The rise of Hitler was conditional upon the creation of an ideology resulting from the change in the psychological conditions of his supporters. To understand the process, it is vital to consider the precondition for the emergence of Nazi psychology (Steizinger, 2018). It is defined by the work of groupthink that makes people believe in the necessity of specific actions (Brogaard, 2018). Hence, such a powerful mechanism, together with psychological theories, led to the determination to follow Hitler.
The psychological underpinning of Nazi psychology primarily relates to the works of Nietzsche and Jung. Jung was one of Hitler’s followers, and he considered the events as the confirmation of his theory of the collective unconsciousness (Schoenl & Schoenl, 2016). According to Jung, German citizens perceived Hitler’s ideas as the reflection of their own unconscious thoughts manifested in the form of his ideology (Schoenl & Schoenl, 2016). Even though he changed his mind over time, his initial support was crucial. As for Nietzsche, his ideas of good and evil were misunderstood and used to support the notion of good and bad people (Drochon, 2018). This evidence was enough for German citizens to believe in Hitler’s fairness.
Together with psychological theories, the Nazis used Nordic mythology to promote the war effort. Thus, they associated the symbols of a swastika and runic inscriptions with their movement, and this connection contributed to a belief in Nazi ideals (Neher, 2017). The choice of Nordic symbols was defined by Viking genealogy’s alleged supremacy (Kim, 2019). Hence, the combination of psychological theories with the purported Nordic descent formed the Nazi psychology.
The Nazi movement and its support by German citizens were possible due to the cooperative effort of its leaders and activists. The use of distorted ideas of Jung’s and Nietzsche combined with the false historical evidence from Nordic mythology left no doubt for people in the correctness of the situation. Therefore, the power of groupthink underpinned by “veritable” facts resulted in their actions controlled by dictators.
References
Brogaard, B. (2018). Group hatred in Nazi Germany: 80 years later. Psychology Today. Web.
Drochon, H. (2018). Why Nietzsche has once again become an inspiration to the far-right. NewStatesman. Web.
Kim, D. (2019). White supremacists have weaponized an imaginary Viking past. It’s time to reclaim the real history. Time. Web.
Neher, A. (2017). Norse mythology and Nazi propaganda. The Cross Section. Web.
Schoenl, W., & Schoenl, L. (2016). Jung’s views of Nazi Germany: The first year and Jung’s transition. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 61(4), 481–496. Web.
Steizinger, J. (2018). The significance of dehumanization: Nazi ideology and its psychological consequences. Politics, Religion & Ideology, 19(2), 139–157. Web.