Topic Two - Nazi Germany [6] Flashcards
How did the Nazis treat the Jews in Germany between 1933 and 1939? [6]
In what ways did the lives of Jews in Germany change between 1933 and 1939?
1st April 1933 - Hitler, in response to an American boycott of German goods, called a boycott of Jewish business but it was cancelled after 1 day.
7th April 1933 - Restoration of the Civil Service
11th April 1933 - Jews banned from legal professions, such as lawyers, and Jewish doctors and dentists were banned.
15th September 1935 - The Nuremberg Race Laws. The Reich Citizenship Act stripped the Jews of their German citizenship. The Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour outlined that Jews couldn’t have sexual relations or marry Germans, couldn’t display the German flag and couldn’t employ German females under 45 as house servants.
Jews were not equals under the Nazis
1936-1938 Increased Pressure against Jews
1936 - Special SS Division for Jewish affairs
1936- Anti-Semitism toned down due to the hosting of the olympics
1938 - Decree for the registration of Jewish Property (Registration of Jewish property over 5000 marks)
After the assassination of Ernst Von Rath in Paris by Herschel Grunspan the Nazis took revenge with Kristallnacht on November 8th and 9th 1938
Jewish property was confiscated and Jewish professionals were banned
Ghettos were introduced in 1939
17000 Polish-Jews were deported from Germany
All in all the situation of the Jewish population in Germany deteriorated between 1933 and 1939.
How did the Nazis deal with resistance within Germany between 1933 and 1939? [6]
- Resistance from Communists and Socialists -
Banning the communist party (KPD) after the Reichstag fire
Banning the Socialist party (SPD) on June 22nd 1933
The Nazis then began to arrest and detain remaining Communists and Socialists (Political Enemies) and placing them in concentration camps.
Alternative Youth Groups
How did the Nazis try to control the lives of young people in Germany between 1933 and 1939?
When the Nazis came to power they realised the future of their 1000 year Reich lay with the youth. To this end they set about gaining the loyalty and control of the German youth.
They established Youth organisations for boys and girls between 10 and 14 years called the League of German Girls and German Young People respectively.
For those between 14 and 18 there was the German League of Maidens and the Hitler Youth.
Participation was encouraged in these organisations from 1933, from 1936 there were no alternatives and by 1939 membership was compulsory under the Hitler Youth Law.
These organisations had very specific roles and duties set out for boys and girls.
In schools boys and girls were educated separately.
Teachers were supposed to be part of the Nazi Teachers League.
The male curriculum emphasised P.E and History while the female curriculum concentrated on domesticity and motherhood.
Religious education was downgraded and overall intellectualism was frowned upon. Overall educational standards dropped during the Nazi regime.
How did the Nazis deal with the Churches in Germany between 1933 and 1939?
In the early days of their rule the Nazis sent out messages that they were in support of Christian values.
In June 1933 they signed the Konkordat with the Roman Catholic Church.
The Nazis were opposed in reality to Christian Churches as potentially rival ideas.
Catholic Youth organisations were initially permitted to exist but soon they came under attack.
Religious symbols were removed from schools, religious education was taken off the school curriculum and the state took over religiously run schools.
The Nazis wanted to establish their own form of religion and so they set up the German Faith Movement and the Reich Church which was a mixture of Christian and Nordic Mythology and Symbolism.
A special unit was established in Dachau for Christian ministers who opposed the Nazis.
Protestant religions formed the Confessional Church to oppose the Nazi’s religion.
Over 300 Catholic priests were imprisoned in Concentration camps such as Neimoller and Bonhoffer.
How did life change for women in Germany between 1933 and 1939?
The Nazis claimed that women occupied a very special place in their new Reich.
Through propaganda they tried to convince women of this. ‘Kinder, Kuche & Kirche’ and ‘Different not inferior’.
The Nazis set up Frauenfront in May 1933 under Dr Robert Ley.
Women were encouraged to follow a very specific path in life to be good mothers.
Pro-Natalism was a policy which was designed to increase the birth rate. Marriage loans and the Mother’s Cross were awarded.
Women in many cases were encouraged to leave the workforce and play a more traditional maternal role.
Lebensborn - Kidnapped Aryans from Denmark and Poland, created brothels.
How did Hitler strengthen his control over Germany in 1933?
January 30th 1933 Hitler appointed Chancellor.
January 31st 1933 - Radio address to the nation Give us 4 years then judge.
February 28th 1933 - Reichstag fire.
February 28th 1933 - Decree for the protection of People and State, gave the Nazi state wide ranging powers such as intrusion of private correspondence, restricted free speech, press freedom, and public meetings.
March 24th 1933 - The Enabling Law ( Which gave the Chancellor the power to pass Laws without the Reichstag).
