Key topic 2: Life in Nazi Germany Flashcards
How did the appeal of Hitler himself help Nazis gain popularity?
- He was a powerful speaker who was years ahead of his time as a communicator
- He ran for president in 1932, winning 13 million votes to Hindenburg’s 19 million
- Despite his defeats, the campaign raised his profile hugely
- Using films, radio and records he brought his message to millions and travelled by plane on a hectic tour of rallies all over Germnay.
How did the role of the SA help Hitler gain power?
- The Nazi Party was seen as a party of order in a time of chaos
- There were frequent street battles between communist gangs and the police
- The SA and SS gave ab impression of discipline and order
- Most welcomed the idea the SA were prepared to fight communists
- The SA were better organised ad ususally had police and army support attacking opponents and disrupted meeting
How did the presidential elections of 1932 help Hitler gain power?
- Bruning called an election in 1930, which saw Nazi seats in the Reichstag grow from 12 to 107
- Bruning relied on Article 48 to do anything so Weimar lost more popularity
- 1932, President was re-elected and Hitler ran against Hindenburg
- Nazi methods were so successful Hin. failed to secure a majority, which led to a 2nd election, seeing Hitler’s support grow once more with the help of Goebbles making the elections a propeganda success
How did propeganda help Hitler gain power?
- Some of the Nazi’s generalised beliefs were:
- Talked about returning to traditional values
- They criticised the democratic system of the Weimar and failure to solve the nation’s economic problems
- They promised employment and economic strength
- Cited Jews, Communists, Weimar politicians and ToV to blame
How did the Nazi’s public manipulation help them gain power?
- These generalised beliefs made it difficult to crtitique and appealed to large sections of society
- When a Nazi policy was criticised likely to be dropped (like dropping the plan to nationalise industry, criticised by industiralists)
- Goebbles used propeganda to depict Hitler as the German saviour
- The rallies impressed people with their energy, enthusiasm and size
How did the failure of the Weimar Democracy help Hitler to gain power?
- Politicians struggled to tackle the Great Depression
- Chancellor Heinrich Bruning made tough economic policies in 1930s
- He cut gov. spending and welfare benefits, urging idividual sacrifices*
- In protests, the SDP pulled out of the Reichstag and Bruning relied on President Hindenburg’s use of Article 48 to get measures passed
- They decided to call new elections in 1930 and gave Nazis the chance to expolit fear.
- This resulted in another didvided Reichstag, problems continuing 1931-32
- This gave the impression that the democracy involved politicians squabbling over jobs in the cabinet while unemployment needed to 6 million
- The average German’s income had fallen by 40% since 1929
- The Reichstag met fewer and fewer times: democracy was a mockery
- Germans wanted a new, strong, single leader
*some historians think he was deliberatley making it worse to get international community to cancel reperations
How did Hitler become chancellor?
- To pass a law in the Reichstag, you had to have support of the majority
- In Jan 1933, over 50% of seats were against Nazis
- This made it hard for Hitler to pass laws
- He was made chancellr on the 13th Jan 1933 because:
- Von Papen (ex chancellor) publiclly supported the Nazis (Hitler promised to make him vice-president in Nazi gov.)
- Hindenburg appoints Hitler to try to gain popularity and contorl growing number of Nazis: 3 out of 12 people in cabinet were nazis
- Germans supported Nazis out of desperation: 6 million unemployed in 1932 and July 1932 Naizs had 37% seats
- Hitler then used this power to call a general election for March 1933 (to gain more seats)
What happened a week before the general election Hitler had called as Chancellor?
- Feb 27th 1933 the Reichstag was on fire
- Found Dutch communist Von Der Lubbe inside and arrested for arson
- The next day, Hitler persuaded Hin. to sign a document putting Germany in a state of emergency
- Basic civil rights were therefore suspended and 4000 communists arrested
- SA killed 51 Nazi opponents with no police opposition: Hitler got power and Nazi seats increased from 34% to 45%
‘Decree for the protection of the people and the state’ allows emergency control
What happened on March 23rd 1933?
- The enabling Act passed
- This was a constitution amendment which gives Hitler the power to pass laws without the involvement of the Reichstag- essentially giving hin full control
- It would last a four year period and be renewed by the Reichstag
- Hitlerwould have greater power than the President
What did the enabling act consist of?
