Master race facts for kids
The idea of a master race is a belief that one group of people is better than all other groups. People who believe this might think their group is superior because of their history, race, culture, or other reasons. This idea first appeared in the 1800s. It was used by groups like the Nazi Party in Germany and during Apartheid in South Africa.
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History of the Master Race Idea
This idea mainly started in the 19th century. Today, no scientists support this theory. It claims that some races are naturally better than others. This belief suggested that pale-skinned Nordic people were at the top. It also claimed that black-skinned people from Africa and Indigenous Australians were at the bottom.
Early Thinkers and Their Ideas
Arthur de Gobineau (1816–1882) was one of the first to write about these ideas. He believed that cultures became weaker when different races mixed. In his book, Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races (1853–55), he said that mixing races had a bad effect on culture. He thought that the growth of a culture was tied to its race. When large empires formed, races would mix. De Gobineau believed this mixing would lead to the downfall of the empire.
Around this time, Charles Darwin developed his ideas about evolution. Some people tried to use these ideas to explain how societies developed. This was called Social Darwinism. Houston Steward Chamberlain believed that the Germanic race was meant "to save the world."
The idea of a master race was also used during colonialism. Countries like Germany and Great Britain had many colonies. They would often choose one ethnic group in a colony and say it was better than others. This helped them rule the colony indirectly. For example, the Hamitic theory said that Hamitic people were superior. They should rule over other groups in Sub-Saharan Africa. People like John Hanning Speke and Charles Gabriel Seligman supported this idea.
"Aryans": Hitler's Master Race
Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany in 1933. They strongly believed in Social Darwinism. This meant they thought some human races were stronger than others. They believed that stronger races would naturally prove themselves better over time. This idea was called "survival of the fittest."
The Nazis thought their race, which they called "Aryans," was the strongest. They believed Aryans would one day rule over weaker races. The Nazis made laws based on these racial ideas. They stopped marriages between different races. They feared that mixing would weaken the "master race."
The Nazis also created propaganda that blamed Jews for many problems. They saw Jews as a weak race whose values would harm the Aryan race. German Jews were not allowed to own property. Many were attacked and killed just because of their race. When Germany invaded other countries in Europe, they also sent many people to concentration camps. This mass killing is known today as The Holocaust.
To increase the number of Aryans, the Nazis set up special homes called "Lebensborn." These homes were for unmarried pregnant women. The women were chosen if they were likely to have children with Nordic or Aryan features. This usually meant fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. However, people with slightly different looks could still be considered Aryan. Heinrich Himmler believed this program would help create more members of the master race. Nine Lebensborn homes were built in Germany and ten in Norway. There were also homes in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. About 20,000 children were born in these homes during Nazi Germany.
Other pages
Images for kids
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German warning in Nazi-occupied Poland 1939 – "No entrance for Poles!"
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Werner Goldberg, who was part Jewish but blonde and blue-eyed, was used in Nazi recruitment posters as "The Ideal German Soldier."
See also
In Spanish: Raza superior para niños
