Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism ( ), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Workers' Party under Adolf Hitler; and the policies adopted by the government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, a period also known as the Third Reich.Payne, Stanley G. 1995. A History of Fascism, 1914–45. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. The official name of the party was Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) — “National Socialist German Workers' Party”. The Nazis were one of several historical groups that used the term National Socialism to describe themselves, and in the 1920s they became the largest such group. Nazism is sometimes considered by scholars to be a form of fascism. While it incorporated elements from both political wings, it formed most of its alliances on the political right.. Among the key elements of Nazism were anti-parliamentarism, Pan-Germanism, welfare state for Germans (although only for "fit" Germans), racism, collectivism,Hayek, Friedrich (1944). The Road to Serfdom. Routledge. ISBN 0415253896. eugenics, antisemitism, opposition to economic liberalism and political liberalism, anti-communism, and totalitarianism.Fact: date=September 2008

Nazism was not a monolithic movement, but rather a (mainly German) combination of various ideologies and groups, sparked by anger at the Treaty of Versailles and what was considered to have been a Jewish/Communist conspiracy (known in the vernacular as the Dolchstoßlegende or “Stab-in-the-Back Legend”) to humiliate Germany at the end of the First World War. The "National Socialist Program" of 1920 was the formulation of the Austrian German Workers Party's policies, which was, in turn, copied by the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi party). This Nazi party came to power in the aftermath of the Great Depression, seeking a Third Way, in 1933, which they blamed on capitalists and promised a "Third Position" between capitalism and communism, anti-capitalism, and totalitarianism.Fact: date=September 2008

Terminology

The term Nazi is derived from the first two syllables of Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei,

History

National Socialist philosophy came together during a time of crisis in Germany; the nation had lost World War I in 1918, but had also been forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, a devastating capitulation, and was in the midst of a period of great economic depression and instability. The Dolchstosslegende (or “stab in the back”),

On January 5, 1919, the party that eventually became the Nazi Party was founded under the name German Workers' Party (DAP) by Anton Drexler, along with six other members.