Nazi Germany - Government

Question 1

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
-power is democratically vested in the people with universal suffrage for those over 20

Answer 1

• e.g Fuhrerprinzip: Hitler had unlimited, ultimate power under Nazi Germany
• Dictatorship not democracy

Question 2

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
-Democratic voting - proportional representation

Answer 2

-one party state
-no proportional representation

Question 3

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
-The weimar constitution contained checks & balances to try & ensure no one part of the political system could become too powerful

Answer 3

Hitler had all the power

Question 4

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
-president was head of state, chancellor was head of government

Answer 4

Hitler is both Chancellor and President together

Question 5

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
-President had power to suspend the constitution, & rule by decree in emergencies (Article 48)

Answer 5

-from the enabling Act, Hitler has all the power

Question 6

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
Chancellor presents laws to parliament with ministers; needs a majority in the Reichstag

Answer 6

One party state

Question 7

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
Decentralised/ Federal structure of governance

Answer 7

• The Nazis wanted a centralised structure
• January 1934 - Law for the reconstruction of the Reich - The Lander were officially terminated (no more local government)

Question 8

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
Civil service are responsible for the administration of government

Answer 8

-Civil service decisions were often overruled, as they had limited power under the Fuhrerprinzip

Question 9

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
-Equality which had been protected under the constitution

Answer 9

• The principle of Volksgemeinschaft - ‘The people’s community’
• Racial inequality emerged, as the principle suggested Germany was a racially united body working together for the good of the nation

Question 10

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
Freedom - Bill of Rights protected individual rights

Answer 10

• Freedom eradicated
• Gestapo and SS are examples of authorities set up to monitor & strip people of their freedom

Question 11

Describe how an aspect of Weimar Government, is different under the Nazis
Social rights - protection of the disabled

Answer 11

sterilisation was set up for disabled people on July 14th 1933

Question 12

Define Führerprinzip

Answer 12

The Nazi ideology that all power and sovereignty (supreme power/authority) is vested in the leader

Question 13

Define Volksgemeinschaft

Answer 13

• The Nazi principle of the “people’s community”
• The German nation is united
• Individuals are expected to obey the Nazi government and make sacrifices for the common good of Germany

Question 14

Define Federal structure

Answer 14

Where powers and responsibilities are shared between central and regional governments

Question 15

How did the Nazi government establish a strict hierarchical order under the policy of Führerprinzip

Answer 15

• Adolf Hitler was the leader of the nation and had ultimate ‘Führer’ power
• At each level of govt, there was one person who was clearly in charge, to tell the people what to do
• They took responsibility for all problems on their level, and reported to someone at the next level up

Question 16

Give evidence that the Fuhrerprinzip principle did not mean Hitler held all power

Answer 16

• Few decisions were actually made by Hitler himself, he was often absent from Berlin - he only personally issued 34 decrees in his 12 years in power.
• It was in the area of foreign policy that he took most control.

Question 17

What was critical for the Nazi government to establish a strict hierarchical order under the policy of Führerprinzip

Answer 17

• people to work together and to not make their own decisions or to use their initiative.

Question 18

How did Hitler maintain broad principles in his government whilst, working towards the ‘Fuhrer’, while often being absent from Berlin

Answer 18

• Those who demonstrated loyaly, conforming to Hitler’s broad principles, and run their office/ministry/sphere accordingly were given more power and responsibility
• For example, Joseph Goebbels in the Ministry of Propaganda
• This helped Hitler to preserve his own authority - ‘working towards the fuhrer’

Question 19

Describe how the Reich’s chancellery (the Reichstag) operated in the Nazi government

Answer 19

• Power was illusory, it was a puppet ministry
• The Reichstag remained, but it only passed seven laws between 1934 and 1945.
• The Fuhrer Chancellery had equivalent cabinets which would override it

Question 20

Why did the Reich’s Chancellery only pass 7 laws from 1934-45

Answer 20

• After the signing of the Enabling Act on March 24, 1933,
• the Nazi government had to authority to override legislative (law-making) processes in parliament
• and make and enforce laws.

Question 21

How did Hitler keep some continuity with ministers in the Nazi government

Answer 21

Hitler kept the cabinet of ministers and the ministries from the former Weimar government as a part of the Reich’s chancellery.

