Nazi Dictatorship Flashcards
What was the full title of the Nazi party?
National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazis- NSDAP)
Who was Anton Drexler and what did he do?
He founded the DAP, (German Workers Party), in 1919
How did Hitler become party leader?
- Hitler first attended a DAP meeting(as a spy) and shared their views in rallying against the communists and socialists for bringing down the kaiser, the weimar republic and T.O.V and also the Jews who they blamed for undermining the German economy- September 1919
- Hitler began working as Drexler’s right-hand man and together they announced the new 25 point programme- included scrapping T.O.V and expanding Germany’s borders as well as depriving Jews of German citizenship- February 1920
- Hitler= great public speaker (orator) and he began to attract larger numbers to the meetings. Membership grew rapidly to 1100
- Hitler suggested the DAP change their name to the NSDAP and adopt the swastika as its emblem- August 1920
- Hitler pushed Dexler aside and became party leader and then sets up the SA- Mid-1921
Who were the leaders of the SA? When was the SA set up?
Herman Goring (first leader) and Ernst Rohm (killed during NOLK) mid-1921
Why was the SA set up?
- Hitler faced a lot of opposition from opposing parties and from fellow Nazis
- To deal with this- set up the SA- own private army
- Made up of violent ex-soldiers and their reputation grew very quickly due to shows of violence at political events
- Hitler therefore removed opposition due to fear SA created
How did the Nazis become a significant political party by 1928?
-The SA
-The Swastika
turned them from a political party into a household brand. Membership grew quickly
-Charmisa
Hitler- charismatic and a great orator, gathered huge crowds at public speeches
This increased the Nazi audience and allowed them to convey their ideas to the masses
Support for the party increased as a result, and also no other political party had such a ‘hypnotic’ speaker
What was the Dawes plan of 1924?
- USA lend money to Germany to help pay reparations to Britain, France and Belgium (800 million marks)
- Also German government use money to rebuild German economy
- GB and France pay US for loans accrued during WW1
Germany in the 1920’s relied on America, ‘America sneezes and the whole world catches a cold’
most loans were only short term and could be recalled at any point
What impact did the Great Depression have on Germany?
Stresemann: Germany is dancing on a volcano-1929’-economy will collapse if loans are called in
Too much production + people have little money -> demand falls -> Stock of unsold goods -> profit falls -> lack of confidence -> people start to sell shares -> panic -> CRASH
- Bankers and financiers in the USA recalled loans made to Germany = Germany had no money
- Many German companies relied on US investments, even German banks took out US loans and gave them to German businessmen
- US loans were mostly short-term, so they could be recalled at any moment
- Germany did not need to produce so much so factories closed and employees were sacked- Industrial production dropped by 49% by 1932 of its 1929 value.
- Also affected German farmers
- The impact of the WSC led to the GD and this affected many European companies
- Between 1929-1932 world trade fell by 70%
how did Hitler become Chancellor in February 1933?
backstairs intrigue
Von Papen’s misjudgement of Hitler- thought he could control him
how did the Great Depression lead to Hitler becoming chancellor/impacting it happening?
highlighted weakness of Weimar government
therefore people began to turn to political extremism
Nazis promised to rebuild the economy and 6 million were unemployed in 1932 = desperacy. needed extremist help
without it- may actually be argued that the Nazis would have remained a minor party as no growth in seats in Reichstag prior to this. 12 seats in 1928, 107 in 1930, 230 in 1932
how many seats did the Nazis have in 1932?
230
how many seats did the Nazis have in 1928?
12
what was appealing about the Nazi party during a time of crisis?
Nazi leadership, organisation by Himmler Goebbles propaganda Hitler's powerful skills as an orator Nazi promises- bread and work etc anti-Weimar stance
what other factors may have helped Hitler achieve the position of Chancellor in February 1933?
lack of opposition- Nazi leadership and effectiveness highlighted and was a foil to the lack of organisation of the Communist party
what is known as the Gleichschaltung period?
January 1933 and August 1934
what does Gleichschaltung mean?
bringing into order/getting things into line
essentially Nazi process of a totalitarian system
when does President Hindenburg die and what happens as a result of his death?
