Coordination, Propaganda, New Plan, 4 Year Plan

Question 1

What did Hitler do to the regional Parliaments?

Answer 1

March 1933: dissolved regional parliaments, he reformed them to allow for Nazis to dominate. they would not meet under the Nazis again!

Question 2

What did Hitler do to Unions?

Answer 2

2 May 1933 Trade Union premises occupied by SS, funds confiscated, leaders sent to camps (e.g. Dachau), absorbed into the DAF

Question 3

What was the DAF

Answer 3

State Union, led by Robert Ley
22m members, but it was an instrument of control, didn’t represent workers interests.
Couldn’t negotiate working conditions or wages.

Question 4

What happened to parties?

Answer 4

28 Feb 1933 KPD banned
June 1933 most parties, including the DNVP, banned. ZP lasted another month.
14 July 1933 The remaining parties had dissolved - there was no more opposition. So the Law Against the Establishment of Parties was created.

Question 5

What was coordination known as?

Answer 5

Gleichschaltung.

Question 6

How successful was coordination by 1934?

Answer 6

Advanced, but not complete
Big business and Church remained, for the most part, independent.
Civil service and army only partially coordinated - Hitler needed them on side to ensure it was a Revolution from Above.

Question 7

What were the problems with Fuhrer power?

Answer 7

• Government and laws emerged haphazardly
• Hitler was dependent on his subordinates to put policies into effect
• Hitler’s attitude towards government wasn’t conducive to effective leadership.

Question 8

How little was government called?

Answer 8

-> summoned Cabinet only 4 times in 1936

Question 9

When did Hitler formally agree something?

Answer 9

Hitler did authorise T4 in 1939 - the only thing he ever signed however, and most was simply operated by the Fuhrer nod

Question 10

Who was the head of the Chancellory, and what was his role?

Answer 10

Lammers
-Draw up legislation
-Link between Hitler and other organisations
He struggled as it was hard to coordinate the growing number of often contradictory organisations

Question 11

Why were different ministries put under pressure?

Answer 11

They often clashed

-> Economics Ministry clashed with the Ministry for the Four Year Plan

Question 12

How were lawyers coordinated?

Answer 12

Had to join the Nazi Lawyers Organisation and make an oath of allegiance to Hitler from 1936
Some lawyers weren’t Nazis, and were not replaced, but most were
-> the Justice Minister, Gürtner, wasn’t a Nazi.
1939 Judges had to study National Socialism

Question 13

How were courts coordinated?

Answer 13

1934 ‘People’s Court’, who’s jury were all Nazis, set up to try cases of Treason
-> Just under half the cases resulted in the death sentence
The SS were made to be above the law, and legal authorities were subordinate to them.
1941 Nacht und Nebel (night and fog) decree gave the SS power to imprison anyone.

Question 14

What were the problems with the party?

Answer 14

-Became splintered.
Its organisations were of dubious political positions (e.g. the ministries were largely conservative)
-Structure based on Fuhrerprinzip - didn’t create effective government
-Gauleiters believed they were accountable only to Hitler.

Question 15

How did party problems improve over time?

Answer 15

Bormann created the Department for Internal Party Affairs (discipline within the party)

Question 16

How were the SS coordinated?

Answer 16

1936 Police powers unified under Himmler, Himmler became Reichsfuhrer SS

Question 17

What responsibilities of the SS are given to what branches?

Answer 17

Policing -> general
Intelligence -> Gestapo, Kripo, SD
Treating opponents -> death’s head
Military action -> Waffen SS

Question 18

How did the Nazis deal with opponents?

Answer 18

22 March 1933 First camp - Dachau - set up
Early 1934 many of the initial prisoners released. This was tactical to ensure those who had been imprisoned could say what it was like.

Question 19

What were the Waffen SS?

Answer 19

Racially pure soldiers.
They were highly influential, powerful and anti Semitic.
By 1939, there were 250,000 members

Question 20

Role of SS in security?

Answer 20

Policing and intelligence.

SS granted internal security the authority to crush opposition

Question 21

Role of SS in military?

Answer 21

Waffen SS were a second army, and certainly rivalled the German Army.
They were deadly, and strong. It was thought that any battle fought by them was instantaneous win, but they weren’t as large as the real army.

Question 22

Role of SS in economy?

Answer 22

Created the ‘New Order’ in Eastern Europe, by capitalising it.
They created a commercial organisation in Eastern Europe - 150 firms exploited slave labour for armaments etc.

Question 23

What were the functions of propaganda?

Answer 23

• Glorify the regime
• Spread ideology
• Create Volksgemeinschaft

Question 24

Use of radio in propaganda?

