Adolf Hitler and others at a Nazi party rally in Nuremberg, Germany, performing the salute. Hermann Göring is standing in front of Hitler.

The Hitler salute (German: Hitlergruß, also known in Germany during World War II as the Deutscher Gruß, literally: German Greeting), or in English as the Nazi salute, is a variant of the Roman salute, adopted by the Nazi Party as a sign of loyalty to its leader Adolf Hitler. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 379 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 2530 pixel, file size: 640 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Hitler at Nazi party rally, Nuremberg, Germany Source: National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized, Heinrich Hoffman collection Date: ca. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 379 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 2530 pixel, file size: 640 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Hitler at Nazi party rally, Nuremberg, Germany Source: National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized, Heinrich Hoffman collection Date: ca. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Nürnberg redirects here. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Oath of the Horatii (1784), by Jacques-Louis David The Roman salute is a gesture in which the arm is held out forward straight, with palm down. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party, (German: , or NSDAP, commonly known as the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

It was adopted following its use by supporters of Italian fascism, a political movement under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, and other mass movements of the era. The Hitler salute became the embodiment of Hitler's cult of personality throughout Nazi Germany. The right arm is raised at an angle of about 45 degrees above the horizontal and slightly sideways to the right, and is almost always accompanied by the exclamation of the words Heil Hitler! said in a firm and usually loud voice. If standing in front of a superior the heels might be clicked simultaneously. At rallies and meetings the arms of the crowd may also be raised while rhythmically shouting Sieg Heil. Italian fascism (in Italian, fascismo) was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Mussolini redirects here. ... This article is about the gesture. ... A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a countrys leader uses mass media to create a larger-than-life public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Sieg Heil is a German phrase, which literally means Hail [to] Victory. ...

Origins

A picture from the Illustrated Exhibitor (1852) portraying a reconstruction of the installation ceremony of an early German king

Although the Italian fascists associated the salute with ancient Rome, Hitler and the SS leader Heinrich Himmler believed that it originated from ancient gatherings of Germanic peoples. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (992x901, 116 KB) Summary This is an anonymous engraving from the Illustrated Exhibitor Magazine dated 1852, illustrating an article about the investiture of early medieval kings. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (992x901, 116 KB) Summary This is an anonymous engraving from the Illustrated Exhibitor Magazine dated 1852, illustrating an article about the investiture of early medieval kings. ... SS redirects here. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and the Nazi hierarchy. ... Thor/Donar, Germanic thunder god. ...

Hitler regarded the salute as a demonstration of the warlike spirit of the Germans, while Himmler regarded it as a variant of the gesture of giving an oath with a raised spear.

Such claims had some justification, since historians had long argued that similar gestures were used at the installation of ancient Germanic kings.^[1] Illustrations reconstructing such events, and showing the salute, date back to the mid nineteenth century.

The modern Brockhaus Encyclopedia also repeats these claims, stating that the salute derived from gestures used during the coronation of early medieval German kings along with exclamation of "Heil".^[2] According to the Nazis' Nordicist version of Aryan theory, the rulers of ancient Rome were themselves migrants from Northern Europe, and so, in their view, were likely to have brought the salute to Rome from Germany. Brockhaus Konversations-Lexikon, 1902 The Brockhaus Enzyklopädie is a German-language encyclopedia published by Brockhaus. ... A Nazi illustration of the perceived Nordic master race. ... The Aryan race is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. ...

Use in the Third Reich

From 1933 to 1945 the Hitler salute was the common German greeting. Heil Hitler! ("Hail to Hitler!")^[3] was used when directly addressing a citizen, or, in the Waffen-SS, a higher ranking officer. Hitler himself preferred to be addressed with "Heil, mein Führer!" (Hail, my Leader) or simply "Heil!", as addressing him with "Hitler" would be in third person. Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... Nazi propaganda poster. ...

Sieg Heil! or "Hail victory!" (lit., Sieg "victory", Heil "hail"; cf. "Heil, Maria" {Hail Mary}) was a common Nazi chant at rallies, especially after the speeches of Hitler. Usually the words would be repeated three times to form the chant "Sieg...Heil! Sieg...Heil! Sieg...Heil!" Sieg Heil is a German phrase, which literally means Hail [to] Victory. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Hail Mary... Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ...

Hitler himself would often use the salute, and there are many photographs of him saluting crowds from one of his open motor vehicles. When on the receiving end he would frequently adopt a modified version, in which his arm was bent up from the elbow, with the palm of his hand bent back towards his shoulder. Like the more familiar Hitler salute, it predates the Nazi and Fascist movements.

