Aspects of the Third Reich

This neo-German term has a considerable variety of meanings, quite apart from the official definition supplied by the régime itself. ¹ Gleichschaltung (a term which defies literal translation but may be rendered as ‘accomplishment of a uniform attitude’) was such a unique feature of Nazi Germany that terms like coordination, levelling, equalization or adaptation do not fully convey either the true meaning or the implications which were part of this process. Yet it was this process which determined life in the Third Reich. If one divests the concept of Gleichschaltung of its implied benevolence and tries instead to define the overwhelmingly coercive element inherent in its practical application, the term ‘complete Nazification’ suggests itself as a useful equivalent. Gleichschaltung was the logical sequel of Hitler’s rise to power. It applied equally to individuals, institutions, organizations and any ideology active against the new creed or even merely suspected of not conforming to it.