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history > GERMANY - Nazi Germany and its people (1933 - 1939) > Flashcards

GERMANY - Nazi Germany and its people (1933 - 1939) Flashcards

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1
Q

what was Hitler’s position like in 1933?

A

NOT VERY SECURE.

  • leading members of the army were suspicious of Hitler
  • only 2 Nazis in cabinet of 12 ministers
  • didn’t have an overall majority in Reichstag
  • Nazi majority decreased in 1932
  • Hindenburg and Von Papen didn’t trust hitler and thought they could control him
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2
Q

What happened in Reichstag fire?

A

ON 27TH FEB 1933 THE REICHSTAG BUILDING WAS SET ON FIRE.

  • Hitler blamed the communists and declared a communist uprising
  • he demanded emergency powers and Hindenburg granted them
  • the Nazis used these powers to
    a. arrest communists and other opponents
    b. break up meetings
    c. frighten voters
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3
Q

what happened in the March Election 1933?

A
  • Nazis won their largest ever share of votes
  • with support of Nationalist party Hitler finally got an overall majority (288 seats)
  • he immediately BANNED THE COMMUNIST PARTY
  • using the SS and SA he intimated the Reichstag into passing the ENABLING ACT
  • this allowed him to make laws without consultation = LEGAL DICTATOR
  • WEIMAR DEMOCRACY DIES
  • only the SDP voted against him
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4
Q

what further measures did Hitler take to consolidate power?

A
  1. CIVIL SERVICE - the civil service administration was purged of all ‘alien elements’ (Jews and other Nazi opponents)
  2. WORKERS AND TRADE UNIONS - workers were granted May Day holiday. on the 2nd May, all trade unions were BANNED and all workers belonged to the new German Labour Front (DAF)
  3. OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES - law against Formation of New Parties. Germany became a one party state.
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5
Q

when was the Night of the Long Knives?

A

29th June - 1st July 1934

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6
Q

what took place on the Night of the Long Knives?

A
  • the SS and police arrested dozens of SA leaders
  • many were shot dead in their homes and others taken to camps for execution
  • Röhm (SA leader) was jailed and shot next day
  • Strasser also shot dead
  • Hitler also ex-chancellor Von Schleicher killed

400 KILLED THAT WEEKEND

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7
Q

what was the result of the Night of the Long Knives?

A
  • Hindenburg thanked Hitler for his actions
  • the army said it was satisfied with the events of the weekend
  • the remaining members of the SA were absorbed by the SS and the Army
  • soon after, Hindenburg died and Hitler took over as the supreme leader (Führer)
  • entire army swore an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler and agreed to stay out of politics and serve him.
  • in return Hitler spent vast amounts on REARMAMENT, brought back CONSCRIPTION, and made plans to restore Germany as a GREAT MILITARY POWER.

HITLER NOW HAS COMPLETE CONTROL.

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8
Q

what was the Nazi Police state made up of?

A
  1. the SS
  2. POLICE AND COURTS
  3. GESTAPO
  4. CONCENTRATION CAMPS
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9
Q

what role did the SS play in the Nazi Police State?

A

the SS were controlled by HEINRICH HIMMLER. they consisted of:

  1. the SD (internal security service)
  2. Deaths Head (concentration camp leaders and Jew murderers)
  3. Waffen- SS (SS armoured regiments who fought with the army)
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10
Q

what was the SS duties?

A

destroy opponents and carry out Nazi racial policies

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11
Q

how did the SS help Hitler

A

installs fear and maintains his policies

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12
Q

what role did the POLICE AND COURTS play in the Nazi Police State?

A

controlled by HEINRICH HIMMLER

  1. normal law and order PLUS political snooping
  2. controlled courts and magistrates
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13
Q

what were the Police and Courts duties?

A

POLITCAL SNOOPING and ignoring Nazi agent crimes

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14
Q

how did the POLICE AND COURTS help Hitler

A

opponents of Nazism rarely received a fair trial

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15
Q

what role did the GESTAPO play in the Nazi Police State?

A

controlled by Heydrich

  1. arrest citizens and send to concentration camps without trial
  2. network of ‘informers’ listening to people’s conversations.
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16
Q

what were the Gestapo’s duties?

A

arrest opponents and keep Nazis in the know

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17
Q

how did the Gestapo help hitler?

A

people feared the informers = dissuaded people from saying things that disagreed with the regime

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18
Q

what role did the CONCENTRATION CAMPS play in the Nazi Police State?

A

controlled by SS death’s head unit.

  1. initially just torture, different from death camps in the war
  2. limited food, harsh beating and random executions
  3. set up as soon as Hitler took power
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19
Q

what were the CONCENTRATION CAMPS duties?

A

‘correct’ opponents who didn’t ‘fit in’.

