Section 4: The Nazi Dicatorship,1933-1939 Flashcards
Outline the police system in the Third Reich
Created a system of party controlled, political forces answerable to Hitler, proliferation created confusion
SS- controlled by Himmler,police role expanded after the Night of the long knives, 1936 Himmler controlled entire 3 Reich police system and the concentration camps, intended to be disciplined
SD - intelligence gathering offshoot of the SS,intelligence gathering 1933+ worked independently, created confusion with Gestapo
SA- controlled by Rohm,in 1933 acquired police powers to arrest and detain political prisoners
Gestapo- secret State police force , 20,000 officers in 1939 most of its agents office based, depended on information supplied by informers- motivated by personal not political,instilled atmosphere of fear and suspicion
How did the courts and justice system change
Prior,tradition of freedom from political interference from lawyers and judges, problem as SA and SS clearly illegal , ‘coordinating’ justice system
- merging various professional association of judge and lawyers with the League of National Socialist Lawyers , Front of German law April 1933
- special courts set up in 1933 and the people’s court in April 1934- 3 nazi judges alongside 2 professional judges, old court system still continued to exist
1934 - 1939: 3400 people tried by the Peoples court, many former communist
Outline the extent and effectiveness of opposition and non conformity
Use of propaganda and Gleichshaltung, régime was able to to gain acceptance from the majority of the people, police presented to protect from corrupting minorities
Nazi germany-depoliticised, no open and free debate
Outline political and workers resistance
SPD- unprepared for Nazi takeover, activist continued to campaign openly for election 1933 March, defied intimidation, end of 1933:1000s of SPD murdered, propaganda pamphlet smuggled across boarder of Czech, cells of supporters in factories KPD- much better prepared than the SPD, 1933 10% KPD members killed, revolutionary unions set up in Berlin and Hamburg , Gestapo didn’t completely eradicate in 34-35 Workers - before 1933, working class was the largest and most unionised workforce in Europe, linked with SPD,NAZI absorbed trade unions into DAF(German Labour front) , 1937- 250 strikes recorded, increased strike activity in 1935-6, 1938 labour regulations laying down penalties for slackers, long hours, deliberately damage their machinery
Outline resistance by the church and young people
Protestant church - effort of regime to coordinate Protestant church into Volksgemeinshaft led to division, Confessional Church 1934 act of resistance, churches refused to display swastika flags, didn’t form full opposition, maj professed loyalty, energy expended in internal struggle against Reich church
RC- stronger position to retain independence, more United, tried to come to teems with Reich,concordat 1933, 1937 Pope issued ‘With burning Grief’
Young people - mid 1930s signs of disillusionment, made a great demand of time for HJ and league of German girls, young people formed cliques etc meuten gangs
Outline the resistance by the elites
After night of long knives - aristocratic generals army,senior civil servants regarded Hitler threat, broadly shared aims, require major intellectual and emotional shift for civil service and army to stop support, detailed plans for rebuilding military strength- opposition agreed,
Explain the aims and methods of propaganda
Hitler and Goebbels ‘spiritual mobilisation’ of German people
Newspapers - Decree for the protection of the people and state, socialist and communist newspapers shut, radio - 1933 50 broadcast, promotion of mass production, film - theme political message, annual parties at Nuremberg,achieved maximum theatrical effect
Outline the effectiveness of propaganda
Nazi carried out occasional plebiscites to demonstrate the support for the regime, attitudes of Germans dependent, impossible to give definitive judgements, effective to young, opinion not formed
Hitler myth - man of the people, hard working, intelligent, REALITY: surrounded by officials who competed with each other, far from working hard - watched films
What was the extent of totalitarianism in Nazi Germany
Policy of Gleishaltung, influenced a lot of the system, unavoidable,
Outline the social policies towards young people
1933 Law for the Re- establishment of Professional Civil service, no of teachers dismissed on the grounds , pressured into joining national socialist teachers
Control over the curriculum - racial health, instill consciousness of being German, survival of fittest
Universities- 15% staff dismissed,signed for ‘Declaration in support of Hitler and National Socialist state’ , labour service
Hitler youth - other youth org. banned, membership made compulsory 1939, personal oath of allegiance to Führer
League of German girls, membership compulsory 1939, baby care and social skills,
Outline social polices towards women
Marriage loans introduced who left work and married aryan man
Awarded medals to women for donating a baby to the Führer, birth control discouraged, abortion restricted
German woman’s league 1933 coordinate all women’s group, 1939 6 million members, 70% not members of the Nazi party , national socialist women’s organisation
LIMITATION - 1933 and 1939 number of women in workforce increased ,1936 growing labour shortage
Outline the social policies towards workers
1933 Robert Ley leadership under German labour front established, banned trade unions, membership grew rapidly only recognised one,own subsidiary organisation‘Strength Through Joy’ to organise workers leisure time, built large business empires like Volkswagen,
What was strength through joy
Organise workers leisure’s time,gain strength for their work by experiencing joy in their leisure’s
- see part of them as Volksgemenshaift, encourage spirit of social equality, encourage participation in sport, popular organisation
Outline Nazi policies towards the Protestant and confessional church
Coordinating the churches into Volksg posed serious challenges, regime divided by Faith, religious loyalties deep rooted
Protestant church - German Evagenlical Church string tradition of respect,cooperation with the State, anti communist,convergence of points, Reich Church - spring and summer 1933 Nazi regime coordinate Evangelical church into centralised Reich church, CHURCH ELECTION 1933 won and position to nazify,
Confessional church - 1933 established a Pastors emergency league, confessional church showed defiance to gleichalstung, abolition of church schools
Outline the policies towards the Roman Catholic Church
RC presented far greater obstacle than the protestants to Nazi policy of Gleichshaltung, less susceptible to Nazi ideology
