Theme 2- Opposition, Control And Consent 1933-1945

Question 1

What are the 3 examples of youth opposition?

Answer 1

The White Rose group
The Swing Youth
The Edelweiss Pirates

Question 2

What did the White Rose group do?

Answer 2

Started in 1942 and organised the first public demonstration to the Nazi regime. They also distributed anti-Nazi leaflets. Included Hans and Sophie Scholl. Lasted until 1943 when the leaders were arrested.

Question 3

What was the Swing Youth?

Answer 3

Middle class teenagers who listened to banned English and American music like jazz. Their behaviour and attitude was not in accordance to Nazi ideals.

Question 4

What did the Edelweiss Pirates do?

Answer 4

They were mainly working class teenagers who attacked members of the Hitler Youth and their actions caused serious disruption in some cities. As the war progressed, they became more violent and took part in attacks on the authorities. They were sometimes ignored although 12 members were publicly hanged in November 1944.

Question 5

What did the Kreisau Circle do (conservative elites)?

Answer 5

One of the leading anti-Nazi groups led by Helmuth von Moltke, grandnephew of the late Prussian general. Their opposition was mostly theoretical i.e. planning for a post Nazi regime.

Question 6

What did the Freiburg Circle do (conservative elites)?

Answer 6

Led by the historian Gerhard Ritter, they were strongly nationalistic. They were prepared to bring down Hitler but not willing to contribute to German defeat in war. Ritter was imprisoned but survived.

Question 7

What was the army bomb plot (conservative elites)?

Answer 7

Leading members of the army attempted to assassinate Hitler in July 1944 but failed. This led to a major purge of army generals.

Question 8

What did the Protestant Church do to oppose the Nazis?

Answer 8

In 1934, the Confessional Church was set up as it refused to be part of the official Reich Church. It sought to defend the Protestant Church from state interference and the false theology of German Christians. The founder was arrested and imprisoned in 1937.

Question 9

What did the Catholic Church do to oppose the Nazis?

Answer 9

In 1937, public protests following the removal of crucifixes from schools forced the authorities to back down. In 1941, Cardinal Galen publicly attacked the euthanasia campaign and the regime temporarily suspended it.

Question 10

What did the SPD do to oppose the Nazis?

Answer 10

Many SPD members formed a resistance group called Roter Strosstrupp and by late 1933, this group had around 3000 members. They produced a fortnightly newspaper. In 1934 the Gestapo located and arrested the leaders and by mid-1934, the underground activities of the SPD had been thwarted.

Question 11

What did the KPD do to oppose the Nazis?

Answer 11

More than 30,000 KPD members continued with underground resistance and they published millions of anti-Nazi leaflets and pamphlets between 1933 and 1935. This literature found its way into many factories, workplaces and beer halls.

Question 12

What did the Rote Kapelle do to oppose the Nazis?

Answer 12

Only lasted a year but consisted of pro-Soviet Germans who carried out acts of sabotage directed from Moscow. The leaders were tracked down and executed.

Question 13

What did workers do to oppose the Nazis?

Answer 13

They took part in strikes and go slows although these were mostly motivated by deteriorating working conditions or rising food prices rather than against the Nazi regime. Some workers refused to give Nazi salutes or sabotaged factory machinery or equipment. However the usual Gestapo response to strikes was to send the workers to concentration camps so these were infrequent.

Question 14

What happened to opposition during the war?

Answer 14

Opposition became stronger such as the Edelweiss Pirates becoming involved in sabotage and Guerilla warfare, the Red Orchestra sent spy information to the USSR and the army bomb plot 1944 aimed to blow up Hitler. However repression also became more severe and everyone involved in the above was executed- nearly 5000 were killed after the army bomb plot for example.

Question 15

How did the war hurt opposition?

Answer 15

There was increased repression. In 1939-41, the Nazis were actually very popular as the war was going really well- particularly after the conquer of France. Patriotism made it difficult to oppose the Nazis as they would be criticised for sabotaging the war effort. There was also a fear of Russian revenge so they had to stay loyal to create a united front at home.

Question 16

How did the war help opposition?

Answer 16

Nazis were focused on war so there was less focus on opposition. As Germans started to lose the war, the Nazis’ popularity decreased, particularly with the economy declining and the mass bombing on Germany. This made opposition more popular.

Question 17

How effective and long lasting was opposition overall?

Answer 17

Opposition was mostly weak and short lived, many groups only lasted a year or 2 before being shut down by the Gestapo and most activity had to be done underground. Opposition from the Catholic Church did result in Nazi u-turns and left wing opposition did have a lot of support from workers but the Nazis were generally able to control opposition fairly easily and opposition never had popular mass support, or at least not openly.

Question 18

What are the main reasons why opposition failed?

