What is Nazism?

Nazism, or National Socialism, was the political and moral philosophy that governed and defined the actions of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, the government of the day in Germany during the 1930's (the buildup to World War II) and 40's (the years of the war itself). It was founded upon a belief in fundamental German (Aryan) superiority that, in turn, manifested in violently racist and imperialist policies, and gained strength in a climate of both resentment of Germany's perceived humiliation at the hands of the Allies at the end of World War I and frustration at the economic conditions of the Great Depression.