August 1934
Hitler combines the roles of President and Chancellor to become Fuhrer
what are some negative aspects of Hitler’s dictatorship that highlights he is a weak leader?
he assumed many problems would sort themselves out on their own
propaganda exaggerated the amount of jews in work
not enough Gestapo officials to go around- 1 million people had 28 staff
public work schemes such as the autobahn were only a short-term solution to the problem of unemployment post Depression
rearmament was his economic priority, but they mass produced and it wasn’t even all used
what was the Hitler myth and how my it be considered effective?
a carefully cultivated image by Goebbles
Hitler personified the nation
responsible for economic miracle, defended Germany against enemies
it satisfied the German people’s need for a strong government
It was sustained by Hitler’s successes after 1933
reaction to weakness of divided Weimar system
increased Hitler’s popularity- by late 30’s 90% of the population admired him
brought Germany together due to its strong appeal
helped cover up inconsistencies and failures
what was ineffective about the Hitler myth?
contributed to the decline of the third reich
popularity of Hitler gave him more freedom from the elites and led to radical nature that weakened the regime
Hitler began to believe in the myth- that he was infallible
military failures after 1941 led to a decline in the myths belief
who was the government official for the economy?
Goring
who was the party official for the economy?
Schacht
who was the police government official?
Himmler
who was the police party official?
Frick
who was the foreign policy government official?
Ribbentrop
what did Schleicher want?
an alliance with the Nazis because of their popular support
who disliked Hitler?
Hindenburg
why was Hindenburg running out of options to name a Chancellor?
Papen’s rule had failed
everyone was urging him to put Hitler in the position
what mistake did Bruning make during his chancellorship and what year and month did he do this?
he cut government expenditure, wages and unemployment pay in July 1930
effectively he worsened the already terrible situation
what did Brunings mistake lead to?
hostile attitudes from workers
anger and bitterness turned these people to the Nazis as they wanted extremism
what else increased support for the Nazis during Bruning’s rule?
many workers also turned to communism which frightened many businesses and middle/upper classes
therefore they financed the Nazis who were the strongest opponents to the Communists which clearly would have helped them
when was Bruning dismissed by Hindenburg?
1932
who succeeds Bruning?
Von Papen who became Chancellor as he had the support of Von Schleicher
what happened at the July 1932 election?
the Nazis gained the most votes than any other party (230 seats)
Von Papen wanted to gain their support ultimately for his own benefit
Hitler tried to keep distance as did not want to be associated with failure
when does Von Papen resign?
4th December 1932
failed to get significant support and Von Schleicher brought in ministers to oppose his policies
what does Schleicher offer Hitler?
the role of Chancellor if he could be in charge of defence- to which Hitler refuses
who wanted revenge on Schleicher?
Von Papen
he plotted to have him ousted with Hitler
what does Hindenburg finally agree to?
Hitler as chancellor
Von Papen as vice-chancellor
and a cabinet full of mostly non-Nazis (appealed to him as did not like Hitler anyway) (only 3 out of 11 were Nazis)
when does Hindenburg ask Schleicher to resign?
30th January 1933
what does Von Papen foolishly think that he can do?
control Hitler, he assured Hindenburg of this
how wrong he was!
how many members of the Nazi party were there in January 1933 and 1935?
850,000 to 2,500,000
how did Nazis ensure full totalitarian rule?
through the Der Gau which held utter dominance of German life
Gau = region
Kries = district
Ortsgruppe = small town (1500 households)
zelle = cell (160-480 households)
block (40-60 households)
who were the Gauleiter?
regional party bosses
who did the Gauleiter communicate with?
directly with Hitler and even attended top national party meetings
they also communicated with the Reichstag electoral district and they could become the position of Reich governor
what factor to do with the extreme way of exerting control proves the Nazi’s rule as ineffective?
many Gauleiter resisted the implementation of central government instructions!!
what were some of the Nazis economic policies 1933-1939?
drag Germany out of worldwide recession and increase GNP
solve unemployment
make Germany an autarky
transform the economy to focus on war and rearmament
what were the Nazi strategies to drag Germany out of the recession and increase GNP?
having a focus on agricultural production
placing tariffs on imported goods
low interest rates to encourage investments
mefo bills
small business investment
re-scheduled local authority debts
were the Nazi GNP and get out of the recession methods effective?
wages rose slightly- still lower in 1938 than they were in 1928- yes = effective
working hours went up to 49 hours in 1939- not so effective???
by 1936 GNP was up by 40%-effective
Industrial production up by 60%-effective
how did the Nazis aim to solve unemployment?
