3.2 The police state Flashcards
Who lead the Schutzstaffel (SS)?
->led by Heinrich Himmler
What was the SS?
-most important of these organisations and .
-Initially set up as Hitler’s personal bodyguard service, the SS was fanatically loyal to the Führer.
-It later set up concentration camps **where ‘enemies of the state’ were sent.
expanede in 1930s
What was the Gesapo?
- secret police force.
- Its job was to monitor the German population for signs of opposition or resistance to Nazi rule.
- It was greatly helped by ordinary German people informing on their fellow citizens.
- Aim: protect peoples saftey +law and order
- Harsh interrigation + held people without trial
What was the Sicherheitsdienst (SD)
-this was the intelligence gathering agency of the SS. It was responsible for the security of Hitler and other top Nazis and was led by Himmler’s right hand man, Reinhard Heydrich.
What were local wardens?
ensured German were lyeal emplyed encoraged the report of disloyelaty
How did the Nazi control the legal system?
-Judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and were expected to act always in the interests of the Nazi state.
-All lawyers had to join the Nazi Lawyers’ Association, which meant they could be controlled.
-The role of defence lawyers in criminal trials was weakened.
-Standard punishment for crimes were abolished and so local prosecutors could decide what penalties to impose on those found guilty.
What effect did the Nazi’s changes to the justic systme have ?
-Halfed number of cimminal offences between 1933-39
-3->46 number of capitaol offences
-Many convicted criminals were not released at the end of their sentences but instead were moved to the growing number of concentration camps being established by the SS.
How many protestants were there in Germany in 1933?
45 million
How many Catholics were there in Germany in 1933?
22m
What was the Reich Church?
-established to unify the different branches of Protestantism.
-This enabled the Nazis to use a group called the ‘German Christians’ within the Reich Church to promote Nazi ideas.
Who lead the Reich church?
Nazi Bishop Ludwig Müller
What did the Reich Church do to scriputre an crosses
-The Reich Church attempted to ban the use of the Old Testament in religious services as it was considered a ‘Jewish book’.
-800 Pastors of the Confessional Church, a non-conforming Protestant group, were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
-The Nazis attempted to stop Catholics using the crucifix in church, though this attempt was not successful.
How did the Nazi’s attempt to suppress the Catholic church in particular?
-Catholic schools and youth organisations were supressed, with German children being educated in state schools and taught a Nazi curriculum, as well as being expected to join the various branches of the Hitler Youth.
-Catholic newspapers were banned and four hundred Catholic priests were sent to Dachau concentration camp.
Was the Reich Church successful?
-1937 Hitler was forced to return control of the Church to the old Protestant leadership, in return for a promise that the Church would stay out of politics.
-Attendance at Catholic churches increased substantially under the Nazis, especially during World War Two, showing that Hitler’s attempts to reduce the influence of religion in Germany was ultimately unsuccessful.
-Both Protestant and Catholic
clergy played a large role in opposing Hitler and the Nazis, for which they often paid a high price.
