Nazi Germany - B3 Flashcards
What were 3 limitations to the Nazi’s prior to 1933?
- Hitler was chancellor of a cross party cabinet that only contained 3 Nazis
- In Berlin in 1932 election, Nazis polled just 22.5% of the vote
- The ‘March Converts’ who joined the party from Jan-March 1933 were less radical and diluted the party
What was an example of the Nazis failing to solve the dualism between party and state?
1934 - Frick (Minister of the Interior) tried to control Reich ministers using the Law for Reconstruction of the Reich. This did not work as many were appointed by Hitler and therefore refused to submit to Frick
When/what was the Reichstag Fire?
Feb 27 1933
Dutch Communist, van der Lubbe, was blamed. Hitler used it to invoke use of Article 48
What Decree did Frick draw up following the Reichstag fire that allowed civil liberties to be suspended?
Decree for Protection of the People and the State - Hindenberg signed 28th Feb
Which election was dominated by violence and terror?
5th March 1933 - Nazis got 288 seats and 43.9% of the vote.
What is Gleischaltung?
The gradual assimilation of all aspects of the state into the Nazi party
When was the Law for the Restoration of the Civil service and what did it do?
7th April 1933
Banned Jews from the civil service (only resulted in 5% of people being removed)
When was the May Day holiday and what did it do?
May 1 1933 - Became international labour day, but Nazis used it as a distraction to sieze Trade Union Offices on the 2nd of May. All workers coordinated under DAF
What proportion of the vote did Hitler need to ammend the constitution?
2/3 majority
When was Potsdam day and what happened?
21/03/33
Hitler bowed infront of Hindenberg and gave a moderate speach discussing traditional German values which gained the support of Junkers.
What law was passed on the Same day as Potsdam?
The Malicious Practices Act which banned criticism of the Nazis
What was the Enabling Act?
Passed 23/03/33 - Presented to the Reichstag at the Kroll Opera House following them being intimidated. Hitler appealed to the Z party for votes. Passed 444-94 votes and meant that laws were published next day in the newspaper Voelkischer.
When was Kopenick Blood Week? What happened?
21-26th June 1933
500 SPD members were tortured by the SS, SA and Gestapo
When was the SPD disolved?
June 22nd - key members went to prague
How were the Z party disolved?
Weakened by the Concordat (July 1933) in which Hitler promised to respect the Church if they had no Political involvement. 5th July - Z party disolve
What position was Goring appointed to that allowed him to coordinate local and national governments?
Commisioner for Prussian Ministry of the Interior - had control over Prussian police and Civil service - legally appointed an extra 50,000 police from the SA.
What did Article 2 of the Reichstag Fire Act allow?
Nazis could contol any state who could not enforce law and order - Replaced the governments of 8 states.
When was the Law for the reconstruction of the Reich passed and what did it do?
30 Jan 1934 - ended all Lander and abolished Reichsrat.
How many members had socialist Trade Unions had?
4 million
Who led the DAF and how many members?
Robert Ley
22 Million
By 1933, how many SS members? What were they?
52,000 - representatives of blind obediance and total Nazi commitment.
How many SS by 1939?
250,000
What was the European New Order?
Established by the SS, had 150 firms that exploited slave labour to extract raw materials.
When was Dachau opened? How many communists within the first 3 months?
March 1933
30,000 communists
When was the Law against the Formation of New Parties?
July 14 1933
How many men in the Gestapo?
40,000 but had big impact as relied on confessions.
What percentage of Gestapo investigations stemmed from voluntary denunciations?
50%
How many Gestapo Officers covered how many people in Wurzburg and Lower Francania?
28 men covering 1 million people
Between 1933-39, how many people were sentenced to how many years?
225,000 to 600,000 years - spread fear.
When was the KdF established? How many took KdF holidays in 1938?
November 1933
10 million
When was the Volkswagon car scheme?
1938 - 5 marks a week, but not effective as war started.
From 1936, how many people recieved Vocational training supplied by the DAF?
