Government of the Third Reich Flashcards
What year did Hitler become Chancellor (and later Führer)?
1933
How did Hitler become Chancellor in 1933?
- 1930-1932 - Chancellor Brüning failed to solve economic crisis caused by Wall Street Crash and was fired.
- July 1932 - In election, Nazis won 230 seats making them largest party in the Reichstag. However, didn’t have majority and von Pappen made Chancellor.
- November 1932 - Von Pappen didn’t have support of Reichstag so called another election to try and gain more seats for his party. Still didn’t have majority. Nazis lost seats but still biggest party.
- Hindenburg appointed von Schleicher. He was still weak and didn’t like democratic system. Only lasted a few months.
- 1933 - Von Pappen persuaded Hindenburg to make him Vice Chancellor and Hitler Chancellor. Hitler agreed to give von Pappen support in Reichstag in return for this. Hindenburg agreed because he though he could control Hitler.
What year did Hitler become Führer in?
1934
Despite being Chancellor, in what ways was Hitler still vulnerable?
- He could still be sacked by Hindenburg.
- Support for the Nazi party was falling.
How did Hitler become Führer in 1934?
The Seven Steps to Supreme Leader
1933:
- 27th Feb Reichstag Fire - Dutch communist Marinus Van Der Lubbe found at scene + arrested. Hitler used incident to persuade Hindenburg to give him emergency powers. Used these powers to arrest communists + other groups who opposed Nazis.
- 5th March Elections - Hitler used SA to attack opponents + continued to spread anti-communist message. Nazis achieved best ever results (288 seats - 52% of vote) but 22 million Germans didn’t vote for them!
- 24th March Enabling Act - ‘End of democracy in Germany’. Gave Hitler power to pass laws without consulting Reichstag or President. Communist party banned from Reichstag + couldn’t vote. Without communists voting, act easily passed (only Social Democrats voted against it).
- May - July Parties + Trade Unions Outlawed - Continued to remove opposition. Trade Union banned + merged into DAF (German Labour Front controlled by Nazis). In July all other parties except for Nazis banned (Social Democratic + Communist Parties already banned.) One-party state.
1934
- 29th - 30th June The Night of the Long Knives - Ernst Röhm and 400 other SA leaders assassinated on Hitler’s orders. Röhm had been asking to merge the SA and the army to make them more powerful, but Hitler didn’t want SA to be able to overthrow him. Worried they were becoming too powerful. Army leaders also didn’t like Röhm. He was murdered on 30th June whilst on holiday.
- 2nd August Death of Hindenburg - Hitler combined postion of Chancellor and President making him Führer.
- August Army Oath - Army swore allegiance to Hitler, accepted him as supreme leader, and promised to obey him.
What does Führer mean?
‘Supreme leader’
What were the two main ways the Nazis used to keep control of Germany?
Propaganda +Terror
(Carrot + Stick)
Who ‘controlled the German people by terror’?
Henreich Himmler
(Head of all police in Germany)
Why did the Nazis use terror?
To scare the German people into following the Nazi message.
How did the Nazis use terror to control Germany?
The SS - Fanatical Nazis, Hitler’s personal bodyguards. Could arrest people without trial + search houses without warrants. Hunted down any Nazi opposition. Two subdivisions: Waffen SS: Elite soldiers who followed regular army in battle. Death’s Head Unit: Ran concentration camps.
The Police - Continued normal routines but controlled by Nazis. Helped informants + ignored crimes committed by Nazis.
Local Wardens - Each town divided into blocks, each block had a warden who wrote weekly reports on residents. Reports would go to Gestapo and could influence whether someone got a job or was arrested for being anti-Nazi.
The Gestapo - Nazi secret police. Used phone-tapping + informants. Anyone who was seen to be anti-Nazi was targeted and imprisioned, tortured, or sent to a concentration camp.
Concentration Camps - Origionally held poltical prisioners. Only held prisoners for short periods of time, during which they would be questioned, tortured, or forced to work. By 1930s they were much worse. Prisoners forced to make weapons + goods for Nazi businesses. Also held more diverse range of prisoners.
The Courts - All judges had to take pledge of alligence to Hitler + become Nazi party members. Made fair trials impossible. New Nazi laws enforced (often punishable by death).
Who was in charge of Nazi propaganda?
Joseph Goebbels
Why did the Nazis use propaganda?
To persuade the German people to follow the Nazi message.
How did the Nazis use propaganda to control Germany?
Radio - Under Nazi control. Decided what should be broadcast. Hitler’s speeches played, other programmes censored. Radios mass produced + sold cheaply so as many people would hear propaganda as possible. 1939 70% of Germans owned one.
Newspapers - Closed down any newspapers that didn’t support Nazis. Sent out daily instructions stipulating what to include + what angle writers should take. Jews banned from owning or working for a newspaper.
Posters - Anti-Semetic images + positive images of Hitler and Aryan families displayed in towns + cities all over Germany. Pass message onto masses.
Films - Strictly controlled by Nazis. Major propaganda films made like The Eternal Jew, an anti-semetic film.
Books - Burned anti-Nazi books. Any new book published had to be censored by Ministry of Propaganda run by Goebbels.
Rallies - Demonstrated organisation + control in a time of chaos. Held in huge stadiums + around 100,000 people involved in each. In 1936, hosted Olympics in Berlin and won the most medals. Footage broadcast around the country.
When the Nazis were in power, what percentage of Germany was Christian? And what percentage were Protestant + Catholic?
90% of Germans were Christians.
60% were Protestant, 30% were Catholic.
What did the Nazis think of the Church?
They opposed it because they thought it threatened their power + control. However, made deals with it in return for support.
