Germany Nazis politial and Governmental

Question 1

Limitations to hitlers position

Answer 1

Hitlers coalition government did not have a majority in government
Hindenburg was still president and was able to dismiss hitler whenever he wanted
The army and institutions were suspicious of hitler
Radicals in the Nazi movement were critical of Hitlers leadership

Question 2

When was the reichstag fire

Answer 2

February 1933

Question 3

What happened during the Reichstag fire?

Answer 3

On 27th February the reichstag was burned down. A young Dutch communist man Marinus was arrested near the scene
-hitler exploited the fire using it as a pretext to crush the KPD
Goebbels the nazi propagada minister claimed that Germany was under attack from the communists

Question 4

What happened after the Reichstag fire?

Answer 4

Late night raids of communist over 4,000 people arrested
Goring and hitler persuaded the Cabinet to authorise emergency decree A48
Reichstag fire decree

Question 5

What did the Reichstag fire decree enable Hitler to do?

Answer 5

It suspended individual rights and freedom of the press, German people lost the right to free speech and protest
It also gave the government the power to put people in prison
Gave hitlers government the right to enforce law and order in German states. This extended the power of Hitlers government and undermined the power of Germanys state government
-Goebbels propaganda justified the decisions made saying teh communist were threat and they were planning a revolution and that the suspension of rights was necessary and was only temporary however lasted till the end of the dictatorship

Question 6

March elections

Answer 6

1933 the coalition between the Nazis and the nationalists on controlled over 40% of the seat in the Reichstag, you needed 50% or more to gain a majority in government
Hitler held an election in 1933 and manipulated the election to try win:
The SA and police terrorised the Nazis political opponents
Killed 69 people during the campaign
Goering persuaded big businesses to increase funding for the nazis election campaign 3million
Nazis used their growing power to create the image that the KPD was plotting a revolution
The nazis decided to ban the KPD until after the election

Question 7

What happened after the election ?

Answer 7

Despite all efforts tehy still failed to gain a majority and only gained 43.9 % of the vote
As part of teh coalition with the DNVP they were able to control more than 50 seats in parliament

Question 8

Winning over Hindenburg

Answer 8

Hindenburg was concerned with teh Nazi violence and thsi was problematic for teh Nazi leadership
Firstly on 10th of march hitler nstrcuted teh halt the violent acts
Secondly Goebbels organised a dramatic ceremony at Postdams- to emphasis the. Common ground between the Nazis and Hindenburg nationalism
It persuaded Hindenburg and other Nationalists

Question 9

The enabling act

Answer 9

March 1933
After the failed elections Hitler needed a means to control government that was independent
He didn’t allow the KPD or SPD deputies to intervene
And Hitler promised to respect Catholic Church traditional rights

Question 10

What did the enabling act allow hitler to do?

Answer 10

Allowed cabinet to pass laws without going through Reichstag
Didn’t need president approval
Was temporary but could be renewed it was twice
Allowed them to gain a 2/3rd majority
Killed Germanys democracy

Question 11

Gleichschaltung

Answer 11

Process of nazification, through newspapers and important institutions such a s newspapers and the trade unions
Neutralising potential threats and coordinated aspects of German government

Question 12

Gauleiters

Answer 12

1925 - Were responsible for coordinating the nazi party in Germany regions, were initially used for teh election campaigns and later on gained more power
Ending of federalism

Question 13

Law for the reconstruction of state

Answer 13

Jan 1934
Removal of state government which were replaced by the Reich governors, centralised power and dismantled Germanys federal system of government

Question 14

Law for the restoration of the professional civil service was passed

Answer 14

April 1933
Meant that people whose racial purity or political loyalty was in doubt could be dismissed

Question 15

Establishing a one party state

Answer 15

Law against the establishment of political parties established 14 July 1933

Question 16

Why did the The night of long knives happen ?

Answer 16

June 1934
SA were not satisfied with the fact they weren’t fully integrated into the party. There was antagonism between the SA and the army.
Rohm the leader of the SA wanted take over the aristocrats and gain more power
As had gained 2million members which was a threat to Blombergs army

Question 17

What happened with the night of long knives?

