Policy Towards The Church Flashcards
In what ways were Christian and Nazi ideology different?
Christianity:
Promoted love, cooperation, peace, and caring for the weak in society.
Nazism:
Emphasised violence, war, and strength.
What similarities did Christianity and Nazism have in their ideology?
- Respect for traditional values
- Importance of family life
- Hostility to Communism
What was Hitler’s approach to dealing with Churches?
- Control them
- Reduce their influence
- Replace them with a faith reflecting Nazi values
Why did Churches pose a threat to Nazism?
Christian values directly opposed Nazi values
Catholics were loyal to the Pope before Hitler and the state
Jesus was Jewish
Why were Protestants more inclined to support the Nazis?
Supported Nazi traditional family values
Protestant Churches were traditionally nationalist and had supported conservative parties during the Weimar Republic
What support did the Protestant Churches give the Nazis?
A number of pastors spoke in favour of the Nazis, encouraged their congregation to vote for them, and were willing to allow their churches to be used as Nazi bases
How did Hitler try to control the Protestant Churches?
Hitler tried to coordinate and control them by establishing a united Reich Church in 1933 under Ludwig Muller, a fanatical Nazi
Why did Hitler’s attempts to control the Protestant Church fail?
German Christians (Protestants who supported Nazism) were requiring pastors to take on oath of loyalty to Hitler, and 2 Protestant bishops were arrested for opposing the Reich Church, causing public outcry
What opposition was there from the Protestant Church?
The Confessional Church - not expressly anti-Nazi but wanted to preserve Protestantism from political control and indoctrination. Independent of the state and under the leadership of Martin Niemoller. Attracted the support of 7000 out of 17,000 pastors
What opposition was there from the Protestant Church?
The Confessional Church - not expressly anti-Nazi but wanted to preserve Protestantism from political control and indoctrination. Independent of the state and under the leadership of Martin Niemoller. Attracted the support of 7000 out of 17,000 pastors
What did the Reichskonkordat allow the Catholic Church?
The Church could run itself and appoint its own ministers
Parents were able to request Catholic schools for their children
In return for the Church keeping out of politics, the Nazis agreed not to interfere with the legal and property rights of the Church
What action against Churches was taken by the Ministry of Church Affairs under Hanns Kerrl?
Closed some Church schools
Crucifixes were removed from school walls and replaced with swastikas
Narivitry plays and carols were banned
There were attacks on the Catholic Youth Movement
Pastors and priests were arrested
Church funds were confiscated
How did the Nazis try to reduce the influence of the Church through young people?
Young people were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth, not Catholic groups
In 1936 church groups were disbanded and the Hitler Youth made compulsory
Less and less stress was put on religious education in state schools and Nazi Party officials tried to remove crucifixes from schools
Parents were pressurised to send their children to local state schools, not denominational ones
How effective were Nazi attacks on the Church through young people?
Whereas 65% of children attended Church schools in 1935, only 5% did by 1937
By 1939 these schools had virtually disappeared
What was the Church Secession Campaign?
A campaign launched by the Nazi party in the mid-1930s to encourage Germans to abandon their Churches
To what extent was the Church Secession Campaign successful?
In 1937 over 100,000 Christians left the Church, and in 1939 3.5 million Germans were members of the neo-pagan movement endorsed by the Nazis
BUT many of these wanted their names kept secret for fear of ostracisation from society and during the war the tide away from Christianity was reversed
How did the Papacy condemn Hitler and the Nazi Regime?
An encyclical entitled ‘With Burning Concern’ which was read out in every Catholic Church on Palm Sunday in 1937
How did Nazis react to individual clergy who spoke out against the regime?
Sent Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer to concentration camps to silence them.
With more popular individuals such as Bishop Galen, the Nazis couldn’t suppress them for fear of backlash. Bishop Galen’s attack on euthanasia actually led to the programme’s suspension
What was the German Faith Movement?
The Nazis’ attempt to establish an alternative to Christianity. Non-Christian and based on the beliefs of Germans in ancient history
What were the 4 key themes of the German Faith Movement?
A belies in the superiority of the Germanic races and opposition to the Jewish community
The replacement of Christian ceremonies, such as marriage, with pagan versions
A rejection of Christian ethics of mercy and forgiveness
A belief in the cult of Hitler’s personality
How successful was the German Faith Movement?
Not very - only 5% of Germans ever joined it
How did the regime increase persecution of the Churches during the war?
Monasteries were closed
Church property was attacked
Church activities were restricted
What was the suppression of the Churches limited by during the war?
Fear of unrest - Nazis were aware that religious beliefs were strong in Germany and they did not want to provoke problems
After 1942, the Churches played an important role in supporting the population after bombing raids. As a result, the regime could not afford to alienate the Churches as they played a valuable role in maintaining morale at home
