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After Hitler rose to power in 1933, it was clear that for political, and above all for economic reasons, he sought allies and expanded territories for Germany. In 1936 Germany participated in the Spanish Civil War(1936-1939) in support of the fascist general Franco in order to defeat the lawful democratic government of the country. During the same period, he entered into an alliance with Mussolini, known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. Then came the signing of the anti-internationalist Tripartite Pact which was aimed at combating communism and supporting fascism at a world level. In 1938, Germany annexed-incorporated Austria without facing any resistance, following pressure by the Austrian fascists on their government. On 15 March 1939, the Czechs, unable to react, watched the march of Hitler’s troops on Prague. In any case, Czechoslovakia’s fate had been pre-ordained. On 29-30 September 1938, the British Prime Minister, Chamberlain and his French counterpart, Daladier, signed the Munich Agreement with Hitler and Mussolini, under which Britain and France accepted the annexation of Czechoslovakia (Sudeten) by Germany. In1939, following an agreement with Stalin, (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact). Hitler invaded Poland.
In 2025, Donald Trump is seeking to expand the territory under US jurisdiction. He began with threats and extortion. He asked for Canada to be incorporated into the United States if, as he said, he is to continue to offer military protection to Ottawa, otherwise he would levy high tariffs on the country’s products, which could even lead its economy to collapse. He demanded to buy Greenland from Denmark, threatened torename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. He also wants to purchase and take over thereconstruction of Gaza and build a luxury tourist destination. In Europe, he has fanatic allies and supporters, such as the far right Prime Minister of Italy, Georgia Meloni, the ultra-conservative Prime Minister of Hungary, Victor Orban, as well as various other politicians, such as the leaders of the German nationalist party ‘Alternative for Germany’ (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD), Marine Lepen in France, Vox in Spain, Farage in the UK, and so on. He also declares himself a friend of Putin and Erdogan.
Homophobes
What is it that creates such tight bonds between Trump, Meloni, Orban, the right-wing Prime Minister ofSlovakia Robert Fico, the Germans, the Spanish and the French extreme right? They all speak about national dominance and focus on the identity of the Nation. They all express their religious faith and devotion to God. Most of them are homophobic. They believe that there exists an international agenda that promotes the homosexual identity, which they consider abnormal and sinful. Donald Trump states publicly his belief that there exist only men and women and nothing in between. Meloni has come out publicly against gay marriage and the adoption of children by gay couples. Victor Orban follows the same logic in his support of traditional family values, and decries gay couples.
Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime had a very negative stance towards homosexuals, believing that they werea threat to the ‘purity’ of the Aryan race. Homosexuals, particularly men, were often persecuted and imprisoned in concentration camps, where they were severely abused and put to death. The Nazi ideologypromoted the idea of the traditional family and the birth of more Aryan children, and homosexual relations were considered to be in opposition to this goal.
Xenophobia
Hitler and the Nazi regime considered the Jews of Germany to be foreigners and blamed them for the many social, economic and political crises of the time. For example, the Jews were considered responsible for the economic crisis in Germany after World War I, and were accused of controlling the banks and finances. The Nazis presented the Jews as villains and immoral, accusing them of crucifying Jesus, spreading communism and other ‘dangerous ideas’. The Jews were considered a racial threat to the ‘purity’ of the Aryan race, andthe Nazis promoted racism and the idea of the superiority of the Aryan race. They also had problems with the gypsies, whom they called dirty and wretched. Gypsies, like Jews were victims of the Nazi regime and were systematically persecuted and killed in enormous numbers during World War II, with many thousands displaced and killed in concentration camps.
After taking power, Trump declared a state of emergency on the issue of migration and sent troops to the border in order to stop flows from Mexico. He also calls all migrants who entered America without a permit, criminals. He said that some of them belong to foreign gangs and sell drugs or are part of foreign terrorist organisations active on American soil. All of them, including their children, even if they were born in the US, must be arrested and deported.
Feeling of injustice
Invoking the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War, Hitler expressed his feeling that Germany had been treated unjustly. Germany lost lands, paid enormous amounts in reparations, while the economy slumped into recession and inflation rose to great heights. These feelings became slogans and political outrage on the lips of the Nazis, who believed that everyone was conspiring against their country that was being made to pay heavy reparations, while some other countries, like England and France, were controlling the international economy and trade. Germany believed that this situation could be remedied with the use of force and began to invest in its military industry. To this end, Hitler withdrew Germany from the disarmament conference in October 1933. He also rejected the idea of collective security in internationalmatters, by withdrawing from the League of Nations.
Donald Trump believes that the US is being treated unjustly internationally, since it pays for the security of third countries such as Canada and Europe, as the basic contributor to the functioning of NATO. It also pays large sums for the operation of the UN and the WHO. As he stated last December, the US would look into the possibility of withdrawing from NATO if their allies do not contribute more financially to the military alliance. He said the same about the UN. During his first term (2017-2021) the US had significantly reducedthe funding of the UN’s services and activities; it withdrew from the Council for Human Rights, the ParisClimate Agreement and UNESCO and has begun procedures for withdrawing from the World Trade Organisation.
Above everyone
The slogan ‘Germany above everyone else’ Alemania (Deutschland) über alles, was accepted by all the Germans during the Nazi regime and became the dominant motto. Today, Trump is sending the messageAmerica First. Both these slogans seek to justify a series of harsh measures against third countries with theexcuse that Germany in the period between the wars and the USA in the 21st century have been ‘hard done by and exploited by the international system’. Those who must be protected, said Hitler then, and those who come first, says Trump today, are German and American citizens. For them and in their name we must make our countries great again.
Propaganda
How did Hitler and Trump manage to get elected? Economic crises always lead to social crises, with unemployment as the main phenomenon. A social crisis becomes an ideological crisis the victim of which and the price to be paid is democracy itself. In all such cases, Saviours and Populists prevail. Hitler, withGoebbels, the wizard of propaganda, at his side, and with radio as his weapon, managed to convert millions of Germans into fanatic supporters. Trump, with Elon Musk by his side, with X and other social media as his weapon, managed to defeat the traditional media that supported the Democrats and sent the message that Trump is the man who will change everything. The man who will make America Great Again.
Are they the same?
Nothing is exactly the same 90 years later. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the dynamics of history that create leaders like Hitler and Trump. Hitler was elected Chancellor on 30 January 1933 and with the help of the SS he dissolved Parliament and remained the sole ruler of the country for the next 15 years. When Trump lost the election, he encouraged his followers to take over and dissolve Congress, because in his view, he should not cease to be President.
When Adolf Hitler emerged from the Presidential Palace as the new Chancellor, he was cheered by the Nazis and their supporters who believed in him. A significant number of Germans had believed in him. Theycould not have imagined what would follow.
Trump’s election as 47th President of the United States marks a turning point for the US, and, in the end, for the whole world. The slogan America First is problematic from the start, since America is already the richest and most powerful nation on the planet. If you have these two things, you cannot demand more unilaterally, you must also honour your responsibilities. If he does not realise this soon, he might lead his country and the whole world into the abyss.
In the past, Hitler was tolerated by the weak-willed leaders of France and England – Daladier and Chamberlain. Do we have political leaders today, especially in the EU, able to stand up to Trump? In the past, the US with Roosevelt as President, stood by Europe and helped it to defeat Hitlerism and Stalinism. Today, Europe must support America in the fight against nationalism and the disgusting populism expressed by Trumpism.
This article was originally published on 26.01.2025
Kaynak: DONALD TRUMP: WHEN HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF LIKE A FARCE
