terror, indoctrination and propaganda: Gleichschaltung

Question 1

what process began between March 1933 (the enabling act) and june 1934 (the night of the long knifes)?

Answer 1

Gleichschaltung

Question 2

what is Gleichschaltung?

Answer 2

Gleichschaltung literally means ‘a device which allows an electrical current to flow in only one direction’ the idea was that policy would flow in one direction from the people, through the governement and party, to the people.
this means the bringing into line of all institutions under the control of Hitler.

Question 3

what interest groups did Hitler want to eliminate and why under his policy of Gleichschaltung?

Answer 3

trade unions, the church, other political parties, the civil services, local governements, courts and judges. because he thought he knew what was best for the German people

Question 4

why did Hitler want to remove trade unions under his policy of Gleichschaltung?

Answer 4

• they were a potential opposition because of their ties with the SPD

Question 5

How did Hitler remove trade unions as part of Gleichschaltung?

Answer 5

• they declared their loyalty to the Nazis in the hopes of being spared
• the Nazis announced the 1st of May would be a National holiday, a day of national labour
• the next day SS and SA occupied the trade union offices and abolished all existing unions and sent leaders to concentration camps.

Question 6

why did Hitler want to remove political parties under his policy of Gleichschaltung?

Answer 6

they provide political opposition to nazism and spread opinions that were against the nazis.

Question 7

How did Hitler remove political parties as part of Gleichschaltung?

Answer 7

• communists were effectively banned after the reichstag fire
• under pressure form the nazis other parties dissolved themselves
• on the 14th of July 1933 the nazis passed a law preventing the formation of new parties, elections were abolished and they became a one party state.

Question 8

why did Hitler want to remove state governments under his policy of Gleichschaltung?

Answer 8

he wanted to be fully in control of every aspect of life in Germany. he did not want any oppositions to his control

Question 9

How did Hitler remove state governments as part of Gleichschaltung?

Answer 9

• in January 1934 state parliaments were abolished and made subordinate to Reich government in Berlin.
  -this went beyond the powers of the enabling act so HItler called a meeting of the reichstag and passed an improved enabling act.
• from Aprill 1933 those working for the civil service that were not racially pure were dismissed