Topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933-39

Question 1

Why was Hitler a weak chancellor?

Answer 1

-Hindenburg retained all the powers of the President and could dismiss Hitler at any point
-The Weimar constitution controlled what the Chancellor could do
-Trade unions could call strikes to oppose Hitler
-Out of Hitler’s cabinet only 2 of the 12 members were NSDAP
-The SA had a bad reputation

Question 2

Who was blamed for the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 2

Marius van der Lubbe - a young dutch communist

Question 3

How many communists were arrested on the night of the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 3

4,000 - Hitler later persuaded Hindenburg to declare a state of emergency

Question 4

How many people died in the build up to the March 1933 general elections?

Answer 4

70 deaths

Question 5

How did Hitler gain a 2/3 supermajority?

Answer 5

Banned the communist party and formed coalitions with other parties

Question 6

What was the enabling act (1933)?

Answer 6

The act suspended the constitution and gave Hitler the power to make laws without the Reichstag for 4 years.

Question 7

What did the Nazis do to trade unions in May 1933?

Answer 7

Nazis broke into trade union offices and arrested trade union officials. Hitler then used his powers to ban trade unions and made strikes illegal.

Question 8

How did Hitler remove political opposition in 1933?

Answer 8

In May 1933, Hitler attacked the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party and destroyed their newspapers and confiscated all their funds. Two months later, Hitler made all political parties in Germany illegal, except for the NSDAP.

Question 9

How did Hitler take control of local governments?

Answer 9

Abolished Lander (local) parliaments and declared governors appointed by him.

Question 10

In 1933, how many members were there of the SA?

Answer 10

3 million

Question 11

Why did Hitler arrange to remove the threat of Ernst Rohm?

Answer 11

Leaders of the SS warned Hitler that Rohm was planning to seize power.

Question 12

How many people died during the night of the long knives?

Answer 12

400 people over a four-day period.

Question 13

Who were the Gestapo?

Answer 13

The Gestapo was the Nazi’s secret police force and had 30,000 members. In 1939, 160,000 people were arrested on political offences.

Question 14

Who were the SD?

Answer 14

The SD were a security force who had a card index with everyone it suspected of opposing the Nazi Party.

Question 15

Who were sent to concentration camps prior to the War?

Answer 15

-‘Undesirables’
-Minority groups
-Political prisoners

Question 16

What did Hitler set up so he could control judges?

Answer 16

the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law

Question 17

What happened to Catholics in the 1930s?

Answer 17

-Catholic priests were harassed and arrested - many were sent to concentration camps
-Catholic schools were brought inline with state schools or closed
-Catholic youth activities were banned

Question 18

Who was made leader of the Reich Church in 1936?

Answer 18

Ludwig Muller

Question 19

Who was Pastor Martin Niemoller?

Answer 19

The founder of the Pastors’ Emergency League which opposed Nazi action.

Question 20

In 1935, how many newspapers were closed down?

Answer 20

1,600

Question 21

By 1939, what percent of Germans had a radio?

Answer 21

70% - more than anywhere else in Europe. A cheap radio called the ‘people’s receiver was created’.

Question 22

How many people attended the 1934 Nuremberg rally?

Answer 22

200,000 supporters

Question 23

What leading film director released two films about the Berlin Olympics?

Answer 23

Leni Riefenstahl - the films were used as Nazi propaganda

Question 24

In 1936, how many paintings were removed from art galleries?

Answer 24

12,000

Question 25

Who designed the majority of all major Nazi buildings?

Answer 25

Albert Speer - he designed the parade ground for rallies in Nuremberg

Question 26

How many and what type of books were burnt in May 1933 in Berlin?

Answer 26

20,000 books written by Jews, Communist and anti-Nazi authors

Question 27

How many cinema tickets were sold in 1933

Answer 27

250 million

Question 28

How many people attended the exhibition of ‘degenerate art’?

Answer 28

2 million people - double that of the ‘Great German Art Exhibition’

Question 29

Who was the Jewish fencer who won silver at the Berlin Olympics?

Answer 29

Helene Mayor

Question 30

What were the two main young people groups that opposed the Nazis?

Answer 30

Edelweiss Pirates - members were from the working-class of big German cities
The Swing Youth - mainly teenagers from wealthy middle-class families located in big towns

Question 31

What did opposition from the Edelweiss Pirates include?

Answer 31

-Taunted and sometimes attacked members of the Hitler youth
-Went on long walks singing parodies of Hitler youth songs
-They copied American style

Question 32

What did opposition from the Swing Youth include?

Answer 32

-Organised illegal dances with up to 6000 people
-Admired American culture and wore American clothes
-Played illegally imported records from America

Question 33

How many members were there in the Edelweiss Pirates by 1939?

Answer 33

2,000 compared to 8 million in the Hitler Youth