nazi dictatorship 1933-1939

Question 1

The reichstag fire

Answer 1

dutch communist started fire
- hitler took this as an opportunity to accuse communist party
-issued a decree for the protection of the people and the state which allowed him to ban opposition
-was able to secure more nazi seats and was able to change the constitution

Question 2

enabling act 1933

Answer 2

• destroys recihstag power and gives hitler total control
  -germany is no longer a democracy

Question 3

effects of enabling act

Answer 3

local govs:
closed down in march 1933
trade unions:
replaced with german labour fronts
other political parties: communist parties and sdp were taken by nazis

Question 4

Rohm and SA threat to hitler

Answer 4

-rohm didnt like hitlers views
-SA= larger than army so fear they would be replaced
-SA= bitter because they felt undervalued

Question 5

The night of the long knives

Answer 5

-gets rid of threat of rohm and SA
-invited rohm and 100 sa member to meeting
-they were arrested by the ss and shot
-many other leaders were also killed eg, von schleicher

Question 6

death of hindenburg

Answer 6

august 1934, hindenburg died
- later on that day hitler was made fuhrer

Question 7

A police state

Answer 7

-SS= protection squad
set up by himmler in 1925
wore black uniforms
controlled germanys forces
wore black uniforms
-SD= security service
wore uniforms and spied on all opponents of the nazi party
-gestapo=secret state police
wore plain clothes
spied on people
prosecuted people for speaking out against the nazis

Question 8

the legal system

Answer 8

-hitler controlled judges
-all judges had to favour nazi party
-abolished trial jury
-trials were heard in secret

Question 9

concentration camps

Answer 9

• first camp waa built at dachau in 1933
• inmates were made up of political opponents and undesirables ( minorities, prostitutes & homosexuals)
• they were built to be isolated and keep people in.

Question 10

nazi vs christian beliefs

Answer 10

nazi beliefs:
hitler= all powerful leader
-war, discipline and violence are important
-dominance of strong over weak
christian beliefs:
god= ultimate authority
everyone is equal
peace is what everyone should strive for

Question 11

catholic churches

Answer 11

• worried they would oppose him
  -were loyal to pope
  -sent their children to catholic schools
  supported by catholic centre party

Question 12

protestant churches

Answer 12

-reich church: founded in 1933
made up of about 2000
supported by nazis
some members wore nazi uniforms and called themselves german christians
-confessing church: 1934
made up of about 6000 churches
opposed nazis
led by martin niemoller

Question 13

the concordat

Answer 13

-july 1933, hitler and pope agree catholics= free to worship if they stayed out of politics
- hitler broke his promise by banning catholic youth organisations and sending priests to concentration camps
1937, pope spoke out in ‘with burning anxiety’

Question 14

Nazi propaganda: methods

Answer 14

posters with nazi beliefs were everywhere
cinema showed propaganda films
artists were encouraged to highlight nazi ideas and beliefs through art & playwriting
-reich chamber of culture+ monitored all aspects of culture and made sure they were consistent with nazi ideas

Question 15

church opposition: pastor martin niemoller

Answer 15

pro nazi:
voted for them in 1924 and 1933= stronger party
didnt oppose actions with jews
wanted to be let out of prison to fight on their side in ww2
against nazis:
didnt like their interference with the church
opposed nazis restrictions on catholics on jews
set up the confessing church

Question 16

youth opposition: edelweiss pirates

Answer 16

-made up of mainly boys
- hitler wasnt threatened by them
-1939= 2000 members
- apline flower was their symbol
-read and listened to banned music and wrote anti nazi graffiti

Question 17

effects of youth opposition

Answer 17

limited to cultural rather than political
-making jokes
-listening to music
-graffiti