Control and Opposition Flashcards
Who controlled the SS?
Himmler
Who controlled the Gestapo?
Himmler
Who controlled the SD?
Heydrich
what did the Gestapo do?
hunted down ‘Enemies of the State’ (Nazi opponents) and sent to concentration camps
What did the SS do?
Used to keep the Nazis in power and deal with any opponents
What did the SD do?
intelligence branch of the SS
What did Himmler do?
ran the SS and Gestapo and general total control of all of Germany’s police forces - he had immense power
When were the People’s Courts?
1934
What were the People’s Courts?
Established to judge those accused of crimes against the State
They sentenced a lot of people for political crimes which could have prevented a rebellion against the Nazi State
Name some inmates found in concentration camps
Jews, Communists, travelling community/Roma, Homosexuals
List the ways that the police state impacted German’s lives
Everybody was watched - neighbours often provided intelligence to make arrests.
‘Clan responsibility’ - if one family member broke the law, everyone was guilty.
Germans were labelled ‘Enemies of the state’
Lost their civil rights in Law for the Protection of People and State
Give evidence of Germans supporting the Nazi regime by choice
Turnout at Nuremberg rallies
Following of German Faith Movement
Elections - popular votes in elections and plebiscites
Popular plans eg. TOV, bread and work, benefits (cheap radios, KDF)
Nazi organisations appealed - eg HYM
Give evidence of forced Nazi support by Germans
Creation of concentration camps
Control of the media - no criticism, censorship
Police State - intimidation into obedience
Peoples’s Court (1934) - scared Germans and executed ‘opponents’
What was Goebbel’s role in spreading Nazi ideas?
Created the Reich Chamber of Culture
He couldn’t “brainwash” people, but did influence their decisions.
How did the Nazis control Newspapers?
Most newspapers bought by Eher Verlag - Nazi publishers
Editor’s Law - held editors responsible for the content of their newspapers
Only government approved journalists could work in the media
Newspapers that printed content that was disapproved of were shut down.
Editors went to a daily Propoganda Ministry Briefing to be told what to print.
How did the Nazis control Radio?
Nazis took control of all radio stations
Germans were encouraged to buy cheap Reich radios that could only pick up Nazi broadcasts. By 1939, 70% of households had one.
Loudspeakers erected in public places and workplaces.
How did the Nazis control Film?
Cinema that didn’t reflect Nazi thinking was censored.
High-quality Nazi Films we’re produced by people like Leni Riefenstahl - Triumph of the Will (Nuremberg Rallies)
How was Art censored?
A lot of art was banned to show.
Exhibitions of “degenerate art” were shown, showing people the ‘distorted’ work of modern artists.
How was Music censored?
Jazz music was condemned as it was too ‘frivolous’ and was related to the Black community which the Nazis discriminated against.
How was literature censored?
20,000 books were symbolically burned in Berlin, 1933. The books could be Jewish, Ethnic, Anti-Nazi, etc.
Why were rallies important to Nazi propaganda?
Films were created about the 1936 olympics and Nuremberg rallies.
Rallies were huge and where organised to show how powerful their military was.
How did propaganda and censorship affect German’s lives?
Young people were indoctrinated into the Volksgemeinschaft with propaganda
Nobody was brainwashed, but they were influenced - it persuaded Germans to let Nazis implement their policies.
News and propaganda were more accessible - loudspeakers, cheap radios
What did the Roman Catholic Church think about the Nazi Regime?
Signed a concordat in 1933, the church doesn’t get involved in politics, and they could still run school and activities for young people.
Soon it realised it’s terms were being ignored and in 1937 Pope Pius XI condemned the Nazi regime.
What did the Lutheran church think about the Nazi regime?
Split - ones who followed the Nazis were called German Christians, and were led by Ludwig Müller. The Lutherans that disagreed set up the confessional church.
What was the Confessional church?
Protestant church in opposition to the Nazis, split from the Lutheran church.
Pastor Martin Niemöller was a leader of the Confessional Church. He was arrested in 1937 and sent to Dachau concentration camp.
What was the German Faith Movement?
Church created by the Nazis. Movement sought to move Germany away from Christianity, and towards a religion based on Germanic Paganism (eg. Sun worship) and Nazi ideology.
Movement had around 200,000 followers at its height (<0.3% of population).
Instead of the bible, they used a combination of Indian and German literature.
What was the Swing Movement?
Mostly middle and upper-class youths.
Grew their hair, wore fashionable clothes, listened to jazz and swing music.
Actions often led to clashes with HYM and security forces.
300 members arrested in 1941, clubs raided and participants sent to concentration camps.
Who were the Edelweiss Pirates?
Working class movement of youths
Evaded and beat up HYM, distributed anti-Nazi leaflets
Nazi authorised between 1936 and September 1939.
who was the leader of the DAF?
Robert Ley
What is the name of the German official killed by a Jew in Paris?
Von Rath
