Terror and Persuasion Flashcards
Who was Heinrich Himmler?
Chief of German Police
Leader of SS and Gestapo
One of the most feared men in the Third Reich
Who was Hermann Goering?
Air Minister - Set up Luftwaffe (air force)
Set up Gestapo
Opened Germany’s first concentration camp
Who were the SS and what was their role in Nazi Germany?
“Protected” Germany against enemies of the state
Set up in 1925 but switched roles to deal with opposition from 1934 onwards
Led by Heinrich Himmler
Appearance cultivated fear - tall, strong, athletic, wore black
Must have blonde hair, blue eyes, and be completely healthy (you couldn’t even have a tooth filled)
All swore a lifetime pledge of allegiance to Hitler
What were the 3 divisions of the SS called?
- SD looked after intelligence
- Waffen SS were elite army units
- Death’s Head Units ran concentration camps
Who were the Gestapo?
The secret state police
When was the Gestapo set up?
26 April 1933
What was the role of the Gestapo?
To search out enemies, monitor activities and then eliminate them.
They spied on people who they thought were a threat to Hitler, tapped telephone lines, and opened mail
What did the Gestapo have the power to do?
- Arrest
- Imprison without trial
- Torture
Why were the Gestapo effective?
- They were feared by enemies of the state + every German citizen
- Impression was given that they were everywhere and you could trust no-one
- Methods of dealing with anyone in “protective custody” were well publicised which sent the message to the public to be loyal to the state
In what way was the German public involved in the role of the Gestapo?
Germans would phone the Gestapo to inform them when someone was being disloyal to Hitler, then they would arrest that person
How did the Nazis control the legal system?
- Courts had to adopt Nazi ideals
- Judges and lawyers had to belong to the National Socialist League for Maintenance of Law and Order
- Oct 1933 10,000 lawyers swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler
- The People’s Court was set up in 1934 to try enemies of the state
How did the death penalty change under Nazi rule?
The amount of crimes punishable by death rose from 3 in 1933 to 46 in 1943
These included listening to a foreign radio station and publishing anti-government leaflets
What were the two main ways the Nazis used to control the German people?
- Fear and intimidation
2. Propaganda and censorship
What was the aim of Nazi propaganda in this period?
To brainwash people into believing Nazi beliefs, values, and ideas
Who was Propaganda Minister?
Joseph Goebbels (from 1928 onwards)
How did Goebbels use newspapers to spread Nazi propaganda?
- Non-Nazi newspapers were shut down
- Editors were told what they could and couldn’t print
- German people could only read what Nazis wanted them to know
- If editors did not comply they could be arrested
How did Goebbels use Rallies to spread Nazi propaganda?
- Annual mass rally held at Nuremberg to advertise the power of the Nazi state
- Spectacular parades on special occasions
- Local rallies and marches held by SA and Hitler Youth
How did Goebbels use cinema to spread Nazi propaganda?
- Very popular - audiences of 250 million in 1933
- All film plots shown to Goebbels before going into production
- Political films not made because Goebbels knew viewers would be bored, instead other film genres like romance and adventure were ‘Nazified’
- All films accompanied by a 45 min Nazi newsreel glorifying Hitler and Nazi achievements
How did Goebbels use radio to spread Nazi propaganda?
- All radio stations put under Nazi control
- Cheap radios mass produced and sold to everyone
- Loudspeakers placed in streets
- Radios installed in cafes and factories
- Regular broadcasts held by Hitler and Goebbels
How did Goebbels use books to spread Nazi propaganda?
- All books carefully controlled and censored
- Students in Berlin burnt 20,000 books written by Jews, Communists and anti-Nazi professors in a 1933 bonfire
- Writers persuaded/forced to write books praising Hitler’s achievements
How did Goebbels use posters to spread Nazi propaganda?
- Used to put across the Nazi message
- The young were particularly targeted
