Nazi methods Of Control 1933-39 Flashcards
When was the SS formed?
1925
What was the SS originally formed as?
Hitler’s personal bodyguard
Who led the SS after 1929?
Himmler
How many members did the SS have in 1934?
50,000
How many members did the SS have in 1944?
1 million
What were the SS expected to be?
Pure Aryans
What did the SS wear which was distinctive?
Black uniforms
What were the SS’s primary responsibilities after 1929?
Destroy opposition and carry out Nazi racial policies
What unit of the SS ran the concentration camps and later the extermination camps?
The Death’s Head unit
What unit of the SS investigated disloyalty in the armed forces and Nazi Party?
The SD (security services)
What unit of the SS were regiments that fought alongside the regular army?
The Waffen SS
What were the Gestapo and when were they set up?
Secret state police, 1933.
What was the role of the Gestapo?
To send people to concentration camps without trial, open mail, tap telephones.
How powerful was the Gestapo?
Not nearly as powerful as people thought. They relied on networks of informers (members of the public)
What was a result of the Gestapo
A climate of mistrust that deterred open criticism of the Nazis. People were afraid to be turned into the Gestapo by their neighbours
What were concentration camps first used for?
To isolate social democrats, communists, and anyone else brave enough to oppose the Nazi party. Those not conforming to Nazi ideals were also imprisoned
By 1939, how many Germans had spent at least sometime in a concentration camp?
1.3M
What did Goebbels become in 1933?
Minister for propaganda
What did Magistrates and Judges do?
Swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler.
How were opponents of the Nazi regime treated in court?
They rarely received a fair trial
Describe the punishments given by the police and courts.
Very harsh. By 1943, the death penalty was used for 43 different crimes, including telling an anti-Nazi joke
