A new Reich 1933-35 Flashcards
Why did Brunings government of 1930-2 fail?
- Appointed by Hindenburg on General Schleicher’s advice
- Relied on presidential decrees, not Reichstag
- Hindenburg won the presidential election, but Hitler gained 37% of the vote
- Election in September, 1930, sees 107 Nazis and 77 KPD
- Proposal to break up bankrupt Prussian estates has Hindenburg dismiss him
How did Papen’s 1932 government fail?
- July 1932, Extremists won over half of the Reichstag seats, but Hindenburg denies Hitler chancellorship
- Nazis gained 37% of the vote in August, 1932. This fell to 33% in November
- Loses a no-confidence vote, 512-42. Election called by Schleicher’s advice.
- Schacht and other industrial leaders call for a Hitler government. Hindenburg only agrees if Hitler gets a majority
- Papen calls for an authoritarian constitution, and is deposed by Von Schleicher.
How did Von Schleicher’s government of 1932-3 fail?
- Alienated elite who warned Hindenburg of ‘Agrarian bolshevism’, and failed to win support of the Left
- January 1933, Papen agrees to work with Hitler as vice-Chancellor
- General Werner von Blomberg agreed to be defence minister in a Hitler government. Hindenburg appoints Hitler chancellor, with Papen as his deputy
What was Hitler’s initial cabinet?
Hitler as Chancellor, Frick as Minister for the Interior, and Göring as Minister without Portfolio (but with control over the Prussian police)
Papen was the vice-chancellor, Hugenberg (DNVP) was head of the Economics Ministry, and Franz Seldte of the Stahlhelm was Minister of Labour
Hitler became Chancellor on the 30th January, 1933. What did he do first?
Within 24 hours of being appointed, he called new elections for 5th March, 1933
Violence and terror dominated with the meetings of the far left being broken up by the Nazis. In Prussia, Göring used his authority to enrol an extra 50,000 into the police, nearly all from the SA or SS
As result, 69 people died during the 5 week campaign. Hitler would blame all these problems in Germany on the communists and the Nazi party was part of a ‘national uprising’
How well off was the Nazi Party as the new March election drew near in 1933?
At a meeting on the 20th Feb, 1933, 20 industrialists pledged 3 million Reichsmarks. With such a backing and Goebbels exploitation of the media, the Nazis were confident in securing a parliamentary majority
When was the Reichstag Fire, and what resulted from it?
27th Feb, 1933, the Reichstag building in Berlin was set on fire and a young, Dutch Communist, Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested. Some believe the fire was caused by the Nazis in a coup
28th Feb, 1933, Frick drew up the ‘Decree for the Protection of the People and State’, which, in a few short clauses, saw most civil and political liberties suspended.
The justification for this law was the threat posed by the Communists, and following this, hundreds of anti-Nazis were arrested, and the violence reached new heights
How much did the Nazi vote increase by in the March 1933 election?
Went from 33.1% to a high 43.9%, securing 288 seats. Hitler could now claim a majority with 52 seats going to the Nationalists.
How did Hitler attempt to gain further support following the Reichstag election in March, 1933?
Hitler knew he could not change the constitution without a 2/3 majority, and began a campaign of reassurance
The opening of the Reichstag in Potsdam on 21st March, 1933, was a propaganda triumph, with Hitler bowing in front of President Hindenburg
He successfully aligned the forces of Nazism with the forces of old Germany. The same day, Hitler would pass the Malicious Practices Law, which banned criticism of the regime and its policies
How did Hitler successfully pass the Enabling Act on the 23rd March, 1933, in the Kroll Opera House?
The Communists were refused entry to the house, and the SA intimidated attendees by surrounding the building.
In order to achieve the 2/3 majority, with the knowledge the SPD would vote against the bill, the Nazis promised to respect the rights of the Catholic church and to uphold moral and religious values for the Z party
These false promises deceived the Z party and in the end, only the SPD voted against the Enabling Act. It was passed 444 votes to 94
What did the Enabling Act of March, 1933, give Hitler and the Nazis the power to do?
- Restrictions on liberty, speech, free expression, assembly, etc
- Reich Government may temporarily take over the powers of the supreme authority of a state in which security is not guaranteed
- Reich cabinet authorised to enact laws which may deviate from the constitution
- National laws enacted by the Reich cabinet shall be prepared by the Chancellor
What was the Gleichschaltung?
The gradual assimilation of all aspects of the state into the Nazi Party
This was a “co-ordination” or “switching on” of the German people
Which parts of society were controlled via the Gleichschaltung?
In the Judiciary political opponents and jews were removed
Control of the media by Joseph Goebbels, head of propaganda. Press, radio, and films disseminated the message
For professional reasons, associating with the Nazis was of great benefit
When and what was the Kopenick Blood Week?
Withing 4 months of the Enabling Act, all political opposition was abolished. The SPD suffered the most
This culminated in the Kopenick Blood Week between 21-26 June, 1933, where 500 SPD members and known political opponents were tortured by the SA, SS, and Gestapo.
What was the result of the Kopenick Blood Week?
23 died.
The SPD was dissolved on the 22 June, 1933, with the DNVP absorbed into the Nazis
The Z party was weakened by the Catholic Concordat, disbanded on the 5th July
14 July, Nazis were the only legal party
How were the unions in Germany dealt with by the Nazis, and how did they react?
Christian trade union dissolved by the concordat, socialist ones through violence
The Socialist unions had over 4 million members, but they promised to disassociate with the SPD and cooperate with the Nazis
How did the Nazis destroy the trade unions in Germany?
