Nazi Germany. Flashcards
When was the wall street crash?
October 29th, 1929.
How did the wall street crash affect Germany?
American Banks recalled loans under the Dawes Plan, causing the economy to essentially collapse and unemployment rose rapidly as companies shut down.
By 1930 how many people in Germany were unemployed?
By 1920 4 million were unemployed.
How did high unemployment help extreme groups, such as the Nazis?
Because the public started to feel let down by the Weimar Government, so started to support extreme groups.
In 1930 how many seats did the Nazis have in the Reichstag?
They had 107 seats by 1930.
By 1930 how many seats did the KPD (Communists) have in the Reichstag?
They had 77 seats by 1930.
In what three main ways did the depression help Hitler?
1) Economic Chaos
2) Fear of Communism
3) Loss of support in Democracy.
How did Economic Chaos help Hitler?
Because no government could sort out the economic problems, Hitler offered a solution to get people back to work. He also offered to help groups such as Farmers who’s land was being repossessed by the banks.
How did the Fear of communism help Hitler?
The fear of the KPD (Communists) gaining more support alarmed many wealthy businessmen and industrialists. They donated to the Nazis and supported them as they liked the anti-communist stance of the communists.
How did the loss of support in Democracy help Hitler?
Because the democratic parties had been unable to sort out any of the economic problems, the public had lost faith in them. Hitler used this fear to gain support.
What happened to the Nazis in the 1932 presidential election?
Hitler ran for president against Hindenburg, he only lost to Hindenburg by a very small margin which made Hitler feel like he was close to victory.
What happened to the Nazis during the July 1932 Reichstag elections?
The political campaigns became very violent, communists and Nazis fought each other on the streets resulting in around 100 people being killed. The Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag, but Hitler was refused the role of chancellor. Instead, Hindenburg appointed Franz von Papen as a chancellor.
Why were more Reichstag elections called in November 1932?
Because von Papen had little support in the Reichstag.
What happened to the Nazis in the November 1932 elections?
Although the Nazis actually lost seats in the election they still remained the largest party. Von Papen did not get the support that he needed.
When did Hitler become chancellor?
Hitler became chancellor in January 1933.
How did Hitler become chancellor in January 1933?
It became clear to Hindenburg that he could not work with a chancellor who had little support in the Reichstag. Hindenburg and von Papen believed they could control Hitler so they appointed him chancellor.
What did Hitler do once appointed chancellor?
He wanted Hindenburg to call another election to increase the number of Nazis in the Reichstag.
When was the Reichstag fire?
The Reichstag fire was on 27th February 1933.
What were the main events/implications of the Reichstag fire?
The Reichstag was almost fully destroyed by the fire, a communist was arrested for the crime, allowing the Nazis to blame the communists for the fire. Hitler then was granted emergency powers from Hindenburg to pass a law restricting ‘individual liberty’. This allowed Hitler to imprison communists.
What happened to the size of the Nazi party after the Reichstag fire?
Despite the communists getting a lower amount of seats the Nazis did not have enough for a Majority. They had to form a coalition government with the smaller nationalist party which had 52 seats to form a new Government.
What was the act called that gave Hitler the powers of a dictator?
The Enabling Act.
When was the Enabling Act passed?
The Enabling Act was passed through the Reichstag in march 1933.
What did the Enabling Act allow Hitler to do?
It allowed him to pass laws for the next four years without needing to consult the Reichstag.
How was Hitler able to pass the Enabling Act?
Hitler used the S.A to intimidate the opposition in the Reichstag along with expelling 81 communists from the Reichstag.
What did Hitler do in July 1933
He used the Enabling act to pass a law which outlawed all other political groups, this made Germany into a one-party state.
Who was the leader of the S.A?
Ernst Rohm was the leader of the S.A
Why was the S.A a problem for Hitler by 1934?
Although the S.A helped Hitler gain power it started to become a problem as the German Army viewed the S.A as a rival and would not support Hitler until it was gone. Ernst Rohm was also a threat to Hitler’s leadership of the Nazi party.
What deal did Hitler make with the Army in 1934?
They agreed that Hitler would command the Army once the S.A was destroyed.
When was the Night of the Long Knives?
The Night of the Long Knives was on the 30th of June 1934.
What happened during the Night of the Long Knives?
Squads of S.S men murdered the leadership of the S.A including its leader, Ernst Rohm.
How did Hitler become ‘Der Fuhrer’ following the Night of the Long Knives?
Soon after the Night of the Long knives Hindenburg died so Hitler combined the roles of the president and Chancellor. He became the leader of the Army and each member of the army swore a personal oath of loyal to Hitler. - He became Der Fuhrer.
Who was the Minister of Propaganda?
Joseph Goebbels
What was the purpose of Nazi Propaganda?