RAD (Reich Labour Service)
sack women and Jews from key jobs
public work schemes such as the autobahn and reforestation
were the Nazi methods to solve unemployment effective?
yes as unemployment dropped- 0.5 million in 1938 and previously 6 million in 1932…
removal of women and jews not exactly a good thing
autobahns was a temporary fix
statistics skewed by those in the RAD
how did Germany aim to increase self-sufficiency and make themselves an autarky?
place tariffs on imported goods (like to increase GNP and get out of the recession)
regulate imports and exports
focus on chemicals and metals over agriculture
increase agricultural production
were the Nazi methods to make Germany an autarky effective?
there were fewer consumer goods- not effective
Germany ended up importing more than exporting due to demands for rearmament- clearly the opposite of what they wanted to do and achieve
by 1939, still imported 33% of its required raw materials- not so effective although amount had reduced- still not complete self- sufficiency
what were the Nazis aims to focus on war and rearmament?
introduce conscription with 6 months of military construction projects
to develop substitute products eg: artificial rubber (buna)- effectively a form of self-sufficiency/autarky
to increase production of raw materials for war production
were the Nazis aims to focus on war and rearmament effective?
led to resignation of Schacht and lost support of elite businessmen who wanted to focus on butter rather than guns
caused deficits as it limited exports
-not effective
what did Schacht’s economic plans cause for workers?
Germany’s industry to steadily increase
profits went up by 3.8% between 1934 and 1938- positive
management salaries grew- positivie
working hours increased over time- from 43 in 1933 to 49 in 1939- negative
economy became increasingly geared towards war production so workers were put under pressure to do overtime on top of these long hours- negative
what was the DAF?
German Labour Front
what did the DAF do to benefit workers?
incorporated the Strength Through Joy (KdF) which provided recreational activities to millions of workers (holidays etc)
in 1934 2.3 million benefited from kdf holidays and 10.3 by 1939!!!
how did consumption decrease for workers?
between 1927 and 1937 butter went down tropical fruit went down beet went down potatoes went up
what was the Beauty of Labour and what was it a part of to improve life for workers?
a part of the DAF
beauty of labour was responsible for working conditions such as cleaner working environments , meals and smoking-free rooms
how did the DAF affect workers wages despite positive effects it had?
had to pay DAF contributions as well as tax and insurance
real wages only rose above 1929 levels in 1938- almost 10 years later despite everything they had to pay out for!
Nazi unemployment figures from 1928 to 1938…
1928-1.8 million 1932- 6 million 1934- 2.7 million 1936- 1,6 million 1938- 0.5 million
why did unemployment fall?
public work schemes, focus on rearmament and a need for workers to do this etc
but…
women and Jews were not counted in the statistics-despite being unemployed and kicked out of jobs
unemployed men working in forced labour schemes were also not counted
when did the Nazi party ban all trade unions?
1933
what were trade unions replaced with?
DAF (German Labour Front) led by Ley, labour
this meant that Nazis had full control and could deal with strike action harshly and remove rights of workers to protest
how did DAF membership increase from 1933 to 1939?
5 million to 22 million
what did Goebbles create when he came into power?
the Reich Radio Company
all broadcasting was under Nazi control = totalitarian
what helped draw attention to the Nazis during the election campaigns of 1932-1933?
the use of new technology
what impact did ‘the people’s receiver; have?
this cheap radio set meant more Germans could own a radio
1939- 70% of Germans owned a radio
loudspeakers were eventually installed in restaurants, cafes and factories and offices
radio warden coordinated the listening process
everybody could hear the Fuhrer’s message
what was the Nazi publishing house called for newspapers?
Eher Verlag
how much of the press did Eher Verlag control by 1939?