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20
Q

how did the CONCENTRATION CAMPS help hitler?

A
  • fear of being sent stopped people opposing

- most were released back in order to spread the word of what happened if you rebelled

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21
Q

what is propaganda

A

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.

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22
Q

how did the Nazis use propaganda and who was in charge?

A

the Nazis used propaganda as a way of controlling the German people. JOSEPH GOEBBELS controlled the media + art. he made sure the germans were fed Nazi ideology whilst organising for other ideas to be censored.

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23
Q

what evidence is there that the Berlin Olympics was a success?

A
  1. STATE OF THE ART STADIUM - modern lighting, TV cameras, photo electric timing. visitors were impressed at scale, facilities and efficiency of organisation
  2. to the majority of Germans, the games presented VALUED NAZI QUALITIES = grand vision, efficiency, power, strength and achievement
  3. goebbles portrayed that Germany was a modern, civilised and successful nation
  4. Germans came top of the medal table (ARYAN SUPERIORITY)
  5. crowds cheering and giving Hitler’s salute PORTRAYED CONFIDENCE and Hitler’s ‘popularity’
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24
Q

what evidence is there that the Berlin Olympics was a failure?

A
  1. a black athlete Jesse Owen was the star of the Games (broke 11 records) and the 10 black members of the American Team won 13 medals. this defied everything the nazi were teaching about aryan superiority
  2. visitors were appalled by the fanatical devotion of people to Hitler and the clear presence of the army and SS everywhere
  3. such blatant propaganda was clear to foreign visitors and it backfired on Nazi regime
  4. the Nazis planned to showcase their doctrine of Aryan superiority. However there was international pressure from countries eg US to boycott the games in process of the Nazi’s racism.
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25
Q

how did the Nazis use NEWSPAPERS as propaganda?

A
  • Jewish editors and journalists banned, anti Nazi newspapers closed down
  • 4700 local newspapers reduced to 1000
  • circulation fell by 10%
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26
Q

how did the Nazis use RADIO as propaganda?

A
  • cheap ‘people’s radio’ so all germans could buy one. 70% of german household had one by 1939, Goebbels controlled all radio stations
  • listening BBC punishable by death
  • for those without radio there were loudspeakers in street. hitler’s speeches were repeated over and over until his ideas became believed
27
Q

how did the Nazis use FILMS as propaganda?

A
  • cinema was very popular
  • goebbles orders that all films had to have a pro-Nazi message. the preceeding newsreels were full of the greatness of hitler and nazi achievements
  • the eternal Jew/ Jud Suss - anti semitic/british films
28
Q

how did the Nazis use FESTIVALS + RALLIES as propaganda?

A
  • goebbels organised huge rallies, marches, torch lit processions and meetings
  • brought colour and movement into people lives and gave them a sense of purpose
  • nazi idea ‘bringing order to germany after a chaotic period’, rallies were organised to emphasises order
  • nuremberg rallies - emphasis on order and might on Hitler’s bday (april)
29
Q

how did the Nazis use CULTURE as propaganda?

A

books, art and music

  • no books could be published without Goebbels permission
  • in 1933 he ordered a book burning to burn books unacceptable to Nazi ideas
  • artists were forced to only depict heroic looking aryans
  • goebbels banned jazz music, claimed it was ‘black’ music and blacks were considered an inferior race
  • Mein Kampf became a bestseller
30
Q

how did the Nazis use POSTERS as propaganda?

A
  • if people missed the radio broadcasts they would see the posters
  • goebbels plastered Germany with posters proclaiming the successes of the Nazis and attacking their opponents
31
Q

how did the Nazis create a National Community?

A
  • creation of a NATIONAL COMMUNITY of aryan Germans, loyal to the Furher and the state
    1. under Nazi rule, workers, farmers and so on would no longer see themselves primarily as workers or farmers, but as Germans
    2. their loyalty would be not to their own social group but to germany and the Furhrer
    3. they would be proud to belong to a great nation that was racially and culturally superior to all others that they would PUT THE INTERESTS OF GERMANY BEFORE THEIR OWN
    4. germans were told that the Nazis took care of the National Communities
32
Q

what were Hitler’s policies toward the young at SCHOOL?

A

HISTORY- history of germany and how the Germans were stabbed in the back in WW1. hardships of 1920s were caused by Jews squeezing profit out of honest Germans. history studies would convince you that loyalty to the Furhrer was right and good.

BIOLOGY- aryans were superior in intelligence and strength to the sub-human Jews and Slavs of Eastern Europe

CHEMISTRY- chemical warfare and explosions

33
Q

what were Hitler’s policies toward the young at HITLER YOUTH?

