How did Adolf Hitler describe National Socialism in Mein Kampf and speeches?

1. National Socialism as “Folk and Fatherland”: ideological shorthand

Hitler presented National Socialism as a single-minded doctrine centered on Volk (people/race) and Vaterland (fatherland). He wrote that “for me and all true National‑Socialists, there is only one doctrine: Folk and Fatherland,” making clear that the movement’s social claims were subordinated to national and racial unity rather than class solidarity as in Marxism ^{[6] [7]}.

2. Race, antisemitism and Bolshevism as core enemies

Mein Kampf repeatedly identifies Jews and “Bolsheviks” as principal threats to Germany and Western culture; Hitler argued Jewish influence underpinned Marxism and even capitalism’s harms, and he framed their removal as necessary for national survival ^{[2] [8]}. These passages show National Socialism’s ideology fused biological racism with political aims and justified exclusionary and violent policies ^{[2] [8]}.

3. “Socialism” redefined against Marxism and internationalism

Hitler insisted National Socialism was distinct from Marxist socialism: he argued Marxism had “stolen” the name socialism and that National Socialism rejected international class struggle in favor of a nation‑centered social program that preserved hierarchy and leadership ^{[4] [9]}. That redefinition allowed him to borrow populist social language while attacking trade unions, parliamentarism, and leftist parties as agents of national decline ^{[1] [3]}.

4. Expansionism and Lebensraum: foreign policy as ideological imperative

Mein Kampf links National Socialism to a foreign‑policy objective: acquisition of Lebensraum in the East. Hitler argued that a great nation’s right to expand could become a duty for survival, explicitly tying territorial conquest to the movement’s goals ^{[1] [3]}. This demonstrates that National Socialism combined ethno‑national domestic aims with aggressive territorial ambitions.

5. Mass politics, leadership cult and anti‑parliamentarianism

Hitler’s style in Mein Kampf and in speeches promoted a Führer‑centered, mobilizing politics: he contrasted parliamentary democracy and party pluralism with the need for strong leadership, portraying National Socialism as a movement that transforms the masses through struggle and the figure of the leader ^{[3] [1]}. He warned that copying parliamentary majoritarianism would reduce National Socialism to mere competition with Marxism ^[4].

6. “Social” measures framed to serve the nation, not class

Although Hitler used the word “socialism” and at times praised workers and social reforms, available reporting shows he meant social policy that strengthened national cohesion and racial fitness rather than egalitarian redistribution; he viewed true social measures as those that built national education and physical health, tied to the Volk ^{[7] [10]}.

7. Propaganda and rhetoric: struggle, danger and mobilization

Commentators note that Hitler offered his followers struggle and sacrifice rather than comfort — a rhetoric of conflict that helped mobilize support. Reviewers like George Orwell observed Mein Kampf’s appeal came from promises of struggle and grand destiny instead of material leisure ^[3]. This rhetorical framing was central to how Hitler described National Socialism in public speeches.

8. Limitations of the sources and competing emphases

The provided extracts and secondary commentary consistently emphasize racial antisemitism, nationalism, and anti‑Marxism as core; they also show Hitler’s deliberate rebranding of “socialism” to fit authoritarian, ethno‑national ends ^{[2] [4]}. Available sources do not mention any sustained, coherent program of worker‑controlled industry or democratic socialism within Hitler’s definitions — instead they show social rhetoric was instrumentalized for national ends ^{[5] [9]}.

9. Why the semantics matter today

Understanding how Hitler described National Socialism — as nationalist, racial, anti‑Marxist, expansionist, and leader‑centered while borrowing “socialist” language — clarifies why academic and public debates stress that Nazi “socialism” was ideologically distinct from leftist socialism. Contemporary confusion often stems from the name rather than the substance of Hitler’s program ^{[4] [3]}.

If you want, I can extract direct translated passages and note their chapter/page references from Mein Kampf excerpts in the sources above ^{[1] [2]} for a closer textual read.