Establishment of Nazi Dictatorship and Domestic Policies, Feb 1933-1939

Question 1

How did Hitler enforce his ‘legal revolution’?

Answer 1

Reichstag Election, March 1933- used intimidation and blamed issues on democracy and communists. Hoped to increase Nazi vote and enhance status. Didn’t get majority they needed so couldn’t create any changes. But high turnout due to SA intimidation.
Reichstag Fire, February- blamed on a communist, leads to signing of decree for protection which gave power to central govt, lots of anti-Nazis arrested and more violence.
Enabling Law, March 1933- Proposal to get rid of parliament and full power to Chancellor. ‘Revolution from below’ challenged Hitler’s aim for a ‘legal dictatorship’. Day of Potsdam combined National Socialism and old Germany legally. Promised to leave Catholic Church alone, securing their vote and Enabling Law was passed.

Question 2

How did Hitler control the Lander?

Answer 2

March 1933- dissolved regional parliaments and replaced with Nazi dominated acceptable majorities
April 1933- Reich governors, normally party Gauliter with total power and only fullfilled Reich wishes
January 1934- regional state parliaments and subordinated to Ministry of the Interiors

Question 3

How did Hitler control the Trade Unions?

Answer 3

In 1933 it was really weak- wanted to work with the Nazis.
1st May declared a holiday but in the end the SA and SS occupied trade union premises and took leaders to concentration camps.
Collected into German Labor front- more used to control and had no rights to negotiate rights

Question 4

How did Hitler control other political parties?

Answer 4

Needed to have one-party state.
Communists outlawed since fire.
Assets of Social Democrats seized
June 1933- most other parties chose to dissolve themselves.
Catholic Center Party gave up in July 1933.

Question 5

Evidence Gleichschaltung was not successful.

Answer 5

Limited influence on Church, army and big business.
Civil service and education only partially reformed.
Conflict of ‘revolution of below’ vs ‘revolution from above’.

Question 6

What was the situation when Hitler became Chancellor in 1933?

Answer 6

Only 12 Nazis in cabinet
Hitler didn’t have a majority so they couldn’t introduce much legislation.
Chancellor dependent on favor of Hindenburgh
Power of the army or trade unions were a threat.

He was leader of the largest party
Alternative to Hitler was civil war or communism
Access to govt resources eg police and propoganda
Very clever politician

Question 7

What was the position of the SA in 1933?

Answer 7

‘Second revolution’ brewing among left-wing, younger part of SA.
They were angry about their limited role in the Nazi party.
Rohm criticized Hitler’s politics and didn’t want the SA to become purely an instrument of propaganda.

Question 8

Outline the build up and events of the Knight of the Long Knives.

Answer 8

Army and SA were at odds. Hitler needed the backing of the army more as they were a threat, had connection and skills.
June 1934- Hitler and generals decided to oppose the SA
Knight of the Long Knives- Rohm and leaders shot, weapons provided by the army. Took out Schleicer and Strasser.

Question 9

How significant was the Knight of the Long Knives?

Answer 9

German army backed Hitler- Oath of the Army
SA disarmed and had role in propaganda only.
Led to the emergence of SS- important to terror
Established Hitler’s supremacy, able to legal commit murder. Established ‘personal dictatorship’

Question 10

Summaries the period of Glichustang

Answer 10

Terror- SA, Knight of the Long Knives
Legality- dissolution of parties, enabling law
Decption- misled SA and Trade Unions
Propoganda- Myths about Hitler being respectable, Goebbels
Weak opposition- left was divided, legacy of economic issues
Sympathy from the right- army, civil service not loyal to Weimar and accepted Night of the Long Knives

Question 11

Was a Gleichshultang a revolution?

Answer 11

Yes- stopped autonomy of states, intolerant to opposition, Reichstag impotent.
No- Churches and big business unaffected, no fundamental changes socially or economically, had to compromise to legality

Question 12

What was Hitler’s role in the Nazi dictatorship?

Answer 12

Hitler’s role as all powerful dictator and Fuhrer vs the chaos of Nazi party and his whims.
Charismatic, ordinary man vs lazy and inexperienced
Germany’s savior and Fuhrer with control of army vs reliance on subordinates and lack of constitution

Question 13

Why was the Party not able to dominate state institutions?

Answer 13

State officials were good at their jobs
March converts diluted party
Hitler’s lack of clarity eg 1939 law to unify party and state but 1934 party supreme

Question 14

Role of state institutions

Answer 14

Reich Chancellery: Lammers link between Hitler and other organisations, made legislation but hard to coordinate organisations.
Government Ministries: conflict from mid 30s with Party
Regional State Governments: took Oath and happy t work with party but 1933 Special Court, 1934 People’s Court, study of National Socialism and Night and Fog usurped their power.