2.5 Million Workers
Why did the Night of the Long Knives happen?
SA were becoming too powerful and threatening the position of the Nazis and the German Army - 3 million members. Rohm was also gay.
When was the Night of the Long Knives and what happened?
30 June - 2 July 1934 Over 150 people murdered. Rohm was shot on 1 July.
When did Hindenberg die? Who did Hitler make the Army swear allegience to the next day?
1st Aug 1934
Himself and Germany
How much did the SA drop by after the Night of the Long Knives?
40%
1936 Olympics - Propaganda
42 Million RM spent on largest stadium in the world. Anti-semetic posters covered. Filmed by Riefensthal (Olympia 1938).
Radios - Propaganda
Nazis made the People’s Reciever radio set - in 1932 less than 25% had a radio, in 1939, 70% had them.
What was the Nazi Newspaper?
Volkischer Beobachter (1.7 million readers in 1944)
Hitler’s Approach to Gov - Fuhrers Will
The party worked towards the Fuhrer, using Mein Kampf as a Guide. Hilter had to sign off on all laws and only chose those he favoured.
Hitler’s approach to Gov - Cumulative Radicalisation
Competition between departments meant that things became increasingly radical to gain Hitler’s favour - Hitler never had planned Jewish policy, but suggestions increasingly became more radical
How many times did the Cabinet meet in 1933 vs 1935? Why?
72 vs 12
The Enabling Act allowed laws to be passed without needing cabinet approval or presedential signitures - became pointless
When did Hitler declare that only Military could cary guns and not the SA?
Feb 1933
When was German Conscription introduced?
Jan 1935
What had the Order of Death’s Head grown to by 1934 (SS involved in Concentation Camps)
2000
Who tried to use the DAF to control economics? Who was the economic minister who was undermined?
Robert Ley
Schacht (Not a Nazi)
Which organisation was undermined by Organisation Todt and when?
1933 - Ministry of Transport undermined in creating the Autobahn
Who was the creation of the Luftwaffe placed under the Control of?
Reich Aviation Ministry instead of Ministry of Defence
Explain the levels of the Mother’s Cross?
Bronze - 4
Silver - 6
Gold - 8
How much was the Marriage Loan and when was it introduced?
1933 - 600 RM
When was the Lebensborn programme introduced and what did it do?
1935 - Founded by Himmler, it offered young racially pure girls the opportunity to get pregnant and have their baby given to a Nazi family.
When were women dismissed in the Civil Service?
1933
By 1937, how many teachers had been on a one month course based on Nazi ideology?
97%
What were the schools created to preapre Nazi party members for Politics?
Napolas - National Political Education Institutions - 21 existed
By 1938, how many teaching vacancies compared to newly qualified teachers?
8000 vacancies compared to 2500 graduates
What was Hitler Youth membership in 1934 compared to 1938? When did it become compulsary?
3.5 million compared to 7.1 million
1939
Which independent youth group challenged Nazism?
Edelweiss Pirates - 1944 12 were hanged due to their attacks on military targets
How were the Mittlestandt protected by the Nazis?
1933 Law to Protect Retail Trade banned opening of new department stores and gave money from Jewish businesses
Previous Antisemitism
When was the Boycott of Jewish shops and what was the outcome?
1st April 1933 - stopped after one day
Previous Antisemitism
When were Jewish Journalists excluded?
4 Oct 1933
Previous Antisemitism
In which document did the Nazi party declare their intention to segregate Jews?
25 point party programme - 1920
When were the Nuremburg Laws published? Name 3
1935
- Illegal for Jews to be married to Germans or have sex with them.
- Jews became ‘subjects’ not citizens
- The definition of “Jew” was defined , anyone with 3 Jewish Grandparents
What was the background to the Nuremberg Laws?
Gerhard Wagner made a speech hinting that radical policy was imminent, so Hitler switched his Nuremberg speech from FP to anti-Jewish Legislation. - 4 drafts written overnight.
