Peter Hitchens is wrong to say Nazis were socialists; they were fascists. Have some facts
I see Peter Hitchens is pushing the falsehood that Hitler’s Nazis were left-wing:
My Mail on Sunday column today pic.twitter.com/o61YaTVMiC
— Peter Hitchens (@ClarkeMicah) March 12, 2023
This is a lie that rears its head periodically. I wrote an article about it a few years ago that provides the facts. If you want them, read on:
‘Nazi’ is the short name. The full name for the ‘Nazi’ party was the “National Socialist German Workers’ Party” (“Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei” in German).
The fact that the far-right party contained ‘socialist’ in the name was a rebranding gambit to draw workers away from communism and into populist nationalism.
Despite this, the populist nationalists that support the likes of Donald Trump, regualarly take the oportunity to remind modern day liberal or left-leaning critics of white-supremacists and neo-nazis that ‘Socialism’ was included in the Nazi party name.
Hitler’s party positioned as a left-wing organisation based on his rhetoric, rather than his actions, espoused in the 1920s and 1930s to disenfranchised workers frustrated with what they perceived as a two-tier society.
Neither left or right wing want to be known as the side of the political spectrum that Hitler was on, and both sides would argue he was on the other, politically speaking.
One such incident occurred recently on Twitter.
Nazis were socialist. https://t.co/WTmYzfxlKi
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 17, 2017
Mike Stuchbery, a teacher and writer whose passion is History, sought to correct the misconception.
This is quite a long dressing down and is a little foulmouthed. You’ve been warned.
Yeah, the Nazis called themselves the 'National Socialists', and they even nicked some (incredibly benign) socialist policies…
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
The Nazis were fascists. Indisputably. They drew their ideology from Italy's fascists, who arose in reaction to the Left.
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
Mussolini gives us the first fascist platform – national/racial superiority, rearmament & expansion, and consolidation of capital.
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
The Italian Fascists sought, @stillgray, to expand & reclaim historically Italian lands (mirroring a large portion of the old Roman Empire). pic.twitter.com/2Rot3O9gZN
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
Hitler & his Deutcher Arbeiter Partei mates see this and decide that they need to steal support from actual socialists, @StillGray… pic.twitter.com/Fq9ylQcch7
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
Otherwise, they were fascist – 1. Saw themselves as racially/nationally superior, 2. Wanted rearmament & expansion, 3. Consolidated capital.
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
https://twitter.com/MikeStuchbery_/status/898264524536414208
The actual socialists who emerged after Marx wanted three things – 1. Removal of classes. 2. World socialism. 3. Distribution of capital.
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
After they succeeded, the Bolsheviks wanted to take the Revolution worldwide. Heard of 'Comintern'? No race, no nations, only socialism. pic.twitter.com/nmHUsh4Gsv
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
So, you see, @stillgray there's a big fucking difference between fascism and socialism, in that they're COMPLETE FUCKING OPPOSITES.
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
So, if you're peddling this 'munuhmunuh NAZIS ARE SOCIALISTS' bullshit you're either massively dense or an evil prick.
— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) August 17, 2017
The above was from an article I published in 2017.
I wonder how long I’ll have to wait before publishing it again?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the right margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Join the uPopulus group at https://upopulus.com/groups/vox-political/
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
This is a straw man article. Hitchens didn’t say they were left wing because they were socialists. You didn’t actually read the article he wrote.
Does it matter? He said they were left-wing and they were demonstrably right-wing.
Hitler lefty ha ha ha whose bird brain telling porkies this utter and out mad man who killed people’s for their creed race who ever sais he was a lefty needs locking up
I’ve seen this ploy before. Albeit it was an American (not sure why I consider that not to be as bad) it’s hard to tell if they are trolling or really believe it. But it is interesting that they wish to defend the far right nowadays..