Question 15

Role of party institutions

Answer 15

1933 aimed at getting support eg Hitler Youth, SA
Conflict eg Goebbels’s propaganda machine and Ministry of Propaganda
Hierarchy meant poor government eg Gauliters
Resolved conflict: Hess- vet promotions, 1939 Civil servants have to be party members, Bormann’s Department of Internal Party Affairs and Departments of State Affairs

Question 16

What were the main roles of Himmler’s ‘Police State’?

Answer 16

Policing (Gestapo, Kripo): general law and stopping enemies, arrests without trial
Intelligence (Gestapo, Kripo, SD): used informers to find opponents
Opponents: Strict camps run by Death’s Head Units, used to deter and detain non-conformists.
Waffen SS: taking over army and very committed

Question 17

Outline the increasing power of the SS State

Answer 17

Security: policing, intelligence and internal security became a greater role with SS officers given more authority to kill opponents
Military: Waffen SS increased t 35 divisions in 1945, like a 2nd army rivaling the army
Economy: ‘New Order’ across Europe meant exploiting materials and armaments.
Ideology and race: resettlement and extermination, via camps ran by Death’s head.

Question 18

Was the Gestapo allpowerful?

Answer 18

Yes- hold over whole of Germany

No- manpower, reliance on public, relied on Kripo

Question 19

How did Nazis control Radio, Press, Berlin Olympics and Nazi Ritual?

Answer 19

Radio- Reich Radio Company, People’s receiver, loudspeakers and Radio wardens
Press- they had no loyalty to Nazis, Eher Verlag bought Newspapers, DNB censorship, Editor’s Law 1933, Volkisher Beobachter but bland newspapers
Olympics- remove shocking posters, spend lots of money, Olympia, Eifrig but Jesse Owens
Nazi ritual- Heil Hitler, uniforms, rallys and festivals

Question 20

How did the Nazis control culture?

Answer 20

Chamber of culture 1933
Music- ban modern and Jewish music and promotes German Classics
Literature- most writers left and many accepted the Reich, stuck to classic plays
Cinema- high reputation, remove Jews from industry, Eternal Jew, Olympia etc
Failures: denounce Church, convince the working class, create a Nazi Culture

Question 21

How did the army and Hitler co-operate until 1937?

Answer 21

New Oath of loyalty
Appeased by: rearmament, conscription and diplomatic successes
Made training match Nazi ideology and elevate Fuhrer

Question 22

How did the Blomberg-Fritsch crisis lead to a reduction in the army’s power?

Answer 22

Hossbach conference- disagrements over Hitler’s plans for war, Blomberg and Fritsch removed from office.
Army controlled by General Keitel under OKW, Hitler Minister of Warfare.
But Beck had plans to potentially arrest Hitler

Question 23

Schacht’s economic policy

Answer 23

Banking and control of capital: more control of capital, set low interest rates, rescheduled debts to local authorities
Assistance for farming and small business: benefits to reward them and stimulate growth. tariffs on imports, subsidies, grants to repair houses
State investments: ‘Law to Reduce Unemployment’ 1933, Labour Service, RAD helps military construction. Expenditure spread over reforestation, reclaiming land, motorization and building- low unemployment and economic recovery
Public Deficit: controlled by high taxes and encouraging saving in state banks
But already worldwide economic growth

Question 24

Outline The Balance of Payments Problem

Answer 24

Fears of inflation because of demand increase- stopped by control of prices and wages, abolition of Trade Unions and lack of demand but perpetuated by failure to increase exports and low foreign currency
Schmitt- wants reduce unemployment vs rearmament and Schact took over as Minister f Economics

Question 25

Outline Schacht’s ‘New Plan’ 1934

Answer 25

Bilateral Trade Treaties- bartering avoided currency exchange and gained economic control of Balkans
Reichsmark Currency: buy from other countries in only German currency
Mefo Bills- promises to pay for goods in 5 years, disguise spending
Successes: low unemployment, production increased by 60%, GNP grew by 40% vs structural weakness

Question 26

Aims of the 4 year plan 1936

Answer 26

Rearmament and autarky

1) regulate exports and imports
2) Control labor force to prevent inflation
3) increase production of raw materials
4) develop ersatz
5) increase agricultural prduction

Question 27

Effects of 4 year plan

Answer 27

Schacht resigns 1937 and Goring has full economic control
Production of key materials expanded
Rubber and oil production falls short of targets
Arms production goals not reached
Still dependent on imports

Question 28

What happened to the influence f industrial elites?

