Reichstag Fire - Opposition Groups Flashcards
1
Q
Background of Reichtag Fire:
A
- Election supposed to be held 5th March 1933.
- 27 February 1933, Reichstag Fire.
- Not clear who started it, but Communist van der Lubbe was found at the scene and arrested.
2
Q
How did the Reichstag Fire help Hitler?
A
- Communist van der Lubbe arrested.
- Hitler used this as an excuse to arrest many Communist opponents.
- Also convinced people that there was a real threat of a Communist revolution.
3
Q
Reichstag Fire Decree:
A
- Permanent state of emergency.
- Communists banned -> can’t reject act.
- Allowed Nazis to arrest political opponents (4000 communists members arrested a week after).
-Key step in establishing Nazi dictatorship - Germany became a police state - citizens had no guaranteed basic rights.
4
Q
Enabling Act:
A
- Gave Hitler full power for the next 4 years.
- Meant that Chancellor Hitler had greater power than the President.
- Hitler created a dictatorship and could pass any laws he wanted.
5
Q
Why wasn’t the Enabling Act stopped?
A
Communists - many in prison, not allowed to vote.
Centre Party - allied with Nazis as they promised not to interfere in Catholic schools/churches.
Other Political Parties - SA intimidated members as they entered the chmbers.
6
Q
Night of the Long Knives:
A
- 30th June 1934
- Hitler feared SA getting too powerful.
- Himmlers SS and and Goering’s special police eliminated many, many ‘threats’.
- Leader of SA gunned down in Nazi headquaters.
- Hindenburg dies 2nd Aug 1934 - Hitler becomes President and Chancellor.
- Army has to swear an oath of loyalty.
7
Q
Concentartion Camps:
A
- Created immediately after Enabling Act.
- Confined political and racial opponents.
- By 1939, 150000 people under arrest.
- Only Gestapo had authority to send people there.
- SD and SS ran camps
8
Q
The SS:
A
- Formed in 1925
- Bodyguard unit for for Hitler
- Considered to be ‘fine examples of the Aryan race.’
= By 1939 they had 250000 members.
9
Q
The SD:
A
- Set up in 1931
- Discovered potential enemies and ensured they were removed.
- Members employed by Nazi party.
- Arrested highly educated people such as lawyers and economists.
10
Q
Gestapo:
A
- Secret state police.
- Set up in 1933.
- By 1939 was the most important police section of the Nazi state.
- Could arrest and imprison those suspected of opposing the state.
- Estimated that there were about 160000 people under arrest for political crimes in 1939.
11
Q
How did fear help Hitler?
A
- People so terrified of being arrested or taken.
- They reported others to try and shift the suspicion.
- Hitler being fed information by the public
- Was able to give the impression that the police groups (especially Gestapo) were ‘all-seeing’
- This fuelled more fear and helped Hitler keep his power.
12
Q
Control of the courts:
A
- Hitler removed any judges that would/could oppose the Nazi interpretation of the law.
- All judges had to become members of the National League for the Maintenance of law (NSRB)
- Establishment of German Lawyers Front. All members had to swear they would judge cases in the favour of the Fuhrer.
13
Q
People’s court:
A
- Established to try cases of treason.
- Only most loyal judges chosen.
- Minister of Justice would alter punishment if too lenient.
- In some cases Hitler altered them himself.
14
Q
Propaganda - newspapers:
A
- Non Nazi ones closed down.
- By 1935 over 1600 newspapers closed.
- Reich Press Law passed in 1933 -> caused removal of Jewish and left wing journalists.
- Propaganda Ministry approved what could be published.
- No information of other political parties = no threat of public going against Nazis.
15
Q
Propaganda - film:
A
- Over 100 films made each year.
- Audience exceeded 250 million in 1933.
- All film performances were accompanied by a 45 minute reel which glorified Hitler and the Nazi state.
- Anti Semitic films made frequently after 1940.
- Propaganda everywhere in people’s lives and support increased, giving Hitler the opportunity to run the country with less people disagreeing.
16
Q
Propaganda - literature:
A
- All books, plays and poems carefully censored to put across Nazi message.
- Students in Berlin burned more than 20000 books written by Jews, communists and anti-Nazi professors.
- Made a public display of of discouraging and burning any other views that were not Nazi.
- Made people who had these views too scared to speak up about them.
17
Q
Martin Niemöller:
A
- Pastor and leader of Protestant Church.
- Vocal opponent of Nazi regime.
- Tried in people’s court and fined 2000 Reichmarks.
- Deemed too lenient - arrested by Gestapo and put in concentration camp.
18
Q
Berlin Olympics/ Use of Sport:
A
- Nazis built olympic stadium which held 110000 people - largest stadium in the world.
- Covered in Swastikas and other Nazi symbols.
- All events organised to demonstrate Nazis.
Berlin Olympics held here - Nazis won 33 gold medals. - Games filmed and televised, and later used for propaganda.
- Nazis covered sports stadiums in Nazi symbols.
- Linked enthusiasm for sport to enthusiasm for Nazism.
- Called sports victories as victories for Nazi ideals.
- Insisted that all teams did Nazi salute during national anthem.
19
Q
Why did some support Nazis?
A
- Economic success.
- Germany respected on international stage.
- ToV shame gone.
- Militarry building up again.
20
Q
Minor opposition:
A
- Refusal to give Nazi salute.
- Muttering under breath while giving Nazi salute (mocking)
- Reading banned literature
- Listening to banned music
- Buying goods from Jewish shops.
- Telling anti-Nazi jokes.
21
Q
The Protestant Church
A
- Martin Niemöller became leader of confessional church, followed traditional German Protestantism.
- Established pastor’s Emergency League (opposed Nazi attempts to control Protestant Church)
- 7000 members by 1934
- Niemöller arrested in 1937 for preaching that people should obey god not man.
22
Q
The Catholic Church:
A
- Concordat signed in 1933. Agreed Church would not interfere with politics if state agreed not to interfere with religion.
- Agreement broken within a few months. Priests harassed, school abolished and monasteries closed down.
- 1937 - Pope Pius XI sent letters to Catholic Priests attacking Nazi system (but never mentioned Hitler of Nazis)
- Priests read this and clearly tried to resist Nazi attemps at controlling the church.
- Nazi reaction: close Catholic groups and not allow them to join Nazi party.
23
Q
Edelweiss Pirates:
A
- Listened to forbidden music and did anti-Nazi graffiti.
- Wore badges - edelweiss flower or skull + crossbones.
- Wore clothes considered ‘outlandish’ by Nazis.
- 1939 had 2000 members.
- Not a specialised group but loose band across many cities.
- Mostly working class youths.
- Not considered serious threat.
24
Q
The Swing Youth:
A
- Young people who rebelled against Nazi discipline.
- Tended to come from middle classes.
- Drank, took drugs -> frowned upon by Nazis.
- Loved swing music.
- Boys: Grew hair long
- Girls: Wore bright makeup & nail varnish.
