[Soliton]

Euthanasia, Eugenics, and Genocide Plato introduced the idea of eugenics in the Republic, and the concept has been put to insidious means since. Plato wrote, “The children of the better parents they will carry to the creche to be reared in the care of nurses living apart in a certain quarter of the city. Those of inferior parents, and any children of the rest that are born defective, will be hidden away, in some appropriate manner that must be kept secret . . .”

Hitler echoed Plato in his defense of eugenics in Nazi Germany. “Defective people” may not reproduce, and all who are defective are to be “mercilessly isolated.” Hitler’s utopian vision also led to the genocide of millions of Jews, saying that if Jews do not leave Europe, “I see no other solution but extermination.”

http://dartreview.com/issues/11.12.01/utopias.html

[Antoninus]

I am very familiar with Plato's Republic, having studied it at university.

Now please provide specific evidence that Hitler was inspired directly by Plato--or had even read the Republic. The circumstantial stuff you provided to this point proves absolutely nothing except there were some points of affinity between Socrates's political theory and what was actually implemented by the Nazis.

BTW, the Soviets adopted some of Plato's tenets as well--rule by enlightened "philosopher kings" (the politboro), collective raising of children, etc. But few people would argue that Plato was at the core of their ideology and not Marx.