Nazis seemed agreeable, with the 1st May 1933 designated Day of National Labour and a holiday for workers. The following day, the SA raided union offices and arrested leaders
All unions were unified into the new DAF, the only legal trade union
Why did Papen depose the Socialist/Z coalition government in 1932?
Supposedly to control street violence that the coalition couldn’t.
It was actually to destroy the SPD base in Prussia and gain right wing support
How did the Nazis take over the regional governments?
Article of the Reichstag Fire Decrees enabled the Nazis to take control of any state which couldn’t enforce law and order. This replaced the governments of Wurttemberg, Berlin, Bremen, Bavaria, etc.
By the end of March, all regional governments were under Nazi control.
Which Nazi officials controlled regions of Germany?
31 March, 1933, Law for the Co-Ordination of the Länder, Gauleiters became regional dictators
Law for Reconstruction of the Reich ended the State parliaments
What was the SS?
Formed in 1925 as an elite bodyguard of Hitler, but remained a relatively minor section of the SA with only 250 members until Himmler became its leader in 1929
By 1933, the SS numbered 52,000 and had established a reputation for blind obedience
Himmler also created a special security service in 1931 called the SD to act as the party’s own internal police
How did Himmler and the SS take down the police and SA and integrate power into themselves?
1933-4, Himmler assumed control of all the police in the Länder, including the Gestapo in Prussia. Hitler turned to Himmler’s SS to carry out the purge on the Night of the Long Knives in June, 1934.
In 1936, all police powers were unified under Himmler’s control as ‘Reichsführer SS and Chief of all German Police’, including the Gestapo.
In 1939, all police organisations were amalgamated into the RSHA, overseen by Himmler but actually coordinated by his deputy, Heydrich
How large was the SS by 1939?
Numbering 250,000 in 1939, it eclipsed all other Nazi interest groups in terms of power and influence. This power spread with war, as it took all policing and intelligence responsibilities in the new territories
How did the SS become a military force?
The Waffen SS increased from 3 divisions in 1939 to 35 in 1945 which developed into a ‘second army’. Committed, brutal and, militarily, highly rated. By 1944, the SS was so powerful, it rivalled the power of the German army
What was the ‘New Order’ that the SS were responsible for in territories taken over in WW2?
The ‘New Order’ in Eastern Europe provided opportunities for plunder and power, which members of the SS exploited.
By the end of the war, the SS was a massive commercial enterprise of over 150 firms which exploited slave labour to extract raw materials and to manufacture textiles, armaments, and household goods
How did the SS enact its ideology during WW2?
The racial policy of extermination and resettlement was pursued with vigour and the system of concentration camps was widely established and run by the SS’ Death’s-Head Units
How did the Gestapo control the people of Germany?
The Gestapo imposed terror on their enemies, while at the same time creating a grim ‘pact’ with the German people such that civilians would comply willingly
It was for this reason that people felt the Gestapo were everywhere. Despite this, there were only 28 Gestapo officials covering the million people in Würzburg and surrounding Lower Franconia
How many Gestapo officials were there?
Manpower was limited, with only 40,000 agents for all of Germany. Large cities, like Frankfurt or Hamburg, with over 500,000 people, were policed by just 40-50 agents
In 1942, there were only 30,000 officials.
How cooperative were the German people with the Gestapo?
Intending to intimidate the opposition, its meagre resources were aided by a willing populace
Local studies reveal that over 50%, and sometimes 80%, of investigation stemmed from voluntary denunciations. And these were just the cases where the Gestapo actually investigated!
How did living standard for workers improve under the Nazi regime?
Only 35,000 of 25 million male workers were classed as ‘unemployed’. Wage freezes in 1933 bypassed by Christmas bonuses and providing insurance schemes
By 1936 average wage for a worker was 35 marks/week, 10x more than dole money 6 million had received
Did workers in Nazi Germany get holidays?
Average paid holidays rose from 3 days per year in 1933 to between 6 and 12 days per year in 1939
Lazy bums
What were some limits to the improvements in living standards under Nazi rule?
Wages only really rose by 1% a year under Nazi rule
Taxation and deductions rose from 15% to 18% (Weimar to Nazis)
1938, govt took power to direct workers where to work, rather than choose where
What did workers lose under Nazi rule?
Loss of political freedoms, and in Feb. 1935, workers needed a ‘workbook’ to find employment
What was the DAF?
Set up on the 6th May, 1933, the DAF was the nationally recognised trade union. Membership included employers as well as employees.
Membership grew from 5 million in 1933 to 22 million in 1939, and was intended to sway workers towards Nazism
Who led the DAF?
Robert Ley, the leader of the largest organisation in the Third Reich
He was an incompetent man, seen as the “Reich Drunkard”, and was notoriously unstable and very corrupt
In 1938 the DAF organised the Volkswagen scheme. What was it?
The scheme gave workers the opportunity to subscribe 5 marks a week to a fund eventually allowing them to acquire a car. The scheme’s chief impact was to reduce the danger of inflation by boosting savings
No worker actually received a car, and in 1939 production was switched to military needs
What was the RAD?
The Reichsarbeitsdienst started as a voluntary scheme under the Weimar Republic. In June 1935, a law made six months labour compulsory for all men aged between 19 and 35.
This was extended to women in 1939, and the scheme was intended for the working class. Most members were employed in agriculture or public works
Why did Hitler decide to purge the SA in the Night of the Long Knives on the 30th June, 1934?
The SA had become too radical and violent, disliked by the middle class and military, whom Hitler needed support from. As such, the radical, revolutionary SA had to be dealt with
tfw when you’re too radical for Hitler
