Hi! Basically the title - to what extent can we say that the Nazis were influenced and ‘authorised’ by Nietzsche’s works? Was he such a prophet as he seemed, or did he in fact help to bring about the future he envisioned?
I would also like a refresher on the evidence of the Nazis’ relationship to German Protestantism and Catholicism of the day, and how that might be viewed in the light of Nietzsche’s influence.
Thank you for any help!
Edit: I’m particularly interested in Nietzsche’s prediction of a new and highly destructive model of war - was it predictive, or was his prediction used as inspiration and a deliberate target? As the prediction in question is in Ecce Homo, it is unlikely to be the second - one comment says that no Nazis were aware of anything other than Will to Power.
The Nazis' familiarity with Nietzsche's work was limited to the book known as The Will to Power, not a work that the author ever intended to publish. Not only this, but the book in the form read by the Nazis was one that was basically doctored by Nietzsche's anti-Semitic sister. It is worth noting that as far as Nietzsche's personal opinions went, he loathed Nationalism and anti-Semitism with equal fervor and this was one of the important factors that led to the disruption of his friendship with Richard Wagner (who was a Nationalist anti-Semite).
Yet even apart from The Will to Power, there are passages in Nietzsche's work which are highly critical of Jewish culture and religion. But then again, Nietzsche was even more critical of German culture and Christianity so the matter can't be easily squared away. It is also similar with regards to Nietzsche's views on women. While it would seem at first glance that Nietzsche is a plain old misogynist, a more careful reading reveals that his views on gender are far from traditional (the philosopher Jacques Derrida has a brilliant work precisely about this called Spurs: On Nietzsche's Styles but it does get rather technical*)*.
What can be said then is that there are parts of Nietzsche's philosophy that are open to varying interpretations, sometimes even in ugly ways; this includes his ideas of the Ubermensch, Master-Slave morality, the will to power, and more. Indeed, one could even say that Nietzsche even welcomed not-so-safe interpretations of the world; after all, he saw himself as 'philosophizing with a hammer.' However, it is important to remember that German Nationalism and anti-Semitism were both on the rise even during Nietzsche's lifetime so it's not as if his ideas directly brought these about. Given Nietzsche's rising popularity towards the end of his life and beyond, it would seem that the Nazis just wanted to use his 'brand' to justify and propagate their own prejudices. At the same time, the fact that Nietzsche praised war and cruelty and conquerors such as Napoleon, it makes some sense why he remains usable by right-wing groups even in the present day.