Abstract
This article focuses on the complex relationship between National Socialists and reactionary nationalists, including members and supporters of the conservative German National People’s Party and the conservative bourgeoisie between 1929 and the onset of World War II. Commonalities—such as a shared extreme nationalism, a preference for authoritarian solutions, support for rearmament, and strong revisionist goals regarding Versailles—are deceptive. The Nazis’ social revolutionary ideology fuelled their animosity towards the conservative establishment and led to ongoing political tensions. The Nazi-conservative relationship was lopsided since, despite Nazi attacks, conservatives sought to minimalize friction and basked in the illusion that the Nazis could be tamed despite clear signs to the contrary. With few exceptions, conservatives continued to cooperate with the National Socialist regime, even after the writing was on the wall in 1933.