ABSTRACT
Symbols have always existed since men first found means of communicating their thoughts and feelings to each other. They have existed not only in an intimate and ephemeral form but also in a form more widespread and lasting. Among present-day political parties, the Socialists, and notably the German Social Democratic Party, especially in its early years and around the end of the last century, made extensive use of symbols as a means of recruitment and of encouragement to active membership. Fascism today makes full use of symbolic language as a weapon in the struggle. Hitler had an easy task in bringing into application his language of symbols; he was directly inspired by Mussolini and the Communists. The famous Nazi expression Gleichschaltung, meaning the enforcement of conformity, bringing to heel, is simply a name for this phenomenon under its political and social aspect.
