National Socialist Germany established a welfare state for “Aryans,” rooted in leftist principles of state control:
- Closed, Centralized Economy: Price, wage, and rent controls, alongside centralized food distribution, created a state-dominated economy, the opposite of a free market with no state intervention, mirroring socialist systems (Tooze, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the National Socialist Economy, 2007, pp. 99-134).
- Progressive Taxation and Deficit Spending: Higher taxes on the wealthy and deficit spending to fund social programs are hallmarks of leftist policy, incompatible with the far-right’s vision of no state involvement (Tooze, 2007, pp. 55-70).
- Social Programs: Child support, household subsidies, and a social health service reflect collectivist welfare goals, not the individualist principles of a free-market system (Tooze, 2007, pp. 153-160).
These policies clash with the far-right’s ideal of a state-free economy. Tooze (2007) details this state control but errs in framing it as capitalist, as the absence of private control and free markets aligns with socialism.
2 German Labour Front and Nationalization: State Monopoly Over Markets
The German Labour Front (DAF) replaced independent trade unions, controlling wages, working conditions, and business operations (Evans, The Third Reich in Power, 2006, pp. 450-458). The regime nationalized over 500 large companies in banking, steel, and manufacturing, eliminating meaningful private ownership (Barkai, Nazi Economics: Ideology, Theory, and Policy, 1990, pp. 112-120). As Reimann’s The Vampire Economy (1939, pp. 15-30) explains, private businesses were hollowed out, with owners reduced to “leaders” following state orders and workers as “followers” in a state-directed hierarchy. This nationalization, indistinguishable from socialization, unified production under state control, aligning with Marxist calls for state ownership in Marx and Engels’ The Communist Manifesto (1848, Plank 7). The DAF’s dominance and state takeovers (Evans, 2006; Barkai, 1990) are antithetical to the far-right’s vision of unregulated markets. Historians Barkai (1990) and Evans (2006) detail this state control but contradictorily call it capitalism, ignoring that their evidence of nationalization and eradicated private ownership points to socialism.
3 Wealth Redistribution via the NSV: Anti-Capitalist Collectivism
The National Socialist People’s Welfare Organization (NSV) redistributed wealth to support the poor, pregnant women, and youth, subsidizing essentials like coal and food (Aly, Hitler’s Beneficiaries: Plunder, Racial War, and the National Socialist Welfare State, 2007, pp. 50-70). This focus on reducing inequality mirrors Marxist principles of state-driven redistribution, unifying the collective—here defined by race rather than class (Marx & Engels, 1848, Plank 2). Such policies, reliant on state intervention, are anti-capitalist and incompatible with a free market free from state control. Aly’s evidence of state-orchestrated redistribution (2007) underscores a socialist framework, yet his conclusion of capitalism is misguided, as state control, not private markets, drove these policies.
Why the Misclassification?
The mislabeling of National Socialism as far-right or capitalist stems from conflating nationalism with far-right ideology. Nationalism, like socialism, unifies a collective under state control, whether through national identity or class solidarity. Both are collectivist, as seen in National Socialism’s nationalization and Marxism’s socialization of production (Marx & Engels, 1848). The far-right, by contrast, champions individual liberty and unregulated markets, rejecting all state control. Hitler’s anti-communism was a rivalry between two collectivist ideologies, not a rejection of leftist principles. His nationalization of industries and contempt for capitalism, deemed Jewish, align with far-left socialism (Barkai, 1990, pp. 26-30). Historians Tooze (2007), Barkai (1990), Evans (2006), and Aly (2007) provide meticulous evidence of state control, nationalization, and the absence of free markets, yet their capitalist label contradicts their own findings, which demonstrate a socialist economy.
Conclusion
National Socialist Germany was unequivocally far-left and socialist. Its welfare state, nationalized industries, and wealth redistribution reflect collectivist, state-controlled principles akin to socialism. As The Vampire Economy (Reimann, 1939) details, private business ownership was a facade, with owners as state-directed “leaders” and workers as “followers,” confirming the absence of capitalism. Nationalism and socialism, both unifying a collective under state authority, are fundamentally aligned, as seen in the nationalization of over 500 companies. A true free market, the cornerstone of the far-right, rejects such authoritarianism. Historians Tooze (2007), Barkai (1990), Evans (2006), and Aly (2007) accurately document the state-controlled economy but err in calling it capitalism, as their own evidence of state dominance, nationalization, and eradicated private ownership proves it was socialism.
Sources
Aly, Götz. Hitler’s Beneficiaries: Plunder, Racial War, and the National Socialist Welfare State. Metropolitan Books, 2007.
Barkai, Avraham. Nazi Economics: Ideology, Theory, and Policy. Yale University Press, 1990.
Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich in Power. Penguin Books, 2006.
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. 1848.
Reimann, Günter. The Vampire Economy: Doing Business Under Fascism. Ludwig von Mises Institute, 1939.
Tooze, Adam. The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the National Socialist Economy. Penguin Books, 2007.