Then on May 2nd 1933 Trade Union offices were attacked, banned and merged into the Nazi DAF (German Labour Front).
The KPD and SPD are banned and other parties go out of business voluntarily, then the Law against the formation of political parties is enacted on July 1933.
December 1933 - The Law for the Unity of Party and State makes Germany a one party state officially.
How did the Nazi government use propaganda to help it control Germany between 1933 and 1939?
Propaganda was seen as a vital element in the armoury of the Nazis and they established the Ministry for Propaganda and Public Enlightenment.
Josef Goebbels was appointed as minister for Propaganda.
The Nazis utilised new media like the radio where Hitler addressed the population directly.
Public address systems were placed in town centres to play out Nazi messages and patriotic music.
Free radios were given to the people which were tuned only to Nazi sponsored stations.
Cinema was a medium used extensively by the Nazis to get their message across.
Massive public rallies like the annual party rally at Nuremberg were huge propaganda events.
At these events Hitler and leading Nazis would relentlessly repeat the Nazi message in short sound bites to hammer the simplified message home.
How did the Nazis try to reduce unemployment in Germany between 1933 and 1939?
When the Nazis ascended to power in January 1933 they were faced with one huge economic problem which was unemployment at 25.9% (Over 6 million people).
The Nazis continued and extended public work schemes such as land reclamation, deforestation and infrastructural improvements.
The RAD (Reich Labour Service) was established. This was compulsory labour for unemployed men between 18 and 25 for pocket money, board and accommodation.
In 1935 the Nazis introduced conscription which also took numbers from the unemployment figures.
Women were removed from the workforce and were not counted as unemployed also.
The rearmament programme created a lot of work in arms and munitions factories which also reduced unemployment.
Luftwaffe 1935-1936.
How did the Nazis try to control the lives of women in Germany between 1933 and 1939?
Frauenfront 1933
Removal of women from the workforce - teaching, law and medicine.
Propaganda - ‘Different not inferior’ and ‘Kinder, Kuche, Kirche’
Pro-Natalism - The promotion of higher birth rate. Marriage loans up to 1000 marks.
Removal of contraception and abortion facilities
Discouragement of dieting and smoking
Award of the mother’s cross - August 12th annually
Education curriculum
Youth Organisations 10-18
How did life change for workers in Germany between 1933 and 1939?
Between 1933 and 1939 there were significant changes in the lives of workers.
In May 2nd 1933 Trade unions were banned and replaced by the German Labour Front (DAF) under Dr Robert Ley.
The RAD or Reich Labour Service was instituted to provide workers for public work schemes which paid pocket money and provided food and board. This was compulsory for all unemployed from 18-25 for 6 months.
Between 1933 and 1936 unemployment fell from 25.9% to 7.4%.
Workers lost the right to move from job to job. They now had to seek the permission of the state (Nazi party).
The government sought to win over workers by maintaining rent and price controls.
Strength through Joy (KDF) programme was set up to reward workers with holidays, theatre trips and even a cheap car (Volkswagen).
Films such as ‘The Beauty of Labour’ showcased worker’s livelyhoods in a positive light.
The average worker’s income increased, but this was because the average working hours increased from 44 hours per week to 60 hours per week and wages in real terms decreased and working conditions generally worsened.
How did the Nazis use propaganda and censorship in Germany between 1933 and 1939?
The establishment of the Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment in 1933. Josef Goebbels as Minister.
Public book burning in Berlin May 10th 1933.
Jewish, Socialist and Pacifist authors were removed from school curriculum and public libraries.
Radio - Hitler’s addresses to the nation, public address systems and free radios (People’s receiver) to the population.
Cinema used as a propaganda tool e.g. The Eternal Jew, The Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen, The Triumph of the Will, Our Flags will Lead Us Forward.
Newspapers - Volkischer Beobachter, Der Angriff. Alfred Hugenburg’s media empire. 1938 - 67% of newspapers under direct Nazi control.
DNB - Nazis news agency, only Nazi Party approved stories to be published.
How did the Nazis control the lives of the German people by using the Police State between 1933 and 1939?
The SS Schutzstaffel - Divided into four areas, SS- Hitler’s elite bodyguards, SD - Political police, DHU - In charge of concentration camps and later death camps, and Waffen SS - Military Wing.
The Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei) - The secret state police
The People’s Court - Used specifically to try and convict ‘Enemies of the state’.
Concentration camps - First set up in Dachau in 1933, all opponents of the Nazis could be sent here or worse.
Nazification of the Judiciary - Only Nazis were permitted to practice law or sit on the judicial bench.
The SA - Sturmabteilung
Climate of fear and mutual suspicion was created and developed.
