3.2 the police state Flashcards
What is a police state?
where the nazi government used the secret police to control peoples freedom. They went above and beyond the law Harming anyone who went against the nazi party, and sent them to labour camps
what Nazi organisations were used to maintain a Nazi police state?
SS (Schutzstaffel)
SD(sicherheitsdienst)
Gestapo
what were the SS (schutzstaffel) in 1930s?
lead by henirich Himmler
-Loyal to himmler and hitler
-set up in 1925 and were hitlers personal bodyguards
-were not obliged to act in the law
-the Schutzstafel were expected to marry ‘racially pure’ wives
-(240,000 men in black uniforms)
what were The Sicherheitsdienste (SD)?
they were formed in 1931 by heindrich himmler, but lead by reinhard heydrich. they kept card index of everyone suspected of opposing nazis.
-Information was sealed in Nazi headquarter in munich
what was the Gestapo?
-were the states secret police
-set up in 1933 by Goering
-then lead in 1936 by Reinhard heydrich
-role was to identify anyone who opposed Nazi governmant.
-so spied on poeple, tapped there phones, aswell as torturing them to identify suspects
-WAS 3000 gestapo
how did the Nazis use the concentration camps to create a state police?
they imprisoned atleest 150,00 under protective arrest
-were imprisoned for things disapproved by Nazis. So they imprisoned homosexuals, prostitutes, Jews and communists
-made sure concentration camps were in isolated areas.
what was the first concentration camp that opened in nazi germany and when did it open?
in 1933 in dachau
what did Nazis control in the Germany legal system
They controlled:
-Judges
-law courts
How did the Nazis control Judges?
-Hitler set up league called National Socialist League of the Maintenance of the law, for judges to join, and made sure they followed Nazi law, otherwise there membership was denied. so made sure all judges support Nazi ideas
(made sure interest of nazi party more important than law)
How did hitler control the law courts?
Hitler abolished trial by jury. Instea judges decided punishments.
Then set up new peoples court , were judges were hand selected, and trailed in secret. many judges were more right wing.
what were the consequences of Hitler Controlling the law courts?
from 1934-1939 534 poeple were sentenced to death for political reasons9(NAZI EXPLOITED CONTROL)
why was the Catholic church a threat to Hitler?
catholic had allegiance to the pope not Hitler
Catholics had schools which taught different values from Nazi state schools
(not fully embracing nazisism)
how did hitler try to control the catholic church in 1933?
tried to reach an concordat (agreement) with pope
-stating hitler will not intefere with worshipping of catholic church, and not intefere with catholic school
-agreed that priests will not intefere with politics. Ordering german bishops to swear loyalty to the national socialist regime
(was to encourage them to work with Nazis)
what happened following the concordat?
Catholic priests were harassed, ending up in concentration camps
-catholic schools brought in line with state school
-Catholic youth league(activity) was banned
[brought control to catholic church, to create a police state]
how did Hitler/Nazis control the protestant church?
In 1936 set up the Reich church, were protestant who worked with nazis formed one single protestant church. lead by ludwing muller
-Hitler made sure protestant pastors who supported his views could continue providing church services
-causing some pastors allow nazi swastika in their churches
-hitler also insisted jews should not be baptised, and jews teaching (old testaments excluded)
