Opposition Flashcards
Factors that made opposition difficult
-Loyal army
-Tradition of respect for authority
-Network of government informers
-Powerful secret police
-Government control of the media
-One party state
-No independent trade unions
Factors that encouraged opposition
-Rising unemployment
-Food shortages
-General negative feelings about country’s future
-Foreign policy failures
-Divided government
-Weak leadership
-Free elections
-Arbitrary imprisonment
-Range of political parties
-Potential opposition groups willing to co operate
Places of opposition to the Nazis
-Socialists
-Communists
-Church
-Young people
-Students
-Army
-Gov/Civil service
-Traditional elites
Sophie Shcoll
1921-1943
-Family believed in liberal ideas
Gleichschaltung - Co ordination
Between Nazi’s and Church
Concordat
1933
Between Catholic Church and Nazis
“Survival of Christianity is more important than criticising the government
-Pope Pius XII
-1876-1958
“Survival of Christianity is more important than criticising the government
-Pope Pius XII
-1876-1958
“I hate traditional religion. Here is an opportunity to start something new that suits our beliefs”
-Alfred Rosenberg
-1893-1946
“This regime is so evil I do what I can to overthrow it”
Bishop Clemens Von Galen
1878-1946
Ludwig Müller
-Leader of German Christians
-Nationalist
-Anti-Semitic
-Suicide in 1946
Alfred Rosenberg
-Anti-Christian
-German faith movement
-1941 made minister for occupied territories
Pope Pius XI
-Agreed to concordat
-1937 outspoken Nazi attack
Pope Pius XII
-Negotiated concordat
-Didn’t openly condemn Nazism
-Wanted to maintain churches role
Increase in Church support
-Closer due to showing loyalty to church
-Harsh taxes, economic difficulties, pressure against church
-War drove people back to religion
Decrease in church support
-People believed they couldn’t do anything against new forces
-Prevention of men in taking part in parish life due to other events
-State youth events took church into account less
-Youth lost habit
-Schools
Opposition form German Youth
-Student opposition e.g white rose
-Edelweiss pirates/working class youth
-Swing youth/jazz youth/middle class
Who were the Edelweiss Pirates
-Youth with musical instruments
-Women who Nazis believed did not conform
-Some were in the army
-Risked lack of morale
How did the Edelweiss Pirates show opposition
-Graffiti
-Slander towards the regime
-Tried to provoke reaction
-Fought with the Hitler youth
Who were the Swing youth
-Secret state police were involved in intervening with their actions
-Nazis believed their ideas were being taught by parents and teachers
-They should be punished as well
-Himmler wanted to send them all to a concentration camp
Motives of the White rose group
-Encouraged others to think similarly
-Stop Germans being complicit
-Idea of a new federation style running of Europe
-Sabotaging what they could to hinder Nazi plans
-Believed German people did not care what their country was doing
-Highlighted horrors that were being committed
Church opposition activities
-Spoke out against radical policies e.g eugenics
Success of Church Opposition
-Didn’t challenge fundamental Nazi ideology
-As long as church remained independent many did not care what the Nazis did
-Hitler had to publicly order end of acts of Euthanasia as opposition was so strong
Opposition of Left wing
-Anti Nazi leaflets 35-36
-Discussion groups
-Red Orchestra- subgroup of communists that intended to subvert the Nazi war machine
Success of Left Wing Opposition
-By 1945 over half of German communists had been arrested or imprisoned
-25,000-30,000 had been executed
-Lacked a common strategy
-German labour front established after abolishment of Trade Unions as Germans were enrolled in DAF. This controlled labour force and showed left wing was under Nazi control
-Able to produce Anti German Literature
Opposition from Students/Youth
-Some refused to join Hitler youth
-Edelweiss Pirates in western Germany
-Encouraged free speech
-White rose in Munich uni
-Marches and leaflets
Success of opposition from Students/Youth
-Harsh brutality of Nazis towards youth showed they posed a threat
-Mass audience
-Hans and Sophie executed in 1943
-6 members of Edelweiss Pirates publicly hung in 1944
Right wing opposition
-Armed forces opposition was high risk
-Black plot of 1938
-Bomb plot of 1944
-Kreisau circle wanted to overthrow the regime
Success of right wing opposition
-Outside of the army there was little threat
-No collective action
-More successful privately with hopes of better future
Hopes of Jacob Zorn towards communist Party
-Create a revolution
-Believed they were the only party that offered organised resistance
After 1933 how the communist party organised resistance
-Getting money
-Distributing leaflets
-Contacts abroad
Why was KPD resistance not effective
-Open about it
-Risked being caught
-No extreme actions so not much could be achieved
How the regime took action against the communists
-Police broke up illegal organisations
-Followed distribution route of leaflets
-Members tried for high treason
-New guidelines for illegal activity published in 1937
Opposition of KPD from 1936 onwards
-Switched from leaflets to word of mouth
-Set up bases in french factories
-Advocated for popular front on the French pattern
Kreisua Circle reasons for opposition
-Mass killings
-Greece 220 men shot
-Berlin Jews being rounded up
1938 Fritsch Affair
-Hitler assumed control and appointed pro-Nazi generals and showed he was determined to make war
-Changes to high command
-Encouraged opposition by the army
Opposition which led to bomb plot
-Germany’s Eastern policy
-Victory in the East as only possible if they won support of locals which was unlikely
-Hitler’s growing power
Bomb Plot
July 1944
