"The publication of Darwin's Origin of the Species in the mid 1800's seems to have provided a basis for a vulgar theory of "survival of the fittest and racial theories of human behavior. The ideas of Darwin were dramatic in their impact upon social and economic structures -- biological racism in the United States as a rationale for slavery and antisemitism in Europe as a rationale for cultural nationalism. Jews were blamed for all of the political and economic woes of Austria and Germany from the end of World War I. Hitler even blamed World War I on the "international Jewish economic conspiracy. So, when Hitler rode in Vienna as Austria's new leader, he was generally received as a savior."
Yes. Definitely scary. Source: Aryans
Hand waving won't work on this one. Too much documented history.
One can argue that this was a misuse of a theory in the soft sciences, but neverless, the theory was used to justify the actions of nazi Germany ( Ok, invoke Godwin's Law. You win. Keep in mind that Godwin's Law applies to non-topical issues. The fact that Survival of the Fittest was used in Nazi political thought, however, is very topical.)