The ''Tatkreis'', or "''Action Circle''", was a

Völkisch movement The ''Völkisch'' movement (german: Völkische Bewegung; alternative en, Folkist Movement) was a German ethno-nationalist movement active from the late 19th century through to the Nazi era, with remnants in the Federal Republic of Germany af ...

which existed during the era of the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

. They followed the beliefs of most

s but claimed the current republic "''corrupt and sterile beyond repair''" and called for "''freedom and rebirth''" in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The Tatkreis used a combination of

nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...

and revolutionary

Right-wing populism Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti-elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establi ...

to generate passion within their ranks in a fashion that pre-dated

National Socialism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...

and was no doubt an influence. The Tatkreis called for an end to

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...

and promoted a neomercantilist ideology, a system which encourages exports and discourages imports, with a high level of state manipulation of the economy introducing high tariffs, and called for German self-sufficiency. This idea was easily received by the citizens of Germany, who lived in a time of depression after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The middle-class craftsmen and shopkeepers were a majority in Germany and thus a key demographic. At the end of the 1920s the Tatkreis was formed around the publication '' Die Tat'' ("''Action''"). ''Die Tat,'' edited by

Hans Zehrer Hans Zehrer ( pseud. Hans Thomas; 22 June 1899 – 23 August 1966) was a German philosopher and journalist. He edited a leading right-wing journal, ''Die Tat'', and founded the ''Tat'' Circle. Biography Zehrer was born in Berlin to a postal offi ...

, produced a circulation of over 25,000 in 1933. After the rise to power of the

National Socialist German Workers Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

the Tatkreis was dissolved, as were other political parties under Hitler's rule. Even before this, the way the NSDAP undermined the Tatkreis was by drawing from their membership, as both parties targeted the same types of followers.

See also