Germany topic 3 Flashcards
1
Q
What was Nazi Germany like under Hitler’s rule?
A
- Hitler ruled as Führer – a totalitarian dictator
- Created a police state: total control through fear & repression 👁️
- No opposition allowed – critics imprisoned or killed 🛑
- People too scared to speak out publicly 🤫
2
Q
Who was Himmler and what was his role?
A
- Heinrich Himmler led the SS and controlled all Nazi police forces
- Loyal to Hitler since 1923, reported directly to him 📜
- Oversaw the Gestapo, SD, and concentration camps
- Key figure in enforcing Nazi ideology 🔒
3
Q
What was the SS and how was it organised?
A
- Formed in 1925 as Hitler’s personal bodyguards
- Became most feared group in Germany under Himmler 💀
- Divided into 3 branches:
-SD (Security) – arrested, searched homes, even spied on Nazis
-Deaths Head Units – ran concentration & death camps
-Waffen SS – elite military troops later in WW2
4
Q
What was the Gestapo and how did it control people?
A
- Nazi secret police – no uniforms, hidden presence
- Spied on calls, letters, homes – could arrest & torture anyone ☎️
- Used informers – neighbours, kids, teachers reported each other
- Few in number, but fear made them seem everywhere 👤
5
Q
What were concentration camps used for?
A
- Set up soon after Hitler took power in 1933 🏕️
- Held Jews, Roma, political opponents, critics, etc.
- Used to “correct” behaviour through forced labour, torture, death
- Early method of silencing dissent 🔇
6
Q
How did Nazis control regular police and courts?
A
- Regular police ignored Nazi crimes, all top posts held by Nazis
- Judges & courts forced to follow Nazi law 📚
- Harsh punishments for anti-Hitler jokes, banned books, or radio
- Penalties: long prison or even death sentence ⚰️
7
Q
Why did the Nazis use propaganda and censorship?
A
- To gain support from those not convinced by fear alone
- Propaganda spread Nazi beliefs (e.g., antisemitism, nationalism)
- Censorship blocked any anti-Nazi messages 🛑
- Aimed to make Nazism the only belief system in Germany
8
Q
Who was in charge of Nazi propaganda?
A
- Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Enlightenment & Propaganda
- Joined Nazis in 1924, fully loyal to Hitler later
- Expert in mass influence through repetition, simple ideas & striking images 🎯
- Key messages: blame Jews, reject Versailles, glorify Germany
9
Q
How were newspapers controlled by Goebbels?
A
- Only pro-Nazi stories allowed; others were shut down
- Heavily antisemitic content published regularly
- Created illusion that Nazis were doing only good things ✅
- Independent press was destroyed by censorship 📰
10
Q
What were Nazi mass rallies and what did they achieve?
A
- Huge, organised parades showing Nazi strength & unity
- Included fireworks, choirs, speeches, and air shows
- Special arenas held up to 500,000 people
- Designed to inspire loyalty and awe in the public ✨
11
Q
How did Nazis use film for propaganda?
A
- All scripts approved by Goebbels before filming began
- Nazis shown as heroes, enemies shown as villains 🎥
- Example: Sus the jew (presented jew as rapist and torturer)
- Films reinforced Nazi values subtly and overtly
12
Q
How did Nazis control radio broadcasts?
A
- All stations state-controlled, pushing Nazi ideas
- Cheap radios (Volksempfänger) made so all homes had one
- Could only tune to Nazi-approved broadcasts
- Loudspeakers in public spaces aired Hitler’s speeches 🗣️
13
Q
How did the Nazis control the arts and culture in Germany?
A
- Set up the Chamber of Culture, led by Goebbels, controlling all artistic work
- Membership was mandatory for artists; Jews and political opponents were banned
- All cultural content had to promote Nazi values (e.g. nationalism, antisemitism)
- Cultural freedom was crushed in favour of state propaganda 🛑
14
Q
How was cinema used as Nazi propaganda?