2/3 of German press
a daily press conference was introduced at the propaganda ministry to provide guidance on editorial policy
prior to this all privately owned companies
what impact did the Berlin Olympics 1936 have?
wanted to avoid international upset
Jewish posters removed
newspapers had to play down virulent messages
wanted to present a positive image of ‘new Germany’
radio spoke 28 different languages and everywhere- 20 transmitting vans with 300 microphones
ARYAN BLONDE HAIRED BLUE EYED race emphasised!!!!- image of athlete Siegfried Eifrig
heil hitler salute, Horst Wessel (sort of national anthem) strengthened individual’s identity within the regime
overall a major success for Germany
what was Nazi culture like and how was it controlled?
modern music banned
Classical music richly exploited by the regime
Only politically acceptable plays could be performed like some of Shakespeare’s
modern art was resented- had art exhibitions that glorified Nazi themes and celebrated traditional 19th century German Romanticism
over 2000 German writers left the country between 1933-1945 as they did not like this culture
anti-Semitic films- The Eternal Jew, Triumph of the Will
when was the Reich chamber of culture established?
1933
what were all lawyers and judges forced to join?
the Nazi Lawyers Association
all results fell in Nazi favour
imprisoned individuals and sent them to CC
after the July Bomb Plot 1944, by how much did the number of crimes punishable by death increase?
from 3 to 46
what was the ‘people’s court’?
anyone accused of being against the Nazi party were found guilty and there did not have to be any evidence!
very effective in eliminating opposition
standard punishments were abolished so judges could decide punishments on each case- they could make it as severe as they liked!
how were the brutal methods of the judges and courts effective?
promoted fear across the country
how did the Gestapo promote fear?
the state secret police could tap telephones, open mail, and collect information from informants
nobody knew who they were or how many of them there were, and this promoted mass fear- could be your neighbour!
They could get close and observe people without them knowing
everyone always alert not to do wrong or go against Nazism
people persecuted created a knock on effect, promoted fear to others
who were the Schutzstaffel?
the protection squad (SS) led by Himmler split into 3: Allegmeine SS Waffen SS SS-Totenkopfverbande helped keep people in line as people were intimiated by their clear strength order and leadership
what did the Allegmeine SS do?
responsible for enforcing racial policy and general Nazi policy
what did the Waffen SS do?
they were the combat units of the SS
what did the SS Totenkopfverbande do?
ran the concentration camps and extermination camps
what is ubermensch?
essentially being Aryan, a higher race, through artificial selection
how did the SS promote Add to dictionary?
they had to prove Aryan descendency
who were the Sturmabteilung?
the SA
main aim is to make Hitler look good
stir up trouble in meetings of political opponents
arrested communists
important at first as they were Hitler’s personal bodyguards when opposition was likely and not yet prevented, but became less important later on, hence night of the long knifes
not properly trained, whereas SS were
what were the SA described as by the Nuremberg Military Tribunal?
‘ruffians and bullies’
who were the ordnungspolizei?
the ‘ordinary police’ controlled by Himmler
co-operated with criminal police and the Gestapo to monitor social and political behaviour and enforce Nazi policies
conducted a wide range of duties from traditional security to participation in mass executions (estimated to have murdered 1 million people)
how were the ordnungspolizei effective at maintain control?
german people were too afraid to say anything or oppose Nazism
who were the Einsatzgruppen?
special task forces of the security police
main task was to shoot Communists and Jews
killed over 2 million between 1939 and 1943, 1 million of which were Jews
how many Poles did the Einsatzgruppen kill in the autumn of 1939?
16,000
how many Russian Jews were killed by the Einsatzgruppen at the end of 1941?
600,000
how did the church oppose the Nazis?
the Confessional church resisted it, wanted to defend the church
Catholic churches co-operated but laity opposed gov.t interference and so this modified gov.t attacks on the Catholic church
Catholic church opposed sterilization and euthanasia
they did not pose a threat as only wanted to concentrate on their own positions
however did remain an obstacle to full totalitarianism
who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
criticised Nazism as incompatible with Christianity and defended its victims
in 1943 sent to a CC
executed April 1945
what did the Swing Youth do to oppose Nazism?
played jazz music etc, that was banned, danced to it in public etc upper-middle class many HY members that rejected ideas = ineffective control
what did the Edelweiss Pirates do to oppose Nazism?
beat up members of the Hitler Youth, played banned music, wore clothes that were not allowed etc
members of the working class
earliest record = 1934
2000 members in 1939
in December 1942 the Gestapo arrested 739
in 1944 leaders were hanged, some rebels tried and executed, most sent for corrective education
what did the White Rose Group do to oppose Nazism?
