Joseph Goebbels’s best-selling 1925 primer on National Socialist doctrine
‘The Little ABC of National Socialists’ (Das Kleine ABC des Nationalsozialisten) – one of the most popular documents outlining the tenets of National Socialist philosophy – was written and published by Joseph Goebbels in late 1925, not more than a year after “the little Doktor” first became politically active in the national-socialist movement. Goebbels at the time of publication was not the leading figure he would later become. At this point in his life he was a mostly penniless agitator, a demagogue-in-training, an organizer in the Gau North-Rhineland who was just starting to make his name in the wider Party outside of the city of Elberfeld. ‘The Little ABC’ was one of the many factors which played a part in Goebbels’s later notoriety. The pamphlet was immensely successful; the first edition of 10,000 copies sold out rapidly, leading to praise from Hitler, and more than 75,000 had been printed and distributed by 1927. By the time Hitler was appointed Reichschancellor in 1933 it was one of the most widely-read pieces of National Socialist literature. This is in large measure due to its style of writing – a pithy question-and-answer format, with simple, straightforward language intended to make National Socialist doctrine easily accessible to young people and workers. Winning proletarians to the cause was always a central focus of Dr. Goebbels, and even the title of the work attests to that fact – it deliberately calls to mind Bukharin & Preobrazhensky’s ‘ABC of Communism’. The translation of the ‘Little ABC’ below was made by myself personally; as far as I can tell no English translation is otherwise generally available.
THE LITTLE ABC OF NATIONAL SOCIALISTS
Dr. Joseph Goebbels
For the downtrodden!
Against the exploiter!
The Common Good Comes Before Self-Interest!
What is the first commandment of every National Socialist?
Love Germany above all and love your folk-comrades [Volksgenossen] like yourself!
What is the aim of the National Socialist freedom-concept?
The people’s community [Volksgemeinschaft] of all honest, productive Germans!
What is the substance of this people’s community?
Freedom and bread for every German folk-comrade!
Who is our German folk-comrade?
Any honest productive German, so long as he is of German blood, German customs, and German culture, and speaks the German language!
Through what principle do we National Socialists want to do away with today’s economic struggle of all against all?
Common interest before self-interest!
Why National Socialist German Workers Party?
Can and should a workers’ party still be national today?
It not only can and should, it must be national today. The cause of the people is the cause of the nation, and vice versa; the might and welfare of the state are the might and welfare of the people, and thus the might and welfare of every individual!
Isn’t there a conflict between the national and social concepts?
No, on the contrary! The truly national man thinks socialist, and the true socialist is nationalist!
When am I a nationally-minded person?
I am a nationally-minded person when I have the will, and use all my power, to make my people and my Fatherland free, healthy, and strong!
When do I think as a socialist?
I think as a socialist when I recognize that the natural rights of the oppressed portion of my folk-comrades, the rights to liberty and bread, are rights that must be fought for and preserved, they are not gifts that are given freely or even imposed!
What is the difference between ‘social’ and ‘socialist’?
The term ‘social’ means granting the oppressed segments of the people the imperfect rights of fear and cowardice, grace and mercy; ‘socialism’ means giving them their full right to justice and state imperative!
Why ‘Workers Party’?
Because every honest, productive German who belongs to us already, or who shall belong to us yet, is a German worker, whether of brain or fist; because the will to creative work is a fundamental feature in German man; because work does not dishonor man but honors and ennobles! Continue reading