Terror State Flashcards
What terror forces existed?
• SS
• SD
• SA
• Gestapo
Who led the police forces?
Himmler
Who led the gestapo?
Himmler
When were the police forces placed under Himmler command?
1936
What was the SS role?
Identification and arrest of political prisoners
What was the increase in SS members between 1933 and 1939?
190,000
What did Himmler intend for the SS?
• Strictly disciplined
• Racially pure
• Unquestioning loyalty
What did the SS run?
Concentration camps
What was the SD role after 1933?
Intelligence gathering
How many officers did the SD have in 1939?
50,000
What was the gestapo?
Secret state police
How many officers did the gestapo have?
20,000
What did Germans believe about the Gestapo?
They were everywhere
What was the League of National Socialist lawyers?
Group that lawyers had to join to advance prospects
What courts were set up in 1933 and 1934?
Special court- 1933
People’s court- April 1934
What happened in the new courts?
Used to deal with political crimes
Had three Nazi judges and two normal
Between people between 1934 and 1939 tried by the people’s court?
3,400 and they couldn’t appeal
How did SPD resist?
• Voted against enabling act
• Continued to campaign
• Sopade organised in Prague
By the end of 1933 how many SPD activists killed or arrested?
Thousands
How did the KPD resist?
• First party to be banned
• 10% of membership killed
• Factory cells set up
How did workers resist?
• Trade unions absorbed
• 37 strikes in 1935
• 250 strikes in 1937
• Absenteeism
Resistance by Protestant church?
• Tried to protect independence
• Resisting Aryan paragraph
• Defend Lutheran ideology
• Confessional church
• Refused to fly Nazi flags
• By end of 1937, 700 pastors arrested
Resistance of Catholic Church?
• With Burning Grief- Papal Encyclical
• Charges against Catholics increased
• Archbishop Galen
• Only defended itself
How did the Youth show resistance?
• Hummed banned tunes
• Started gangs
Resistance of the elites?
• Defence minister and Chief of army doubted Hitler
• They were purged
Nazi use of newspapers?
• Merged into state organisation
• Banned newspapers
Nazi use of radio?
• Hitler often spoke in radio
• Made 50 broadcasts
• Loudspeakers set up
• promoted mass production of radio
• Purge of those working on radio
• 1934- Reich radio company
Nazi use of film
• Used subliminal messaging
• Personally responsible for every film after 1933
• All films contained political messages
Nazi use of parades?
• Good discipline is good propaganda
• Theatricality increased
• Nazi flags expected to be hung
• Rallies involved thousands
Was Nazi propaganda effective?
• Still some scepticism
• Most successful with young people
