Dreaming of empire: German imperialism, the use of othering and the evolution of the Nazis’ ideological imperialism from Bismarck to Hitler
Journal: UVic’s Research and Learning Repository (University of Victoria)
Year: 2020

Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany engaged in an extremely aggressive form of ideologically based conquest throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Based on the imperial doctrine established in Mein Kampf, this ‘ideological imperialism’ sought to ensure that the German nation state had the resources needed to guarantee a “freedom of existence”. As a result, ideological imperialism became a potent mix of nationalism, a desire for empire, and a rigid form of biological racism. Examining the origins