Answer 28

Gave way to state regulation and largely accepted control eg state control of iron-ore deposits. Still reaped major benefits however.

Question 29

What was the Volksgemeinschaft?

Answer 29

Overcoming class, religion and politics to create national identity with common ideas about race, nationalism and authoritarianism. Idealized by ‘blood and soil’ it united old German values with new ideology rejecting communism, democracy and Christianity.

Question 30

What did the Nazis do for the working class?

Answer 30

DAF 1933- set working hours and pay, dealt with strikes etc, training schemes, set rents, improves working conditions, Strength through Joy
More jobs created but wages didn’t rise much, contributions to be paid to DAF, only those in rearmament benefited, working hours increased, conscription and removal of Jews and women account for stats in employment.

Question 31

What did the Nazis do for farmers?

Answer 31

Wrote off farmer’s debts and mortgages
Taxing imports
Reich Entailed Farm laws 1933- security of tenure, forbade dividing farms
Reich Food Estate 1933- supervised every aspect of production
Still migration too towns, strict regulations eg banning dividing farms

Question 32

What was the Nazi’s relationship with landowners?

Answer 32

Initially they were suspicious they would redistributed land but German victories at the start of the war gave them cheap land.

Question 33

What was the Nazi’s relationship with the Mittlestand?

Answer 33

Confiscating Jewish business to give cheap loans, Law to Protect Retail Trade, regulations to protect small craftsmen.
Decline in mittlestand due to Germany’s industrialization.

Question 34

How did the Nazis reform education? How successful was it?

Answer 34

Reich Ministry of education.
Teaching reformed- Jews etc removed, National Socialist Teacher’s League
Syllabus reform- focus of PE and military drills, nationalism, Eugenics and Germany’s national achievements. Elite schools focus on military training.
Anti-academic syllabus alienated teachers. Recruitment of teachers declined and students in higher education halved.

Question 35

How was the Hitler Youth developed? How effective was it?

Answer 35

Forced membership from 1939.
Focus on indoctrination and preparing for future roles eg wives and mothers vs soldiers. The activities were fun and made a community atmosphere eg camping and sports.
Many resented regimented military focus and some non conformists like Edelweiss Pirates.

Question 36

How well did the Nazis control the Church

Answer 36

German Faith Movement- propagate Nazi ideals about race and replace Christianity. Gained little support.
Concordat 1933 between papacy and regime- neither would interfere with each other.
Confessional Church- interfering and policies alienated many pastors. Led by Nielmoller representing protestants. Pope criticized the regime.
German Christians- reconcile Nazism and Protestantism under first Reich Bishop.
Ministry of Church Affairs- close faith schools, undermine Catholic youth groups, discredit clergy, confiscating church funds, arrest of priests.
War = more aggression and attacks on churches

Question 37

What was the role of women in Nazi society?

Answer 37

The 3 K’s
Banning women from employment- offering marriage loans, giving up jobs for unemployed men, propagated anti feminism in NSF and DFW.
But due to large economic growth women were still employed but not fully exploited.
Marriage Loans, family allowances, reduced income tax, better maternity benefits, anti-abortion and contraception, mother hood cross. Lebensborn- homes for unmarried girls and brothels for SS to get them pregnant.
Increased birth rate but level marriage rate

Question 38

How did the Nazis deal with ‘outsiders’?

Answer 38

Political Opponents- concentration camps in 193 and arrests in 1935.
Biological Opponents- Gypsies, Slavs and Jews. 1933 Law for sterilization of those with hereditary disease.
1935 Law forbidding them from marrying. Operation T-4 in 1938 faced some opposition so carried out more discretely.
Asocials- alcoholics, prostitutes and those who did work for the Volk. Either sent to labor camps or imprisoned and experimented on etc. office to combat abortion and homosexuality in 1936.

Question 39

How did the Nazis deal with the Jews legally?

Answer 39

1933- boycott of Jewish shops
Nuremberg Laws 1935, 1938 all Jewish property to be registered, 1939 curfew for Jews
Forced emigration- 1938 Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Austria prompts Reich Central Office for Jewish Emigration in 1939. Half left by start of war.

Question 40

How did the Nazis use propaganda and terror to deal with the Jews?

Answer 40

Antisemitic posters, newspapers and film. The new syllabus at school presented Jews negatively.
Terror held back by Berlin Olympics and conservative forces.
1938- Anschluss Arynisation meant Goring thought to implement a similar regime eg 1938 Law to have Jewish property registered.
1938- Kristallnacht attacks on Jewish business, deaths and deportation to concentrations camps