They built an entire industry with the purpose of disposing of undesirable people (anyone they didn't want to be part of their Third Reich). Most races involved in genocide just dump the bodies but the Nazis built huge death camps where they could efficiently slaughter millions of people after collecting anything useful from them. They would then haul the bodies to huge ovens to reduce them to ash which was much easier to dispose of. They even tried harvesting skin from their victims to use in the manufacture of such things as lamp shades. I don't recall anyone but the Nazis doing anything like that. I would say that is pretty distinctive.
The swastika is also a Hindu symbol. The salute and "heil" was also done by the Roman Empire. The goose stepping was done but Prussians, 1 of many army's to walk that way in parade formation.
As for "Jayeuxnoel" answer, the word id Blitzkrieg, not Britzkrieg. Its a method of attack where the first line would roll through as quickly as possible, then supporting troops would contend with the pockets of resistance. Germany started this method in the last years of WWI.
I was really offended by "Jayeuxnoel" saying that Poland was to stupid to know tanks were superior to cavalry. These were troops that were being overrun and instead of running they were trying to get past the tanks to get to the infantry. His statement would be like when American infantry were surrounded during "the battle of the bulge" by German armor, saying the Americans did not know that tanks were superior to rifles.
Fortunately, most of them don't do anything except decompose these days.
But goose-stepping, saying "heil hitler", beating up jews and invading Poland were all once popular nazi activities.
Michaelg - in actuality the "Polish cavalry charge on tanks" has been thoroughly debunked. The closest incident to this came on 2nd September 1939, when the Polish 18th lancers routed some German infantry in wooded country and pursued them back onto some stationary light German armour. The tanks opened fire, the cavalry realised the tanks were there, and sensibly retreated. Of course to the Germans tankers, it looked like an attempt to charge the tanks - and thus a myth was born.
This is best covered in a book "Tank" by Patrick Wright (Faber & Faber, 2000).
Actually, both the straight-arm salute and goose-stepping march are still in use - notably in Iran, where they are used intentionally to emulate the Third Reich. Speaking German is hardly unusual either. About the only distinctive things Nazis do is praise Adolf Hitler and wear Nazi uniforms - and even the latter does not exclude ill-advised Halloween pranks.
The word "Britzkrieg" was used during the invasion of Poland. Britz means "Lightning" and Krieg means "War". Or Lightning War with the combination of air bombing with massive attack of the ground. Adolf Hitler is the first who do that kind of strategy because the Polish Army used the Charge Attack with the Cavalry support but they didn't know that the Tanks are superior now not horses.
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They built an entire industry with the purpose of disposing of undesirable people (anyone they didn't want to be part of their Third Reich). Most races involved in genocide just dump the bodies but the Nazis built huge death camps where they could efficiently slaughter millions of people after collecting anything useful from them. They would then haul the bodies to huge ovens to reduce them to ash which was much easier to dispose of. They even tried harvesting skin from their victims to use in the manufacture of such things as lamp shades. I don't recall anyone but the Nazis doing anything like that. I would say that is pretty distinctive.
The swastika is also a Hindu symbol. The salute and "heil" was also done by the Roman Empire. The goose stepping was done but Prussians, 1 of many army's to walk that way in parade formation.
As for "Jayeuxnoel" answer, the word id Blitzkrieg, not Britzkrieg. Its a method of attack where the first line would roll through as quickly as possible, then supporting troops would contend with the pockets of resistance. Germany started this method in the last years of WWI.
I was really offended by "Jayeuxnoel" saying that Poland was to stupid to know tanks were superior to cavalry. These were troops that were being overrun and instead of running they were trying to get past the tanks to get to the infantry. His statement would be like when American infantry were surrounded during "the battle of the bulge" by German armor, saying the Americans did not know that tanks were superior to rifles.
Fortunately, most of them don't do anything except decompose these days.
But goose-stepping, saying "heil hitler", beating up jews and invading Poland were all once popular nazi activities.
Michaelg - in actuality the "Polish cavalry charge on tanks" has been thoroughly debunked. The closest incident to this came on 2nd September 1939, when the Polish 18th lancers routed some German infantry in wooded country and pursued them back onto some stationary light German armour. The tanks opened fire, the cavalry realised the tanks were there, and sensibly retreated. Of course to the Germans tankers, it looked like an attempt to charge the tanks - and thus a myth was born.
This is best covered in a book "Tank" by Patrick Wright (Faber & Faber, 2000).
Actually, both the straight-arm salute and goose-stepping march are still in use - notably in Iran, where they are used intentionally to emulate the Third Reich. Speaking German is hardly unusual either. About the only distinctive things Nazis do is praise Adolf Hitler and wear Nazi uniforms - and even the latter does not exclude ill-advised Halloween pranks.
The word "Britzkrieg" was used during the invasion of Poland. Britz means "Lightning" and Krieg means "War". Or Lightning War with the combination of air bombing with massive attack of the ground. Adolf Hitler is the first who do that kind of strategy because the Polish Army used the Charge Attack with the Cavalry support but they didn't know that the Tanks are superior now not horses.
The obvious answer is the "Heil Hitler" (Hail to Hitler) one arm straight out and up salute which was distinctive.
There really isnt just one thing. the symbol used to be the sign of good luck.