Gleichschaltung

/ ˈɡlaɪkˌʃæltʊŋ /

noun

1. the enforcement of standardization and the elimination of all opposition within the political, economic, and cultural institutions of a state

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gleichschaltung¹

C20: German

Example Sentences

Let me add another Nazi concept here: Here I might add Gleichschaltung, the concept by which the Nazis systematically compromised and controlled every aspect of government.

From Salon

Gleichschaltung is generally rendered in English as “Coordination,” but this translation lacks, to my mind, the ominous overtones of a systematic technical autocratic takeover of power.

From Salon

As Führer, Hitler wanted to achieve Gleichschaltung, or “conformity,” in all aspects of German society.

From Literature

Hopkins compared the "suffocating" atmosphere in Berlin to a German word, Gleichschaltung, which arose in the Nazi era and was used to describe the process by which Nazi Germany established a system of totalitarian control over the individual, as well as close coordination of all aspects of society.

From Fox News

One of the first things Hitler and his party did after their takeover of Germany in 1933 was the Gleichschaltung, which included the bringing in line of the news outlets.

From Seattle Times