***Nature of Nazi government, 1934-39 Flashcards
What were Hitler’s titles?
Head of State and Führer, Head of the Party, Commander-in-Chief and Minister of War.
How is the Nazi government structured/divided?
Into the Reich Chancellory, the Führer Chancellory and The Party.
Which chancellory had more power?
The Führer Chancellory
Which ministries did the Reich Chancellory have?
- Foreign Office
- Labour
- Finance
- Health
Which chancellory did the civil service of the WR operate under?
The Reich Chancellory
When did the civil service keep operating until?
1938
Who was head of the civil service?
William Frick
Which Ministries and Offices did the Führer Chancellory have?
Ministries: Propaganda, Justice, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Labour, War
Offices: Four Year Plan, Health, Race, Family, Highways
Who was the Minister of Propaganda?
Joseph Goebbels
Which part of the government had the most power?
The Party
What was the Party split into?
Policing and Administration
What did the Policing department consist of?
The SA (until June 1934) and the SS, under which the Gestapo (the secret police) came.
Who was in charge of the SS?
Heinrich Himmler
Who were Gauleiters?
Regional leaders of Nazi districts.
What were Gauleiters responsible for?
- Youth organisations
- Blockwarts
What were Blockwarts?
Lower-level party officials responsible for political supervision of a neighbourhood - they relied on informers.
What was Führerprinzip?
The Nazi ideology that all power and sovereignty is vested in the leader.
How was power organised in Nazi Germany?
In a strict hierarchical order - people were not allowed to make their own decisions or to use their initiative.
How many decrees did Hitler issue in total?
Only 34
Which area did Hitler take most control?
Foreign policy
How many laws were passed through the Reichstag between 1942-45?
Only 7
How did those working under Hitler gain power and authority?
By proving their loyalty to Hitler - known as “working towards the Führer.”
Was Hitler an active leader?
No - he slept for long hours and was often absent from Berlin.
Why did Hitler keep the cabinet of ministers and ministries from the WR?
Provide a level of continuity from the previous regime.
What was the name of the Foreign Minister from von Papen and von Schleicher’s governments which Hitler kept in power?
Konstantin von Neurath
When was the Bureau Ribbentrop set up which operated alongside von Neurath’s Foreign Ministry?
1934
How did Hitler prevent people from working together (to limit opposition)?
He abolished cabinet meetings and ministers worked individually, sending draft laws and policies to each other on paper.
Why did having ministries that were duplicated cause problems?
It made decision making inefficient e.g. the Office of the 4YP was creating an economic policy at the same as the Economics Ministry.
How was the civil service organised under Frick?
It was centralised, with him running both regional and local governments (Länder).
Who did Frick’s civil service frequently come into conflict with?
Officials and bodies in the Führer Chancellory and the Gauleiters.
When were the Gestapo set up?
April 1933
Who was in charge of the Gestapo?
Hermann Goering
What happened to the Gestapo in 1936?
They were taken over by Himmler’s SS.
What did the Gestapo and SS set up?
- Their own judiciary that ran alongside the existing court system for “political” offences.
- Gestapo-controlled concentration camps to manage political prisoners.
What were the first 3 camps set up in 1933?
Dachau, Buchenwald and Sacherhausen.
What was the principle of Volksgemeinschaft?
The idea of a people’s community - The German Nation as a racially united body worked for the good of the nation.
