Nazi Control and Dictatorship Flashcards
When was the Reichstag Fire?
27th February 1933
Who was blamed for the Reichstag Fire?
Why was this useful to Hitler?
Think: political ideology, Hindenburg
Van der Lubbe - a communist
It allowed Hitler to scapegoat communists
and convinced Hindenburg to pass an emergency law restricting personal liberty
When was the Enabling Act passed?
What did it give Hitler the right to do?
How much of the Reichstag voted for this law?
23rd March 1933
Pass laws without the Reichstag (or Hindenburg’s) approval
Two thirds
When were trade unions banned in Germany?
Why did Hitler do this?
May 1933
Trade unions organised protests for workers, so their abolition meant it was increasingly difficult to publicly oppose the Nazis
When were all political parties besides the Nazis banned in Germany?
July 1933
When was the Night of the Long Knives?
June 1934
Why did the Night of the Long Knives happen?
Members of the SA were demanding that the Nazi Party give control of the army to the SA - Ernst Rohm (SA leader) wanted to be Minister of Defence
What happened during the Night of the Long Knives?
Hitler’s SS murdered Ernst Rohm, along with 400 SA members and other political opponents
When did Hitler declare himself president, chancellor, and leader of the army?
August 1934
Police State
What did the SS do?
The SA are obsolete by this point
Oversaw smaller organisations in the Police State
Initially Hitler’s bodyguards, later ran concentration camps
Police State
What did the Gestapo do?
Think: “secret” police
Monitored German population for signs of resistance (greatly helped by citizens informing on fellow citizens)
Police State
What did the SD do?
Gathering intelligence - responsible for the security of Hitler and other Nazis
What are some ways in which the German public was controlled and influenced by Nazis?
Think: types of propaganda
- Censorship of the press and control of radio broadcasts
- Mass rallies
- Sports events e.g. Berlin Olympics 1936
How were culture and the arts controlled under Nazi Rule?
Art - “Aryan” art was encouraged, rather than the abstract art from the Weimar golden age
Literature - 1933 book burnings destroyed works by Jewish authors
Film - highly patriotic films were created, rather than entertainment that the Nazis saw as “escapism”
How did Protestants oppose Nazi rule?
Niemoller formed the Confessional Church, which opposed the new Reich Church
He was sent to a concentration camp along with 800 clergy from the Confessional Church
