How successful was the Nazi Party in exerting control over Germany? (propaganda) Flashcards
Name 5 methods the Nazis used to Control people in Germany:
-propaganda (posters, radios, newspapers etc)
-fear
-targeting the youth and vulnerable (through Hitler Youth, schools/textbooks, unemployed)
-force (SS and Gestapo)
-media
Define propaganda
-the spread of often political information that is misleading or biased through the media which slowly makes people believe it or become impacted by it
-designed to play on peoples fears and tell people what they wanted to hear
What were Hitler’s aims?
-to glorify the regime
-to spread Nazi ideology and values (also censor the unacceptable)
-to win over people
-integrate the nation’s diverse elements into the Volksgemeinschaft (peoples community
Why did the Nazi Party do rallies?
to try and gain support and put down other opposition
what does Es Lebe Deutschland mean?
-long live Germany
-Hitler’s plan for a 100 year Reich
What was denunciation?
Spying on people->Nazis/Hitler encouraged this
How did Nazis use fear to keep control over Germany?
-The Gestapo spies inform on you and then you are woken up by the Gestapo in the middle of the night/early morning and are arrested
-then days or maybe weeks later you are interviewed and asked to sign for D11
-by signing this you are giving your consent to be put into a concentration camp
-you are handed over to the SS who run the concentration camps
-you are imprisoned for up to 6 month doing hard physical labour
-when you are released you tell everybody what has happened to you
-this causes a never ending cycle of fear being spread around Germany forcing people to conform
How did Courts help the Nazis maintain control?
-The Judiciary was biased towards the Nazis
-judges and lawyers were obliged to join the Nazi lawyer association and take the oath
-the judiciary was not protected from Nazi interference
Who was targeted by the courts?
-oppositions were targeted in cases of high treason where the jury specifically included Nazi members->this resulted in 7,000/16,000 cases resulting in death sentences
What were the limits of the courts impact?
-the regime could’ve been seen as corrupt
-judiciary state continues to function
-was severely subverted
How effective were the courts in controlling Germany?
-extremely effective as they were able to control the court system full
-however it was barely needed as the SS often took matters into their own hands and could arrest anyone at any time
-it meant that the death penalty was more common which caused more widespread fear of not following Hitler
How did the SS help Nazis maintain control?
-formed in 1925 as an elite bodyguard service for Hitler
-By 1933 it had 52,000 members
-this meant that Nazis had widespread control as the SS had a lot of control over things like arrests and they were feared which increased control
Who were targeted by the SS?
-people who opposed Hitler as the service was to protect him
-Jews and anyone who was denunciated
What were the limits of the SS’ impact?
-Himmler became its leader in 1929 which diverted Hitler’s control of the SS
-Himmler had also enough power to create the SD->which detected potential or actual enemies of the Nazis->more control to Himmler
How effective was the SS in controlling Germany?
-effectively the ultimate source in terms of providing fear to the public
-the power and control Hitler established for them allowed them to have full control over every corner and aspect of Germany
How did the Gestapo help the Nazis maintain control?
-helped by ordinary people informing on their neighbours
-20,000 to 40,000 members
->widespread control
-it presented itself as all-seeing
->caused fear among Germans
Who did the Gestapo target?
-mainly focused on certain groups such as: political opponents, Jews, disabled, religious opponents, homosexuals, socialists etc
What were the limits of the Gestapo’s impact?
most members were office workers ->relied on informers
-unable to ‘impose a regime of terror’ due to limited power (only 40,000 agents
-a lot of what informers reported was just gossip or biased
How effective was the Gestapo in controlling Germany?
-it was very effective because they could overhear people’s conversations without being caught as ordinary people were members
-Hitler therefore knew if someone was plotting against him->he would be able to take action to stop it harming his reputation
-it enforced control over the rest of the public due to not everyone died after being sent away->persuade people to not go against Hitler’s regime
-ineffective because there may not have been enough gestapo agents to be everywhere->couldn’t catch all opposition and it could be lies/gossip
How did Concentration Camps help the Nazis maintain control over Germany?
-opposition and threats could be removed by sending people to Concentration Camps
-it would also cause fear
Who was targeted by Concentration Camps?
-opposition and marginalised people such as: disabled, homosexuals, Jews and anyone who opposed Hitler
What were the limits of Concentration Camps impact?
-it could have been seen as corrupt which cause threats to Hitler’s support
How effective was Concentration Camps in controlling Germany?
-it was effective as it silenced opposition and created fear
Which was more effective in controlling Germans propaganda or terror?
Terror
-people would do anything Nazis/Hitler wanted due to fear
-denunciation was caused by fear
-if Germans didn’t fear the consequences of not following Nazis/Hitler then they wouldn’t have such widespread control
-terror is pervasive, its everywhere and targets everyone at once compare to propaganda targeting smaller groups of people
How did the radio help the Nazi Party exert control?
-they had more influence and control as even when people were at home they were hearing Nazi messages and propaganda
-the fact that radios were made cheaper meant that the majority of Germans had a radio
What had Goebbels and Hitler always recognised the effectiveness of?
-the effectiveness of the spoken word rather than written
-they had already begun using technology during the election campaigns of 1932-1933
What did Goebbels create to bring all broadcasting under Nazi control?
