Germany 1918-1939

Question 1

What forms of opposition was there against Hitler?

Answer 1

• Edelweiss pirates- they helped escapees from concentration camps and preached an anti-nazi message
• Youth Swing Club- they listened to degenerate music, like Jazz and missed Curfew (all forms of opposition were quickly dealt with by the Gestapo)

Question 2

How dis the Nazi’s maintain power?

Answer 2

Radios- almost 80% of houses had one which played a Nazi rhetoric of Hitler’s ideologies.
Newspapers- Goebells had control over a majority of the newspapers, which meant that many things were biased and held nazi beliefs.
Speech-Hitler could travel around Germany due to the invention of the plane, and could make several speeches in one day- he also had incrdible oratory skills, which made the Nazi regime seem more attractive.
Posters-these were painted in a realistic style and portrayed short slogans like “one empire, one nation, one leader”
-Clubs- like the Hitler youth club, gave young children the opportunity to indulge in games and outdoor activities as well as a military drill- ehichwas subtly entwined with Nazi beliefs.
-The strength through joy programme offered cheap holidays for hard workers.
-Schools had biology textbooks which promoted the idea that Jews had an inferior anatomy and the most superior form was to like like an Aryan
-Mein Kampf- this was released in 1923 and almost 2 million Germans read the book which preached anti-semitic and anti-communist ideas as well as his famous Aryan Ideology.

Question 3

How did Hitler gain power?

Answer 3

The Reichstag fire gave him an opportunity to use Enabling power and Article 48, which meant he could overrule any Laws.

• The unemployment, by 1932 there were 6 million unemployed, Hitler promised them work.
• Hitler offered protection against the Communist threat to the upper class.
• Hindenburg’s death allowed Hitler to combine the title of president and chancellor to be Fuhrer.
• The invasion of the Rhineland- because neither Britain or France reacted to this complete opposition to the Terms Hitler grew more confident in his attacks and was willing to defy Britain and France