The System (Nazism)

"The System" (German: Das System) was a derogatory term used by the Nazis to denote contemptuously the Weimar Republic, whose official name was German Reich (Deutsches Reich), and its institutions.[1] In Nazi propaganda, the word was used in a number of compounds: for example, the period from the German Revolution of 1918–1919 to the Machtergreifung in 1933 was called "The time of the System" (German: Systemzeit) and political opponents of the Nazis from this period were called "System parties", "System politicians" or the "System press".[1] After 1933, the term was quickly adopted to everyday use.[2]

Another Nazi phrase used for the republic and its politicians was "the November criminals" or "the regime of the November criminals" (German: November-Verbrecher), referring to the month the republic was founded in (November 1918).[3] This term was used also by other nationalistic groups.[3]

References
  1. Cornelia Schmitz-Berning: Vokabular des Nationalsozialismus. 2. durchges. u. überarb, Aufl. Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-11-019549-1, pp. 597-598.
  2. Victor Klemperer (2006), LTI, Lingua Tertii Imperii: a philologist's notebook, Continuum International Publishing Group, ISBN 0-8264-9130-8, p. 91
  3. Richard Wires (1985), Terminology of the Third Reich, Ball State University, p. 44
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