Nazi Control and Dictatorship Flashcards
How was Hitler’s power limited upon becoming chancellor?
- Weimar Constitution controlled what the Chancellor could do
- Hindenburg retained all the powers of the president
- Only 2 of the 12 cabinet ministers were NSDAP members
- NSDAP members in the Reichstag numbered 1/3
When was the Reichstag fire?
27th February 1933
Who was convicted for the cause of the Reichstag fire? What ideology did they believe in?
Marinus van der Lubbe - Communist
How did Goering and Hitler try to use the Reichstag fire?
Used it as an opportunity to attack communists
How many communists were arrested on the night of the Reichstag fire?
4000
What did Hitler pressurize Hindenburg to declare the day after the Reichstag fire?
A state of emergency
What did “a state of emergency” grant Hitler?
The ability to use decrees to govern Germany, provided he had Hindenburg’s support
What decree was passed on the 28th February 1933?
The decree for the Protection of the People and the State
What did the decree for the Protection of the People and the State do?
- Gave Hitler powers to imprison political opponents and ban communist newpapers
- Civil liberties were lost
- Privacy was lost ie. checking letters
For when did Hitler persuade Hindenburg to call another election?
5th March 1933
How much money was donated in just one meeting by industrialists to the Nazi campaign?
3 million marks
How many people died in the March 1933 election campaigns?
70
How many seats did the NSDAP party get in March 1933?
288
How did Hitler gain a two thirds majority in the Reichstag in 1933?
By gaining the support of the other nationalist parties along with his 288 seats
What would Hitler’s proposed the Enabling act mean?
- the Reich Cabinet could pass new laws
- laws could overrule the constitution of the Republic
- the laws would be proposed by the chancellor
When was the Enabling act passed?
24th March 1933
What were the voting figures for the enabling act?
444 votes to 94
When was the enabling act renewed?
1937
What happened to trade union officials in May 1933?
They were arrested by Nazis who broke into their offices
When were trade unions banned and strikes made illegal?
May 1933
Which two political rivals were attacked by Stormtroopers? When?
May 1933 - SPD and KPD
When were all politcal parties in Germany made illegal?
July 1933
When were the Lander parliaments abolished?
January 1934
What did Hitler command as an alternative to Lander parliaments?
Hitler selected governors to run the regions of Germany
How many SA members where there by 1934 after the merging with the Stahlhelm?
3 million
How many SA were unemployed by 1933?
60%
What part of Hitler’s regime did Ernst Rohm question?
- Hitler’s links with rich industrialists and army generals
- Nationalist polices as he wanted more socialism
Why were German army officers worried about Rohm in 1934?
- The army had only 100,00 men whereas the SA had many more men
- They thought the SA wanted to replace them
Why did the leaders of the SS resent Rohm?
- They wanted to reduce the power of the SA
- and increase the power and the status of the SS
What was Hitler warned of in 1934 by leaders of the SS and the army?
That Rohm was planning to seize power
When was the Night of the Long Knives?
30th June 1934
How many people were killed over the four days including the night of the long knives?
400
How many senior members of the SA were killed in July 1934?
150
Which leading political figures where murdered after the night of the ling knives?
General von Schleicher
Gregor Strasser
How did Hitler assert control over von Papen?
- Had the SS shoot his press secretary and arrest his staff
- Surrounded his home and cut off his telephone
When did President Hindenburg die?
2nd August 1934
Upon Hindenburg’s death, what did Hitler declare?
He was Germany’s fuhrer and would assume both the power of the president and chancellor
What did Hitler force the members of the army to do when he declared his fuhrership?
Swear an oath of loyalty to him
When was a plebicite held to confirm Hitler as fuhrer?
19th August 1934
How many voters voted in faavour of Hitler becoming chancellor?
90%
What were the main parts of the police state?
- SS
- SD
- Gestapo
Who led the SS from 1929?