A
  • marched in exciting parades = sense of belonging
  • physically fit and leisure time also devoted to Hitler
  • strong cross country runner and confident at reading maps
  • boys were trained as ‘soldiers’, practicing military tactics such as rifle care in summer camps
  • League of German Maidens taught girls to be good housewives and mothers, and support men in war
34
Q

what were Hitler’s policies toward the young at HOME?

A
  • feel alienated from your parents because they weren’t as keen on Nazis as you
  • they expected first loyalty to be family but Hitler Youth said it should be to Hitler
  • taught Furher was protecting your family and not understood when your father grumbled about conditions in work place
  • parents would’ve found the idea of Nazi inspectors checking up on teachers strange- for you it was normal
35
Q

what were Hitler’s main aims toward the young?

A
  • train boys to be military ready
  • be so indoctrinated they would go to any lengths to protect Hitler
  • the next generation would carry on Nazi aims
  • children don’t realise they’re being subjected to propaganda and are more receptive to it
  • young people became like agents of the Nazis because of their innocence and honesty. often accidentally ratted out their parents who in private grumbled about Nazis
36
Q

which young people opposed the Nazis?

A
  • in 1939 HY became compulsory = it was losing earlier appeal
  • even at the height of its popularity when other groups had been abolished only 50% of boys were in HY and 15% of girls were in LOG,
  • new alternative youth groups emerged:
    1. swing movement
    2. edelweiss pirates
    3. roving dudes
37
Q

how did Hitler view women?

A
  • had a very traditional view of the role of women (many women agreed).
  • many women felt their proper role was supporting their husbands
38
Q

what were Hitler’s aims with women?

A
  1. increase the falling birth rate of Aryans
  2. put men back in the jobs women had ‘stolen’
  3. pressure women into the traditional view of how women should be
39
Q

how did Hitler achieve his aims for women?

A
  1. PERSUASION
    - financial incentives: marriage loans of 600 marks to women who gave up work to marry
    • didn’t have to be paid back if women had 4 children. 800,000 took this up
    • ‘Gold Cross’ for 8children and special seat in Nazi meetings
      - posters and radio broadcasts all celebrated ideals of motherhood
      - German Maiden League focused on good physical health + housekeeping skills
  2. LIMITATIONS
    - opportunities limited
    - married women forced to give up jobs and stay at home
    - discrimination against women applying for jobs encouraged
    - anti abortion laws enforced and contraceptives hard to get
    - Lebensborn program - SS men impregnating selected Aryan women
40
Q

how did policies towards women change after 1937?

A
  • Nazis seemed to change minds about women as the suddenly needed more workers
  • marriage loans abolished
  • compulsory ‘duty year’ for women entering labour market
41
Q

were policies toward women a success?

A
  • by 1936 birthdate increase by 30%
  • increase in pregnancies outside marriage
  • women hit hardest by depression and many much better off by 1935
  • HOWEVER messages towards women were confusing especially after 1937. should women be focusing on work or motherhood?
42
Q

what were Nazi economic aims?

A
  1. economic recovery and reducing unemployment
    - promised to tackle these problems before coming to power
    - needed to win the support of workers who mostly voted socialist
  2. Autarky (economic self sufficiency)
    - didn’t want to be dependent on imports of raw materials, especially oil, rubber, steel once war had begun
43
Q

how did the Nazis try and reduce unemployment?

A
  • stopped paying reparations
  • built network of motorways (autobahns). created jobs and made transporting good across country much easier.
  • huge public buildings constructed
  • Reich Labour Service
  • invested money in car industry
  • promised jobs but never high wages = industries make high profits
  • money spent in building weapons. conscription introduced and Luftwaffe created
44
Q

reducing unemployment- successes?

A
  • unemployment levels decreased

- publics works programmes, car industry + rearmament

45
Q

reducing unemployment- failures?

A
  • spent a large amount on army + weapons

- very poor wages and conditions

46
Q

how did the Nazis try and achieve Autarky?

A
  • Hjalmar Schacht was economic minister 1934-37
  • reduced cotton and wool imports and increased steel
  • experiments to produce alternatives to raw materials
47
Q

Autarky - successes?

A
  • germany imported less in 1930s than before WW1

- realisation that Autarky was more likely if living space was conquered

48
Q

Autarky - failures?

A
  • failed experiments to produce artificial replacements

- cutting food production so farmers have raised prices resulting in having to import more food

49
Q

what was the positive impact of economic policies for WORKERS

A
  • propaganda praised workers and associated them with hitler
  • STRENGTH THROUGH JOY (KDF)
  • by 1939 over 2 million germans had been on one of KDFs holidays
  • Beetle scheme ‘peoples car’- saved 5 marks/week if they bought one (no one received a car)
  • Beauty of Labour improved working conditions and introduced features such as washing facilities and low cost canteens
50
Q

what was the negative impact of economic policies for WORKERS?

