Nazi Control and Dictatorship 1933-39

Question 1

The Reichstag Fire

Answer 1

A lone Dutch communist was executed for the Reichstag Fire of February 1933 which Hitler took as an opportunity to accuse the communist parties of plotting against the government - 4000 communists arrested.

Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to call another election on March 1933 to secure more seats, in which the Nazis won two thirds of the Reichstag.

Hitler could now change the constitution.

Question 2

The Enabling Act 1933

Answer 2

Hitler proposed the Enabling Act in 1933 to destroy the power of the Reichstag and give himself total power to make laws. It stated that:
1. The Reich Cabinet could pass laws
2. The laws could overrule the constitution
3. Hitler would propose the laws
As a result Germany was no longer a democracy

Question 3

The effects of the Enabling act on trade unions and political parties

Answer 3

Trade unions were replaced with the German Labour Front and many union officials were arrested in May 1933.
In May 1933, the SDP, funds and communist party offices were taken by the Nazis and other political opponents were banned in July 1933.

Question 4

Threat of Röhm and the SA

Answer 4

Röhm disliked Hitlers policies and the SA were bitter as they felt undervalued and angry that many of them were still unemployed, but were still loyal to Röhm.
The SA were much bigger than the army who feared they were going to be replaced by Röhm. Leaders of the SS wanted to reduce the size of the SA to increase their own power.

Question 5

The Night of the Long Knives

Answer 5

Hitler wanted to eliminate all threat of Röhm and the SA. He did this by inviting Röhm and 100 SA leaders to a meeting in Bad Weisse on June 1934. When they arrived they were arrested by SS, taken to Munich and shot.
After the arrests, Von Papen’s staff were also arrested and his home was surrounded so he could no longer see what Hitler was doing and Von Schleicher was later killed.

Question 6

The death of Hindenburg

Answer 6

Hindenburg was the only person senior to HItler. Hours after Hindenburg died in August 1934, a law concerning the head of state merged the chancellors and presidents office together to create a new office for the Führer

Question 7

Army oath of allegiance

Answer 7

When Hindenburg died, Hitler made the German army swear an oath to him, not to Germany.

Question 8

The SS

Answer 8

The SS was set up by Heinrich Himmler in 1925 to act as Hitlers bodyguard. They were a select group firstly ran by Schrek and then Himmler. They were known for their menacing black uniforms and overlooked Germanys police and security forces as well as running the concentration camps.

Question 9

The SD (security service)

Answer 9

The SD were a security service set up by Heinrich Himmler in 1931. They wore uniforms and spied on the opponents of the Nazis at home and abroad.

Question 10

The Gestapo

Answer 10

The Gestapo were secret state police set up by Goering in 1933. They were led by Reinhard Heydrich and wore plain clothes and spied on people, prosecuting those who spoke against the Nazis and sending them to concentration camps to be tortured.

Question 11

Concentration camps

Answer 11

The first concentration camp was in Dachau in 1933 to house the growing number of those arrested. Camps were built in isolated areas so people didn’t know what was going on and prisoners were treated badly and forced to do hard manual labour. Inmates consisted of political opponents and undesirables such as homosexuals, jews and gypsies.

Question 12

The legal system

Answer 12

Hitler controlled the legal system to prevent any opposition of the Nazis. He did this by controlling the judges:
- all judges belonged to the Nationalist Socialist League for the maintenance of law
- all judges were to favour the Nazis in any decisions
They also did this by controlling law courts:
- trial by jury was abolished and only judges were allowed to decide whether someone was innocent or guilty
- He set up a People’s Court to hear all treason cases. Trials were held in secret and judges were hand-picked.

Question 13

the concordat

Answer 13

In July 1933, Hitler made an agreement with the pope in a concordat stating Catholics were free to worship and run their own schools as long as they stayed out of politics. However, Hitler broke his promise:

• Catholic Priests opposing the Nazis were harassed and sent to concentration camps
• Catholic schools had to remove all Christian symbols and were later shut down

Question 14

The Protestant church

Answer 14

The Reich church was formed in 1933 and was made up of 2000 Protestant churches. It was supported by the Nazis and ran by Ludwig Müller. It had members that wore Nazi uniforms and called themselves German Christians.

Question 15

Joseph Goebbels

Answer 15

The Reich Minister of propaganda from 1933 to 1945. He spread Nazi messages subtly and unsubtly by controlling the newspapers, radio, film and the arts.

Question 16

Methods of censorship

Answer 16

Public burning of books written by jewish writers and those who disagreed with Nazi views.
Newspapers opposing the Nazis were closed.
Radio producers and filmmakers were told what to say.
Only radios that couldn’t receive foreign stations were made.

Question 17

Methods of propaganda

Answer 17

The Olympic Games held in Berlin in 1936 were the perfect event to promote Nazi ideologies such as Aryan superiority. It was also an opportunity to present Nazi Germany in a good light.

Huge rallies and military parades were held projecting Nazi power and strength. They would either make Germans proud of their country or fill them with terror depending on their viewpoint.

Question 18

The Reich Chamber of Culture

Answer 18

Set up in 1933 and overseen by Goebbels, it looked over all aspects of German culture and made sure they were consistent with Nazi ideas. The Nazis wanted grand and classical architecture as well as traditional German composers.

Question 19

Pastor Martin Niemöller’s opposition

Answer 19

Pastor Martin Niemöller opposed Nazi restrictions on Jews becoming Christians and their interference with the Protestant church. He set up the Confessional church in 1934, containing 6000 protestant churches which opposed the Nazis leading to his arrest and he was sent to a concentration camp from 1938-45.

Question 20

The Edelweiss Pirates

Answer 20

The main working class group that opposed the Nazi’s were the Edelweiss Pirates. Members reacted to the discipline of the Hitler Youth by using anti-Nazi slogans and singing pre-1933 folk songs. They went on hiking and camping expeditions to the countryside to escape Nazi restrictions and had 2000 members by 1939.

Question 21

The Swing Youth

Answer 21

The main upper/middle class group that opposed the Nazi’s were the Swing Youth. They wore American clothes and and listened to American music and films. They gathered to drink alcohol, smoke and dance as well as organising illegal dances attended by thousands. Unlike the pirates they were children from wealthy families with the money to buy record players.