The Third Reich Flashcards
What was coordination ? In Nazi Germany ?
Use of enabling acts + Reichstag fire decree to ensure total control over local, state and federal institutions among Hitler and his most devoted loyalists.
Outline new laws from Coordination
-Enabling Act
-1933-Law for restoration of the professional public service
-1933-Dissolving of Trade Unions
-1933 Law against the founding of new parties
-1934-Laws concerning the reconstruction of the Reich
Why were the SA considered an threat ?
-Not run by Hitler but “Ernest Rohm”
-4.5m = difficult to control
-Wanted an “ second revolution” to overthrow “reactionary forces” eg: German Army
-Second Revolution would result an conflict between two armed groups loyal to Hitler.
Who were the SA ?
4.5Millon men
“Storm Troopers”
Parliamentary org associated with the Nazi Party
Why was Ernest Rohm a threat ?
-Gay
-Ambitious wanted to become leader of both the SA and German armed forces
-Leader of the only organisation capable of overthrowing the Nazis
What was the Night of Long Knives ?
Targeted purges in Nazi Germany mainly at high profile members of the SA and enemy groups.
= Deaths of 400
-Consolidation of Hitlers power
What was the role of the “Fuhrer ? “
The role of the “Fuhrer” was an joint role of giving both the powers of the chancellor and president something unconstitutional.
What was the duel legal system in the Third Reich ?
-Constutional Process = Set during WG
-Arbitrary use of power=Power that is used unconstitutionally often brutally.
Who were the Gestapo ?
-“Secret Police”
-15,000 agents to 69 millon people
-Most admin X investigators
-Ensured compliance through the idea that were far more.
-60-90% Cases originated through denunciation.
What was Kirchenkampf (Church Struggle) ?
-An attempt by the Nazis to bring churches under the Nazi Regimes control.
-Resulted as Germany was still an highly religious society.
-Religion was highly contradictory to Nazi ideals
How much of German society was religious ?
-Highly religious
-85-90% including Hitler = Christian
-52% Protestant
-33% Catholic
How did they attempt to gain control in religious places?
-Creation of an state church which supported Nazi ideals
-Promoted Nazi Propaganda in christian churches through “Sermons”.
How did the Nazis see religion ?
Saw Christianity as an extension of the party
“True Christianity is represented by the party”
What was the concept of Racial Hygiene ?
-An Nazi ideology based on Eugenics
-An ideal that emphasised that the survival of the German race could only be achieved through the “breeding out” of unnecessary traits.
What is Eugenics ?
Eugenics is the selective breeding of humans to improve genetic traits.
What was Aktion T4 ?
1939
An secret euthanasia program of the mentally and physically disabled
What was considered a disease ?
-Schizophrenia, Manic-depression, genetic epilepsy,Blindness, deafness, physical deformities, alcoholism and feeblemindedness.
How did the Atkion T4 Program change for the worse in 1940?
-Aimed for older children + Adult residents of welfare institutions .
Fire use of gas chambers = 1940-41 70,273 disabled killed
falsification of medical records stating that the death was of natural causes.
What was the Atkion T4 Program like for younger children ?
Aged 1-3
1939=400,000 children sterilised for various reasons.
Panel of 3 medical experts would decide if an medically disabled child would live.
If the child received 3 simple crosses = Euthanised
Est:10,000 children murdered.
Who was Bishop Von Galen ?
A Christian bishop initially sympathetic to Hitler who began to actively criticise the Nazis after finding out about the Aktion T4 program.
Release of “sermons” spread awareness towards the issue throughout Christian churches.
List the 3 branches that controlled Germanys media
-Reich Press Chamber
-Reich Chamber of Culture
-Nazi party
+ Technology eg: Radio
What was the role of the Reich press chamber ?
Journalists/editors forced to join or be fired
-Reporters received daily briefings about what was permissible on what to report on/how it would be reported
-Provided the only source of news
What was the role of the Reich Chamber of Culture ?
-Regulation of theatre, literature and music.
-controlled + censored art
-Approached entertainment as an means of control through subtle uses of propaganda.
Artists forced to join or works would be banned.
How did they use new technologies to control the people ?
-Introduction of the radio
-Ensured that = affordable + accessible
-9m radios in Germany by 1939
Radios = Too weak to pick up external stations.
1935=Reached an audience of 56 million = Hitler being able to easily broadcast speeches to the German people.
