The System (Nazism)


"The System" was a derogatory term used by the National Socialists to denote contemptuously the Weimar Republic, whose official name was German Reich, and its institutions. In National Socialist publications and propaganda, the word was used in a number of compounds: for example, the period from the German Revolution of 1918–1919 to the Machtergreifung in 1933 was called "The time of the System" and political opponents of the National Socialists from this period were called "System parties", "System politicians" or the "System press". After 1933, the term was quickly adopted to everyday use.
Another National Socialist phrase used for the republic and its politicians was "the November criminals" or "the regime of the November criminals", referring to the month the republic was founded in. This term was used also by other nationalistic groups.