Nazi Germany Flashcards
What did Röhm want from Hitler?
To continue Nazi revolution by reducing the power of big business and carrying out anti-capitalist parts of the Nazi programme - such as taking over major industries. Also, he wanted the SA to take over the army.
Who gained from hyperinflation?
Borrowers, such as businessmen, landowners and those with mortgages, found they were able to pay back their loans easily with worthless money.
People on wages were relatively safe, because they renegotiated their wages every day. However, even their wages eventually failed to keep up with prices.
Farmers coped well, since their products remained in demand and they received more money for them as prices spiralled.
What was the Gestapo?
Originally the Prussian secret police run by Goering. Became the state secret police under the command of Himmler. Anyone who so much as whispered any opposition to Hitler, the gestapo could be arrested. They could strike anywhere at any time.
What was the Locarno Treaties?
In October 1925 Germany, France and Belgium agreed to respect their post-Versailles borders, whilst Germany agreed with Poland and Czechoslovakia to settle any border disputes peacefully. Germany had previously complained bitterly about their loss of territory.
How did Nazis influence literature?
The Nazis infamously organised mass book burnings in 1933, which saw mostly Jewish authors’ works ceremonially destroyed.
How did Hitler reorganise the party?
The decision to pursue power through democratic methods meant the party needed a national structure to attract members, develop polices and campaign. Hitler put this in place during 1925 and 1926.
What were the effects of the Nazi propaganda on the growth of the support for Nazis?
- The Führer cult. Hitler was always portrayed as Germany’s saviour – the man who would rescue the country from the grip of depression.
- Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community). This was the idea that the Nazis would create one German community that would make religion or social class less relevant to people.
- Scapegoating the Jews (and others) for Germany’s ills. Jews were often portrayed as sub-human, or as a threat to both the racial purity and economic future of the country.
Describe the term Blame from the TOV.
Germany was to blame for causing the war which the Germans hated, to them the war was self-defense.
How was the Weimar Republic created following Ebert becoming president?
He and his party (which had won a majority of seats in election) started to draw up a new constitution for Germany. They met in the town of Weimar as Berlin was deemed too unsafe after the Spartacist uprising earlier in the month.
Although a considerable number of deputies (German MPs) voted against it, the new constitution was eventually approved and signed in August 1919. This government eventually became known as the ‘Weimar Republic’.
What were Nazi policies towards the appearance of women?
Women were expected to emulate traditional German peasant fashions - plain peasant costumes, hair in plaits or buns and flat shoes. They were not expected to wear make-up or trousers, dye their hair or smoke in public. They were discouraged from staying slim, because it was thought that thin women had trouble giving birth.
What were Nazi policies on marriage and family?
Hitler wanted a high birth rate so that the Aryan population would grow. He tried to achieve this by:
> introducing the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage which gave newlywed couples a loan of 1,000 marks, and allowed them to keep 250 marks for each child they had
> giving an award called the Mother’s Cross to women who had large numbers of children
> allowing women to volunteer to have a baby for an Aryan member of the SS
What was invisible employment?
Although Germany claimed to have full employment by 1939, many groups of people were not included in the statistics, including:
> The 1.4 million men in the army at this time. There were also a number of men working on public works schemes.
> Jews who were sacked and their jobs given to non-Jews.
> Women who were encouraged to give up their jobs to men.
Why was the Enabling act important?
It allowed them to deal with the opposition without breaking laws or getting condemnation from the President. They dealt with the opposition by:
- Workers were no longer allowed to join trade unions.
- Opposition politicians were arrested and imprisoned.
- Enemies of the Nazis could be executed.
- SA could search and ransack the homes of suspected opponents.
- Many opponents were driven into exile.
- Nazis intimidated votes by watching over them whilst they voted.
Describe the Nazi’s control of the legal system (5)
They took control of the existing legal system.
> Judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and were expected to act always in the interests of the Nazi state.
> All lawyers had to join the Nazi Lawyers’ Association, which meant they could be controlled.
> The role of defence lawyers in criminal trials was weakened.
> Standard punishment for crimes were abolished and so local prosecutors could decide what penalties to impose on those found guilty.
What was the most influential art movement to architecture?
The Bauhaus School, founded by Walter Gropius:
- Regarded as a pioneer in modern architecture and founder of the Bauhaus movement.
- Bauhaus theory was that all architecture and design was an opportunity to introduce beauty and quality to all, through well-designed and industrially produced items.
- He became famous for iconic door handles, and several public buildings across Weimar.
Describe the term League of Nations from the TOV.
International group formed after WWI as a way to solve disputes between countries erupted into war. Germany and Russia weren’t allowed tobe members. Britain and France were the major powers.
How did the Nazis influence architecture?
