The Creation Of The Nazi Dictatorship 8: Gleichschaltung Flashcards
What was the constitutional foundation of the Third Reich?
The Enabling Act was the constitutional foundation for the third reich
What does Gleichschaltung or Coordination mean?
The ‘honey combing’ of German society with Party Associations and institutions in an attempt to Nazify the life of Germany
What did the enabling Act provide the basis for?
It provided the basis for the dictatorship that evolved from 1933
To an extent what was Gleichschaltung generated by?
To an extent Gleichschaltung was generated by the revolution from below with the SA but also the revolution from above with the Nazi Leadership in Berlin
Together what did the nazis try to do?
Attempted to coordinate as many aspects of German life as possible with the merging of German society with Party associations
In Spring and Summer 1933 what was the priority of the nazi leadership?
To secure its political supremacy so it’s real focus of attention eas thr coordination of federal states
What were federal states?
Where responsibilities are shared between national and regional governments
What had a federal structure?
Weimar germany
How many Länder did Weimar. Germany have?
17 Länder for example Saxony and Prussia
What did the nazi party want control over?
Everything
What happened in April 1933?
Two laws were passed
What did the first law of april 1933 allow?
Allowed Nazi dominated state governments to pass legislation without first asking the state parliament to vote on the matter
What did the second act of april 1933 create?
Created 18 Reichstatthalter ( REICH GOVERNORS )
What were both the laws of april 1933 examples of?
Nazi centralisation
How was the process of centralisation taken further in january 1934?
The Landgate were abolished
What were landgate?
Regional parliaments
Why were trade unions a threat?
They had mass membership and strong connections with socialism and catholicism
What weakened the Trade Unions?
The Great Depression severely weakened it by reducing its membership and its will to resist
What did the nazis declare on the 1st of may 1933?
They declared a national holiday
What happened the following day on the 2nd of may 1933?
Trade union premises were occupied by the SA and the SS and many leaders were arrested and sent to early concentration camps such as Dachau
Thereafter what were all trade unions declared?
Illegal
After the trade unions being declared illegal, what were all german workers and organisations engulfed into?
The DAF: German Labour Front
What did the DAF act as?
An instrument of control and german workers lost the right to negotiate wages
What did Nazis reject?
Democracy
