Germany Chapter 4

Question 1

When was the reichstag fire an who started it?

Answer 1

27th feb 1933
Van der Lubbe- found on site with matches
Dutch communist

Question 2

What were the consequences of the reichstag fire?

Answer 2

• Goering believed Lubbe had been part of an anti- gov plot + nazis should seize opportunity to end communism
• 4000 communists arrested on night of fire
• Hitler used the fire to attack communists and increase power

Question 3

What was the ‘Decree for the protection of the people and state’?

Answer 3

Police had power to search homes and imprison people without trial
Police could ban meetings and close newspapers

Question 4

What was the cause of the march 1933 election?

Answer 4

6 days after fire- claimed it was proof of serious communist threat

Question 5

What steps did nazis take to ensure the election went well?

Answer 5

• Goering replaced police with nazi supporters- recruited 50,000 SA members
• secured industrialist funds who gave generously as nazis promised to destroy communism and ensure stability
• issued lots of propoganda

Question 6

How did the march election turn out?

Answer 6

Nazis won many seats (288 out of 647)
Largest party but still didn’t have majority
Wanted 2/3 to pass laws without reichstag

Question 7

What did Hitler do to ensure the enabling act was allowed?

Answer 7

• Used emergency powers to ban communist party members
• Nationalist party agreed to support him because of similar beliefs
• Won support form centre party by promising to protect Catholic Church

Question 8

What were the consequences of the enabling act?

Answer 8

Hitler could make laws and treaties without Reichstag approval
Nazi revolution removed any government opposition
Weakened trade unions as they weren’t loyal to nazis

Question 9

What was measure one of the removal of opposition?

Answer 9

• closed down Germany’s state parliaments
• reorganised them so nazis held majority
• opponents nazi governors to make laws
• jan 1934- abolished state parliaments altogether

Question 10

What was measure two of the removal of opposition?

Answer 10

• nazis broke into trade union offices and arrested leaders

- created german workers front- forced workers to join

Question 11

What was measure three of the removal of opposition?

Answer 11

• may 1933- SD suspended and nazis occupied offices and took funds
• end of may- suspended communist party the same way
• July 1933- new law banned all political parties except nazis

Question 12

When and why was the night of the long knives?

Answer 12

June 30 1934

Hitler wanted to reduce SA power

Question 13

Why did Hitler want to reduced SA power?

Answer 13

• becoming powerful with 2 mil members and Rohm was a possible rival as party leader
• behaviour embarrassed Hitler- violence, fights
• H had plans to rearm Germany but SA wanted to replace army. SA units stopped convoys and stole weapons

Question 14

What happened on the light of the long knives?

Answer 14

SS arrested 200 SA officers- taken to Munich and executed
Also took revenge on enemies (Kahr and Scheicher)
H claimed he was defending a plot led by Rohm

Question 15

When did Hitler become früher?

Answer 15

August 2nd 1934

Question 16

What happened after Hindenburg died?

Answer 16

Hitler increases power- combined offices of chancellor and president and declared himself früher
Now firmly in control of the “third reich”

Question 17

What were 2 features of the police state?

Answer 17

1. German law was whatever nazis wanted. Established special courts which had no juries and the judges supported nazis. Many political opponents were sentenced to death
2. Gestapo responsible for state security. Every block leader reported suspicious behaviour. Gestapo handed suspects to SS yo be tortured. However, not all Germans believed they were being oppressed so thy informed gestapo of friends and family/

Question 18

What are 2 features of censorship?

Answer 18

1. Newspapers were controlled and opposition papers shut down. Editors responsible for bad articles. All owners were members of reich press chamber. No one unacceptable could become a member
2. Ministry of propaganda has a list of all unacceptable literature. Gestapo could search bookshops and students encouraged to burn books. Millions of books burned in nazi rallies. Anti nazi authors banned

Question 19

What are 2 features of propaganda?

Answer 19

1. Hitler saw radio as most important. Factories produced cheap radio sets. 1939- 70% of houses had radio. Goebbels thought it was more effective if people didn’t know it was propaganda. Issued plays including nazi messages
2. Held public parades and rallies. National holidays- parades held. Citizens had to hand swastika flags. Nuremberg rallies showed power and glory of Germany under nazis

Question 20

What were two effects on women in nazi Germany?

Answer 20

1. Propaganda encouraged them to have more children. Contraception and abortion banned. Medals awarded for large families. German women’s enterprise trained in household skills
2. Created economic issues- rearmament grew and men signed up. Relaxed limits on women working. 1939- 50% more women working than in 1933

Question 21

What were the rules in the concordat signed with the Catholic Church in 1933?

Answer 21

Church didn’t geht involved in political affairs

Nazis allow Catholic Churches freedom of worship

Question 22

What happened after Hitler broke the concordat?

Answer 22

1937- pope pius tried to take a stand- attacked nazi criticism of churches

Question 23

How did Hitler react to the popes statement?

Answer 23

Membership of Catholic Church illegal
State funding of church cut
Catholic priests who spoke out were arrested

Question 24

Who set up the confessional church?

Answer 24

Neimoller and benhoeffer

Question 25

What was the confessional church?

Answer 25

5000 members, rival of reich church
Objected to nazis interference with religion
Hundreds sent to camps and killed

Question 26

What was the word for Jews, gypsies and other races seen as inferior?

Answer 26

Untermenschen

Question 27

What are 2 features of nazi racial policies?

Answer 27

1. 1933- sterilisation law- ‘sterilised’ people with mental illnesses, tramps and beggars. Up to 700,000 sterilisation
2. 1936-38 juvenile delinquents, Jews, gays, gypsies send to camps. Intermarriage banned between Jews and gypsies with aryans. Didn’t want then mixing with inferior races

Question 28

What are 2 features of Jewish persecution?

Answer 28

1. Boycotts April 1933. Stromtroopers prevented people from entering. Jews banned from medicine, teaching, employment in the same year
2. Nuremberg laws sep 1933. Protection of german blood and honour, on citizenship

Question 29

What was the reich law for protection of german blood and honour?

Answer 29

Jews and aryans couldn’t marry

Question 30

What was the reich law on citizenship?

Answer 30

Only people of german blood were citizens. Could no longer vote or have passports

Question 31

How did Kristallnacht begin ?

Answer 31

Jew murdered german official in Paris embassy

Nazis launched campaign on Jews 9-10 nov

Question 32

What were the effects of Kristallnacht?

Answer 32

800 shops destroyed
191 synagogues vandalised
Jewish homes attacked
Discovered property was rented by Germans so Jews had to pay 1 bil