4. Nazi Germany 1933-39 Flashcards
1
Q
When did the Reichstag fire occur
A
On the evening of the 27th February 1933
2
Q
What were the events of the Reichstag fire
A
- A Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was found with matches and firelighters
- The Reichstag burnt down
- Van der Lubbe was put on trial and found guilty and then guillotined
3
Q
What were the consequences of the Reichstag fire
A
- Hitler used this opportunity to attack the communists
- On the night of the fire 4,000 communist leaders were arrested
- Made the decree for the protection of the people and state
4
Q
When was the ‘the Decree for the protection of the people and State’ made
A
28 February 1933 (day after Reichstag fire)
5
Q
What was the ‘the Decree for the protection of the people and State
A
It gave the police the power to search homes and imprison anyone they arrested without trial, the police were also able to ban meetings and close newspapers
6
Q
Why did Hitler hold elections in March 1933
A
He was determined to secure more seats in the Reichstag, and wanted to people to vote for him to stop the communist threat
7
Q
What measures did Hitler take to get good results in the march 1933 elections
A
- Thousands of members of the Communist party and the social democrat party were arrested
- The SA broke up election meeting of other parties
- They issued huge quantities of propaganda
8
Q
What did Hitler do to ensure parties voted for the Enabling Act
A
- He used his emergency powers to ban the communist Party (81 seats)
- He got the The Nationalist Parties (52 seats) support because they had similar beliefs
- The Centre Party (74 seats) by promising to protect the Catholic Church
- Placed the SA and SS around the Reichstag to intimidate members
9
Q
What were the consequences of the enabling act
A
- Hitler no longer needed the Reichstag to make decisions
- He used his new powers to remove any remaining opposition to the government this was known as the “Nazi Revolution”
- Hitler got rid of Trade unions, local government and other political parties
10
Q
What were the results of the March 1933 elections
A
288 seats to the Nazis (44%)
11
Q
What were the events of the Night of the Long Knives
A
- On the 30th June 1934 Hitler sent members of the SS to arrested around 200 SA officers
- Hitler also took revenge on old enemies like von Kahr and von Schleicher and possible rival Nazi leadership
- Hitler took responsibility for the events and claimed he was defending Germany
12
Q
What were the consequences of the Night of the Long Knives
A
- Rohm and 200 SA leaders arrested
- All opponents removed
- Hitler was thought of a strong leader
- Won more support from the army
13
Q
How did the German people react to the Night of the long Knives
A
SA: were angry as they were weakened and their leader was killed
SS: were happy as they were no under Hitler’s personal command
Hitler: was very happy as he had the army’s support as they swore a personal oath to him and everyone fears him
Opponents: lived in terror
Supporters: Hitler had protected them from enemies and showed courage
14
Q
Why did Hitler want to get rid of the SA
A
- The SA was becoming very powerful in 1934 it had over 2 million members
- Ernst Rohm was a potential rival to Hitler as leader
- Ernst Rohm was a homosexual and was “corrupting” the Hitler Youth
15
Q
How did Hitler use Hindenburg’s death to increase his power
A
- When Hindenburg died Hitler declared himself Fuhrer of Germany
- Hitler was now firmly in control of what became known as the Third Reich
- The Army now made an oath directly to him
- Hitler held a plebiscite for the public to agree all this, but had a lot of propaganda to help the vote be 90%
16
Q
When did president Hindenburg die
A
On 2 August 1934
17
Q
What was the SS
A
- The SS began in 1925 as Hitler’s personal bodyguard but transformed after 1933 under Heinrich Himmler into one of the most powerful institutions in Nazi Germany.
18
Q
What responsibility did the SS take on
A
- The took responsibility for running the early concentration camps, such as Dachau.
- Following the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, the SS gained increased authority and independence from the SA and the army.
19
Q
How did the SS help the Hitler control Germany
A
- The SS helped the Nazis consolidate power by enforcing discipline and eliminating opposition.
- It used terror to silence critics, and helped suppress rival factions.
- Its ruthless methods and direct involvement in racial persecution laid the groundwork for more radical policies later.
20
Q
How important was the SS as a method of control
A
- Its feared reputation meant that people across society didn’t dare disobey.
- SS helped to ensure national conformity and submission.
21
Q
What was the gestapo
A
- The Gestapo was established in 1933 under Hermann Göring and became a central part of Nazi control
- It acted as the secret police, rooting out opposition through surveillance, arrest, and interrogation.
22
Q
How did the Gestapo help the Hitler control Germany
A
- It had a reputation for brutal interrogation and arbitrary arrest was well known.
- People became afraid to speak openly and criticise the regime
- It helped the Nazis eliminate organised opposition and discouraged even casual criticism.
23
Q
How important was the Gestapo as a method of control
A
- As a method of control, the Gestapo had a broad impact across German society.
- It affected the behaviour of ordinary citizens
- By encouraging mutual suspicion and fear, it made it difficult for people to organise resistance
24
Q
What were concentration camps
A
- Concentration camps were places where Hitler held any opponents
- Early camps, like Dachau, were brutal places where inmates were held without trial and subjected to forced labour, harsh discipline, and beatings.
- Over time, the range of prisoners expanded by the late 1930s, the camps had become tools of racial and social control.
25
How did concentration camps help the Hitler control Germany
- These camps allowed the Nazis to physically remove opposition and spread fear among the wider public.
- Public awareness of the existence of camps and the treatment of inmates acted as a deterrent,
26
How important were concentration camps as a method of control
- The fear that one could be sent to a camp for political views or anti-Nazi behaviour helped suppress criticism and encouraged people to conform.
- The camps symbolised the absolute power of the regime and the risks of resistance.
