Opposition to the Nazi Regime Flashcards
reasons for little opposition
internal party opposition had been dealt with through the Night of Long Knives
Workers didn’t resist due to fear of unemployment as well as the banning of trade unions
Nazis were legitimately popular amongst the people
opposition through army
the army had been angry about the rise of the SA, however Hitler dealt with this through the Night of the Long Knives. In August 1934, the army swore an oath of allegiance to Hitler personally
opposition through church
Cardinal Von Galen, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Munster spoke out against the Nazi Euthanasia policy
Pastor Paul Schneider was arrested at the end of 1937 for speaking out against Hitler Youth and the Treatment of the Jews
Father Bernhard Lichtenberg died on his way to Dachau, accused of treason for offering prayers for the Jews
Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer formed the anti-Nazi pastor’s emergency League, however, Niemoller was arrested in 1937 and spent the rest of the war in concentraation camps, while Bonhoeffer was executed in 1945
opposition through youth
youth provided little opposition, however some groups campaigned against the Nazis, including the White Rose Group and Edelweiss Pirates.
The swing kids were middle class german youths who listened to American Jazz and Swing music and dressed in English clothing, however their resistance was apolitical rather than hostile
other forms of opposition
emigration became a form of dissent with 500,000 leaving Germany and Austria between 1933 and 1939
Left wing opposition was limited due to instructions from Comintern which ordered the KPD not to operate with the SPD
by 1939, socialist leaderships concluded that active resistance was dangerous and ineffective
there were some assassination attempts on Hitler
judgement on opposition
little evidence that opposition was widespread or that resistance was active
nazis quickly destroyed rival parties and made meetings and organisation difficult
church and army opted to co-exist with the nazis rather than resist
constant threat of terror and violence ensured compliance, but ultimately Hitler was popular and many Germans were active supporters
fear amongst people quote
“Knowledge of the ever-present danger of denunciation for an incautious word or expression spoken in a public place was important in spreading general fear and anxiety amongst the population” (Evans, 2005)
