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Going Beyond Perhaps one of the best examples of the creation of a “hero” to promote an ideology was the German Nazi Party’s elevation of Horst Wessel to the role of martyr. A catchy marching tune was even adapted to sing his praises. Research Horst Wessel and find out how he was marketed to young Germans as an example to emulate. Lesson Summary In this lesson you moved beyond a simple dictionary definition of ideology and developed a deeper understanding of what an ideology is. You should now be aware that ideologies share certain common characteristics including rituals, “sacred” documents and heroes, and a simplified picture of the world. Other traits include a belief about the nature of human beings, a plan for the structure of society, and a vision of the future. You should be able to recall these characteristics and explain them. You have also learned that certain themes of nation, class, race, environment, gender, and religion tend to underlie ideologies. You should be able to recall these themes and explain why, in some ideologies, certain themes may be deemed more important than others. Finally, you have learned that ideologies can be characterized and labelled based on how they approach change. At this point, you should be able to confidently explain the difference between a moderate and an extremist. You have been introduced to the terms revolutionary, radical, liberal, conservative, counter-revolutionary, and reactionary. You should be able to provide a good explanation about what each of these terms mean and confidently start applying them to ideologies, values, and beliefs. You will continue to develop your understanding of these labels as you progress through the course.