Five Innovations You Can Thank The Nazis For

OK, I am going to be the first to say that the Nazi Party of Germany was a hideous stain on mankind.  There really isn't any room for forgiveness to what they did against the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, Catholics, and others.  They did some really bad stuff.  However, there are a few things we can thank them for, as well.  The Nazi party was pretty innovative with a few ideas that you might not even consider was their ideas.  Here are five innovations that we can thank the Nazis for.

Rocketry and Space Exploration
NASA and the other space agencies in the world have Nazi Germany to thank for everything they do.  Wernher Von Braun, the man who invented the liquid-fueled rocket, was a member of the Nazi party.  He is the person responsible for the missiles the Nazis shot at Britain during the war, but he is also the guy that helped to land us on the moon.  Sure, he belonged to a really scum-filled group of political nuts at the time, but he made amends by coming to America and helping us!  What did we give him?  Naturalized citizenship.

Highway Systems
First off, while the Romans were the first empire to put together an advanced highway system, it was Hitler who devised the Autobahn.  The Autobahn was the first freeway system in the world.  It provided over 100,000 jobs for people in Germany when they were in a very severe depression following World War One and it gave Hitler a way of moving troops quickly across the country.  Today, every major country in the world has an Autobahn-like superstructure to drive its Volkswagens on - yet, another Nazi innovation.

Public Welfare Programs
When we think of the Nazi Party, we sometimes forget that it was a far-left wing of German politics. They were the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, which meant they were full of group programs to help the underprivileged (as long as you weren't a group they didn't like!).  In 1933, the Nazi party launched one of the largest public welfare programs in history.  During the winters, they would help the poor by making sure they had heat and food.  People were encouraged to donate their time and money to the cause.  In the end, all Germans would share a common level of comfort according to the Nazis.  What they didn't tell the people was that the entire thing was funded by stealing from those the Nazis didn't like.

Animal Conservation
Even if you were a Nazi, how could you resist a cute little, cuddly animal?  OK, it still doesn't lessen the fact that you were a part of one of the world's most evil political groups.  The Nazis put together hunting laws to save their wildlife in 1934.  They created hunting seasons, brought education to children about protecting animals, and even created an endangered species list.  In a serious case of irony, the Nazis also banned and outlawed the use of vivisection (experimenting on live animals).  While it was illegal to do this on wildlife, they had no problem of experimenting on living humans!  Today, most western countries follow the laws put up by Nazi Germany on animal conservation.  Who would have thought they would be leaders in this field?

No Smoking Laws
Does your state or region allow you to smoke in public places?  In Ohio, we're not allowed to smoke anywhere, including bars.  Before you start blaming liberals in California for rules like this, you should know it was Hitler who created smoking bans.  He, personally, couldn't stand the smell of smoke and considered it a huge waste of money.  The Nazis banned smoking in restaurants and public transportation systems, citing public health, and severely regulated the advertising of smoking and cigarettes. Smoking among pregnant women was frowned upon because the Nazis thought it led to miscarriages - which we now know is true.  There was also a high tobacco tax, and the supplies of cigarettes were rationed.  This meant, if the Nazis said you couldn't smoke more than one pack a day - that was all you got!

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