Corruption under German National Socialism
The prevalence of political corruption in Nazi Germany is studied. An overview of corrupt practices in pre-Nazi Germany emphasizes the connection between democracy & corruption. The emergence of an anticorruption campaign alongside the National Socialists party's rise to power during the mid-1930s is discussed. However, the Nazi state's fervor for controlling corruption was checked in all but the most egregious cases of corruption by Nazi officials. In fact, it is argued that Adolf Hitler recognized the importance of political corruption to keeping the different factions in the National Socialist party together. Various acts of corruption committed by Nazi officials against Jewish business owners during the 1930s are noted. In addition, Nazi leaders accepted bribes from individuals imprisoned in WWII concentration camps. Several conclusions from the study (eg, the existence of universal corruption in the Nazi system) & recommendations for future research are offered. J. W. Parker