Nazi Opposition Flashcards
What are some early examples of SPD resistance to the Nazis?
(2)
- Mar 1933, SPD voted against the enabling act
- organised some demonstrations as soon as the Nazis gained power
What were barriers to the SPD’s early attempts to oppose the Nazi regime?
(3)
- 1933, no real possibility of a general strike; high unemployment and job instability
- policy of legality; refused to use the Reichsbanner (SPD’s small military force)
- had lost some support to the communists in recent years
How did the Nazis put down the SPD?
(3)
- May 1933, SPD’s funds were cut off
- June 1933, SPD forced to disband
- SPD leaders went into exile; focused on leafletting and collecting information for SOPADE reports
Red Shock Troop
(4)
- 1933, published a newspaper called ‘The Red Shock Troop’ every 10 days
- 3,000 members
- operated in the Berlin area
- Dec 1933, its leasders were arrested and sent to concentration camps, the rest of the group folded
–> ineffective but prevented total political monoculture
Socialist Action
- 1933-1937
- underground socialist newspaper
- Berlin area
How did underground socialist resistance change?
after 1938 (7)
1938, Gestapo had crushed all illicit newspapers; publications were too easy to trace
- tried to operate by word of mouth
- avoided organised groups
- emphasis on collecting information
- believed that only a military coup could get rid of the regime
- believed that SPD’s largest mistakes were made before 1933; division between the SPD and KPD weakened both sides
- –> early 1939, created New Beginning Group; left-wing SPD members and KPD member form a common front (opposed by SPD leaders)
SOPADE
(3)
- SPD abroad
- gathered information on public opinion within Germany, published reports
- provided information to the allies
What were some barriers to the KPD’s attempts to oppose the Nazi regime?
(2)
- not constrained by legality BUT by their loyalty to Moscow
- antagonism towards KPD; Freikorps abuse, legacy of hatred with SPD
How did underground communist opposition change?
(3)
- Jan 1939, supported some degree of cooperation with other anti-fascists; eg. New Beginnings with left-wing SPD
- April 1939, Nazi-Soviet Pact hampered KPD resistance
- June 1941 communist reistance revived after Operation Barbarossa (GR invasion of USSR)
How did the Nazis put down the KPD?
(4)
- targeted after the Reichstag Fire; 4,000 communists arrested that night
- after March 1933 elections, the KPD was banned and became illegal
- KPD membership then infiltrated
- communists bore the brunt of imprisonment and execution; most active resistance
How was underground communist resistance structured?
(3)
Wilhelm Knöchel began forming resistance cells in different cities;
- cell groups didn’t know about each other; if one was infiltrated, the others were still safe
- some cells were not officially connected with the KPD
Uhrig Group
(4)
- by 1941, Robert Uhrig had set up 89 cells in Berlin alone
- aimed to protect the USSR from Nazi aggression
- sent leaflets to factories and put up posters promoting sabotage
- 1942, Uhrig + 200 members arrested
Rota Kapella
(3)
Red Orchestra
- some members were government employees
- espionage; passed on sensetive information about the German war effort to the USSR
- members weren’t necessarily communists
The Baum Group
(6)
- led by Herbert Baum
- pro-communist Jews
- based in Siemens factory in Berlin
- urged soldiers to overthrow the regime
- set fire to and broke into an anti-Soviet exhibition
- were used as an excuse to persecute more Jews; 5,000 unrelated Jews were executed
The White Rose
(5)
- anti-Nazi student group based at the University of Munich
- led by siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl, and Professor Huber
- distributed anti-Nazi material; exposed the mass murder of Jews + atrocities committed on the eastern front (where Hans was stationed)
- promoted non-violent resistance to the regime + sabotage
- spotted and arrested when distributing their last leaflet; 6 members executed (including Hans + Sophie)
