Nazi Dictatorship, 1933-1939 Flashcards
1
Q
Reichstag fire date
A
February 1933
2
Q
Key features of the Reichstag fire
A
- Persuaded Hindenburg to dissolve Reichstag and hold another election to get more Nazis in (Nazis were in control of media and police)
- During election campaign, the Reichstag was burnt down
- Dutch communist arrested, so communists blamed
- Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to pass the emergency decree
3
Q
Effects of the Reichstag fire
A
- Persuaded Hindenburg to pass emergency decree which suspended freedom of press, assembly and speech- Nazis had power to search houses, confiscate property, and arrest and send to concentration camps without trial
- 4,000 communists sent to jail
- Still didn’t have majority, so joined with nationalist party to create govt
4
Q
Enabling Act date
A
March 1933
5
Q
Key features of the Enabling act
A
- Would give him right to create laws without Reichstag’s support for the next four years
- Needed two thirds of Reichstag to vote for the act, so SA intimidated opposition with threats and violence, and communists were banned
- Enabling act passed with 444 votes to 94
6
Q
Effects of the Enabling act
A
- Nazis arrested thousands of trade union officials, unions were banned, and workers became part of the German Labour Front
- Made Germany a one party state
- Political opponents sent to concentration camps
- Stayed in place for 4 years (renewed twice so in pace for 12 years)
7
Q
Night of the Long Knives date
A
June 1934
8
Q
Causes of the Night of the Long Knives
A
- Army were suspicious and saw SA as rivals, so wouldn’t support Hitler
- SA were badly disciplined
- Hitler feared Rohm’s power over SA- potential rival
- Rohm was a rumoured closet homosexual and was lenient to communists
9
Q
Key features of the Night of the Long Knives
A
- SS men broke into homes of SA leaders and arrested them
- Over 400 men were executed
10
Q
Effects of the Night of the Long Knives
A
- SA disbanded and members absorbed by army and SS
- Gained support of army
- Emergency decree stayed in place for 12 years
11
Q
Date of Hindenburg’s death
A
August 1934
12
Q
Effects of Hindenburg’s death
A
- Hindenburg died and Hitler became Supreme Leader (Fuhrer) of Germany
- Army swore oath of personal allegiance to Hitler as Fuhrer, army agreed to stay out of politics and serve Hitler
13
Q
Why did Hitler attack churches?
A
- Threat, stood in the way of total control
- Religious beliefs controlled people too much (behaviour and attitude) - could conflict with Nazi ideas
- People worshipping a God would be less likely to worship Hitler
- Churches could spread anti-Nazi ideas
14
Q
Hitler and the Catholic Church
A
- One third of Germans
- Signed concordat with Hitler in 1933 (agreed to leave each other alone)
- Attacked because of conflicting beliefs and the fact that they were too powerful, ended up being persecuted and put in concentration camps
- Allowed some to speak out because Hitler didn’t want them to become matyrs
15
Q
Hitler and the Protestant Church
A
- Two thirds of Germans- largest organisation in Germany, bigger than Nazi party
- United under one Reich church in 1933 under a pro Nazi bishop, wore Nazi style uniform
16
Q
Hitler and Jehovah’s Witnesses
A
- 30,000 in Germany
- Refused to comply with Nazi rules
- Put in concentration camps- one third died
17
Q
What were the five sections of the Nazi police state?
A
SS, Gestapo, SA, concentration camps, law courts
18
Q
Features of SS
A
- Led by Himmler, with 50,000 members
- Protected Nazi meetings, provided control through intimidation and fear
- Fine examples of Aryan race, expected to marry racially pure wives
19
Q
Features of Gestapo
A
- Led by Heydrich
- Arrested and imprisoned those suspected of opposing the state- eliminated possible overthrowals, often without trials
- Sometimes overstepped their boundaries
20
Q
Features of SA
A
- Led by Rohm, with 3 million members
- Intimidated and threatened opposition
- Ended on Night of the Long Knives
21
Q
Features of concentration camps
A
- Led by Himmler, ran by SS
- 8 had been formed by 1939
- Prison camps for criminals (Jews, other religious groups, political prisoners, sexual offenders, workshy, homosexuals), often using them for forced slave labour
- Easy place to put any removed opponents
22
Q
Features of law courts
A
- 10,000 members of German Lawyers Front
- Enforced Nazi law- all judges were Nazis
- No trial by Jury
23
Q
Who was in charge of censorship and propaganda?
A
Goebbels
24
Q
Censorship key features
A
- No books published without Goebbels permission
- 1933 book burning- over 20,000 books burnt that contained ideas unacceptable to Nazis
- Only Nazi approved painters could show their work
- Newspapers closely controlled- not allowed to print anti-Nazi ideas- became dull
- All films had to carry a pro-Nazi message
- Newsreels full of Hitler’s greatness and Nazi achievements were shown before films- people often arrived late to miss these
25
Q
Propaganda key features
A
- Nuremburg Rallies- Took place in summer annually,
- Bands, marches, Hitler’s speeches
- Brought excitement, sense of belonging to a great movement, powerful state
- Showed military power
- Posters put up all over Germany
- Used radio to get his speeches heard, made radios cheap- 1939 70% had radios
26
Q
Berlin Olympics, 1936 key features
A
- 1936 Olympics- Included a ‘token Jew’ in German team to silence anti-semitism reports
- Supposed to show superiority of Aryan race
- Grand vision, efficiency, power, achievement
- Foreign visitors were not used to such blatant propaganda so were shocked by devotion to Hitler
- Black athlete Jesse Owens became the star of the games
27
Q
Appeal of Hitler to Germans
A
- War hero- patriotic- wanted a strong Germany
- Saved Germans from times of hardship
- Ordinary man- related to them
- Modern and dynamic- airplanes and radios
- Charismatic- other politicians lacked charisma
28
Q
Law against formation of new parties
A
1933, became a one party state
