National-Social Association
|
National-Social Association
Nationalsozialer Verein |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Chairman |
Friedrich Naumann 1896–1903 |
| Vice Chairmen |
Caspar René Gregory 1896–1897 Paul Göhre 1897–1898 Adolf Damaschke 1898–1903 |
| Party Secretary |
Martin Wenck 1897–1901 Max Maurenbrecher 1901–1903 |
| Founded | 1896 November 23/25 |
| Dissolved | 1903 August 29/30 |
| Split from | Evangelical Social Congress |
| Merged into | Free-minded Union |
| Headquarters |
Leipzig 1896–1898 Berlin 1898–1903 |
| Newspaper | Die Hilfe |
| Membership | about 3.000 (upon dissolution) |
| Ideology |
Nationalism, Christian socialism, Social liberalism |
| Political position | Centre-left |
The National-Social Association (German: Nationalsozialer Verein, NSV) was a political party in the German Empire, founded in 1896 by Friedrich Naumann. It sought to synthesise liberalism, nationalism and non-Marxist socialism with Protestant Christian values, in order to cross the ideological front lines and draw workers away from Marxist class struggle. However, it never grew beyond a minor party of intellectuals which failed to gain mass support in elections.
In the second half of the 19th century Germany underwent a rapid industrialization, which was connected with rising social problems. As a result of this the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) was founded and soon outlawed under the first chancellor of the German empire Otto von Bismarck. After the party was legalized again in 1890 (the year Bismarck resigned), it enjoyed considerable success at elections. Since the SPD was Marxist, using Karl Marx's Das Kapital for their theoretical underpinnings the ruling classes considered it a threat.
In 1896, Friedrich Naumann, a Protestant parish priest, founded the National-Social Association. The establishment is seen as a reaction to the rise of socialism and an attempt to offer a moderate, social liberal alternative, guided by Protestant Christian principles, as opposed to the atheism of the SPD, to the new masses of the working class. It was influenced by the political theories of Max Weber, who helped founding the party. In accordance with Weber's teachings, the party believed that working class and bourgeoisie should join hands for a strong German empire, economic growth and social progress. Therefore, the party strove to dismantle the ideological divisions between socialists, left and national liberal and Christian parties.
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