Hitler saluting from a staff car

After the July 20 Plot in 1944, the military forces of the Third Reich were ordered to replace the standard military salute with the Hitler salute. The order went into effect on 24 July 1944, four days after the attempt on Hitler's life in Rastenburg. Previous to this, the salute was optional in the German armed forces, though if met with either the salute or the salutation, it was customary to reply with it. (In the German armed forces of that period, a junior would not greet or salute a superior unless offered such a courtesy by the latter). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 512 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1638 × 1917 pixel, file size: 671 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Parade of SA troops past Hitler. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 512 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1638 × 1917 pixel, file size: 671 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Parade of SA troops past Hitler. ... Claus von Stauffenberg The July 20 Plot was an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany, on July 20, 1944. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Church in Kętrzyn Kętrzyn (Polish ; German: ) is a town in northeastern Poland with 28,351 inhabitants (2004). ...

After 1945

The Roman salute, on which the Hitler salute is based, was used in many different countries for many different purposes before World War II. For example, the Bellamy salute, used as part of the United States Pledge of Allegiance in the late 19th century and early 20th century, was a version of the Roman salute with some similarities to the Nazi salute. The Bellamy salute has been abandoned since 1942 because of this similarity. The same happened to most other forms of the Roman salute used across the world. In Spain, the fascist salute is less common since 1975 when the dictatorship of Francisco Franco ended with his death, although it is still employed by neo-Falangist parties and groups. Students reciting the pledge using the Bellamy salute. ... The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise or oath of allegiance to the United States and the its national flag. ... “Franco” redirects here. ...

Use of the salute and accompanying phrases has been forbidden by law in Germany and Austria since the end of World War II. Versions of the salute are used by neo-Nazis, who also use the number 88 to stand for "Heil Hitler" (the 8 standing for H, the eighth letter of the alphabet). One version is the so-called Kühnen salute with extended thumb, index and middle finger, also forbidden in Germany. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Michael Kühnen (born 21 June 1955; died 25 April 1991 in Kassel) was a leader in the German neo-Nazi scene. ...

The salute has been emulated in fiction since 1945, being used as a non-verbal shorthand to distinguish the villains from the heroes. As an example, the Romulans (depicted as a fascist society) in the original Star Trek television series (1966-69) use an upraised arm, palm down salute in several episodes, such as The Enterprise Incident, and the evil versions of the Enterprise crew in the "mirror universe" of the episode, Mirror, Mirror gave a modified version of this salute, first bringing their fist to their chests then extending it outward Nazi-style. Romulans are a fictional alien species in the Star Trek universe related to Vulcans. ... The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... The Enterprise Incident is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast September 27, 1968 and repeated December 27, 1968. ... Mirror, Mirror is an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. ...

Satirical use

Satirical use of the salute dates back to anti-Nazi propaganda in Germany before 1933. The photomontage artist John Heartfield used Hitler's modified version, with the hand bent over the shoulder, in a poster that linked Hitler to Big Business. A giant figure representing right-wing capitalists stands behind Hitler, placing money in his hand, suggesting "backhand" donations ^[4]. The caption is, "the meaning of the Hitler salute" and "Millions stand behind me". An imaginary world composed of photorealistic inanimate, human, and plant objects spurs a psychological impact upon the viewer. ... Self-portrait, 1920 Grave of John Heartfield in Berlin John Heartfield (June 19, 1891–April 26, 1968) is the anglicized name of the German photomontage artist Helmut Herzfeld. ... Big Business or big business is a term used to describe large corporations, individually or collectively. ... “Right wing” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ...

During the war the allies also used the salute in satirical ways, often to poke fun at the Nazis. In Charlie Chaplin's film The Great Dictator (1940) the Hitler character ("Adenoid Hynkel") several times causes chaos while attempting to use the salute. Chaplin himself remarked that Hitler's "hand thrust backward made one want to place a tray of dirty dishes on it." Charles Chaplin redirects here. ... The Great Dictator is a film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. ...

In the 1953 comedy-drama Stalag 17, Colonel von Scherbach, the commandant of the titular POW camp, provides a copy of Mein Kampf to the barracks, so the camp can be indoctrinated in the "ways of the Führer." While being "indoctrinated," the POWs, all wearing fake Hitler moustaches, give a German sergeant the Nazi salute and shout "Sieg Heil!" The sergeant then comments "One Führer is enough." Stalag 17 is a 1953 war film which tells the story of a group of American G.I.s held in a German World War II prisoner of war camp who come to believe one of their number is a traitor. ... Mein Kampf (English translation: My Struggle) is a book by the German-Austrian politician Adolf Hitler, which combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitlers National Socialist political ideology. ...

