Conservative Revolution

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The Conservative Revolution (German: Konservative Revolution), also called the German neoconservative movement^[1] or new nationalism,^[2] was a political movement in Germany and Austria from 1918 to 1933, between World War I and the rise of the Nazis. It was a national-conservative and ultraconservative movement that opposed modern ideas and wanted a different future for Germany.

The people in this movement, called conservative revolutionaries, rejected traditional Christian conservatism, democracy, and equality. They felt lost in the modern world and looked to older ideas from the 19th century. These included Friedrich Nietzsche’s dislike of Christian values and democracy, the anti-modern ideas of German Romanticism, the nationalist beliefs of the Völkisch movement, and the strong military traditions of Prussia. Many were also influenced by their experiences of war and comradeship during World War I.

The Conservative Revolution had a complicated connection with Nazism. Some historians see it as a form of early fascism, though it was not exactly the same as Nazism. Unlike the Nazis, it did not always focus on race, but it shared anti-democratic ideas that helped prepare German society for Nazi rule. When Hitler took power in 1933, the movement lost its influence. One of its key thinkers, Edgar Jung, was killed by the Nazis in 1934. Some members later opposed parts of Nazi rule, except for figures like Carl Schmitt.

Since the 1960s and 1970s, the Conservative Revolution has influenced right-wing political movements in Europe, especially in France and Germany. It has also helped shape the modern European Identitarian movement.

1. ↑ Dupeux 1994, pp. 471–474; Woods 1996, pp. 1–2.
2. ↑ Breuer 1993, pp. 194–198; Woods 1996, pp. 1–2.