27
What were the police and courts
- Between 1933 and 1939, the Nazis brought the police and judicial system under their control.
- Judges were required to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler,
- The People’s Court, created in 1934, was used to try “enemies of the state,” often with pre-determined guilty verdicts and harsh sentences.
28
How did the police and courts help the Hitler control Germany
- This control of the legal system gave the Nazis a powerful tool to suppress dissent legally.
- It was used to punish critics and to legitimise the regime’s actions under the guise of law and order.
29
How important were the police and courts as a method of control
- This method of control impacted large sections of the population.
- Anyone who spoke out, spread anti-Nazi ideas, or even made jokes about the regime could be arrested and prosecuted.
30
What is censorship
- From 1933 onwards, the Nazi regime enforced strict censorship of all media and cultural life.
- The Ministry of Propaganda controlled which films, plays, and radio broadcasts could be seen or heard, ensuring only Nazi-approved messages were shared with the public.
31
How did censorship help the Hitler control Germany
- Censorship prevented Germans from accessing information that might contradict Nazi claims.
- It made it impossible for opposition ideas to be widely shared
- This helped the Nazis maintain the illusion of unity, progress, and strength.
32
How important was censorship as a method of control
- Censorship shaped the thoughts and attitudes of the entire population.
- It enabled the Nazis were able to control public opinion.
- Censorship an essential tool of authoritarian control.
33
What is propaganda
- Nazi propaganda was coordinated by Joseph Goebbels and became a very common between 1933-39
- It was used to glorify Hitler, promote loyalty to the regime, and demonise enemies such as Jews and communists.
- Propaganda was spread through posters, films, newspapers, radio, public rallies, speeches, and school textbooks.
34
How did propaganda help the Hitler control Germany
- Propaganda presented Hitler as Germany’s savior and unifying figure
- It also created scapegoat such as the Jews and blamed them for the Treaty of Versailles and economic hardship.
- This deflected criticism away from the regime and reinforced Nazi ideology.
35
How important was propaganda as a method of control
- Propaganda influenced millions of Germans as they were surrounded by Nazi messages.
- It shaped public attitudes and discouraging alternative thinking, it helped ensure widespread support or at least quiet acceptance of Nazi rule.
36
What were the Nazi policies regarding women
- Between 1933 and 1939, the Nazis promoted a traditional, role for women
- They restricted female access to higher education.
- Incentives such as marriage loans and the Mother’s Cross were introduced
37
How did Nazi policies regarding women help the Hitler control Germany
- By encouraging women to produce more Aryan children, the regime aimed to secure the future of the German Volk.
- Nazis wanted to reduce social change and modern liberal values.
38
How important was Nazi policies regarding women as a method of control
- This policy affected half the population directly. Millions of German women saw their life choices restricted by government policy.
- This reshaping of gender roles meant that people were conforming to the Nazis
39
What were Nazi policy regarding education and young people
- After 1933, the Nazis restructured education
- Teachers were required to join the Nazi Teachers’ League
- Textbooks were rewritten to include Nazi ideology
- The Hitler Youth and League of German Girls became compulsory from 1936.
40
How did Nazi policy regarding education and young people help the Hitler control Germany
- By controlling education and youth organisations, the Nazis ensured that children grew up fully immersed in their ideology.
- Young people were taught to obey, to worship Hitler, and to view Jews and other minorities as enemies.
41
How important was Nazi policy regarding education and young people as a method of control
- It was one of the most significant tools of Nazi control.
- It shaped the minds and values of the next generation
- It created a society where Nazi ideas were passed on without needing constant adult enforcement.
42
What were the Nazi policy regarding religion and the Catholic Church
- From 1933 to 1939, the Nazis sought to bring religious institutions under control.
- In July 1933, they signed the Concordat with the Catholic Church, promising to respect church independence in return for political neutrality.
- This was soon broken, as Catholic schools were closed, youth groups banned, and outspoken priests arrested.
43
What were the Nazi policy regarding religion and the Protestant Church
- Protestants were also targeted. The Nazis tried to create a pro-Nazi church called the Reich Church
44
How did Nazi policy regarding religion and the Church help Hitler control Germany
- By weakening or silencing church leaders, the Nazis removed one of the few organisations that might have offered a moral challenge to their authority.
45
How important was Nazi policy regarding religion and the Church as a method of control
- This policy impacted millions of ordinary Germans
- Religion had once been a unifying moral framework; by compromising it, the Nazis asserted their dominance over both spiritual and political life.
46
What were Nazi racial policy and persecution of the Jews
- Between 1933 and 1939, the Nazis implemented increasingly severe anti-Jewish measures.
- Many Jews lost their jobs
- Jewish children were banned from public schools, and Jews were increasingly segregated from public life.
47
How did Nazi racial policy and persecution of the Jews help Hitler control Germany
- These policies helped the Nazis unite much of the population against a common enemy.
- Anti-Semitism was used to rally support and distract from the regime’s failings.
48
How important was Nazi racial policy and persecution of the Jews as a method of control
- Although Jews made up less than 1% of the population, the propaganda and laws surrounding them affected all Germans.
- These policies normalised violence and injustice, desensitised the population, and fostered a shared sense of superiority that helped secure support for the regime.
49
What power did the Gestapo hold
- It had the power to detain individuals without trial and send them to concentration camps.
- Although the Gestapo was not large in number, it created a system of distrust as people could report anyone
50
What were the Nuremburg laws
- The 1935 Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of citizenship and banned marriage or sexual relations between Jews and Aryans. Jewish businesses were boycotted and later confiscated.
51
What was Kristallnacht
- In November 1938, Kristallnacht marked a turning point, with over 1,000 synagogues destroyed, 30,000 Jews arrested, and hundreds killed or driven to suicide.
