What a load of rubbish! The only thing the Nazi's had going for them as far as "socialism" was concerned, was in their name. Hitler came to power with the backing of the political conservatives, and with the approval of German Capitalism, the military, and with the blessing of conservative Christian church leaders. Once in power Hitler went about disbanding other political parties, and murdering any left wing political opposition, including trade unionists and academics, alone with Jews and other undesirables. Throughout the war Capitalism was the driving force behind German war production. The Nazi's could have called their party, The German Peoples Freedom Party, just as apt.

What many Australians don't know is that Robert Menzies, the founder of the Liberal Party, having been of eligible age and a supporter of Australia's involvement in World War One, had dodged service himself. Menzies had a pathological hatred of Communalism, and with the communists at their zenith in Australia in the 1930's, Menzies seen Fascism as a safe bulwark against the communists. Following a two week official visit to Nazi Germany in 1938, disappointed not to have met the Fuhrer personally, Menzies returned with glowing reports of the success of Nazism in Germany. With the outbreak of war Menzies was seen as an appeaser and was kicked out of office.

If Hitler was a socialist why were his first acts to ban Trade Unions and jail Communists?

The socialist part of the party name came from the Nazi Party predecessor - "The National Socialist German Workers’ Party".

The Nazis were popular with most voters because they acted against the left, not because they were part of it and that's why he was initially supported by various world leaders.

Instead of controlling the means of production or redistributing wealth to build a Utopian society, the Nazis focused on safeguarding a social and racial hierarchy.

Hi rache,

Glad I'm not the only one to know the truth. Hitler's rise to power was arranged by the German National People's (Conservative) Party leader Franz Von Papan, the German equivalent to Australia's 'Pig Iron' Bob Menzies. It was Van Papan who brokered a deal with President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Reich Chancellor under emergency powers.

Hitler was perceived a lot differently in 1930's Australia than he is today. For many Australians, particularly conservatives, Hitler and Mussolini with their brand of Fascism were seen as saviours from the great economic and social hardships of the times. The conservative side of politics had a genuine fear of Soviet Union style utopian Communism which was also perceived far differently by many ordinary Australians than communism is today. It was not out of place in Australian society then to say; "Hitler is doing a great job in Germany, Australia needs an Adolf Hitler", or for another to say much the same about Joseph Salin, these tyrants had lots of so called moderate supporters in Australia. The events of 1939 seen Australia's "Swastika Mob" as my Old Man would say, disappear up their own arses, including Robert Menzies.

The Old Man was a Langite, a great supporter of Jack Lang, believing Lang was the greatest Politian never to be Prime Minister. I admire Lang, and have read everything I can about the 'Big Fella', as I have about 'Pig Iron' Bob.

The National Socialists did what all Socialists do.

Despite their claims that they promote peace, equality and liberty, socialists/Nazis have been in the vanguard of violence, demonising anyone who disagrees with them and, where possible, suppressing human rights. Far from being advocates of social reform and advanced thinking, socialists/Nazis - whatever you want to call them - invariably embrace a statism in which individuals have neither freedom nor peace.

*Socialists confuse equality with sameness.
*Socialism was a reaction to the enlightenment, a counter-movement based on an ideology that scorns rational thinking.
*Socialism mangles history and truth in any way that fits a Marxist/Nazi mould.
*Socialism is riddled with contradictions.
*Socialism brought about the ruination of Sumaria four thousand years ago, and it has been doing the same ever since to societies stupid enough not to learn from the past.

Another person who doesn't know anything about National Socialism is leading plonker, lawyer, and failed Green candidate, Julian Burnside.

Burnside has tweeted likening Israelis to Nazis, absurdly saying that their treatment of Palestinians looks like the Holocaust.

Burnside, Greens, Socialists, Nazis - all the same.

When Hitler formed the NSDAP it was but one of an estimated 300 political parties throughout Germany, each with a differing view as to how to address the problems besetting the defeated nation. A plurality were communist although Comintern was to bring end to intern communist bickering over the next 5 years.

Hitler only attended the original DAP meeting (which set him on a political coarse) on assignment from the Wiemar state to keep an eye on the revolutionary groups. So perhaps the lesson in Australia is that authorities stop secretly monitoring the right wing groups lest one of their number become radicalised. :)

Whether the Nazis were socialist or not depends on your definition of the term. Clearly before 1939 they were socialist according to the understanding of the term at the time. After the war, the term had to be redefined to salvage it from association the Nazis. The same process had to happen later to save the term communist from association with Stalin. Most of the anxiously gullible fell for the redefinition.

As I pointed out in a previous thread, there was little difference between the Nazis and the communists such that members could easily move between the two groups without really changing their view - just their uniforms. The same thing happened in 1945 when previous Nazis joined the east German communist groups without any real change of ideology.

The attraction toward authoritarianism during times of crisis is, it seems, universal across time and place. Even here, even among those who profess love of freedom and the individual such as those in our Liberal governments, the self-inflicted covid crisis has led to a lurch to authoritarianism. They started off assuring us that there would be no vaccine mandate, but as it became clear that a significant minority didn't buy their vaccine promises, they've tended toward coercion. And we've seen that in democracies throughout the world.