Hans and Sophie Scholl
distributed anti-Nazi leaflets throughout Munich university with help of professor
Arrested and killed
Sophie guillotined in 1943
how did the army oppose Nazism?
relations broke down after they felt Hitler was too radical with foreign policy
General Beck had a plan to arrest Hitler in 1938, which was ruined by Hitler’s success at Munich Conference
several officers involved then went on to take part in the July Bomb Plot 1944
what was the Abwehr? How did they begin to show signs of opposition to the Nazis?
German Military Intelligence Organisation
opposition prevalent to Nazis- Admiral helped Jews leave during the war
what does Hitler declare himself after Hindenburg’s death?
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces
and he made General Ludwig Beck the army’s chief of staff (1935-1938)
What caused Beck’s resignation from being the army’s chief off staff in 1938?
Hitler planned to invade Czechoslovakia to which Beck opposed as army was not ready for war
tried to get other chief of staffs to threaten to resign over Hitler because of this
failed to gain enough support and so resigned
Beck later executed for his involvement in July Bomb Plot
what evidence is there to suggest the government were beginning to oppose the Nazis?
guns vs butter debate
Schacht’s worries about the economy
concerns expressed during Berlin Olympics
Papen pleaded for greater freedom in June 1934
in August 2935 Schacht also deplored anti-sematic violence
how may the judiciary be perceived to have opposed the Nazis?
some judges tried to maintain standards of justice
how did workers oppose the Nazis?
they had the numbers but not the organisational strength/skills
no legal organisation to use for opposition
there were strikes
(400 between 1933-1935)
some maintained relationships with illegal political parties
when are all political parties banned?
July 1933
arrests of leaders
how do political parties oppose the Nazis even though they are banned in July 1933?
some left-wing parties continued some illegal activities
SPD organised underground groups (Berlin Red Patrol) etc
distributed leaflets
tried to start a propaganda campaign
KPD formed underground cells even in the DAF
how does the Nazi approach to the church change?
in July 1933- a hostile approach. SA ordered to attend church ceremonies and check up on them. Concordat is signed, which shows that the Nazis are attempting to work with them.
November 1933- cooperation with the Nazi regime, as a Nazi-supported Protestant group ‘the German Christians’ calls for removal of unGerman elements in gospels
by mid 1934- Nazis take more control as the church is not co-operating (breakaway movement) with the Confessional church away from the Reich church (church not cooperating)
1935-hostile approach. 2 Protestant bishops arrested. 700 Prussian ministers arrested for condemning Nazi old religion
1936-hostile approach. National Socialist Teacher’s League encourages no teaching of religion, religious lessons in schools reduced
June 1936- Confessional pastors circulate anti-Nazi message. Hundreds sent to CC.
1937- hostile approach due to opposition to regime. Pope criticises racism
1939- cooperation to the regime- a cardinal orders a special service to celebrate Hitler’s survival of an assassination attempt
1941- opposition-Galen publically protests against euthanasia
1943-oppostion-church. Prussian confessional church criticises those involved in extermination
what was the Nazi policy towards Protestantism?
supported German Christians who wanted Nazi spirit incorporated into their faith
they helped to set up Official Reich Church which was an attempt to combine all Protestants within one structure
what was the Nazi policy towards Catholicism (July 1933 Concordat)?
Hitler recognised difficulty of controlling Catholics so looked for agreement with Pope (concordat)
initially Pope co-operated and agreed to disband Centre party
July 1933 concordat-Pope recognised new regime and the regime promised not to interfere with the church
Concordat was not adhered to- 1936
how much did the number of children attending denominational (religious- Catholic) schools decline by?
1935-65%
1937-5%
when does the Hitler Youth become compulsory?
1938
who was Muller?
Hitler’s advisor on Protestant church affairs
elected to new post of Reich Bishop in July 1933
when was the church breakaway movement?
September 1933
over 100 pastors
what did the breakaway movement form?
Confessional Church-October 1934
what was the Confessional church?
not explicitly anti-Nazi
wanted to preserve Protestantism from political control
how many groups of Protestantism were there as a result of this?
official reich church
german Christians
opposition- confessional church
how did Hitler try to weaken the Catholic church through youth?
Catholic youth groups disbanded and parents were pressured to send children to state schools through terror, instead of Catholic schools
when are church groups disbanded?
1936
what changes were made as a result of Nazi interference into the church?