Hitler was very interested in architecture and believed it could be used to project the power of the Nazi regime. The most important architect of the period was Albert Speer, who redesigned Berlin, as well as designing the stadium in Nuremberg where annual rallies were held.
What was the SA?
Nazi party’s private army. To protect party meetings march in Nazi rallies and intimidate political opponents. Intimidated voters into voting for the Nazi Party.
How did the Spartacists pose a threat and how was it prevented?
During 5 – 12 January 1919, 50,000 members of the post-World War One Communist Party, known as the Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
The government was saved when, through the army, it armed bands of ex-soldiers, known as the Freikorps, who defeated the Spartacist rebels.
In the aftermath, communist workers’ councils seized power all over Germany, and a Communist People’s Government took power in Bavaria.
Liebknecht and Luxemburg were killed by the Freikorps after being arrested on the 15th. Luxemburg’s body was dumped in a canal.
By May 1919 the Freikorps had crushed all of these uprisings.
How did the Nazis influence film?
Films were popular forms of entertainment but Goebbels saw them as a form of escapism for Germans. Directors such as Leni Riefenstahl created patriotic films such as Triumph of the Will (1935).
How did the Nazis influence theatre?
Works by certain playwrights were banned. Nazi-produced political plays and musicals were not very popular so the regime allowed classic plays by the likes of Shakespeare to be performed.
What was the reasons for the growth in support for the Nazis?
- Wealthy businessmen: were frightened communists would take their wealth away and did not want to see any more increase in support for them. To combat this, they began to give money to Hitler and the Nazis, hoping they would gain more seats – not the communists.
- The middle-class: were generally quite traditional and were not convinced by the Weimar democracy. Hitler promised them a strong government and won their votes.
- Nationalists: they blamed the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles and reparations for causing the depression and so lent their support to the Nazis who had promised to make Germany strong again.
- Rural areas: The Nazis appealed to people in the countryside - especially middle class shopkeepers and craftsmen, farmers and agricultural labourers.
What was the Concordat signed for?
In 1933 Hitler agreed a Concordat with the Pope, which said that he would not interfere in the running of the Catholic Church if it stayed out of political matters. Hitler didn’t keep his side of the bargain, however, as the Nazis attempted to infiltrate the Church and spread their propaganda.
What was the Young Plan?
Date:
- Proposed August 1929, agreed January 1930
Amount of reparations to be paid:
- Reduced the total amount by 20 per cent. Germany was to pay 2 billion Marks per year, two thirds of which could be postponed each year if necessary
Amount of time over which they would be paid:
- 59 years, with payments to end in 1988
Loans made available to Germany:
- US banks would continue to loan Germany money, coordinated by J P Morgan, one of the world’s leading bankers
What were the Nazis’ racial beliefs?
The Nazis’ racial philosophy taught that Aryans were the master race and that some races were ‘untermensch’ (sub-human). Many Nazi scientists at this time believed in eugenics, the idea that people with disabilities or social problems were degenerates whose genes needed to be eliminated from the human bloodline. The Nazis pursued eugenics policies vigorously.
How did the Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda aim to brainwash people into idolising Hitler? (4)
> Censorship of the press. All newspapers were controlled by the government and could only print stories favourable to the Nazi regime.
Control of radio broadcasts. People’s radios were sold very cheaply so that most Germans could afford one. All radio output was controlled by Goebbels’ ministry through the Reich Broadcasting Corporation.
Mass rallies. These public displays of support for Nazism involved music, speeches and demonstrations of German strength. The biggest one was held each year in August at Nuremberg.
Use of sports events. Berlin hosted the Olympics of 1936, which the Nazis used as an opportunity to showcase the success of the regime and to demonstrate the superiority of the Aryan race. The victories of the African-American athlete Jesse Owens for the USA infuriated the Nazi leadership.
How did the Nazis receive opposition from the Edelweiss Pirates?
The main youth opposition group was the Edelweiss Pirates, based in the Rhineland. They reacted to the discipline of the Hitler Youth by daubing anti-Nazi slogans and singing pre-1933 folk songs. In 1942 over 700 of them were arrested and in 1944, the Pirates in Cologne killed the Gestapo chief, so the Nazis publicly hanged 12 of them.
What was the Enabling act?
The Enabling Act allowed the Reich government to issue laws without the consent of Germany’s parliament, laying the foundation for the complete Nazification of German society. The Reichstag no longer had a say on policies. The Weimar Republic was over.
Why was the League of German Maidens created?
> Its aim was to prepare German girls for future motherhood
Girls wore a uniform of blue skirt, white blouse and and heavy marching shoes
Girls undertook physical exercise, but activities mainly centred on developing domestic skills such as sewing and cooking
What was the impact of the increase in unemployment
- The rise in unemployment significantly raised government expenditure on unemployment insurance and other benefits.
