It has been about a half century since the final collapse of Nazi Germany. A great deal has been documented in the historical record about the personalities and careers of the leaders of the Third Reich, the wartime victories and defeats, the cruelty of the Holocaust, and the conduct of the Allies in defeating the Nazis. But a great deal also remains clouded in philosophical controversies and mistaken assumptions. The model or "ideal type" of Nazi philosophy that has been espoused in scholarly and popular literature frequently is at odds with the realities of Nazi practice. This is especially true in the development of law, government and industry in the Third Reich. The ideal type of Nazi law and government--that of absolutist rule under a group or a single individual--tends to run counter to the actual workings of internal structures in Nazi Germany.
This research examines the issue of the relationship between law and industry in Nazi Germany. The emphasis of study will be on the reciprocal relationship between law and industry, and their mutual impact on the evolution or devolution of the state and party on the Third Reich. Traditional theory of National Socialism will first be described, followed by a historical account of the development of Nazism in Germany. The historical account will include a discussion of industrial conditions prior to the rise of Nazism, the development of law and government in the Nazi period, and the impact of German industry on law and government in the Third Reich. It is the contention of this study that a dualism emerged between German industry and law, and that this dualism helped undermine the planned progress of full-scale National Socialism.
Traditional Philosophy of National Socialism
National Socialism started as a political movement in Germany in 1919. Its official name was the "Nazionalsozialistische Deutshe Arbeiterpartei" or the National Socialist German Workers' Party. It eventuall...