Establishment of the Nazi dictatorship Flashcards
What happened in February 1933?
Reichstag fire
What happened in March 1933 that ended democracy in Germany?
Enabling Act which gave Hitler total power
What did Hitler do with the powers he got from the enabling act?
Banned opposing parties making Germany a single party state
What was Gleichschaltung?
Merging German society with the Nazi party
Name three features of Gleichschaltung
Abolishment of regional parliaments
SDP and KPD banned
Trade unions were banned
What was the threat to Hitler from within his own party?
Ernest Rohm and the SA
Why was Rohm a danger to Hitler?
He could control the Army through merging it with the SA
When was the Night of Long Knives?
June 1934
Outline the features of the Night of Long Knives
SA leaders such as Rohm were executed and the German army had to swear the Hitler oath
What happened when Hindenburg died in 1934?
Hitler merged the roles of Chancellor and President into one know as Fuhrer
State one reason for Hitler’s chaotic rule in 1936
The cabinet only met four times
What was Volksgemeinschaft?
The Nazis ideal society
Which leading Nazi was in charge of propaganda?
Goebbels
Name three features of Nazi ideology
Racial purity
Anti-democracy
Nationalism
What % of the population had radios that spread Nazi propaganda by 1939?
70%
Name two examples of propaganda being implemented into German life
“Heil Hitler” was a ritual used as a greeting
The Editor’s Law was a newspaper in 1933 dedicated to spreading Nazi ideology
What was the secret police under Hitler called?
Gestapo
What could the Gestapo do to someone?
Send them to a concentration camp without trial
What suggest that the Gestapo controlled Germany through fear?
There was only 40,000 agents compared to 70 million Germans
Why was there little opposition to the Nazi party?
Life of the average citizen improved under Nazi rule
Why did the Church contradict Nazi belief?
Christian values went against Nazi ideals of Violence and strength
What happened to two Protestant pastors in 1934?
They were arrested for opposing the Nazis
Why did protestants and Nazis agree?
They agreed over family values
What deal was made between the Catholic church and the Nazis?
Nazis respected the Catholic Churches legal property if they stayed out of politics
Why was the German faith movement unsuccessful?
Only 5% of workers joined it
How many people were unemployed in 1932?
6 million
Who was Schacht?
German finance minister from 1933-1939
What did Schacht’s economic policy focus on?
Reduce expenditure of arms and increase industry
What did Goring replace Schacht’s economic policy with in 1936?
The four year plan
What was the aim of Goring’s Four year plan?
Increase rearmament and make German self sufficient
Why was Goring unable to make Germany self sufficient?
When war broke out Germany relied on foreign supplies for one-third of its raw materials
What were the three K’s imposed on women by the Nazis?
Kitchen, Children and Church
How did the Nazis control schools?
Head teachers were made to be members of the Nazi party
What two changes were made to the German curriculum under the Nazis?
German and History were increased while Religious Education was dropped
How did Nazi education reform fail?
Saw a drop in teachers
How much did the Hitler youth membership increase between 1933 and 1936?
from 1% in 1933 to 60% in 1936
What did the Hitler youth teach to boys and girls
Boys were trained like solders
Girls were taught how to be good wives
What was the sterilisation law in 1933?
Allowed the Nazis to prevent diseased offspring
How many people had been sterilised by the Nazis by 1933 - 1934?
350,000
What were the Nuremburg race laws in 1935?
Removed all citizenship of Jews
What was the membership of the SA in 1933?
well over 2 million soldiers and was a much bigger force than the official German army
