1933-39: Conformity, Resistance and Opposition in Nazi Germany – The Catholic & Protestant Churches Flashcards
Why was there so little opposition?
❑ As Hitler had created a dictatorship, ‘official’ forms of opposition such as other political parties and trade unions were banned. People no longer had a legal way to argue against the Nazi Party.
❑ Under Hitler’s totalitarian state, people were not able to complain to the police about the way they might be being treated as the police were under the control of the Nazi Party.
❑ The fear of what might happen if caught resisting the Nazi Party was often enough to prevent any opposition. People believed that anyone around them could be a Nazi informer for the Gestapo. The German people also knew about the extreme punishments given to those who had been arrested by the Nazis for any opposition.
❑ In order for a leader such as Hitler to be removed, an opposition group would need to be powerful and big enough to cause the Nazi Party problems. However, it was dangerous to speak to others about opposing the Nazi regime because of the risk of being found out.
❑ It’s important to remember that there was a high level of support for Hitler and the Nazis in 1933 and the Nazi Party were elected as the largest party in the Reichstag. People genuinely supported Hitler’s ideas for Germany.
❑ For the rest of the 1930s there was a high level of conformity – in other words, the German people just accepted what the Nazis did as there was no other choice.
❑ Hitler had also achieved success and proven to the German people that he could make Germany strong. For example, Hitler drastically reduced unemployment after the 1929 Wall Street Crash. This in turn gave the German people back their hope and pride – especially after their loss in World War One.
❑ The use of propaganda and censorship also meant that the German people only ever saw the achievements of the Nazi Party which gave them little reason to oppose.
Opposition from the church
The Nazis attempted to ‘Nazify’ religion. In 1933, Hitler agreed theConcordat with the Catholic Church. Here Catholic Bishops had to swear allegiance to the Nazis, however Catholic schools and youth groups were closed down. By 1936, the Protestant Church was willing to join with the Nazis to form theReich Church. Many pastors simplyconformed (followed the rules) but some Christian leaders resisted. Although many Protestant Pastors and Catholic Priests resisted the Nazis by speaking out against them, opposition was limited
Catholic Church resistance
❑ Some Catholic priests also spoke out against the Nazis. However, the power they had against the Nazis was limited.
❑ Around 400 Catholic priests were imprisoned in
the Priests’ Black
at Dachau
Concentration Camp.
Protestant resistance
❑ The Pastor’s Emergency League (PEL): The PEL were A group of Protestant Pastors, including Martin Niemoller created the Pastors’ Emergency League (PEL). They openly opposed the idea of all churches having to join the national Reich Church. They also opposed the idea that Jews were no longer able to join the Christian Church and the ban on the Jewish old Testament in Christian teaching.
❑ The Confessing Church: By 1934, the PEL set up its own Protestant Church called The Confessing Church, which was NOT controlled by the Nazis. It opposed any kind of Nazi interference in the running of its Church. Around 6,000 pastors joined the Confessing Church. Some accounts show that there was a huge attendance at many Confessing Church services and Germans publicly applauded any Church leader who opposed the Nazis. However, this was only ever resistance as few Christians actively opposed the Nazis. About 800 pastors were arrested and sent to concentration camps for being part of the Confessing Church.
Pastor Martian Neimoller
In WW1, Niemoller had been a German U Boat commander before training as a pastor in 1920. Although he spoke out against the Nazis, he was never completely against them. As he wanted Germany to have a strong leader, in 1924 and 1933, he voted for Hitler. However, he did not like how the Nazis began to interfere with the running of the Protestant Church. Therefore, he helped form the PEL in 1933 and the Confessing Church in 1934.
In 1934, Niemoller found that his phone had been bugged by the Gestapo. He began to realise how much the Nazi regime was becoming a dictatorship. This meant he
spoke out against them even more. He was
repeatedly arrested between 1934 and 1937.
In 1938, he was accused of treason and sent to a concentration camp where he was kept in solitary confinement. He was later sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he remained until 1945 when he was freed.
