To what extent do you agree with the view that the nazis relied on terror and violence to consolidate their position 1933-1934? Flashcards
Gleichschaltung- banning of trade unions (DAF) /hitler Youth/ law for reconstruction of the state
Non violence- gleichschaltung involved gradual nazifying of society, introducing social groups to run alongside existing groups eg Hitler Youth (boy scout groups that unknowingly influenced them with Nazi ideas/politics)
explanation- This area of gleicschaltung was non violent and implicit way to gain support of younger generations, who would influence other friends and family to like the Nazis
Violence- 2nd may 1933 banning trade unions and replacing them with DAF- they destroyed offices and arrested union leaders who previously had 4mil members.
Explanation- nazis took over massive area of Germany life over night and forced workers to join the Nazi union (DAF)- without the fast work of the Nazi’s in terrifying workers and scaring them into accepting the Nazi regime, Hitler wouldve needed more time to consolidate his position- he was clever to make the day before a national holiday before introducing violent measures
Facts- SA violence used to overthrow local state governments and replace them with Nazi governors known as Gauleiter eg Goëbbels who was Gauleiter for Berlin. Elected assemblies were also involved, reducing the power of German people
Explanation- Another example of Gleichschaltung violence, and example with the DAF shows that to gain control of the more important areas of society (workers and urban people) and so it can be considered more violent than non violent, however non violence was used where appropriate (Hitler Youth)
Political pragmatism (reichstag fire-non violent) 5th March elections (violence)
Reichstag fire- 27th feb 1933, Nazi’s use the burning down of the reichstag building to exploit the communists and highlight them as a threat to Germany, the next day he suspended all civil rights to start the construction of his legal domination of Germany.
This was popular among the majority of Germans because people saw it as Hitler trying to protect his own from an outside threat, and the speed at which he carried it out was well received in comparison to Weimar which was overly democratic and took longer to make decisions. Although it was ambiguous repression of the people, it was not terror and violence, it was a disguised attack on the freedoms of German people, in the name of German safety
Violence at elections- 5th march, following the fire, the SA were used to intimidate voters, placing thugs in booths and outside, and controlling the radio and police. As a result, 88% of eligible voters voted although the Nazi’s only got 44% and formed a majority government with the nationalists who got 8%.
- This shows that both terror/ violence as well as non violence could be used in the name of politics as part of Hitler’s plan, and he did not solely rely on either to gain public favour. To politically influence the German public, both were needed.
Explicit violence- night of the long knives June 30th 1934
30th June 1934, night of the Long knives. Hitler purged 200-400 SA members and their leader, Roehm, because hitler felt threatened that Roehm was going to get too powerful and challenge the Reichswehr. This was a huge statement of brutality by Hitler because he killed so many of his own parties men, as Roehm wanted a second revolution which went against ‘Furherprinzip’-Hitler was always right. The violence used at the end of the Nazi’s fair and legal take-over of Germany was Hitlers way of showing that he was the undeniable leader.
This shows that Nazi violence was an important factor in consolidation, but they couldn’t completely rely on terror, as earlier events like the law against the formation of new parties allowed the Nazi’s to purge the SA unchallenged.
line of argument/ judgement
Hitler did not just rely on terror and violence to consolidate the nazis position, and his own position at the head of this. Instead he took a case by case approach to take over different areas of society like state politics, the army, the workers and the youth, implementing either violence or non violence when it was deemed necessary; both in some areas.