The purpose of propaganda was to spread the Nazi Message and to express all government ideas/issues about the government in a positive manner.
What five ways did the Nazis use to spread propaganda?
1) Newspapers
2) Radio
3) Films / Cinema
4) Sporting Events - 1936 Olympics
5) Posters
How were the cinemas used to spread propaganda?
Films such as ‘The Eternal Jew’ were displayed which supported the racist policies of the Nazis.
How was the radio used to spread propaganda?
Hitler created the ‘Peoples radio station’ and mass produced short-range radios that everyone could afford. This meant that everyone had access to a radio and that only Nazi radio stations could be listened to. Allowing Hitlers Speeches to be played and to deliver positive news about the Nazi Government.
What four groups of people were often the victims of propaganda?
1) Jews.
2) Communists / Socialists.
3) Anyone who criticized the Nazis.
4) Anyone who supported the Treaty of Versailles.
What was the Secret Police called?
The Gestapo.
What was the main purpose of the Gestapo?
To create fear in communities and to stop people speaking out against the Nazis. People lived in fear that anyone could be an informant for the Gestapo.
Which group ran the concentration camps?
The Deaths Head unit of the S.S
What groups of people were sent to the concentration camps?
- Jews
- Tramps
- Beggars
- Gypsies
- Communists
What was the agreement that Hitler had made with the Catholic Church?
In 1933 the Catholic Church and the Nazis signed an agreement in which both sides agreed not to interfere with the others actions.
What was the ‘Reich Church?
The Reich Church was a non-Christian church that banned the use of religious symbols such as the cross.
What was the name of the Nazi Union all Teachers had to belong to?
The ‘German Teachers League’.
How did the Nazis control education?
- School textbooks were changed to support Nazi Messages.
- Children were taught about the Aryan Race.
- Children were taught a pro-Nazi education with emphasis on preparing boys for war and the girls to be good mothers.
- Outside of School children were encouraged to join Nazi youth clubs.
What was the boys youth group called?
The Hitler Youth.
What was the girls youth group called?
The League of German Nations.
How did Hitler support women wanting to have a family?
- Loans were given of 1,000 marks to couples wanting to have children.
- Awards were handed out such when a couple had so many children.
How did the role of women change in Nazi Germany?
- Women could not be a part of the Reichstag.
* Restrictions on the employment of women.
What happened to trade unions under the Nazis?
They were replaced by the ‘German Labour Front’ or ‘DAF’.
Why did most workers accept the DAF?
Despite the working conditions being poor and having to work long hours the DAF gave workers better pay so many tolerated the negatives.
What was the ‘Strength through joy’ scheme?
It was a scheme set up by the DAF to allow workers to go on cheap holidays and to purchase discounted cinema tickets.
How did the Nazis start to persecute the jews in 1933?
Persecution of the jews started by boycotting Jewish business’s and establishments. They were marked with the star of David.
How did Hitler get people to ‘hate’ the Jews?
Hitler blamed the Jews for the failure of Germany in world war one.
When were the Nuremberg laws passed?
They were passed in 1935.
What were the Nuremberg laws?
They banned jews from being ‘German Citizens’ along with making marriages between Jews and Aryans illegal.
What does ‘Kristallnacht’ mean in English?
The Night of the broken glass.
What event prompted Kristallnacht?
Ernst Von Rath, a German Diplomat, was shot dead by a Jew in Paris. - 7th November 1938. This caused the Nazis to retaliate.
When was Kristallnacht?
9th-10th November 1938
What happened during Kristallnacht?
S.S troopers were instructed to go and attack Jews and their property, many religious buildings, and businesses were completely destroyed.
Who was the head of the S.S?
Heinrich Himmler
What was the ‘Final Solution’?
The Final Solution was the Nazi plan to exterminate all of the jews and other groups they thought were ‘undesirable’ from Europe.
When was the Final Solution made?
1942
How many jews were killed in Nazi concentration camps?
6 million.
What were the two youth movements called that opposed the Nazis?
1) The Edelweiss Pirates.
2) The Swing Movment.
What did the youth movements do to oppose the Nazis?
They would refuse to attend groups such as the Hitler Youth, while some turned to ‘active resistance’ which meant helping deserters from the army and attempting to sabotage the Nazis.
What was ‘The White Rose’ movement?
A youth movement designed to hand out leaflets and to spread information against the Nazis.
When did the July bomb plot take place?
20th July 1944
What happened during the July Bomb Plot?
A group of army officers, led by Colonel von Stauffenberg, attempted to blow up Hitler in his Prussian headquarters. The bomb killed four people but Hitler survived. Those who planted the bomb were found and executed.
How many seats did the nazis win in the July 1932 election?
230
How many seats did the nazis lose in the November 1932 election?
34
How many people did the Nazis sterilise?
300,000
How many babies did the Nazis kill?
5000
