ABSTRACT
The term “Nazism” is an acronym derived from Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). Nazism, or National Socialism, can be used to describe the Weltanschauung (worldview) that shaped the formation, development, and goals of the National Socialist movement. That this worldview was thoroughly millennial, messianic, and apocalyptic is perhaps the most significant, and least acknowledged, aspect of this, the darkest period of twentiethcentury history. While the pseudoreligious trappings of Nazi thought and ritual have been noted over the years, only two works have argued for the centrality of the millennial and apocalyptic. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that millennialism was the primary conceptual basis of Nazism. This is especially significant since Nazism represents one of the few times in history that a millennial movement actually succeeded in gaining political power and almost realized its utopian and, ultimately, dystopian visions.
