Opposition, Resistance and conformity

Question 1

Why was there very little resistance against the Nazis?

Answer 1

• opposing political parties and trade unions were banned
• anyone who criticised Hitler would be punished

Question 2

How did the Nazis try to control religion in Germany?

Answer 2

• Catholic bishops had to swear allegiance to the Nazi regime, Catholic schools and youth groups were closed
• Protestant pastors were told to join the German Christian Church, The Reich Church

Question 3

What was the Pastor’s emergency league?

Answer 3

a group of Protestant pastors including Martin Niemoller who set up the PEL

Question 4

What did the PEL oppose against?

Answer 4

• joining of regional Churches into one national German Christian Church
• Nazi attempting to stop Jews becoming Christians, ban the Old Jewish Testament

Question 5

What was the Confessing Church?

Answer 5

PEL set up the confessing church, opposed the Nazi beliefs, 600 joined, many were arrested and sent to concentration camps

Question 6

Why did Pastor Niemellor vote for the Nazis?

Answer 6

opposed the Weimar Republic, wanted a strong leader

Question 7

What did Pastor Niemellor realise?

Answer 7

his telephone had been bugged, Nazi regime was a dictatorship

Question 8

What happened to Martin Niemoller?

Answer 8

arrested and sent to a concentration camp

Question 9

What groups did Hitler create for young people?

Answer 9

Hitler Youth and League of German Girls

Question 10

Who were the Edelweiss Pirates?

Answer 10

teenagers who resented military discipline of the Nazi youth groups and the general lack of freedom in Nazi Germany

Question 11

How did the Edelweiss Pirates defy the Nazis?

Answer 11

boys wore their hair longer, copied styles of clothing in America

went on long hikes in the countryside, pitched tents, sang parodies of Hitler Youth songs, told jokes

Question 12

Who were the Swing Youth?

Answer 12

teenagers from wealthy middle-class families, played records illegally imported from America, drank alcohol, smoked, favourite dance was the ‘jitterbug’ 6,000 young people

Question 13

Who were the Jazz Youth?

Answer 13

fans of Jazz music in Germany

Question 14

Why did the Swing Youth not pose any threat to the Nazis?

Answer 14

• opposed to the cultural aspects such as clothes, music and behaviour rather than political, wanted more freedom
• membership of the Edelweiss Pirates was 2000, Hitler Youth was 8 million