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Nazi Germany and Groupthink 

Third Reich are common names for  Germany during the period from 1933 to 1945, when its

government was controlled by Adolf Hitler .

Closed-mindedness

Stereotyping

Racism, especially anti-semitism, was a central feature of the regime. The implementation of 

the regime's racial policies culminated in the mass murder of Jews and many other minorities in

the Holocaust. Even education focused on racial biology, which is the use of scientific

techniques and hypotheses to support or justify the belief in racism, racial inferiority, or racial 

superiority.

Everyone who was fit enough had to join the war as Hitler ordered that anyone who was not prepared to fight should be court-martialed. In the end, Germany was stricken by a series of 

unprecedented waves of suicides during the final days of the Nazi regime as a result of the loss

of the war and the anticipated Allied occupation of Nazi Germany as they feared that they are

going to be held responsible.

Overestimations of the group — its power and morality

Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.

In 1938 Germany made increasingly aggressive territorial demands to neighbouringcountries, threatening war if they were not met, launching World War II in Europe. In alliance

with Italy and other  Axis powers, Germany conquered most of Europe by 1940 and before

long, threatened Great Britain.

But following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the tide turned against

the Third Reich, by the end of 1943 the Germans had lost most of their territorial gains in the

east. Major military defeats were suffered in 1943 in battlefields in Egypt and American and

British bombers attacked civilians in an effort to destroy German morale. On 6 June 1944,

American, British, and Canadian forces established a western front with the D-Day landings in

 Normandy, one of the events that led to the fall of Nazi Germany.

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Pressures toward uniformity

Self-censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.

The regime promoted the concept of a national German ethnic community. The goal was

to build a classless society based on racial purity and the perceived need to prepare for warfareand conquests. Newspapers were controlled by the state, with the Reich Press Chamber 

shutting down or buying newspapers and publishing houses. By 1939 over two-thirds of the

newspapers and magazines were directly owned by the Propaganda Ministry

The two largest film companies were purchased by the Propaganda Ministry, which by1939 was producing most German films. The productions generally had a political subtext and

followed party lines regarding themes and content. Scripts were pre-censored.Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in

terms of "disloyalty" and any party deemed undesirable were persecuted or murdered, and

opposition to Hitler's rule was ruthlessly suppressed. In addition to that, members of the liberal,

socialist, and communist opposition were killed, imprisoned, or forced into exile.

Causes

Hitler was over-confident about himself, he thought could actually conquer Russia, which was

around three or four times bigger than Nazi Germany.

The people of Germany also had a rough life after the First World War, Germany had a huge

debt and the economy was in a sorry state. The people, needed a strong figure to lead them, to

 bring Germany back to its knees and into another golden age.

Solutions

Hitler should have been more rational and realistic during the Second World War. He was very

stubborn and he insisted on carrying out his plans for world domination despite sound advice

from his advisers and generals and he failed to evaluate the true strength of his enemies. He

dismissed them as being 'cowardly' when they opposed his objectives.