You seem to be confusing Nazi's for actual socialists. They were corporatist fascists. Corporatism may look a lot like socialism but it isn't necessarily so. S

You seem to be confusing Nazi's for actual socialists. They were corporatist fascists. Corporatism may look a lot like socialism but it isn't necessarily so. Saying socialism leads to Totalitarian fascism is a gigantic line to cross. I'd say that maybe the #1 reason of totalitarianism is introducing democracy to a country that hasn't learned to question its leaders. Hitler and the Nazi's came to power legally through the introduction of several bills, but no one opposed them. The German constitution at that time was riddled with holes because it was a franken-constitution from the US UK and Switzerland. Checks and balances were already weak, and separation of powers was weak, but people didn't press them which was mot of the problem. Much of the Nazi's rise to power has nothing to do with socialism but much more to do with corporatist control via the marriage of industry and government. As well as the failure of the people to uphold their own democracy. Remember that fascism is the antithesis of democracy because it puts people in groups and manages them. This marries corporatism in a way that it allows certain groups to affect the economy more. While in some sectors there was much top down corporatism, in Nazi Germany especially supplies for war. In others there was bottom up where companies would request things of the government to do. Not only that you seem to be confusing Germany and Austria. Austria was conquered by propaganda, some democratic means, but mostly a marching of troops into it. Your argument falls flat because in any democratic system where people don't take it upon themselves to uphold the checks and balances of government will decline as government gains more power. Just look at Putin's Russia, or the "Democratic" PRC.