Nature of Nazi govt and the war time govt Flashcards
Why were the SA beginning to be a threat to Hitler in 1934?
SA were giving rise to calls for a ‘second revolution’
SA represented radical, left wing of Nazi party who were frustrated over the limited nature of Nazi revolution + disappointed by their own lack of personal gains
–> Ernst Röhm was increasingly disillusioned by politics of old friend Hitler
SA had grown from 100k in 1931 to 3 million in 1934
Power struggle between SA and the army
Röhm wanted to amalgamate army and SA into a people’s militia (this threatened traditional role and status)
–> Hitler was caught between two powerful rival forces
1. SA had 3 million committed Nazis who had fought with Hitler since the Munich Putsch
2. Army was the one organisation that could unseat Hitler & possessed the military skills essential to his foreign policy aims
Significance of the Night of Long Knives
Summer 1934 effects could be seen:
1. German army had clearly aligned itself behind Nazi regime (personal oath of loyalty to Hitler)
2. SA were rendered almost unarmed and had no significant role in political development
3. emergence of SS (German generals feared SA but failed to recognise SS as institution of terror)
4. Hitler had secured his own personal political supremacy
What is Volksgemeinschaft?
‘peoples community’ : German nation as a racially united body working for the good of the nation
What was Führerprinzip?
Leadership principle: Idea that at each level of govt there was one person who was clearly in charge, a leader
–> essential to make sure people worked together
Hitler was the leader and held Fuhrer power.
Nature of Nazi govt: one nation
Nazis wanted a centralised state with centralised administration
–> March 1933 Länder were stripped of many powers
30th Jan 1934, Law of Reconstruction of the Reich officially terminated them