Heinrich Himm;er
What did the SS do?
By 1936, they controlled all Germany’s police and security forces
Who led the SD?
Reinhard Heydrich
What were the SD?
A uniformed group which spied on all known opponents and critics of the Nazi party and German government
How many men were the SS expanded to in the 1930s?
240,000
Who led the Gestapo from 1936?
Heydrich
How many members of the Gestapo were there?
30,000
How many Gestapo agents were there in towns such as Hamburg?
Fewer than 50 officers
How many people were arrested in 1939 due to the Gestapo?
160,000
What did the Gestapo rely on to function?
- Fear
- Informants
What were set up to combat the growing number of people ‘under protective arrest’?
Concentration camps
When was the first Nazi concentration camp opened? Where?
Dachau in 1933
How many concentration camps were there by 1939?
six
What people were sent to concentration camps?
- ‘undesirables’ such as vagrants, prostitutes, homosexuals
- minority groups such as Jews
- political prisoners
What was the name of the famous journalist sent to Esterwegen concentration camp who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1936?
Carl von Ossietzky
What did Hitler set up to control the legal system?
Nationalist Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law
What were judges instructed to do by the Nazi party?
Place more importance in the interests of the Nazi party in any conflict between the Nazi party and the law
Who was Hans Frank? What did he encourage?
The president of the German Academy of Law - taught the interpretations of law in line with Nazi philosophy
What did Hitler abolish in the courts?
Trial by jury
What new court did Hitler set up?
People’s Court
What did the People’s Court do?
Hear all cases of treason agains the state. The judges were handpicked and trials held in secret
How many people were sentenced to death for politcal offences between 1934 and 1939?
534
Which Judge had 90% of his defendants execcuted?
Roland Freiser
What were the issues in regard to Catholicism with the Nazi party?
- 1/3 of Germany’s Christians were Catholic
- Catholics owed allegiance to Pope and not Hitler
- Catholics had their own schools which didn’t teach Nazi values
When was the concordat agreed?
July 1933
What did the concordat agree?
- Hitler agreed to confirm freedom of worship for Catholics and not to interfere with Catholic schools
- Catholic church agreed priests would not interefere with politics and ordered German bishops to swaer loyalty to Nazi regime
What did Hitler do to the Catholics despite the concordat?
- Catholic priests were harassed and arrested
- Catholic schools were brought in line with state schools or closed
- Catholic youth activities, such as the Catholic Youth League were banned in 1937
Who released the Nazi critical statement called With Burning Anxiety? When?
1937, Pope Pius XI
When was the Reich church (unified Protestant churches with Nazism) set up?
1936
Which pro-Nazi became the Reich Bishop of Germany?
Ludwig Muller
What changes were made to the Protestant church with the Reich church introduction?
- Hitler supporting pastors were allowed to continue providing hurch services
- some swastikas were displayed in churches
- Nazis insisted Jews not be baptised and Jewish teachings from the Old Testament excluded
What were the main three ways the Nazis controlled and influenced attitudes of the German public?
- Censorship
- propaganda
- controlling culture and the Arts
What was Goebbel’s title given to him in 1933?
Minister of People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda
What was Goebbel’s attitude towards propaganda?
Bury Nazi messages and attitudes deep in his propaganda so that people didn’t even know their attitudes were being changed
How many of the Gestapo’s investigations stemmed from voluntary denouncations?
80%
How many newspapers were closed down in 1935 alone?
1,600
How were the press controlled by the Nazis?
- Given refular briefings as to the information the government was willing to release
- given instructions about what to write
- told what they could not publish
What did Goebbel’s do to radio stations in 1933?
Put them under Nazi control
What was the name of the mass produced cheap radios the nazis sold?
Peoples Receiver
How many homes had a radio by 1939?
70%
Other than homes, where else were speakers and radios placed?
Cafes, factories, shops, schools, streets, squares
How were radios designed to not pick up foreign stations?