- Germans began to lose faith in democracy and looked to extreme parties on the both the Left (the communists) and the Right (the Nazis) for quick and simple solutions.
What changed in leisure for women?
- There was a huge increase in the number of newspapers and magazines following the abolition of censorship, and many of these new publications were aimed specifically at women.
- In urban areas young middle class women began to go out to dance alone, with the American dance known as the Charleston becoming particularly popular in Berlin.
- Women were estimated to have made up around 75 per cent of cinema audiences during the 1920s. Films were cheap to watch, but only 2 per cent of small towns had a cinema so it was mainly urban women who benefitted from this
- Women began to take part in a greater range of sports, in particular athletics. In 1928 Hilde Krahwinkel won an Olympic gold medal in the 800m and in 1931 Cilly Aussem became the first German woman to win Wimbledon
Who lost from hyperinflation?
People on fixed incomes, like students, pensioners or the sick, found their incomes did not keep up with prices.
People with savings and those who had lent money, for example to the government, were the most badly hit as their money became worthless.
What was the economic recovery?
In 1923, the Weimar Republic was on the verge of collapse socially and economically. But surprisingly, this crisis was followed by a period of relative stability and success. The period 1924-1929 was a time when the Weimar economy recovered and cultural life in Germany flourished.
How did the Nazis influence German Art?
Hitler saw the Weimar art as ‘degenerate’ and over 6500 works of art were removed from display across Germany. Hitler encouraged ‘Aryan art’ instead, which showed the physical and military power of Germany and the Aryan race.
What was the crisis of hyperinflation?
Germany was already suffering from high levels of inflation due to the effects of the war and the increasing government debt.
‘Passive resistance’ meant that whilst the workers were on strike fewer industrial goods were being produced, which weakened the economy still further.
In order to pay the striking workers the government simply printed more money. This flood of money led to hyperinflation as the more money was printed, the more prices rose.
Prices ran out of control, for example a loaf of bread, which cost 250 marks in January 1923, had risen to 200,000 million marks in November 1923.
By autumn 1923 it cost more to print a note than the note was worth.
During the crisis, workers were often paid twice per day because prices rose so fast their wages were virtually worthless by lunchtime.
What was the SD?
The SD was the intelligence gathering body of Nazi Germany. The SD was separate from the Gestapo but is probably not as well-known as its rival for power. The SD stood for Sicherheltsdienst or Security Service.
What was the two threats did the Weimar Republic face?
Left-wing extremists - Spartacists
Right-wing extremists - Freikorps
What was the Dawes Plan?
Date:
- Proposed April 1924, agreed September 1924
Amount of reparations to be paid:
- Stayed the same overall (50 billion Marks) but Germany only had to pay 1 billion Marks per year for the first 5 years and 2.5 billion per year after that
Amount of time over which they would be paid:
- Indefinite
Loans made available to Germany:
- Germany was loaned 800 million Marks from the USA
How did Nazis influence music?
In classical music, works by Jewish composers like Mendelssohn and Mahler were banned and the works of the German composer Wagner were promoted, gaining huge popularity.
What was the SS?
They were a private bodyguard for Hitler and other Nazi leaders - 500 men. Heinrich Himmler built it into an elite force of 50,000 aryans, physical standards were strict. They were ruthless very loyal. After the night of the Long Knives, Hitler made it into a separate organisation. They became the main means of terrorising or intimidating Germans into obedience. Had almost unlimited power to arrest people without trial, search houses or confiscate property. They also ran the concentration camps.
How did the Nazis receive by the Swing Youth and Jazz Youth?
During the war, ‘Swing Youth’ and ‘Jazz Youth’ groups were formed. These were young people who rejected Nazi values, drank alcohol and danced to jazz. The Nazis rejected jazz music as degenerate and called it Negro music, using their racial ideas against this cultural development. These youths were closely monitored by the Gestapo, who regularly raided illegal jazz clubs.
What were the weaknesses of the new constitution?
Proportional representation - Each party got the same percentage of seats in parliament as the percentage of votes it received in an election. This meant there were lots of small parties in Parliament making it difficult to pass laws and led to weak and often short-lived governments.
Article 48 - This gave the president the power to act without parliament’s approval in an emergency. However, it did not clearly define what an ‘emergency’ was, so the power was overused, which weakened Germans’ confidence in democracy.
Describe the term Empires disbanded from the TOV.
Germany lost 13% of its land:
- Alsace - Lorraine was returned to France
- West Prussia and Posen (polish corridor) were lost to Poland.
What did the army want from Hitler?
They wanted Hitler to expand the army and to buy new weapons. The army was opposed to being taken over by the SA.