After the war satirical usage continued, most notably in Stanley Kubrick's dark comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The eponymous character is an expatriated former-Nazi scientist with Alien Hand Syndrome, the actions of which give away his subconscious thoughts (including punching himself and giving the salute). His left arm attempts to hold it down as it uncontrollably rises. This gesture has come to be used to suggest attempts to struggle against the open expression of neo-Nazi thoughts or urges. Kubrick redirects here. ... For the hit 1987 single by Depeche Mode, see the album Music for the Masses Film poster for Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a 1964 satirical film directed by Stanley Kubrick. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ...

The Stanford Band doing the Hitler salute to the Spirit of Troy

In modern culture the Hitler salute is sometimes used jocularly, but the humour is not always appreciated. It is often used to imply that the person being addressed is behaving like a "little Hitler" (i.e. a bully). In the United Kingdom it is common to signify the satirical nature of the salute by simultaneously placing the index finger of the left hand under one's nose as a parody of Hitler's moustache. This is portrayed in a famous episode from the comedy Fawlty Towers ("The Germans"). The words "Sieg Heil" and "Heil Hitler" are also used satirically in modern times, though they may be considered offensive. However, along with the salute, they have also been used to poke fun at Nazis, or to insinuate that someone may be acting like a dictator. The Swing Kids had a parody of the chant, "Swing Heil"". Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1146x746, 536 KB) The Stanford Band doing the Nazi salute to the fight song of the Spirit of Troy at Stanford Stadium. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1146x746, 536 KB) The Stanford Band doing the Nazi salute to the fight song of the Spirit of Troy at Stanford Stadium. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Spirit of Troy drumline at Navy Pier in Chicago October 14, 2005 The Spirit of Troy giving a traditional post-game concert, this time celebrating the defeat of the University of Arkansas in Razorback Stadium The Spirit of Troy take the field at Stanford Stadium The Spirit of Troy... Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. ... The Germans is the sixth episode of the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. ... A dictator is an authoritarian, often totalitarian ruler (e. ... For the San Diego hardcore punk band, see Swing Kids (band). ...

The border between satirical and offensive usage of the term "Sieg Heil" is not always unambiguous, and comedians using it for humorous purposes have sometimes been accused of anti-semitism (see, for instance, Dieudonné M'bala M'bala's controversial "Isra-Heil" sketch). The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ... Dieudonné Mbala Mbala, generally known simply as Dieudonné (born 1966 in Fontenay-aux-Roses near Paris to a woman from Brittany and an African father from Cameroon) is a controversial French comedian who claims to be politically anti-racist, but who has been often accused of being anti...

The Stanford University Marching Band will give the Hitler Salute to the University of Southern California Spirit of Troy Marching Band. The Stanford Administration had not taken action against the band for this practice despite complaints from alumni and fans from both Universities. LSJUMB at Stanford Stadium before a game LSJUMB rallying fans at Stanford Stadium LSJUMB pre-game show at Stanford Stadium The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB) is the student marching band of Stanford University. ... The Spirit of Troy drumline at Navy Pier in Chicago October 14, 2005 The Spirit of Troy giving a traditional post-game concert, this time celebrating the defeat of the University of Arkansas in Razorback Stadium The Spirit of Troy take the field at Stanford Stadium The Spirit of Troy...

Use of the salute and accompanying phrases has been forbidden by law in Germany for political use since World War II. Also, in Austria, it has also been forbidden by law, albeit indirectly, by banning all racist salutes and accompanying phrases. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The satirical use of the salute is often coupled with an exaggerated goose-step, another Nazi gesture, as seen in the 2004 film, EuroTrip. This article is about about the marching step. ... EuroTrip is a 2004 American comedy film produced by the same people as Road Trip and Old School. ...

Another satirical reference is found in the film, Alpha Dog. Heather Wahlquist, who plays the girlfriend of a Jewish man performs the salute in front of him, saying, "Heil!". For the term relating to dog behavior, see Alpha (biology). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In the British sitcom "'Allo 'Allo!", set during World War II France, there is a different version of the salute; when a German soldier salutes the Italian counterpart, the Italian retorts with "Heil Mussolini" Allo Allo! was a long-running British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Footnotes

Jacques Nicolas Augustin Thierry (May 10, 1795 _ May 22, 1856) was a French historian. ...

See also

• Roman salute
• ave
• Bellamy salute
• Sieg Heil

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