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From the Death of God to the Rise of Hitler

Sascha O. Becker, Hans-Joachim Voth

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16538; CEPR Discussion Paper No. 18543

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Abstract

Can weakened religiosity lead to the rise of totalitarianism? The Nazi Party set itself up as a political religion, emphasizing redemption, sacrifice, rituals, and communal spirit. This had a major impact on its success: Where the Christian Church only had shallow roots, the Nazis received higher electoral support and saw more party entry.

Keywords
political religion, Nazi Party, religiosity, voting, Shallow Christianity
JEL
N13, N14, N44, P16, Z12, Z18
Canonical
https://www.jvoth.com/papers/death-of-god-rise-hitler.html

Sascha O. Becker, Hans-Joachim Voth (2023-10). “From the Death of God to the Rise of Hitler.” IZA Discussion Paper No. 16538; CEPR Discussion Paper No. 18543.