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50 Insane Facts About the Nazis

The Infographics Show・25 minutes read

The Nazi Party, founded by Anton Drexler in 1919 and later rebranded by Adolf Hitler, engaged in a wide range of disturbing and unethical practices during World War Two, including sterilizing or murdering individuals with mental illnesses and using forced labor from concentration camps. Various elements of Nazi ideology and activities, such as the creation of fake diseases, methamphetamine use, and banning smoking, showcased the extreme and harmful nature of the regime.

Insights

  • The Nazi regime under Hitler targeted not only Jewish individuals but also those with mental illnesses like schizophrenia, leading to the sterilization or murder of thousands of schizophrenic individuals, showcasing the extent of their eugenics-based atrocities.
  • The Nazi Party's influence extended beyond Germany, with the German-American Bund spreading Nazi ideology in the US, culminating in a rally at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1939, illustrating the global reach and impact of their propaganda efforts.

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Recent questions

  • What was the purpose of Syndrome K?

    To hide Jewish people from Nazis.

  • Why did the Nazis create Fanta?

    Due to a trade embargo during WWII.

  • What was the significance of the Volkswagen Beetle?

    Heavily influenced by Hitler.

  • How did the Nazis view the supernatural?

    Associated with werewolves and Germany as a wolf.

  • What was the role of the Hitler Youth?

    Indoctrinated to follow Hitler's orders.

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Summary

00:00

"Nazi Party, Hitler, Propaganda, and Fanta"

  • The actual political party that would later become known as the Nazi Party was founded by Anton Drexler in 1919, with Adolf Hitler later joining and rebranding it.
  • Time Magazine named Adolf Hitler their Person of the Year in 1938, praising his military rearmament and invasion of Austria.
  • Hitler ordered the distribution of Aryan blow-up dolls to Nazi soldiers on the front lines as a countermeasure against STDs, but the army refused to use them.
  • The Nazi regime created a jazz band called Charlie and his Orchestra to spread propaganda, with modified lyrics mocking Allied leaders.
  • The Nazis targeted not only Jewish people but also those with mental illnesses like schizophrenia, sterilizing or murdering around 220,000 to 269,000 schizophrenic individuals.
  • The Volkswagen Beetle was heavily influenced by Hitler, with production involving forced labor from concentration camps operated by Volkswagen.
  • BMW contributed significantly to the German arms industry using slave labor from concentration camps, with almost half of their workforce consisting of prisoners and slaves.
  • Italian doctors created a fake disease called Syndrome K to hide Jewish people from the Nazis, saving at least twenty lives.
  • The Nazis believed in the supernatural, associating themselves with werewolves and using the image of Germany as a wolf in their propaganda.
  • The Nazis invented Fanta during WWII due to a trade embargo, using leftover ingredients like apple fibers and whey to create the soda.

12:26

Nazi Ideology and Practices During World War Two

  • Children deemed "Aryan-looking" were adopted by German families post-World War Two, with only 20% reuniting with their original families.
  • The German-American Bund aimed to spread Nazi ideology in the US during World War Two, holding a rally in New York's Madison Square Garden in 1939.
  • Nazi soldiers were encouraged to use methamphetamine during World War Two for enhanced performance, despite the regime's general stance against drug use.
  • The term 'Stormtroopers' in Star Wars originates from the Nazi paramilitary group Sturmabteilung, used to intimidate political opponents and Jewish citizens.
  • Ernst Röhm, head of the Brownshirts, was gay and appointed fellow gay men to Nazi Party positions, later murdered by Hitler during the Night of Long Knives.
  • Doc Marten boots with red laces are a Neo-Nazi identifier, while white laces signify white supremacists, and white boots with red laces show support for the Jewish community.
  • SS Leader Heinrich Himmler sought to legalize polygamy to maintain German birth rates during World War Two.
  • The Nazis banned fonts they deemed 'Jewish' and favored methamphetamine for its energy-boosting effects despite their anti-drug stance.
  • Adolf Hitler never visited his own death camps, distancing himself from the atrocities, while Heinrich Himmler did visit and was more concerned about the impact on Nazi soldiers.
  • The Nazis were among the first in Europe to ban smoking, attributing the decision to the link between smoking and lung cancer discovered by Nazi doctors.

24:29

Nazi Youth, Rebels, Autobahn, Operation Paperclip: Summary

  • Hitler Youth were indoctrinated to follow the Fuhrer's orders, leading to violent acts like smashing shop windows and attacking people who disagreed with them.
  • The Edelweiss Pirates, a teenage group in Germany, resisted the Nazis by defying their rules, intermingling with the opposite sex, growing out their hair, and singing banned songs, eventually joining the underground resistance movement.
  • The construction of the German Autobahn was not ordered by Hitler, but was a result of propaganda, starting in 1932 before Hitler came to power.
  • Some individuals within the Nazi party, like Wilm Hosenfeld, went against Hitler's genocidal plans, saving Jewish and Polish lives, but faced harsh consequences after the war.
  • The United States' Operation Paperclip allowed Nazi scientists to immigrate to America after World War II, keeping it a secret until the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act in 2000.
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