Radios had short range
Nuremburg was on of the sites for what form of Nazi propaganda?
Rallies and Parades
How many party supporters were at the 1934 Nuremburg rally?
200,000
How was sport nazified under Nazi control?
- Stadiums were covered with Nazi symbols
- all teams were instructed to give straight arm salute during anthem
- sports victories were hailed as victories for Nazi ideals
What major sporting event did Berlin host in 1936?
Berlin Olympics
How were the Berlin Olympics a success for the Nazi party?
- Largest Olympic stadium built at the time decked out with swastikas
- events run efficiently and well organised
- Germany won the most medals (33)
- Games were filmed by Leni Rifenstahl
- Reich Press Chamber controlled press about Olympics before offical report
When was the Reich Chamber of Culture set up?
September 1933
What were the intentions behind the Reich Chamber of Culture?
To make sure cultural activities were consistent with Nazi ideas. Consistent Gleichschaltung
What was set up from the Reich Chamber of Culture for the arts?
Reich Chamber of Visual Arts
How many paintings and sculptures were removed from galleries in 1936?
12,000
How many artists were accepted to the compulsory Reich Chamber of Visual arts?
42,000
What happened if an artist was not a member of the Reich Chamber of Visual arts?
They were forbidden to teach, produce or sell art
Which group checked up on artists to make sure they followed the rules?
SS
What styles of architechture did the Nazis dislike?
- Modernist
- Futuristic
Who was a popular architect amongst the Nazi party?
Albert Speer
What did the Nazis like about Albert Speer’s architechture?
- Buildings were big so appeared powerful and permanent
- Buildings had features from the Greeks and Romans so appeared grand and historic
- buildings were decorated with Nazi flags
What types of music were censored?
- Jazz music
- Blues
- Swing
- All works of black people and inferior people
What types of music were promoted?
- German folk
- Classical (e.g. Beethoven and Bach)
How many writers were officially banned?
2,500
What happened to the banned and non-Nazi books ?
They were burned in large public bonfires
When was the famous Berlin book burning where 2000 books were burned?
May 1933
What was shown before every film in the cinema?
A 45 minute newreel highlighting Germany’s success
Who had to approve all plot details before a film was released?
Goebbels
How many films did the Nazis produce themselves?
1,300
What happened in the Nazi film Hitlerjunge Quex?
A young member of the Nazi party is killed by communists
When was the PEL set up?
1933
What was the PEL?
Pastors’ Emergency League set up by a group of pastors including Martin Niemoller
What did the PEL set up? When?
Confessing Church - 1934
How many pastors joined the Confessing Church?
6000
How many pastors were in the Reich Church?
2000
How many pastors were arrested and sent to concentration camps from the Confessing Church?
808
How many Catholic priests were imprisoned for dissidency?
400
What was Niemoller opposed to?
- Nazi interference with the running of Protestant CHurches
- Bans on Jews becoming christians and the other restrictions upon them
When was Niemoller arrested and sent to Sachsenhausen?
1937
How many Prussian pastors were arrested in 1935?
700
How many catholics were there in 1939 in Germany?
19 million
Which Bishop asked God to bless Hitler in 1936?
Bishop Galen
What was the name of the working-class teen opposition to the Nazi party?
Edelweiss Pirates
What did the Edelweiss Pirates do to oppose the Nazi regime?
- Stressed freedom
- Wore longer hair
- Copied American style clothing
- Taunted and attacked Hitler Youth
- mocked Nazis
- sang songs
What was the name of the wealthier middle-class youth opposition to the Nazi party?
Swing Youth and Jazz Youth
How did the Swing youth oppose the Nazi regime?
- Wore American clothes
- Watched American films
- Listened to illegally imported swing music
- organised illegal dances
How many people attended the illegally organised dances by the Swing Youth?
up to 6000
What was the membership figure for the Edelweiss Pirates by 1939?
2000
