I've read conflicting statements that Hitler and/or his party were against both capitalism and communism. My immediate impression was that he was for a free market as they are regarded as far right (I understand this is moreso for nationalistic and social stances) but have come to realize this isn't the case. Can anyone clear up how the Hitler dealt with the economy and where he stood on the spectrum ?
To be honest with you, it's very difficult to pin Hitler down (economically). The individuals within the party are a bit easier, for example Goering pioneered the Autarky policy, which would have (if it was succesful) removed all foreign trade completely. Hitler however made decisions based upon what part of the public he wanted support for. Whenever a rich man would ask his opinion, he would say he was against communism as (according to Hitler) Bolshevism was a Jewish creation. Yet when a poor man would ask, he would say that capitalism was wrong, as (again, according to him) capitalism is manipulated by Jews. In most circumstances however he would try and merge both left wing and right wing ideas into his regime, and make both useful to him. For example, he completed the autobahns, an originally SDP/ZP project, which would not only cement the idea that he was in favor of everyone in the country, yet also helping to remove the unemployment that had hindered the German industry for decades. He also Privatized schools and hospitals, removing some economic control from Berlin, but ensured that Lebensraum was taught, cementing his regime in the minds of the next generation. I hope this helps, but it is very difficult to plot Hitler on any economic map, if that makes sense.
Edit: typo