Answer 24

1933 Goebbels brought radio under party control with the Reich Radio Company.
-> dismissed 13% of staff
Created a ‘People’s Receiver’, so more people had access to it
By 1939, 70% of people owned a radio.
Broadcasting in public places, with Radio Wardens ensuring people were listening.

Question 25

Use of press in propaganda?

Answer 25

Nazis’ publishing house had to buy newspapers: Eher Verlag owned 2/3 of newspapers, 1939.
Goebbels provided daily guidance on editorial policy.
Editors Law 1933 made editors responsible for its content
-> 1943: Frankfurter Zeitung closed down
-> Völkischer Beobachter had 2m reads by the end of the Nazis

Question 26

Use of the Berlin olympics in propaganda?

Answer 26

1936
42m RM spent on the Sports Complex.
It was developed into a film, and watched live by 150,000
Germany won overall, but Jesse Owens’ victory dampened the mood

Question 27

Use of cinema in propaganda?

Answer 27

Jewish actors and directors were removed.
-> Marlene Dietrich fled to Hollywood
Goebbels understood film was vital in propaganda, he created some overt propaganda movies
-> The Eternal Jew
But most was more covert, like the nationalist movie of Olympia, which was a 4 hour film of the Berlin Olympics.
There was also some escapism
-> The Adventures of Baron von Münchausen

Question 28

How was the Army coordinated?

Answer 28

Preserved its influence in the short term, but not in the long term.
August 1934 Oath of loyalty to Hitler
Hitler appeased the Army with rearmament and conscription in 1935
-> 500,000 in army
HOWEVER the SS was growing, and Hitler made it clearer that he didn’t care about the Army’s conservatism, as he no longer needed them.

Question 29

What was the Blomberg-Fritsch crisis?

Answer 29

5 Nov 1937 Hossbach Conference: Blomberg and Fritsch concerned by Hitler’s talk of war.
Hitler subsequently forced them out of office, and took over their positions (Commander in Chief; Minister for War) himself.

Question 30

Who headed the economy in the early years of the Nazis?

Answer 30

Hjalmar Schacht: responsible for creating the Rentenmark in Weimar Germany.
Schacht guided deficit financing.

Question 31

Banking policy under Schacht?

Answer 31

State assumed responsibility for control of capital.

Lowered interests rates and rescheduled debts.

Question 32

Farming and small business policy under Schacht?

Answer 32

-Tariffs on imports
-Subsidies on Reich Food Estate
-Land ownership security to small farmers through Reich Entailed Farm Law
-Debts reduced
-Lower interest rates
-Grants for house repairs
BUT farmers resented the amount of control (e.g. couldn’t set their own prices)

Question 33

Public works schemes under Schacht

Answer 33

LAW TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT 1933
-Voluntary labour service employed 18-25 year olds
RAD established, 1935
-young men served 6 months of unpaid labour
Investment in work creation x3
-Reforestation
-Construction of Autobahns
-Building
Only 1.5m unemployed (1936)
High taxation and savings being kept in state owned banks ensured public deficit was controlled.

Question 34

Balance of payments under Schacht?

Answer 34

Inflation wasn’t a problem due to lack of demand, control over prices and wages, and the abolition of Unions.
Trade deficit, Summer 1934
-> Germany importing too much, foreign currency reserves were low.

Question 35

What was the New Plan?

Answer 35

September 1934

• Government control of trade, tariffs, capital and currency exchange
• Limits on imports for less important industries (e.g. cotton)
• More imports of things needed for heavy industry like metals

Question 36

Role of Bilateral trade treaties in New Plan?

Answer 36

• Promote trade
• Save foreign investment
• Mostly with South East Europe
• Germany exerting economic influence over Balkans.

Question 37

What were Mefo bills?

Answer 37

Special money bills that guaranteed payments for goods and held up to 5 years, earning interest

Question 38

Effects of New Plan?

Answer 38

-Unemploymeent at 1.6m (1936)
-Industrial production increased by 60%
-GNP increased by 40%
BUT DEFICIT FINANCING WASNT SUSTAINABLE

Question 39

What was the intention of the Four Year Plan?

Answer 39

The army and economy should be ready for War within 4 years.

Suggested in 1936.

Question 40

What did the 4 year plan do?

Answer 40

Regulated imports strategically
-> chemicals over agriculture
Controlled labour force to prevent inflation
-> increased work direction by DAF
Production of raw materials to reduce cost of imports of vital goods
-> steel, iron, aluminium
Increase agricultural production

Question 41

Effects of 4 Year Plan?

Answer 41

• Schacht advised a reduction in Arms Expenditure, but this was ignored
• Schacht resigned by 1937 - his influence waned
• Goring was economic minister in all but name
• Production of aluminium oand explosives were successful, but expectations for rubber, oil and arms weren’t met.