But what is "right-wing" about the National Socialist German Workers Party?

First I need to clarify "right-wing". I'm comparing the National Socialists to Classical Liberalism. That is, "a doctrine stressing individual freedom and limited government. This includes the importance of human rationality, individual property rights, natural rights, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional limitations of government, free markets, and individual freedom." For the purposes of this note, I'm going to stick mostly with economics for the sake of brevity.

Now, when I describe the economic system in Nazi Germany you should ask yourself whether or not a conservative/libertarian/classical liberal would be advocating that in this country. The best example of the classical liberal ideology would be Milton Friedman.

As Sean astutely noted in an earlier note, Hitler and the Nazis hated communism, Marxism, and Bolshevism. Hitler's problems with Marxism were 3 fold:
1. Marxists were more concerned with the international call of communism (workers of the world unite!) than with the German State, which of course was Hitler's passion.
From Mein Kampf:

The lasting war against German 'heavy industry' was the visible beginning of the internationalization of German economy toward which Marxism was striving, though this could not be carried to its ultimate end until the victory of Marxism and the revolution.

Hitler decries the "internationalization" of the German industry. Hitler doesn't think communism is necessarily bad economics, but it should serve the German state instead of the world.

2. Many of the Marxists in Germany at that time were pacifists and opposed the first World War. Hitler saw this as treasonous (stabbed in the back).
From Mein Kampf:

While the Jews in their Marxist and democratic press proclaimed to the whole world the lie about 'German militarism' and sought to incriminate Germany by all means, the Marxist and democratic parties were obstructing any comprehensive training of the German national man-power

3. Based on my contention that the Nazis were on the left side of the political spectrum, the reds and Nazis were competing for the same support and votes during the Weimar Republic. In "Mein Kampf", Hitler demonizes Marx as a jew and when talking about the decline of German industry said this: "it, too, fell a victim to the united attack of greedy finance capital which carried on this fight, with the special help of its most faithful comrade, the Marxist movement." Like the Jews, Hitler scapegoated Marxists for his own gain.

Nazi Economics

Too reiterate, an American conservative/libertarian would advocate a limited government with little state intervention in the free-market economy. Low taxes and regulations would be the devices by which it would be achieved. Some contend that because conservatives want to do things such as cut business taxes and regulations, we are supporting a sort of state corporatism. I would contend that the opposite would be more truthful. Big corporations can afford increased taxes and regulations. It is the small-businessman that cannot afford such barriers to entry. This lessens competition for the corporation.

"While communism is the control of business by government, fascism is the control of government by business," says Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This was distinctly not the case for Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was the government controlling business under fascism. Corporations did not control Hitler, Hitler controlled them. This is why Hitler outlawed "war-profiteering".

My textbook Comparative Politicsby Michael Sodaro describes it better than I can:

The fascists of Italy and Germany also used state mechanisms to secure their control over the economy. Unlike communists and social democrats of that era, who favored abolishing private enterprise, the fascists were willing to permit prive firms to do business and make profts. These businesses were subject to all sorts of state regulations, however. To ensure that privately owned companies conducted their operations in accordance with the government's priorities........This system of state corporatism served the central purposes of facilitating the state's supervision of the economy...of organizing the economy for war.

What effectively is the difference between LEGAL ownership of the means of production (communism/socialism) and controlling what the corporations/businesses do for your interests. The only difference is the allowance of profit.

Sodaro also notes that (in Germany) they:

addressed the unemployment problem by hiring people for public works projects.....The Nazis also introduced a series of welfare measures to assist the most vulnerable parts of the population. The Nazi economy represented a kind of militarized Keynesian welfare state.

To conclude, I will throw in the Nazi Party platform. Emphasis on numbers 9-13,19,21, and 23. The evidence suggests that has much more parallel with the American progressive movement of the 20s and 30s than anything to do with being "right-wing".

This is summarized. Go to the link for the complete description of each point.

Combines extreme nationalism, racism and some socialist concepts.

1. Unification of Greater Germany (Austria + Germany)
2. Land + expansion
3. Anti-Versailles - abrogation of the Treaty.
4. Land and territory - lebensraum.
5. Only a "member of the race" can be a citizen.
6. Anti-semitism - No Jew can be a member of the race.
7. Anti-foreigner - only citizens can live in Germany.
8. No immigration - ref. to Jews fleeing pograms.
9. Everyone must work.
10. Abolition of unearned income - "no rent-slavery".
11. Nationalisation of industry
12. Divison of profits
13. Extension of old age welfare.
14. Land reform
15. Death to all criminals
16. German law, not Roman law (anti- French Rev.)
17. Education to teach "the German Way"
18. Education of gifted children
19. Protection of mother and child by outlawing child labour.
20. Encouraging gymnastics and swimming
21. Formation a national army.
22. Duty of the state to provide for its volk.
23. Duty of individuals to the state