Answer 18

• Powerful secret police including a network of informers
• Nazi policies like foreign policy success were popular
• Opposition lacked resources
• Nazi punishments like imprisonment and torture
• The government controlled all aspects of media
• Resistance organisations didn’t cooperate and were divided
• One party state
• Tradition for the respect of authority
• No independent trade unions/ organisations to rally opponents

Question 19

Is non conformity a significant form of opposition?

Answer 19

Yes because there was such widespread fear of opposing the Nazis that going against them in any way took courage. The main form of opposition in Nazi Germany was non conformity as people were too scared to openly oppose the Nazis. Non conformity is ineffective but that doesn’t stop it from being significant.

Question 20

Why did the middle class support the Nazis?

Answer 20

They lost their savings during the hyperinflation crisis and struggled to find work during the Great Depression. The Nazis provided job opportunities for them as Jews were forced to leave their jobs. The Nazis also abolished trade unions and outlawed the KPD and SPD.

Question 21

Why didn’t the working class support the Nazis?

Answer 21

Their living standards declined in Nazi Germany and their wages were kept down. This means they had less money for food and other necessities.

Question 22

Did women support the Nazis and why?

Answer 22

Many middle class and conservative women believed in traditional values of women being naturally suited to nurturing children and staying at home. Nazi policies to exclude women from the workplace were seen as natural and good although new women would oppose these policies. The DFW supervised women’s groups on behalf of the Nazis and had 4 million members by 1938.

Question 23

How did religion affect support?

Answer 23

The Protestant Church had been dominant in Prussia for hundreds of years and saw the Nazis as a revival of traditional German Protestant values.
The Catholics were less likely to support the Nazis despite the Concordat and compromises over the Enabling Act. There were tensions over issues like euthanasia although this was led by individuals rather than the Catholic Church as a whole.

Question 24

Why was support higher in rural areas than urban areas?

Answer 24

In July 1932, Nazi support was 28% higher in the country than in the city because rural workers suffered during the Great Depression. Nazi policies improved peasant conditions like the Reich Food Estate and food autarky. This meant their incomes were more stable in the 1930s.

Question 25

Why were young people likely to support the Nazis?

Answer 25

They had been children during WW1 and saw the war as a great patriotic adventure, they were devastated by German defeat and humiliation. They liked Nazi militarism and the promise to overturn the Treaty of Versailles and restore German honour.

Question 26

What were the 3 main reasons for Nazi support?

Answer 26

• Economy, welfare and charity. It also gave ordinary people purpose, authority and status (e.g. Winter help organisation and KDF- popular workers leisure organisation)
• Restoring greatness and foreign policy success (e.g. withdrawing from the League of Nations in 1933)
• Fear and social pressure to conform (e.g. Hans Massaquoi describing his mother hang up a Nazi flag to avoid being informed on to the Gestapo)

Question 27

Give 2 examples of active support.

Answer 27

-A telegram was sent to Hitler declaring ‘loyalty and love’
-Election about Rhineland reoccupation had support of 95% of voters.

Question 28

Give 2 examples of partial support.

Answer 28

-Nazis didn’t gain a majority in 1933 election but Nazi elections like the approval of the Anschluss got a 99% affirmative vote.
-The DFW got 1.7 million women to attend almost 100,000 courses on motherhood even though they were voluntary and a small fee was charged. However, they failed to attract working class or rural support.

Question 29

Give an example of passive support.

Answer 29

A German doctor joined the Nazi Physician’s Association even though he actually disliked Nazi methods. He was only a dues paying member.

Question 30

Give 2 examples of yes but… support.

Answer 30

In the election on Hitler’s merging of President and Chancellor only 10% disagreed although there were 1 million spoiled ballots. People were also living under a dictatorship so felt pressured to openly support the Nazis- high turnout and a massive change in percentage in all Nazi dictatorship elections.
Denunciation to the Gestapo was common but motives varied from genuine support to personal motives such as getting revenge on someone.

Question 31

Why was there continued support during the war, even though there was growing disaffection because of Allied bombing?

Answer 31

• Patriotism and a sense of national pride
• Propaganda showing the barbaric nature of the Russian Red Army. Germans supported the war effort to stop a Russian invasion
• Hope of victory with stories of new weapons like V1 and V2 bombs
• Survivors of bombing felt they wanted to fight back
• Unity against a common enemy
• Food shortages and rationing were well managed (better than in WW1)
• Volksempfänger (radios) were very popular and put across the Nazi message
• Seemed disloyal to rebel during a war
• Faith in Hitler remained and Hitler Youth sacrificed their lives to defend Berlin until the very end of the war

Question 32

How was support limited during the war?

Answer 32

• Conservative elites plotted against the regime
• Workers were dissatisfied
• Women didn’t comply with the requirement to work
• Church attendance rose
• People became less willing to believe propaganda

Question 33

What was the Gestapo?

