The Nature of Nazi Government Flashcards
(24 cards)
What problems did the one party state fix for the Nazis?
-Solved the Weimar problems
-Problems of election minorities and having to form coalitions
How many laws did the Reichstag pass under the Nazis?
Only 7
Why did Hitler maintain much of the bureaucracy and keep non-Nazi ministers?
-He used it as a level of continuity to make sure people supported it and felt like they understood the system
-This was illusory in nature, he set up several other authorities and ministries which largely passed through what the Nazis wanted
Hitler hated paperwork, and did not give much details when delegating tasks, what was the result of this, why was it beneficial to an extent?
-It was unclear who was in charge, causing duplication, overlap of work and confusion
-This however could be used to promote competition and boosted the quality of work, as everyone was ‘Working towards the Führer’
What was the principle of the Volksgemeinschaft?
-‘peoples community’
-The German nation as a racially united body
What was ‘Führer power’
-The idea that Hitler had ultimate power, and thus the Nazi state operated on the Führerprinzip
-Created a strict hierarchal order where every order of life had someone telling them what to do
Why has initiative looked down upon?
-It undermined the leadership principle
-Everyone must work together under the leader, and not make their own decisions
-People were expected to act for the good of the nation only
Hitler could not make all the decisions for the Reich, how did he get others to make decisions?
-Everyone was made aware of what Hitler wanted, and worked accordingly, ‘Working towards the Führer’
-People who did good work were given more responsibility, e.g. Goebbels and propaganda
How did Hitler feel about group work when making decisions?
-Hitler attempted to stop groups working together to form policies
-This made it easier for opposition groups to form
-He kept ministries from previous governments but made sure they worked separately
Who was Administration done by in the Third Reich?
-Done by the civil service one Minister of Interior Willhelm Frick
-Operated on the Führerprinzip
-Often in conflict with Reich special agencies despite ‘reform’
-However still lots of civil service decisions were overruled by Nazi principles
Why were the Nazi’s against the Länder?
They did not like the idea of local governments and instead preferred a centralised state and administration
Explain the breakdown of the Länder?
-March 1933, stripped of its powers
-30th Jan 1934, Law for Reconstruction of the Reich, this ended the Länder
-Argued Germans had an overriding unit that overruled regional differences
Did the dissolving of the Länder make much of a difference?
-Never really worked
-Fricks restructured civil service frequently came into conflict with Gaulieters
-They were in charge of regional party organisations
How did the Nazi gov exercise control over political matters?
-Maintained control using the Gestapo and SS
-Both developed as the Nazis gained greater control
-Had their own judiciary that ran aside the existing court system for ‘political offences’
-Gestapo also had their own concentration camps to manage political prisons
-People who were freed by regular courts could at once be captured and held by the Gestapo indefinitely
What were the main attitude changes in Nazi Gov during wartime?
-Women who were discouraged from work were now encouraged to take on war work
-SS took over Gov administration
-Anyone who worked in Gov had to join the Nazi party
How did SS membership grow from the start of the war to the end?
240,000 —> over a million
During wartime how many military districts formed and what job were Gualitiers given?
-13 military districts formed from German regions
-Gualitiers made Reich Defence Commissioners (RVK’s)
-They ran home front activities in local areas and the Volkstrum (Home Guard)
How did Gov structure change during wartime?
-New bodies were being set up at all levels, e.g armed forces given its own ministry to co-ordinate supplies, troops etc
-Work was co-ordinated by new high commander of armed forces William Kiitel
-Each armed service competed for the biggest budget to fit their needs
What is the Ministerial Council for the Defence? (set up during war)
-Est. 30th August 1939
-Used to co-ordinate domestic affairs and support the war effort
-Chaired by Goering with lots of Nazi officials, e.g Frick, Funk, Kiel, Hess and Lammers
-Hitler was not a part of it and disliked group meetings and therefore it was disbanded Nov 1939
What was the issue caused by Lebensraum during the war?
-There was a problem of a growing Reich and of what to do with the undesirables that were now entering a new Germany
-This job of dealing with them was given to the 11 Reichsgov (regional governments) ran by the Reichstatthalter
How were people in Poland treated during wartime?
-Hitler had made it clear Poles were not to be trusted, only to be used for hard labour, their leaders were shot to prevent any opposition
-Southern Poland was deemed a colony, not part of the Reich, called a general Gov under Hans Frank
-Used as a dumping ground for poles and undesirables who were to be used as slave labour
What was the Wathegau area in Western Poland used for?
-It was germanised and half a million Germans moved in whilst Poles were deported out to the east
-Absorbed and Germanised into the Third Reich
How were Gaulitiers given more power during war?
-With the expansionism it was hard to maintain a centralised government
-After the bombing raids from Britain in 1942 Gualitiers given control of civil defence
-This involved firefighting, bomb damage clearance, rehousing and rationing using the NSV welfare organisation
What was the Decree for the Implementation of Total War Mobilisation, and what did this mean for Gauliters?
-Est. August 1944
-Gave Gaulieters control over local bureaucracy and gave them power over local businesses