- Communists were not allowed to vote in the chamber
- Made promises to Catholic Centre Party to secure their vote
- SA intimidated members as they entered
- Absebtees counted as present and no communist votes meant lower majority, need less votes to get a majority
What did Hitler do concerning trade unions to secure power?
May 1933 Hitler ended trade unions
Meant that workers no longer had a voice and couldn’t pressure parliment
Very popular with large business owners: no striking workers
Anyone who went on strike would be sent to a concentration camp for political re-education
When did Hitler ban other political parties?
July 1933
He used the Enabling Act to make a law that no other parties could form
Law also restricted all existing parties- they could do nothing
By June all parties were resolved, Nazis won 95% in Nov election
When did Hitler ban Lander and why?
Jan 1934
These political organisations had a Nazi approved minister until they were completely removed
The Nazis now controlled every level of gov.
What does fuhrerprinzip mean?
What does Gleichschaltung mean?
‘leader principle’, Fuhrer’s word is final and correct
Gleichschaltung: Bringing people to an identical way of thinking
How did unemployment rates change during the Great Depression?
- 1933: 6 million unemployed
- 1935: 2 million unemployed
- 1939: none unemployed
How did Strength through Joy (KDF) help deal with the Great Depression.
- Set up by the Nazi German Labour Front, it was a programme of rewards for workers with activities such as cheap cinema tickets or culture trips
- Weekly saving schemes were set up to help every family buy a car or go on holiday
- These luxuries were destoyed by the Great Depression so this would boost German pride although many of what the schemes offered did not actually come true due to WW2
How did the Nazi policy of rearmament help deal with the Great Depression?
Nazis wanted the nation to always be ready for war. This meant that production increased rapidly, allowing large businesses to make money and employ more people.
They coal and chemical industry doubled between 1933-36 while oil, iron and steel trebled
All of this was needed to build tanks and the Luftwaffe- a world class air force that would be a source of national pride.
How did the German Labour Service deal with the Great Depression in Nazi Germany?
Was created for young men to do manual labour jobs. From 1935, all men between 18-25 had to do six months service. They built motorways, wore uniform and were drilled like the army for very low pay, but it helped to improve morale of a lot of working class men who had no other work. This organistation also acted as a trade union for industries after they were banned.
How did conscription help deal with the Great Depression in Nazi Germany?
Despite going against the ToV. Hitler re-introduced conscription. This meant that every German man between 18-40 had to join the army for 2 years. Teh army grew from 100,000 men to 1.4 million between 1933-39. This helped to reduce unemployment and also restore national pride after the humilitation of WW1.
How did Invisible unemployment help the Nazis deal with unemployment?
Another way that the Nazi helped to reduce unemployment was to not include certain people in their fgures. This was known as invisible unemployment. When counting the amount of unemployed they woud not count:
* Those forced to join the Rich Labour Service
* Jews dismissed from the gov. jobs
* Women who were married with children
* Anyone in a concentration camp
What did Hitler first set up for Farmers?
The farmers had been an important factor in the Nazis’ rise to power. Hitler didn’t forget this and intorduced a series of measures to help them.
In September 1933 he intorduced the Reich Food Estate. This set up central boards to buy agricultural produce from farmers and distribute it to markets across Germany. It gave the peasant farmers a guaranteed market for their goods at guaranteed prices.
What was the second thing Hitler set up for farmers?
The second main measure was the Reich Entailed Farm Law. It gave peasants state protection for their farms: banks could not seizee thier land if they could not pay loans or mortgages. This ensured that peasants’ farms stayed in their hands.
What secondary aim was their in the Reich Entailed Farm Law and wht was its purpose?
The Reich Entailed Farm Law also had a racial aim. Part of the Nazi philosophy was ‘Blood and Soil’, the belief that the peasant farmers were the basis of Germany’s master race. They would be the balcbone of the New German Empire in the east. As a result, their way of lif had to be protected.
What were some of the negative impacts that the Nazi agricultural measures had?
Some peasants were not thrilled with the regime’s measures. The Reich Food Estate meant that efficient, go-ahead farmers were held back by having to work through the same processes as less efficient farmers.
Because of the Reich Entailed Farm Law, banks were unwilling to lend moeny to farmers.
It also meant that only the eldest child inherited the farm. As a result, many children of farmers left the land to work for better pay in Germany’s industires.
Rural depopulation ran about 3% per year in the 1930s, the exact opposite of the Nazis’ aims.
