Nazi methods of control Flashcards
What was the SS? Who ran it?
TERROR AND REPRESSION
The SS began in 1925 as Hitler’s bodyguard of 240 men. By 1933, the SS numbered 52,000, and 250,00 by 1939.
-It was ran by Heinrich Himmler, reichfuhrer and chief of all german police
What were the main functions of the SS?
TERROR AND REPRESSION
-Intelligence gathering
-policing (carried out by the gestapo)
-military action (by 1944, it’s power rivalled that of the German army)
-reponsible for creating the “new order” in occupied territories outside of Germany
What was the role of the peoples courts (1934)? What was it composed of?
-Tried people accused of being traitors to the third reich. The trials were not public, and appeals against verdicts were banned
-two judges and five other members, who were chosen from the Nazi party, the SS, and the armed forces
What did judges of the peoples courts have to do by 1939?
Judges had to study Nazi beliefs. Judges who did not carry out government wishes were removed
What were the Gestapo?
Secret state police, set up by Hermann Goering
What was the role of the Gestapo?
To find opponents of the Nazi’s and arrest them. Relied on informers and blockwardens for information. They upheld the regime using surveillance and repression.
How large was the Gestapo?
small organisation, with 20,000 to 40,000 agents
What kind of reputation did the Gestapo have?
It had a reputation for brutality. It could arrest and detain someone without trial
How many supporters of left wing parties were detained 1933-34?
between 150,000 and 200,000
What was the role of the SS in 1933-34?
-Carried out the purge of the SA during the night of the long knives
-After the event the SS ran concentration camps; their responsibilities grew
How did concentration camps serve to increase the control of the Nazi’s?
these were prisons where opponents of the regime were questioned and subjected to torture, hard labour, and re-education in Nazi ideals. Here prisoners could be held indefinitely without trial.
How many concentration camps were established 1933-45?
approximately 20,000 camps
How many non-jewish people were sent to the camps for political crimes 1933-45?
over 500,000
What did Goebbels inform controllers or radio on march 1933?
That German radio stations served the government and therefore had to follow Nazi guidelines and express Nazi ideology
What was the Reich radio company? How many staff were purged?
-A state controlled radio station established in 1933
-13% of staff were purged on racial and political grounds
How did the creation of the peoples receiver affect how many German households owned a radio?
Number of households that owned a radio increased from less than 25% in 1932 to 70% by 1939
What was the function of the peoples receiver?
it became a medium of mass communication controlled by the regime
What law allowed the Nazi’s to ban publications?
1933- The decree of the reich president for the protection of the people and the state
What was the editors law?
(1933) A decree was issued that made it a Crime for the Editor of a newspaper to publish anything which might weaken the Third reich, or harm the German economy, culture or people. It was their sole responsibility to satisfy the requirements of the propaganda ministry. A state-owned press agency issued guidelines on how to report stories.
What was the established for journalists?
The reich association was established to compile a list of “accredited” journalists
How did the readership of Nazi newspapers increase from 1932-1933?
1932- 59 Nazi Newspapers with over 780,000 readers
By the end of 1933 there were 86 Nazi newspapers with over 3 million readers
How much of the German press did the Nazi publishing house control in 1939?
2/3
What happened to all film companies by 1942?
They became state owned
What was censored in Nazi news? How many papers shut down?
News of the German defeat at Stalingrad (1942) were supressed as 1500 papers shut down
Were Goebbels censorship measures effective?
No- He was unable to stop rumours of defeat
What was criminalised from September 1939?
listening to foreign radio stations
What was culture used to foster?
-volksgemeinschaft- Bach and Beethoven
-Fuhrerprinzip & The hitler myth- Triumph of the will
-The miliitarisation of the German people- Kolberg
What did favourable social and economic policy contribute to?
Peoples acceptance, support or at least tolerance of the regime
Where did support for the Nazi’s foreign policy come from?
Germans who saw Nazi’s as reversing the losses of the Treaty of Versailles and asserting their power in Europe
Give an example of diplomatic success in 1935
German militarisation - the existence of the Luftwaffe was declared and a peacetime army of 550,000 men. Germany also signed a naval agreement with Britain that permitted them to have a naval fleet 35% the strength of Britain’s
When were the Treaty of Versailles and Locarno pacts explicitly overturned?
March 1936- remilitarisation of the Rhine land
What did unemployment decrease by?
14% in 1930 to 7.4% in 1936
what happened to standards of living across Germany?
They improved BUT real wages actually fell
What did schemes like strength through Joy do?
strength through Joy workers programme gave loans, medical care, and offered subsidised holidays. These were opportunities to push nazi propaganda messages as they reinforced the image of the gov as caring for workers
Give an example of how mothers were rewarded with having children
The mothers cross - Bronze, Silver and Gold, glorified the role of motherhood, instilling a sense of pride in many mothers
Marriage loans of 1000 marks were reduced by 250 marks for each child
Who were the Nazi’s particularly popular with?
Peoples whose prejudices they shared- a dislike of Jews, homosexuals, Gypsies, communists and other groups deemed ‘undesirable’. They welcomed the Nazi’s victimisation of these groups.
How did Nazi’s gain the support of agricultural workers?
-The regime idealised peasants and farmers as the embodiment of traditional German values and racial purity
-The implementation of Import tariffs increased demand for German food products; Farmers income increased by 41%
What did wealthy industrialists benefit from?
The banning of the KPD and trade unions, as well as the expansion of the war economy
How much did the value of German stock exchange increase by?
250% between 1932 and 1940
How did the Nazi’s gain the support of the Mittelstand?
-Small businesses benefitted as subcontractors for armament companies
-The confiscation of Jewish businesses could be purchased cheaply through the Nazi’s aryanisation programme, thus removing competition
-The law for protection of retail trade increased market for smaller businesses
How many members did the Hitler youth group have?
in 1936; 4 million members
When did it become compulsory to join the Hitler youth?
1939
What was banned in 1936?
Catholic youth groups
What subdivisions of Hitler youth groups did boys participate in?
Pimpfen (little folk) from 6 years
Jungvolk (Youngsters) from 10 years
Hitler Jungend (Hitler youth) 14-18
What was the effect of youth organisations?
These organisations re-enforced messages taught in schools
What were members of hitler youth expected to do?
Report on anything from their teachers to their families
