Friday, March 20, 2020

Hitlers Weltanschauung (World View) Essays - Nazism, Free Essays

Hitlers Weltanschauung (World View) Essays - Nazism, Free Essays Hitlers Weltanschauung (World View) name = Glen R. Hees email = SigmaChi25 publish = yes subject = World Civ II title = Hitler's Weltanschauung (World View) In the early quarter of the twentieth century, a young man was beginning to fill his mind with ideas of a unification of all Germanic countries. That young man was Adolf Hitler, and what he learned in his youth would surface again as he struggled to become the leader of this movement. Hitler formed views of countries and even certain cities early in his life, those views often affecting his dictation of foreign policy as he grew older. What was Hitlers view of the world before the Nazi Party came to power? Based in large part on incidents occurring in his boyhood, Hitlers view included the belief that Jews should be eliminated, and that European countries were merely pawns for him to use in his game of world dominion. Adolf Hitler grew up the son of a respectable imperial customhouse official, who refused to let his son do what he was most interested inart. Hitler never excelled in school, and took interest only in art, gymnastics and a casual interest in geography and history due to a liking he had taken to his teacher. It was his history teacher who would fill Adolfs mind with a simple thought: The day will come, that all of us, of German descent, will once more belong to one mighty Teutonic nation that will stretch from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, just like the Empire of the Middle Ages, and that will stand supreme among the peoples of this earth. Already the young Adolf could envision himself in such a position. Much of the ideology that Adolf Hitler used was not original by any means. There were many thinkers and writers who laid the groundwork for what would become not just Hitlers, but the Nazi Partys Weltanschauung (world view). Three primary writers were Dietrich Eckart, editor of a harshly anti-Semitic periodical, Auf gut deutsch (Agd), Alfred Rosenberg, a Baltic German and contributor to Agd, and Gottfried Feder, an opponent of finance capitalism. These three men molded the political outlook of the German Workers Party before Hitler encountered it in 1919, and would become quite influential in Adolfs ideology. Rosenberg contributed largely to Hitlers view of the Jews on an international perspective, suggesting the existence of a Jewish conspiracy to overthrow established nation-states on a worldwide scale. In 1924, Hitler proclaimed that he had departed from Vienna as an absolute anti-Semitic, a deadly enemy of the whole Marxist outlook, and as a Pan-German in his political persuasion. The Pan-Ger man movement was dedicated to achieving the defense and fortification of the German Volk (people) everywhere in the world. The elimination of the Jews was but one item on Hitlers agenda, however. Hitler wanted to do away with the Versailles Treaty which he saw as criminal. He also believed that Germany should not ally itself with any other nation, except perhaps Italy and England. Italy, because of its Fascist regime under Mussolini, and England, because it could be considered a Nordic region. While he would go on to ally himself with Italy, his views of these two nations would change drastically later. As for other European nations, Hitlers idea of expansionism laid the groundwork for his relations with them. Lebensraum or living-space, which Hitler mentioned in his book Mein Kampf, had been a key concept for German National Socialists. It was an old concept, not inconsistent with beliefs held since the middle ages. Hitler believed that an increase in his countrys living-space would effectively improve the health and well-being of his Volk. As Hitler stated in his Secret Book: A healthy foreign policy therefore will always keep the winning of the basis of a peoples sustenance immovably in sight as its ultimate goal. Hitler was very hostile towards France and saw the French as a hereditary enemy that was always looking for a chance to annex the left bank of the Rhine so as to have a natural frontier with Germany. Hitler was ready to support a war against France at any time and any cost. England was portrayed as one of Germanys absolute enemies, even though Hitler had considered making an alliance at one point. Hitler thought that England had been the Weltmacht, or world power for too long and was not a worthy ally because they assisted the Jewish cause and had allowed Jews to hold influential positions within the state. Hitler also said that the British

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

U.S. Constitution - Article I, Section 10

U.S. Constitution - Article I, Section 10 Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution plays a key role in the American system of federalism by limiting the powers of the states. Under the Article, the states are forbidden from entering into treaties with foreign nations; instead reserving that power to the President of the United States, with the approval of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. In addition, the states are forbidden from printing or coining their own money and from granting titles of nobility. Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution limits the powers of the states by prohibiting them from entering into treaties with foreign nations (a power reserved to the president with the consent of the Senate), printing their own money, or granting titles of nobility.Like Congress, the states may not pass â€Å"bills of attainder,† laws declaring any person or group guilty of a crime without due process of law, â€Å"ex post facto laws,† laws that make an act illegal retroactively or laws that interfere with legal contracts.In addition, no state, without the approval of both houses of Congress, may collect taxes on imports or exports, raise an army or harbor warships in times of peace, nor otherwise declare or engage in war unless invaded or in imminent danger. Article I itself lays out the design, function, and powers of the Congress – the legislative branch of U.S. government – and established many elements the vital separation of powers (checks and balances) between the three branches of government. In addition, Article I describes how and when U.S. Senators and Representatives are to be elected, and the process by which Congress enacts laws. Specifically, the three clauses of Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution do the following: Clause 1: the Obligations of Contracts Clause â€Å"No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.† The Obligations of Contracts Clause, typically called simply the Contracts Clause, prohibits the states from interfering with private contracts. While the clause might be applied to many types of common business dealings today, the framers of the Constitution intended it mainly to protect contracts providing for the payments of debts. Under the weaker Articles of Confederation, the states were allowed to enact preferential laws forgiving the debts of particular individuals. The Contracts Clause also prohibits the states from issuing their own paper money or coins and requires the states to use only valid U.S. money – â€Å"gold and silver Coin† – to pay their debts. In addition, the clause prohibits the states from creating bills of attainder or ex-post facto laws declaring a person or group of persons guilty of a crime and prescribing their punishment without the benefit of a trial or judicial hearing. Article I, Section 9, clause 3, of the Constitution similarly prohibits the federal government from enacting such laws. Today, the Contract Clause applies to most contracts such as leases or vendor contracts between private citizens or business entities. In general, the states may not obstruct or alter the terms of a contract once that contract has been agreed to. However, the clause applies only to the state legislatures and does not apply to court decisions. Clause 2: the Import-Export Clause â€Å"No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its [sic] inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul [sic] of the Congress.† Further limiting the powers of the states, the Export-Imports Clause prohibits the states, without the approval of the U.S. Congress, from imposing tariffs or other taxes on imported and exported goods in excess of the costs necessary for their inspection as required by state laws. In addition, the revenue raised from all import or export tariffs or taxes must be paid to the federal government, rather than the states. In 1869, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Import-Export Clause applies only to imports and exports with foreign nations and not to imports and exports between states. Clause 3: the Compact Clause â€Å"No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.† The Compact Clause prevents the states, without the consent of Congress, from maintaining armies or navies during a time of peace. Additionally, the states may not enter into alliances with foreign nations, nor engage in war unless invaded. The clause, however, does not apply to the National Guard. The framers of the Constitution were keenly aware that allowing military alliances between the states or between the states and foreign powers would seriously endanger the union. While the Articles of Confederation contained similar prohibitions, the framers felt that stronger and more precise language was needed to ensure the supremacy of the federal government in foreign affairs. Considering its need for it so obvious, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention approved the Compact Clause with little debate.