Research Proposal 2.0

Why does Nazism still exist in Russia and Germany?

1) Subject (Narrowed topic and approach)

Russia and Germany have suffered deeply from Nazism and totalitarianism. One can rightfully wonder why it is in those two countries that neo-nazi demonstrations are the most common and that the political support for Far right nationalists are in the strongest recorded on earth. My research will examine and analyze why such a situation exists in those two countries by taking into account the background of both countries, the political context, their respective cultures and what those organizations actually propose to attract such a strong support in countries that should know better.

2) Audience (Imaginary reader)

It will be necessary for me to include in my paper a clarification of what Fascism and Nazism are, as there is a misconception regarding those two concepts. Far right does not necessarily means "fascist" and anti-Semitism does not automatically evoke the idea of Nazism. There will also be a need to distinguish the differences between Neo-nazism and Nazism. The same has to be done for Fascism and Neo-fascism. I will also include economical statistics for those unfamiliar with the socio-political realities of Russia and Germany.


3) Defence (Why does this project merit your time?)

A friend of mine who spent a year teaching in Germany came back a few years ago with stories that were peculiar to me at the time. He told me about Neo-nazi demonstrations in Eastern Germany, Far right nationalists being elected in several Länder (Germany’s federal provinces), desecrated Jewish cemeteries and about educated people who were highly xenophobic. I then started to search newspapers and online articles to verify what the medias had to say about such odd events and attitudes and I found out it was not only very true but more common than one could possibly imagine. There is one thing these articles could simply not address properly: the causes of the resurgence of these movements. During my research, I will try to find these causes (economical, cultural, historical). This question is worth answering because an unbiased and thorough understanding of these movements could help us see how serious this reality is and how to deal appropriately with it. History taught us what these organizations are capable of and should not be regarded as marginal groups. This critical mistake has been done once already. Also the fact that there are such organizations all around the globe is to my eyes another reason why this subject merits our time.

4) Methodology

The first step will include researching documents about Fascism and Nazism as an ideology. Then, I will need to look into the economic realities of both Germany and Russia. When fascists took power in Italy and Germany they were greatly helped by economic crisis. I will also look into the historical background of those two countries (past totalitarian regimes, the arrival of Jewish immigrants in those two countries etc.). The fourth step will include analyzing the situation of both countries with what the neo-fascist and neo-nazi movements actually promote and why it actually attracts this sort of mass support. I will look more into the political programmes of these organizations when such a thing will exist. They do not all have political agendas. The last step of my research will focus more on the redaction of the research paper and putting all the facts and analyses together.

General Outline

1- Political ideologies and agendas

a) Fascism
b) Nazism
c) Neo-fascism
d) Neo-nazism

2- Germany

a) Economy
b) Culture
c) Background
d) How these organizations fit in the picture

3- Russia

a) Economy
b) Culture
c) Background
d) How these organizations fit in the picture