Answer 33

It was seen as an all seeing all knowing secret police force. They were experts at surveillance, relied on informants and their numbers were in the tens of thousands. They had immunity from the law and were controlled by Himmler.

Question 34

What did the Gestapo do?

Answer 34

They reached across streets, housing blocks and offices and arrested people for anti-Nazi behavior such as spreading banned newspapers. They helped to shut down the SPD and KPD, removed Fritsch and Blomberg (senior army generals) and eliminated Austria’s political parties after the Anschluss.

Question 35

Were the Gestapo actually everywhere?

Answer 35

No, major areas like Frankfurt and Hanover had less than 50 officers in each and at its peak, the Gestapo only had 30,000 officers for the whole country. However, people believed they were everywhere so it didn’t really matter that they weren’t everywhere because the fear of them still led to self censorship and compliance.

Question 36

How many people were in concentration camps in 1935 and how did this change?

Answer 36

4000 in 1935. 2.3 million people were put in concentration camps between 1933 and 1945, mostly during the war and after radicalisation from 1938.

Question 37

How many people died in concentration camps?

Answer 37

More than 1.7 million.

Question 38

Why did the Nazis release some people from concentration camps?

Answer 38

So these people would tell everyone they know how barbaric the camps were to deter anyone from opposing the Nazis. This created fear of the camps and was an effective method of control.

Question 39

What was the People’s Court?

Answer 39

A court set up in Berlin in 1934 to try people for political crimes. The trials were not public and there was no right of appeal.

Question 40

What did blockwardens do and what impact did they have?

Answer 40

They were Nazi party officials who were assumed to be watching for the smallest infringement of Nazi rules. As a result, conversations seldom focused on political issues and people struggled to be honest with each other for fear that their views would then be reported to the authorities.

Question 41

What was the Law for Malicious Gossip?

Answer 41

A law introduced in March 1933 that clamped down on any expressions of dissent, for example telling anti-Nazi jokes. By 1937, over 17,000 people had been sentenced under this rule.

Question 42

How reliant was the Gestapo on denunciations?

Answer 42

The Gestapo couldn’t have operated without the cooperation of German citizens. Between 80-90% of arrests came from denunciations although the system was manipulated from below as people often denounced for personal reasons. Sometimes children turned their own parents into the Gestapo.

Question 43

What were the main aims of Nazi propaganda?

Answer 43

• To inculcate key Nazi policies and ideas like anti-Semitism and anti-Communism
• To promote loyalty, conformity and unity like Volksgemeinschaft and national rallies
• To celebrate regime successes like sporting victories and job creation
• To cultivate the Hitler myth

Question 44

How was Hitler portrayed under the Hitler myth?

Answer 44

Propaganda made Hitler the embodiment of all that was good about the Nazi government. He was seen the most powerful and understanding, a man apart with superhuman ability and a willingness to sacrifice himself to save the German nation. He was also a father figure and representative of the whole nation and was committed to defending Germany against other nations. Also as a teutonic knight who stood for traditional German values of justice.

Question 45

How did Goebbels present the Hitler myth?

Answer 45

He didn’t overexpose Hitler, only for short times to make Hitler appear powerful and mythical. Movies also focused on emotion and entertainment rather than facts.

Question 46

How important was the Hitler myth?

Answer 46

It allowed ordinary Germans to feel loyalty to and respect for Hitler and it therefore increased support for the regime.

Question 47

How many people heard Hitler’s speeches?

Answer 47

By 1935, Hitler’s speeches had been heard by 56 million people. Loudspeakers in cafes, parks and factories blasted out the Nazi message.

Question 48

How many people had a Volksempfanger (radio) by 1939?

Answer 48

70% of German homes had one.

Question 49

How successful were rallies?

Answer 49

By 1938, almost 1 million people had attended a rally at Nuremberg, although young people were much more likely to attend rallies and parades than older people.

Question 50

How were sporting successes celebrated?

Answer 50

Germany hosted the Olympics in 1936 and won the most medals. They built a massive sports stadium on neo-classical lines for the Olympics. The victory of heavyweight champion boxer, Max Schmeling was widely publicised.

Question 51

How did propaganda create unity?

Answer 51

Hitler’s birthday was celebrated nationally and the charitable Winter Relief campaign was publicised to show the unity of the German nation. The film Campaign in Poland from the war was seen by 13.7 million and even defeat at Stalingrad was used to rally support. Goebbels made a speech ending ‘Nation, rise up and let the storm break loose’.

Question 52

How was propaganda limited?

Answer 52

There was a 10% decline in newspaper sales in the Nazi years and the working class, Catholics and middle aged were less likely to be influenced by Nazi propaganda. The anti-Semitic film The Eternal Jew released in 1940 caused such disgust that many people left the cinema before it finished. Many people simply ignored propaganda. Anti-smoking campaign failed.