ABSTRACT
Through their hostility toward religion, both Marxism and National Socialism show themselves to be ideologies. For Hitler and Rosenberg, the Christian religion is part of what they called the ‘ideas of 1789’ and the ‘Bolshevist revolution’. The Nazi ideology draws a line from Christianity to Bolshevism-the latter of which is understood as a secularized variant of Roman Catholic Christianity. Paul is said to have organized a ‘preBolshevism’.1 To Alfred Rosenberg, the universalism of Christianity is connected with modern internationalism, which reached its climax with Bolshevism; the equality of souls before God then becomes the postulate of equality as such. Rosenberg conceives of National Socialism, by contrast, as a counter-movement-one based upon the race principle-against the principles of equality and universality of the Roman world-church. ‘Roman Christianity is built upon fear and humility,’ notes Rosenberg in his diary, ‘National Socialism upon courage and pride.’2 Hitler, by contrast to Rosenberg, refrains from making any direct, anti-clerical attacks. In the protocolled table conversations, the Christian Church appears as the ‘enemy of international standing’. In public talks or in Mein Kampf, by contrast, it appears only on the margin-presumably because Hitler was aware of the danger that persecution could strengthen the Church. After the war, however, the Christian churches were to be torn out root and branch in Germany, their influence to be eradicated.3