A
- Goebbels approved all film scripts, ensuring pro-Nazi themes in every genre
- Films glorified German soldiers and demonised Jews (e.g. Sus the Jew, 1940)
- Audiences were shown newsreels of Hitler’s achievements before every film
- Controlled by Nazi supporters like Alfred Hugenberg and used for mass influence 📽️
15
Q
What kind of music was allowed under Nazi rule?
A
- Only German or Austrian classical music permitted (Bach, Mozart, Wagner) 🎼
- Marching songs and traditional folk music promoted nationalism
- Music by Jewish composers (e.g. Mahler, Mendelssohn) was banned
- Jazz was outlawed for being “degenerate” and associated with Black culture
16
Q
How did the Nazis change theatre?
A
- Plays had to promote German history, nationalism, and Nazi ideals
- Modern, experimental works and anything with jazz influences were banned
- Writers like Kurt Weill were targeted; his Threepenny Opera was banned
- Cabaret clubs, known for political satire and risqué content, were shut down ❌
17
Q
How did the Nazis control literature and books?
A
- Goebbels banned “un-German” books and works by Jewish authors
- Book burnings took place across Germany
- Mein Kampf became the most popular book; other promoted works focused on race and war
- ~2,500 writers fled Nazi Germany, including Thomas Mann (The Magic Mountain)
18
Q
How did the Nazis change the visual arts?
A
- Modern/abstract art from Weimar (Otto Dix, George Grosz) was banned as “degenerate”
- In 1936, the Nazis burned 5,000 artworks they disapproved of
- In 1937, they held two exhibitions: one mocking “degenerate” art, and one promoting approved Nazi art
- Nazi-approved art focused on heroic Aryans, family life, and glorified images of Hitler
19
Q
What happened to design and architecture under Nazi rule?
A
- The Bauhaus movement, known for modern, practical design, was banned in 1933
- Hitler preferred huge neoclassical buildings, inspired by ancient Rome and Greece
- Nazi architecture was meant to show power, order, and eternal strength
20
Q
How did the Nazis use sports and leisure for propaganda?
A
- Physical fitness was promoted as part of Nazi ideals of a strong, Aryan race
- The 1936 Berlin Olympics were used to impress the world with Nazi Germany’s strength and unity
- Antisemitic materials were temporarily removed during the Games for PR
- Germany topped the medal table, which Hitler claimed proved racial superiority
21
Q
How did the Nazis present the 1936 Olympics to the world?
A
- Filmed by Leni Riefenstahl, a famous director who pioneered tracking shots and slow motion
- The Games showcased German technology, like photo-finish equipment and the largest stop-clock
- Served as global propaganda, presenting Germany as modern, powerful, and advanced
- Helped to mask the brutal reality of the Nazi regime to the international community
22
Q
Why was open resistance to Hitler so difficult?
A
- Many Germans supported the Nazis for jobs, prosperity, or youth activities
- Dissent was risky—no elections, and Gestapo punishment was severe
- Some disliked concentration camps, antisemitism, and repression
- Despite this, some Germans still found ways to resist
23
Q
What was low-level resistance or ‘grumbling’?
A
- Quiet complaints in private homes or jokes about Hitler
- Disapproval of Jewish persecution or Nazi policies
- Widespread but not active resistance
24
Q
What did passive resistance look like?
A
- Refusing the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute
- Ignoring Hitler Youth fundraisers
Small but symbolic public acts of defiance
25
Who were the groups involved in open opposition?
* Swing Youth listened to jazz and befriended Jews
* White Rose group spread anti-Nazi leaflets, graffiti
* Edelweiss Pirates & Navajos attacked Nazis, aided deserters
* Religious figures, incl. Catholic Church in 1941, spoke out against killings
26
Who tried to kill Hitler?
* Around 50 assassination attempts during his rule
* Groups like Kreisau Circle (officers, professors) and Beck-Goerdeler Group plotted his removal
* Contacts made with the British but no deal reached
27
What happened in the July Bomb Plot (1944)?
* Led by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, disillusioned army officer
* Bomb detonated in Hitler's meeting room—Hitler survived with injuries
* Killed 4 others; failed to change regime
* Closest Germans ever got to assassinating Hitler
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