Question 22

Give an example of how Hitler kept some continuity with ministers in the Nazi government

Answer 22

Hitler kept the Foreign Minister from
{Chancellor Von Papen and Chancellor von Schleicher}’s governments, Von Neurath, in power.

Question 23

How was the Reich’s cabinet restricted in power

Answer 23

• However, the powers of former Weimar ministries and ministers, operating within the Reich Chancellery
• were restricted as they ran alongside the new ministries and offices of the Fuhrer Chancellery.

Question 24

Give an example of how the Reich’s cabinet was restricted in power

Answer 24

• From 1934, the Bureau Ribbentrop operated alongside Von Neurath’s Foreign Ministry,
• and it was either Ribbentrop or another loyal Nazi official
• who were entrusted with diplomatic missions
• not the Foreign Minister, Von Neurath

Question 25

What new sectors were set up as a apart of the Fuhrer Chancellery

Answer 25

• Ministries - Reich Propaganda Ministry
• Offices - 4 year plan
• Health
• Race
• Family
• Highways

Question 26

Why did Hitler do his best to stop people working together

Answer 26

as this made it easier for opposition groups to form

Question 27

How did Hitler do his best to stop people working together

Answer 27

• Hitler abolished cabinet meetings
• and ministers worked individually, sending draft laws and policies to each other on paper.

Question 28

What was the issue of having ministries that were often duplicated

Answer 28

this meant decision making was inefficient

Question 29

Give an example as to how duplicated ministries made decision making inefficient

Answer 29

• The Office of the Four Year Plan was creating economic policy
• just the same as the Economics Ministry was responsible for economic policy

Question 30

Describe how often the cabinet met as Nazi Germany progressed

Answer 30

• The role of the cabinet declined
• it met 72 times in 1933
• but only 4 times in 1936

Question 31

Describe the general belief system in Nazi Germany, which worked towards the common good

Answer 31

• The Nazis worked on the principle of Volksgemeinschaft - the “people’s community.”
• The German nation as a racially united body worked for the good of the nation and the common good.
• Individuals were expected to obey the Nazi government and make sacrifices for the nation.

Question 32

How did the Nazi party establish tight levels of control over “political matters” using the gestapo

Answer 32

• The secret police set up under Hermann Goering on April 26, 1933.
• The Gestapo was taken over by Himmler’s Schutzstaffel in 1936.
• Control of its citizens was an important feature of the Nazi state.

Question 33

The Nazi state established tight levels of control over “political matters” by using the …….

Answer 33

gestapo

Question 34

How did the Gestapo & SS extend their level of control

Answer 34

• developed their own judiciary that ran alongside the existing court system for “political” offences.

Question 35

What were Gestapo-controlled concentration camps

Answer 35

• In 1933, they were set up to manage political prisoners
• The existing judiciary found that people they had freed were arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in concentration camps,
• where they could be held indefinitely without trial

Question 36

Name the first 3 Gestapo-controlled concentration camps that were set up in 1933

Answer 36

Dachau, Buchenwald and Sacherhausen

Question 37

The civil service was centralised with William Frick, Minister of the Interior, running…..

Answer 37

both regional and local governments (the Länder).

Question 38

The administration of the Nazi regime was, like the Weimar Republic, largely done by the………………. under their new minister, …………….. , in the Ministry of the Interior

Answer 38

civil service
William Frick

Question 39

What is the difference between William Frick’s civil service & the Weimar Republic

Answer 39

As part of the Nazi state, it operated within Nazi ideology and ran on the ideology of the Führerprinzip (“leadership principle”)

Question 40

How did Hitler endorse a policy of “divide and rule” to enhance his own power and distract those who might covet (desire) it

Answer 40

Frick’s Civil Service frequently came into conflict with the officials and bodies in the Führer Chancellery and Nazi Party officials

Question 41

The Nazis were against the division of Germany into………(1)
They wanted a ………(2) state, with a ……….(2) administration

Answer 41

1. Länder (regional government bodies).
2. centralised

Question 42

How did the Nazis remove the Lander from power, to create a centralised state

Answer 42

• As early as March 1933, the Länder were stripped of many of their powers
• On January 30, 1934, the Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich officially terminated them, saying that the German people now had a unity that overrode regional differences

Question 43

Frick’s civil service frequently came into conflict with the……

Answer 43

Gauleiters, who were in charge of the regional party organisation.