Nazi ceremonies to replace Christian weddings/baptisms/funerals
prayers said to thank god for Hitler
etc
how many Hitler Youth members were there in 1933? and 1934?
100,000
4 million
how did Hitler control youth?
boys:
Young German Boys, Hitler Youth
girls: jung madel (young girls), league of german maidens, faith and beauty
when was the First Hilter Youth Law?
1st December 1936
to make membership in HY mandatory for all eligible German youths
when was the second Hitler youth Law?
25th March 1939
must join HY at age 10 and serve through until age 18
penalties for those parents who do not comply- confinement
when was the third Hitler youth law?
1941
limited exemptions and made compliance more severe
(evidently through 3 laws policy was not working and indicates people were not listening to 1st and 2nd law)
youth groups became less and less successful as time went by, important during the 30’s as felt they had important purpose during chaotic time, not so much later on
what was Nazi education like as a method of controlling and indoctrinating youth?
geography focused on lebanraum- creating ‘living space’ for Germans
History = german history
biology = racial purity
girls taught domestic skills
heil hitler in classrooms
clearly Nazi ideology = everywhere, inescapable = very effective
what were Adolf Hitler schools?
tough military training for boys and could join army after
very best pupils went to order castles
played war games with real ammunition- some died!
what did teacher’s have to join to ensure they followed the Nazi curriculum?
National Socialist Teachers Association
what was the poisonous mushroom?
childrens book which portrayed jews as evil
why is the period 1924-1929 known as the ‘lean years’?
it was growing in membership yet failed to win seats in the Reichstag!- in 1928 = 12 seats
and thousands of members… (130,000 by 1929)
what was Hitler’s new structure of the Nazi party during the Lean years?
Hitler SS Leadership Corps SA Party members Hitler Youth
when was the Bamberg Conference?
February 14th 1926
what was the Bamberg Conference?
there was tension between the northern and southern sections of the party
disagreements had grown:
North was keen to emphasise socialist elements of the 25 point programme
South was keen to emphasise nationalist and racist policies in order to attract support from middle classes and farmers
what did the Bamberg Conference lead to?
Hitler insisted policies could be painted as Communist like taking land from rich noblemen and so it would not be pursued
Conference re-affirmed the 25 point programme with socialist policies as its platform
‘Leader Principle’- Fuhrerprinzip. Leader in absolute control and all members must follow his directions (prevent feud etc)
despite effectiveness of Nazis, why were they not gaining many seats in 1928?
Stresemann’s effectiveness as Chancellor and foreign minister- Dawes Plan, Rentenmark introduction to solve hyperinflation and help stabilise economy due to reparations, League of Nations, Kellogg-Briand all improved foreign relations and trading opportunities, no need at this point for extremism!
post WSC and GD- 230 seats in 1932 etc!!
when was the law for the prevention of hereditary and defective offspring get passed?
1933
did not directly effect Jews
sterilization of gypsies, black people, disabled people etc
when was the law passed for Jews to be removed from jobs?
1933
jobs such as teaching, farming, journalism, dentistry and civil service
when is the boycott of Jewish shops and businesses?
April 1933
Germans told not to buy from Jewish shops and businesses for one day
when are Jews forced out of jobs in theatre?
1934
when are Jews banned from the German armed forces?
1935
when do Jews lose the right to vote and are no longer considered citizens of Germany?
1935
when are Jews banned from marrying or having sexual relations with Aryans? what was the punishment for this?
1935
imprisonment
what were gypsies forced to do during the Berlin Olympics 1936?
move to a temporary camp outside the city
when are Jews not allowed to be vets?
1936
when are Jews not allowed to be doctors?
1938
what happens in 1937?
gypsies are photographed, fingerprinted and registered as part of a Nazi campaign to fight gypsy
when are Jewish men forced to take the name Israel and women Sara?
1938
when are Jews banned from owning electrical equipment?
1936
in what year are Jews given a strict curfew?
1939
not allowed out after 9pm in summer and 8pm rest of year
this same year Jews can also be legally evicted from their homes without notice
when are Jewish passports stamped with a J?
1938
what were Nazi views like towards women?
traditional values no makeup no dieting no short hair complete contrast to Weimar women- liberal time in the 1920's. motherhood cross and medals
what are the three K’s?