Answer 17

SA eliminated a a political and military power once and for all
Rohm and main leaders of the SS were shot
400 people killed in total
‘Rohm purge took place between 30 June and 2 July 1934
It was a violent suppression of any existing enemies to Hitlers position

Question 18

Creation of the SS

Answer 18

Himmler’s desire for the removal of Rohm was due to his desire to increase the power of the SS
Ss was founded 1923 as a subdivision to the SA
SS was made up of the new generation well educated and middle class tehy were more organised and disciplined
SS gained 50,000 members by 1933

Question 19

Marburg speech

Answer 19

In June 1934 Von Papen made a speech at the Marburg uni that was highly critical of the SA and other aspects of Nazi government
In response hitler did a deal with the army, agreed to remove Rohm and other SA leaders

Question 20

Consequences of rohm purge

Answer 20

Von schliecher killed
Von papen imprisoned and intimidated
12 Reichstag deputies killed
85 killed 100,000 members of the SA killed

Question 21

Consolidation of hitlers power

Answer 21

Merging of president and chancellor- Furher 1934
Oath of loyalty to hitler from the army - 2nd august 1934
Civil service took an oath - 20th august
Von Papen resigns
Night of long knives effectively secure Hitlers power, Hitler political manipulation had destroyed democracy

Question 22

Hitlers new government - polycratic regime

Answer 22

Hitler imposed his own political system and culture on the state
It often appeared orderly a nd somewhat bureaucratic:
By 1936 the government had a variety of organisations
The ministries of economics, labour, armed forces, and foreign affairs
Nazi party departments devoted to developing policies
Supreme reich authorities
These were all uncoordinated and they never had a clear aim
Polycratic meant that there was many centres of power

Question 23

Prerogative state

Answer 23

Hitler believed he had the right to do whatever he wanted regardless of the law, according to nazi theory power in Germnay flowed from Hitlers right to rule
Meant that it was more chaotic
Hitler power was limitless

Question 24

Personal rivalries

Answer 24

Having collaborated to conquer Rohm Himmler and Goring fought over the control of German police
Himmley created the SD and Goering the Gestapo whcih essentially had the same role
There was disputes over teh control of these adn when Hitler intervened in 1936 Himmler was able to gain more power and Gestapo took control of al of Germany
These faction fights happen during the entirety of his rule, but the were good tactic for hitler as no one could undermine Hitler as they were constantly fighting with themselves

Question 25

Cumulative Radicalisation

Answer 25

As all power derived from Hitler other figures in government did all they could to gain his favour
Anti-Jewish policies were implemented
Euthanasia programme 1938 policy of Arynisation stripping Jews of there wealthy-and property, they were forced to leave the country and then killings
`

Question 26

Working towards the fuhrer

Answer 26

Fuhrer stood at the apex of hierarchy and everyone worked to fulfil his commands

Question 27

Hitlers personality

Answer 27

He disliked attending formal meetings
He ceased cabinet meetings by 1938
He left crucial aspects of nazi government, for instance abandoned economics in the period 1933-36 to Schacht
Avoided formal systems

Question 28

Who was Joseph Goebbels?

Answer 28

He was the Gauleiters of Berlin as well as the minister of propaganda and enlighten the from 1933

Question 29

Herman Goering

Answer 29

Founded the Gestapo secret police
In charge of office in 4 year plan

Question 30

Martin Borman

Answer 30

Was appointed Hitlerssecretary in 1935
This gave him power to organise his diary and appointments, filter his mails and provide private briefings
His power increased greatly in war years when he gained control over the reich chancellory in 1941

Question 31

Administrative anarchy during the war

Answer 31

The growing power of the SS alongside the ministries, the party and Supreme Reich Authorities and the fact that Hitler was increasingly remote from gov meant that there was no one to resolve the tensions in government.
Faction fighting continued throughout the war, Bormann who was appointed secretary to Hitler used his power to deny Goebbels and Goering access to Hitler.

Question 32

Role of Gauleiters in the second world war

Answer 32

Role of Gauleiters grew
They were given a role of Reich defence commissars 1939 which gave them extensive powers to control the people in their region
However the new role conflicted with existing authorities like the Supreme Reich authorities making it self -defeating as it caused more tensions

Question 33

Himmler and the SS during the war

Answer 33

Their power grew
The SS was used to lead concentration camps and remove asociales and teh racially impure from society
The SS army grew from 100,000. Men 1942 to more than 900,000 men 1944
The SS built and rana series of death camps in Treblinka, Auschwitz
They also took control over Nazi occupied territories in Poland and Eastern Europe
They reduced their education and and extracted raw materials and resources from there

Question 34

Nazi government during 1945

Answer 34

Nazi government became more fragmented during 19445 as Russian, American and British troops invaded Germany.
Bombing raids led the central ministries to evacuate th capital city disrupting administrative efforts
Destruction of roads and intermittent power supplies meant it was difficult for different parts of the gov to communicate

Question 35

Defeat 1945

Answer 35

Hitler gave up he believed that Germany had gone weak
Hitler committed suicide in his bunker 30 April 1945
Unconditional surrender was agreed 7 may 1945
Nazism came too an end