title: [Racism as ideology and practice of domination (1933-1945)].
abstract: National Socialist ideology was comprised of various "set pieces" taken from the racial doctrines in vogue in the 19th century, which were then combined with Social Darwinism. The specifically National Socialist input resided in instrumentalizing these ideas for political purposes. Since the 18th century, the conviction, based on characteristics determined by scientific research, that humans were genetically dissimilar and therefore of differing value, had gained widespread credence. In the theory put forth by Gobineau for example, external characteristics were seen as determining an individual's intelligence and character, a view that simultaneously legitimized the imperialism and colonialism of a reputably superior "white" race. Out of this conglomerate emerged the idea of racial purity, which found specific expression in eugenics. "Selection" and "eradication" were leading concepts of this movement and at the same time methods for differentiating between the "Aryan" and inferior races. Hans F. K. Günther propagated and popularized these principles of Nazi racial ideology in The Racial Elements of European History. Renouncing their right to be part of the Volksgemeinschaft, this signaled the prelude to the war of extermination waged against allegedly inferior peoples.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung der Technischen Universität Berlin, Berlin. zfa10154@mailbox.tu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Benz
mesh_terms: D005053:Eugenics / Q000266:history*; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D017767:Holocaust / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D028683:National Socialism / Q000266:history*; D011287:Prejudice; D012930:Social Dominance