Kinder Kirche Kuche
children, church, kitchen
home cooking was encouraged to help with autarky
children to encourage birth rate and grow German population
church= adherence to traditional values and morals. Reich church = Hitler portrayed as a god etc
what was the 1933 law that was passed and aimed at women?
1933 Law for Encouragement of Marriage
gives newly weds a loan of 1000 marks
encouraged them to have children
by the time you had 4 children, you did not have to pay this back as they lowered the loan with each child
what was put forward in 1934 that was aimed at women?
10 commandments for choice of spouse
encouraged to fit German ideals and keep race pure
in what year are women dismissed from professions?
1934
when are women not allowed to be judges or sit on a jury?
1936
what was the Lebensborns programme and how did it encourage population growth?
unmarried women who were racially desirable could have children away from social stigma
contraception and abortion was also banned
racially impure were sterilised
what was the first policy of Schacht’s New Plan and what year was it?
1934
bilateral treaties- promote trade and solve foreign exchange mainly with European countries. Barter agreements instead of imports being paid with money. Aimed to promote autarky
what was the second policy of Schacht’s New Plan?
regulations of the Reichsmark currency
Germany agreed to trade if countries bought German goods with the Reichsmark in order to protect their income
what was the third policy of Schacht’s New Plan?
MEFO bills
held for 5 years up to 4% interest
disguised and delayed government spending
what is a MEFO bill?
special government money bill, like a credit note
what are some of the gains the New Plan made under Schacht?
industrial production increased by 60%
GNP grew by 40%
however… still deficits due to the demand for rearmament imports
what was Schacht’s conflict with Goring and Hitler?
guns vs butter debate
Schacht wanted to focus on industrial production and worried about the economy
Goring and Hitler wanted to focus on rearmament and war
what was the aims of Gorings Four Year Plan and when was it?
1936
regulate imports and exports
focus on chemicals and metals over agriculture
control the labour force and prevent wages increasing (DAF)
increase production of war materials
effectively create a war economy during peace time
what were the effects of Goring’s Four Year Plan?
became economic dictator
not fully supported by business leaders
when does Schacht resign?
1939
when is the Reichstag fire?
27th February-5th March 1933
Van Der Lubbe- Dutch a communist
persuaded Hindenburg to pass emergency law
could imprison and arrest many communists so they could not campaign In the election
why was the Enabling Act able to be passed?
SA intimated other parties not to oppose it
could only be passed after 2/3 majority vote which it got. Essentially only after BVP (Catholic Centre Party) supported the bill
how many seats and percentage of the vote did Nazis gain in the 5th March 1933 election?
44%
288 seats
when was the Enabling Act passed?
23rd March 1933
gives Hitler emergency powers
destroyed opposition and removed the Reichstag as a threat
2/3 of the vote majority meant Hitler could do this
what does the Enabling Act do?
gives the powers of Article 48 to the Chancellor, extends them to him and not just president
when are local government reorganised
26th April 1933
42 Gaus
Gestapo also set up
when are all political parties banned?
14th July 1933
one party state- destroyed democracy
when are trade unions banned?
2nd May 1933
what does the removal of political parties and trade unions create?
an illegal dictatorship
when are the People’s Courts set up?
April 1934
Oath of Loyalty to Hitler
When is the Night of the Long Knifes?
30th June 1934 SS were intimidated by huge SA numbers 400 murdered including leader Ernst Rohm Von Schleicher also killed removed an internal threat and kept SS happy
When does Hindenburg die and Hitler become Fuhrer?
19th August 1934
Hitler combines the roles of president and chancellor
becomes head of the army
army swear Oath of Allegiance to Hitler
what happened during Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass)?
9th November 1938-
815 shops destroyed, over 100 synagogues set on fire, 20,000 Jews arrested, 36 deaths reported, incidents of rape
(rapists expelled from Nazi party) but not those who killed
‘spontaneous demonstration’
what triggered the night of the broken glass?
Ernst Vom Rath’s killing by a German Jewish refugee
Rath was not an anti-semitite and rather an anti-Nazi!!- ironic?
an excuse for Kristallnacht?
how did the Nazis benefit some of their greatest supporters-farmers?
Reich Entailed Farm Act 1933- forbade division of land to ensure production
Reich Food Estate (1933) supervised every aspect of food production including prices and working wages
tariffs put on imported goods to protect farmers