A
  • workers lost SDP and trade unions (resentment)
  • strict control over workers: they couldn’t strike for better pay or conditions + were prevented from moving to better jobs
  • wages remained comparatively low
  • 1930s conditions were lower than before depression
  • Beauty of Labour meant long weeks (60 hrs by 1945)
51
Q

what was the positive impact of economic policies for FARMERS?

A
  • Reich Food estate (sept 1933) gave peasant farmers a guaranteed market for good at a guaranteed price
  • Reich entitled Farm Law- gave peasants guaranteed state protection for their farms (banks couldn’t seize land if debts not paid)
  • ‘Blood and Soil’ racial aim- believed peasant farmers were basis of master race and had to be protected.
52
Q

what was the negative impact of economic policies for FARMERS?

A
  • Reich food estate meant efficient farmers held back by having to work through same process as less efficient farmers
  • because of REFL banks were unwilling to lend money to farmers. oldest child inherited land and any others left for better pay in industry
  • RURAL DEPOPULATION = opposite aim of nazis
53
Q

what was the positive impact of economic policies for BIG BUSINESS AND MIDDLE CLASS?

A
  • communists threat eliminated
  • small engineering firms did well as rearmament spending grew
  • big business benefitted from Nazi rule, and no longer had to worry about trade unions and strikes
  • companies gained huge government contracts to make explosives, fertilisers etc
54
Q

what was the negative impact of economic policies for BIG BUSINESS AND MIDDLE CLASS?

A
  • small luxury shops struggled as large department stores took away business despite Hitler’s promises
55
Q

why was there so little opposition to the Nazis?

A
  1. fear
  2. propaganda and censorship
  3. lack of organised opposition
  4. dropping of unpopular policies
  5. people were pleased
56
Q

FEAR and opposition to the Nazis

A
  • SS and Gestapo could ruin peoples lives if they didn’t stay in line
  • if people kept their grumbles to themselves they would be tolerated
  • fear of losing jobs or business.
57
Q

PROPAGANDA AND CENSORSHIP and opposition to the Nazis

A
  • people didn’t receive reliable information. extreme nazi policies kept secret
  • kristallnacht in 1938 produced such condemnation that anti-jewish policies kept secret
  • hitler’s personal image maintained good reputation throughout
58
Q

LACK OF ORGANISED OPPOSITION and opposition to the Nazis

A
  • left wing groups were banned in 1933 but also didn’t trust each other and wouldn’t work together
  • nazis had taken over + dismantled all other organisations
  • exceptions was the church who did publicly oppose
59
Q

DROPPING OF UNPOPULAR POLICIES and opposition to the Nazis

A
  • the euthanasia programme was dropped in criticism from catholic cardinal Galen 1940-41
60
Q

PEOPLE WERE PLEASED and opposition to the Nazis

A
  • the nazis had succeeded in bringing greater prosperity to many people
  • even if they didn’t agree with something people would tolerate it for the state of stability that nazis brought
61
Q

how did the Nazis persecute non jewish minorities in 1930s?

A
  1. PROPAGANDA- campaign to stir up resentment against ‘burdens of the community’
  2. STERILISATION- sterilised people with certain illnesses. terms interpreted very loosely to stop ‘undesirables’ from having children
  3. CONCENTRATION CAMPS- by 1936 burdens on the community sent to conc camps. special youth camp set up in 1937. many welcomed the removal of awkward customers
  4. EUTHANASIA CAMPAIGN- 1939, secretly began exterminating the mentally ill. over 6000 children were murdered by starvation / lethal injection. they discovered CO poisoning as a way of mass killing. 72000 murdered before protests stopped it.
  5. GYPSY EXTERMINATION- 5/6 gypsies killed in 1939. no complaint to their murder
62
Q

how did the Nazis persecute Jews?

A
  • immediately banned from civil and public services.
  • had a red J stamped on passport
  • April 1933 : SS and SA organised boycott of Jewish shops. marked them with a star of david
  • 1935 Nuremberg Laws- took away german citizenship from jews. forbidden to marry or have sex with ‘pureblooded’ germans
  • propaganda = anti semitic messages
  • jews often refused service and jobs
  • jewish children humiliated by being segregated in schools
  • KRISTALLNACHT (Nov 9-10 1938). young jew killed german diplomat in paris, nazis used this as an excuse to launch violent revenge. SS troops smashed up Jewish shops + workplaces. Hundreds of synagogues burned, 91 jews killed, 21000 taken to conc camps. thousands left the country
  • the Nazis-controlled press presented it as the spontaneous reaction of ordinary germans against the Jews. few protested and were brutally murdered
  • 1937 onwards aryanisation of business + properties after Berlin Olympic
63
Q

what is antisemitism

A

hatred of the jews as a race

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