Control of Germany Flashcards
Who were the Gestapo?
The ‘Secret Police’ who kept German people under control and arrested those who were considered a threat to Nazism.
Who were the informers?
People who would ‘spy’ on people and give information to the Gestapo, who then would arrest without trial and torture/kill them in concentration camps.
What were the ‘People’s Courts’?
Courts where all the judges were appointed by Nazis so they were biased and were supportive of the Nazi regime.
What were concentration camps originally?
Temporary prisons for Nazi opponents.
What did concentration camps eventually become?
Forced labour camps, where the SS ran a vast industry from slave labour.
What were the SS originally?
Hitler’s personal bodyguard.
By 1939 how many members did the SS have?
240,000.
What was the requirements to join the SS?
You had to be the elite of the Aryan race, and you had to be fiercely loyal to Hitler.
How many crimes were punishable by the death penalty in 1933? How many did this increase to by 1943?
3 to 46.
Give an example of a crime punishable by death in 1943.
Listening to foreign radio stations, telling anti-Nazi jokes or having sexual relations with a Jew.
How did the Nazis make ordinary Germans frightened to speak out?
He controlled the media and the newspapers, so it seemed the whole of Germany was on Hitler’s side and showed what was expected of loyal Germans.
How did the Communists try to stop Hitler?
They formed ‘underground’ organisations which collected information that would help the Soviet Union.
What was the last Communist spy ring to be destroyed by the Gestapo?
The Rote Kapelle (The Red Orchestra).
When was the Rote Kapelle destroyed?
August 1943.
How did the Social Democrats (SDP) try to fight back against the Nazis?
They tried to organise resistance in factories by distributing propaganda leaflets, illegal newspapers and organised meetings.
How successful were the Communists and Social Democrats in fighting back?
Not very - they didn’t work with each other and neither provided any real resistance.
How many Germans were Christians?
Nearly all of them.
Who was Paul Schneider?
A priest who refused to stop preaching against the Nazis - he was taken to a concentration camp in 1937 and beaten.
Did most Christians support the Nazis?
Yes, those who didn’t felt isolated.
Who was Martin Niemöller?
An anti-Nazi protestant, who was put into a concentration camp. He was the leader of the Confessing Church.
Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
A Protestant priest (member of the Confessing Church) who worked with anti-Nazi resistance. He was arrested in 1943 and was killed in a concentration camp in 1945.