-the Reich Radio Company
How did Goebbels create the Reich Radio Company? What did he do?
-he arranged and dismissed 13% of the staff on political and radical grounds and replaced them with his own men
What percentage of German households owned a radio in 1932 and what did the Nazis do to improve it?
-25%
-it was a high figure compared to the rest of the world
-Nazi government arranged the production of cheaper radios
What percentage of German households owned a radio in 1939?
-70% (highest national figure in the world)
What were radios by 1939?
-became a medium of mass communication controlled completely by the Regime
How did the Nazis use radios to spread their ideology?
-broadcasting was also directed at public places->installation of loudspeakers in restaurants, cafes, factories and offices made them all into venues for collective listening
What were radio wardens appointed to do?
-duty to coordinate the listening process
How did the press help the Nazi Party exert control?
-they were able to spread their messages and propaganda into the newspapers with many Germans read so it influenced them
-helped spread Nazi ideology
Why was control over the press not so easily achieved by Goebbels?
-Germany had over 4,700 newspapers in 1933 as a result of the strong regional identities
-all were owned privately and traditionally owned no loyalty to central government->their loyalty was to their Regional Publishing Company
What was the Nazi Publishing house and how did it exert more control over the press?
-Eher Verlag bought up numerous newspapers
-by 1939 it controlled 2/3 of the German press
What news agencies were merged into one?
-the State controlled DNB which vetted (critiqued) news material before if it got to journalists
What did Goebbels introduce?
-The Daily Press Conference at the Propaganda Ministry to provide guidance on editorial policy
What did Editors Law do and when was it?
-October 1933
-made newspaper content the sole responsibility of the editor who had to satisfy the requirements of the Propaganda Ministry or face appropriate consequences
What was the price of the Nazis succeeding in muzzling the press?
-the evolution of bland and sterile journalism which undoubtedly contributed to a 10% decline in newspaper circulation before 1939
What did the Nazis do to present a positive message of the ‘new Germany’?
-42 million Reichsmarks were spend on the 325 acre Olympic sports complex
-a huge Olympic stadium was build of natural stone in a classical style due to the modernist plan being rejected
How many of Germany’s writers left their homeland during the years 1933-1945 and what did this show?
-over 2,500
-reflected how sadly German writers and dramatists viewed the new cultural atmosphere
Who took the 2,500 German writers who left their homelands place?
-a lesser literacy group who either sympathised with the Regime or accepted the limitations
What is difficult to identify about literature in the Third Reich?
-books, plays or poems written during the time
What did actors and musicians content themselves with?
-productions of the classics that were politically acceptable
How did Literature help the Nazi Party exert control?
-it meant that the Nazis had more control over what books were written so they could spread Nazi ideology
How did the Nazi Regime make a genuine cultural contribution to the field of film?
-Germany’s cinematic reputation had been established in the 1920s and a degree of continuity was maintained as many of the major film studios were in the hands of nationalist sympathisers
Who did the Nazis remove from the film industry and what did it lead to?
-Jewish film actors and directors were removed and then decided to leave Germany
What did Goebbels recognise about film?
-Goebbels recognised the importance of expanding the film industry not only as a means of propaganda but as an entertainment form
How did film help the Nazi Party exert control?
-it meant they could spread propaganda and increase control over Germany
-the would be able to easily influence people through film as it would show Nazi ideology throughout
How far did the Judiciary oppose the Nazis?
-some judges tried to keep proper standards of justice despite growing intervention of SS and special courts->judges were ‘co-ordinated’ and obliged to join the Nazi Lawyers’ Association and make oaths of loyalty to Hitler
How did the workers oppose the Nazis and how did the Nazis control workers?
-1933-1935->400 workers strikes ->some workers maintained links with illegal political parties
-May 1933 DAF (German Labour Front) was announced as a new nationwide labour organisation to replace the unions
-no legal organisations that could be used for opposition
How were oppositional parties controlled and how did they oppose the Nazis?
-Left wing parties continued some illegal activities
-the SDP (in exile) was based in Prague and organised underground groups who who distributed leaflets and propaganda campaigns (eg Berlin Red Patrol)
-July 1935->all political parties were banned
-KPD formed underground cells
->2/3 of their members were arrested
When were all political parties banned?
-July 1935
What was the Kreisau Circle?
-discussion to replace Hitler
-formed by a group of officers in 1933 to oppose Hitler
-in 1943 they drew up a plan for a new Germany called the Basic Principles for a New Order
-found out by the Gestapo
How did the Gestapo gain the names of many plotters or supposed plotters?
-the mass round up of suspects after the July 1944 Bomb Plot and the subsequent torture of these suspects
Who were arrested as a result of the July Bomb Plot in 1944?
-Yorch Von Wartenburg->tried and found guilty and was executed in August 1944
-Von Moltke->had already been arrested in January 1944 and tried before the People’s Court->found guilty of treason and was executed January 1945
What did the Nazis ban that tried to stop people plotting?
-banned a certain number of people who were able to meet up
How effective was opposition to the Nazis?
-not very effective as the regime wasn’t really changed->opposition was easily put down and none of them succeeded->poor planning of the assassination attempts
