Nazi Methods of Control, German Growth and Young People +Women Flashcards
How did the Nazis use propaganda as a control method?
- Blamed Jews and Communists for Germany’s problems
- Controlled radio broadcasts and used films and tanoys and posters were put everywhere
- All writers and journalists had to get their work approved before publishing
- Organised huge party rallies
- Used the 1936 Berlin Olympics for international publicity
How was censorship used as a control method?
- Censored books and newspapers to keep only pro-Nazi matter
- Those who tried to publish anti-Nazi material risked execution
- Tried to encourage nationalism and hatred for Jews by praising Wagner, but banning composers like Mendelssohn who was Jewish
What kind of state was Germany? What sort of things were used to terrorise citizens?
- It was a police state
- The SS (Schutzstaffel) were extremely loyal bodyguards for Hitler and were feared by people for their creulty
- Concentration camps were set up after 1933 and political enemies or anyone considered dangerous were sent here. They later turned into death camps
- Local wardens of the Gestapo were employed to spy on citizens in public. People were encouraged to report any kind of disloyalty then the Gestapo/SS would raid the person’s house and arrest them.
How was the church seen as a threat? What happened regarding relations with the church?
- Many Nazis were against teachings of Christians because they weren’t compatible with Nazi beliefs
- Hitler signed an agreement with the Catholic Church in 1933, both sides agreeing not to interfere with each other, but Hitler tried to curb their influence by closing some monastries and shutting down the Catholic Youth Oragnisation as this was seen as a threat to the HJ and there were Catholic protests against Nazis
What did Hitler do in response to the church protesting?
- Tried to unite the Protestant Churches under one “Reich Church”, placing the Nazi Bishop Ludwig Muller as its head
- Some church members formed separate groups in protest such as the Confessing Church under Martin Niemoller
- Many Nazis stood up to the Nazi regime so were sent to camps including Niemoller to Dachau
What happened to the unemployed under Hitler?
1) Hitler started huge programmes of public works like the RAD - Reichsarbeitsdienst (National Labour Service)
2) In 1933, large autobahns were made which created jobs
3) Unemployment fell to about 1 million
4) This also meant transport systems and infrastructure and pride were building, and men in the RAD were treated like soldiers, so they were also being taught to behave like soldiers too
However, what did the Nazis do with the unemployment figures?
- Fiddled with them!
- Didn’t include women or Jewish people in the figures and there were a fair few of them not in employment
How were people encouraged to work?
- All men between 18 and 25 could be recruited to the RAD, they got rid of unions and workers had to join the National Labour Front
- Volkswagens were made and workers were promised them if they paid to it every week
(How were people encouraged to work?)
What were “Kraft durch Freude” and “Schönheit der Arbeit”?
- Kraft durch Freude meant Strength through Joy: a scheme given to workers providing cheap holidays and leisure activities
- Schönheit der Arbeit meant the Beauty of Labour and encouraged factory owners to make conditions better for their workers
What was the problem (or benefit) with the Volkswagen scheme?
- People never actually got the cars because their weekly wages were so low that they would never realistically reach the goal
- The state kept all the money anyway
What other problems were there with employment?
- Wages were still really low
- Workers weren’t allowed to strike or campaign for better conditions
What did Hitler do to rearm?
- Did it secretly because the Treaty had banned it, it created more jobs
- Hitler sacked some army generals and put Nazi supporters in like Göring for the Luftwaffe
- In 1935, he introduced conscription
- In 1936, he started a four year plan to prepare the country for war, so industrial production increased
- The plan was to make Germany self-sufficient so it didn’t have to rely on foreigners during a war
How did the economy change during the war?
- Lots of men were drafted into the army especially when the campaign was going badly in Russia, so many women had to take these places
- Albert Speer was set as the Armaments minister in 1942 and from 1942 to 1944, weapons production tripled
- Germany used slave labour late on in the war
- Industries that weren’t related to the war effort were neglected
- Lots of civilians died due to allied bombing raids
What groups were given to young people?
- Hitler knew loyalty from young people was important
- Boys older than 14 had to join the Hitler Youth which was made compulsory in 1939
- Girls joined the League of German Maidens
- Boys were made to wear military uniform and made to do exercise so they could be trained to become soldiers
- Girls were trained in domestic skills such as sewing to train them to be wives and mothers
What did the Nazis do to education?
1) Schools started teaching propaganda by teachers who were made to join the Nazi Teacher’s Association. Jewish teachers were banned and Teachers who didn’t use the NTAs methods were reported by STUDENTS
2) Subjects like History and Biology were rewritten to fit with Nazi ideas. Children were taught to be anti-Semitic
3) PE became more immportant for boys who sometimes played war games with live ammo
4) In unis, students burnt anti-Nazi and Jewish books and Jewish lecturers were sacked
