The Reference of German Imperial Family to Nazism

The bachelor thesis discussed the attitude of the German imperial family towards Nazism in the 1930s and 1940s. It aimed to answer why the conservative Hohenzollern dynasty collaborated with the radical right wing party and in which areas they seemed to reach the common ground. The first chapter focussed on the relations between the former emperor, Wilhelm II, and the Nazi Party. The following chapters discussed relations between the national socialist government and other dynasty members, including the crown prince Wilhelm and prince August Wilhelm. The author concluded that the relations were of a parasite-like nature, where the emperor tried to use the movement to regain the throne, while the Nazi Party made use of the political capital that the emperor enjoyed with conservative citizens and royalists. The relations were clearly to the Nazi's benefit, who took over the power with the help of the royalists. On the other hand, the links with the Nazi Party disgraced the dynasty. Keywords Hohenzollern, Nazism, Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm II., Hermann Göring, Weimar Republic, restoration of monarch