Nazism and communism are two distinct ideologies or political systems that were once very prominent in the world. Nazism is associated with Germany and Hitler, while communism is linked to Karl Marx and Russia. Today, Nazism is no longer relevant, and communism exists only in a few countries. Although some people consider Nazism to be similar to communism due to the use of the word “socialist” in Nazi Germany, there are significant differences between the two ideologies.
Key Takeaways:
- Communism falls at the far left of the political spectrum, while Nazism is believed to lie at the far right of this spectrum.
- Communism strives to create a classless society, whereas Nazism tries to establish a society ruled by the superior race.
- Communism opposes private property and entrepreneurship, whereas Nazism finds nothing objectionable with private property.
Nazism
Nazism represents the political ideology endorsed by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party in Germany before World War II. The party was officially called the National Socialist German Workers’ party. Its ideology centered on the racial superiority of the German people, anticommunist sentiment, and anti-Semitism. Nazism rejected both democracy and communism, believing that Jews relied on democracy for their preservation and that communism sought a classless society, whereas Nazis wanted rule by the dominant race. This belief in German racial superiority places Nazism in the far-right position of the political spectrum.
Communism
Communism is a political ideology as well as a social and economic theory. This system advocates for the elimination of private property and the creation of a classless society. The system of governance seeks total control of the ruling party over the means of production and assets. The ideology opposes capitalism, which supports entrepreneurship and the profit motive. Communism was heavily influenced by socialism as advocated by Karl Marx and became popular during the second half of the 20th century to rival capitalism and democracy. It appealed to the landless and labor class, who were promised equal rights and equal distribution of assets in this ideology. Communism was at its peak during the Cold War era but began to fade away with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany.
Nazism vs Communism
• Communism seeks to create a classless society, while Nazism aims to establish a society ruled by the superior race.
• Communism opposes private property and entrepreneurship, whereas Nazism finds nothing objectionable with private property.
• Nazism is associated with Hitler’s Nazi party of Germany, while communism is associated with the Soviet Union and Karl Marx.
