The Role of Prominent Individuals in the Nazi State Flashcards
Adolf Hitler
centre of the regime - everything was approved by him
aim to make the regime chaotic and inefficient to encourage subordinates to compete
weak dictator averse to decision making, lazy, unwilling and disorganised
embodiment of Fuhrerprinzip
Joseph Goebbels
joined Nazis in 1924
initially close with Strasser but became fanatically loyal to Hitler
13 March 1933 - appointed Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment
propaganda genius who controlled all media and created the Fuhrer myth
responsible for limiting freedom of speech, spreading nazi ideas and propaganda and using censorship and myth building
responsible for persuading much of the regime to support Nazis
1 May 1945 - he and his wife died by suicide after killing their six children
Rudolf Hess
Joined Nazis in 1920
Took part in the Munich Putsch in 1923
became deputy Fuhrer in 1933
joined cabinet in 1933 without a portfolio
3rd in rank behind Hitler and Goering
responsible for much Nazi legislation including 1935 Nuremberg laws
heavily involved in the organisation of the Nuremberg rallies
flew to scotland in 1941 to talk with the Duke of Hamilton. He was arrested on his arrival and imprisoned until the nuremberg trials where he was sentenced to life in prison
Died in Spandau prison in 1987
Hermann Goering
joined Nazis in 1921
injured during the munich putsch
joined cabinet in January 1933 as interior minister for Prussia
responsible for the gestapo until it was handed over to Himmler
in 1935 he was appointed Chief of the Luftwaffe
In 1936, he was given responsibility for the Four Year Plan, which was to get Germany ready for war in 4 years
Created Reichsmarschall in 1940
tried at Nuremberg and was sentenced to be executed but took poison before he could be
Reinhard Heydrich
joined Nazis in 1931 and was also a member of the SS
became head of the SD - the intelligence branch of the SS
1932 - became Himmler’s Chief of Staff
feared within the party
In 1939 he became the head of Reich Security central office
In September 1941 he was appointed Governer of Bohemia and Moravia
27 May 1942 he was shot by Czech resistance fighters. he was initially saved by a czech woman, however he got sepsis and died on June 4
Heinrich Himmler
joined the party in August 1923
part of the beer hall putsch
head of the SS in 1929
major role in the Night of the Long Knives
built the SS into a massive organisation
SS became involved in concentration camps
obsessed with ideas of racial purity and highly racist and anti-semitic
arrested on 21 May 1945, however took potassium cyanide and died shortly after
Robert Ley
joined nazis in 1924
became gauleiter of Southern Rhineland in 1925
totally loyal to Hitler
became head of the German labour front in 1933
introduced the Strength Through Joy program
maintained a life of corruption, drinking and womanising
arrested by US forces October 1945
hanged himself before his trial at Nuremberg
Joachim von Ribbentrop
met Hitler in 1928 and joined Nazis in 1932
became foreign policy advisor to Hitler
appointed ambassador at large in 1935
helped negotiate the Anglo-German Naval agreement and the Anti-comintern Pact
in 1936 he became German ambassador in london
became foreign minister in 1938
unhappy with Munich Agreement - wanted to invade Czechoslovakia
signed the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact
arrested in June 1945, tried at Nuremberg and found guilty of conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity
executed 16 October 1946
Leni Riefenstahl
filmmaker and director for the nazis
came to Hitler’s attention through her films
Hitler asked her to direct films for the Nazi party the first of which was “Victory of Faith” in 1933
Her most famous works include “Triumph of the Will” (1934) and “Olympiad” which was a film of the 1936 Berlin Olympics
produced some of the most iconic nazi imagery
later castigated for producing nazi propaganda and creating an idealised version of hitler
she claims she was just an artist and denies knowledge of the holocaust
she was found to be a nazi sympathiser but not charged with war crimes
the rest of her life and career was tied to the nazis
died in September 2003 aged 101
Albert Speer
heard Hitler in December 1930, then joined the party in March 1931
became Hitler’s leading architect
designs included Fuhrerbunker and Zeppelinfeld
in 1942 he became armament minister and is credited with prolonging Germany’s war effort for an addition two years
used millions of forced labourers to raise economic production
arrested in may 1945 and tried at Nuremberg
found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, narrowly missing a death sentence
sentenced to 20 years in prison. released in 1966
after his release, tried to present himself as the good nazi by denying knowledge of the true extent of Hitler’s regime
died of a stroke in 1981
Ernst Rohm
early member of the Nazi party
initially a close friend and ally of Hitler
head of the SA
killed in 1934 during the night of the long knives due to the growing influence of the SA and Hitler viewing Rohm as a potential rival
