Nazis maintenence Flashcards
Factors
*Propaganda
*Establishment of a totalitarian state
*Fear and state terrorism
*Economic policies
*Social policies
Background
*By the Summer of 1934, Hitler had successfully consolidated his position as chancellor of Germany.
*Although the Nazi party had never gained a majority of the popular vote, they were nevertheless supported by a wide cross-section of the German people.
Line of Argument
Fear and state terrorism was the most important reason.
Propaganda
*(K) Propaganda minister Joeseph Goebels ensured that Nazi propaganda was everywhere, with huge amounts of posters in circulation and pro-Nazi videos being played before film screenings in cinemas, spreading Nazi idealogy and hatred for groups the Nazis disliked, such as Jewish and disabled people.
*(A) People were constantly being fed with Nazi ideals, helping to slowly build loyalty among the German people
*(A+) It has been suggested that some propaganda, such as antisemitic or ableist propaganda did not truly instil these ideas within people, but rather strengthened existing prejudices.
Establishment of a totalitarian state
*(K) In May 1933, Trade Unions were banned, and any ex-union leaders who were likely to start uprisings were arrested and sent to concentration camps like Dachau
*(A) The way the Nazis had visibly crushed their opposition made many other possible opponents to them too afraid to do anything.
*(A+) Working conditions in the new Nazi-controlled ‘trade unions’ were poor and pay was low, so there was still opposition from the working classes.
Fear and State terrorism (1)
*(K) The Gestapo were the Nazi’s secret police force. They read mail, opened letters and listened at doors. They appeared to be watching and listening everywhere.
*(A) This made people feel like they were constantly being watched, and that any disobedience would end up being reported.
Fear and State terrorism (2)
*(K) They also had concentration camps, such as Sauchenhausen near Berlin, which were supposed to be ‘reeducation camps’ for Nazi opposition.
*(A) The horrific conditions within these camps weren’t a secret, and most people were willing to do anything to avoid being sent to one, making them much more compliant with Nazi demands.
Fear and State terrorism (E)
By 1936 all aspects of the police force and state security were being controlled by the SS and its chief, Heinrich Himmler, who violently suppressed all Nazi opposition.
Economic policies
*(K) They started building the Autobahn system, a series of roadworks which required a huge workforce to build it, creating huge numbers of jobs.
*(A) The new jobs helped to drastically reduce unemployment rates, which won them praise and approval from the working class in particular, as regular incomes became commonplace and unemployment reached zero by 1939
*(A+) This was influenced by propaganda, as women and Jews were not counted in unemployment figures.
Economic policies (E)
Fear and state terrorism was more important as much of the working class remained suspicious of the Nazi regime, as in reality there were generally longer hours and higher taxes than before 1933, and strikes in Berlin in 1936 showed mistrust towards the Nazis.
Social policies (1)
*(K) Nazis set up youth movements such as the Hitler Youth for boys and the League of German Maidens for girls, which taught boys to be soldiers and girls to be mothers and wives.
*(A) Having more people involved in Nazi groups and engaging in marches created the idea of universal support for Hitler which undermined opposition.
*(A+) Some youth still rebelled, taking part in gangs such as the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Kids, who were influenced by Nazi-disapproved dance and makeup trends from the US
Social Policies (2)
*(K) School curriculums were altered to reflect Nazi ideas, PE replaced RE, biology taught about the ‘superior German race’ and geography taught about the need for ‘living space’
*(A) The Nzis were able to fully manipulate schooling to influence the impressionable youth, and by extension, their parents.
*(A+) Many students were perfectly aware that their education was being manipulated and could identify Nazi biases in their lessons.
Social Policies (E)
Social policies were important to a large extent. The Nazis went as far as firing Jewish teachers and forcing the remaining ones to join the Nazis teachers’ alliance, but fear and state terrorism was more important as these policies were largely intended for long-term effectiveness, but during the e1933-1939 period, it is unlikely that indoctrinating children had much of an effect.
