The Third Reich and the MAGA: a comparative analysis of political strategies

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the convergences among the social, economic, and political factors that enabled the rise of Nazism in Germany (1933–1945) and Trumpism in the United States (2015–present). The research seeks to understand how Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump employed strategies to incite far-right ultranationalism in order to achieve political power. The relevance of this study lies in highlighting how these phenomena present similar dynamics of political mobilization, contributing to the understanding of the persistence of authoritarian populism in the contemporary world. The study examines how these factors influenced the rise of these leaders, the changes in the international landscape, and the political strategies used by both. The methodology includes bibliographic research, documentary analysis, and a comparative conjunctural analysis of the contexts of 1933 and the present day. The study identifies rhetorical patterns, such as the slogans “Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer” and “Make America Great Again”, and maps the use of media, political rhetoric, and the cult of personality. Preliminary results reveal parallels: the strategic use of media, mobilization through rhetoric, and the central role of the leader contributed to the rise of these political leaders and to the expansion of populist and extremist movements in their respective periods.