Wartime Resistance Flashcards
Despite any opposition, were the general population of Germans loyal to the Nazi regime during the war?
Yes, as groups that could’ve caused problems such as trade unions and non-Nazi parties had been banned and groups such as the church and army had compromised themselves by cooperating with the Nazis
- the terror state worked in dulling down any resistance and the propaganda machine in Germany made sure any acts of resistance were publicly treated brutally
How had there historically been a tradition of working class youths forming independent youth groups aside from the Hitler youth?
. ‘Wild cliques’ were criminal in nature.
. Wandervogel were law-abiding but unconventional
These wild cliques re-emerged the war despite the Nazi’s attempts to suppress them
What was the main working class youth group that opposed the Nazi regime?
Edelweiss pirates
How old typically were edelweiss pirates and where were they active?
. 14-18
. Active in Rhineland and Ruhr areas (these industrial areas typically had more working class)
What were the Edelweiss pirates’ uniform and appearance and how was this a form of opposition?
. Short trousers
. Check shirt
. Scarf
. Had very long hair
This appearance, especially the long hair, opposed Nazi’s ideal conventional appearance that was claimed to be a sign of the Aryan race
What were the beliefs of the Edelweiss pirates?
. Not openly political but anti-Hitler youth
. Against conscription, trying to avoid it
. Hated discipline so opposed the form of community in the Volksgemeinschaft
- criminal and antisocial in the eyes of the Nazis
How did the edelweiss pirates oppose the Hitler youth?
Rejected the militaristic culture of it, organising independent expeditions into the countryside, where they sang songs banned in the Hitler youth
What were some of the actions of the Edelweiss pirates during WW2?
. 1944 - group of Edelweiss pirates in cologne became linked to an underground group that helped army deserters, escaped prisoners of war, forced labourers and prisoners from concentration camps (this was a more proper form of resistance)
- obtained supplies for these people by attacking military depots
- the chaos and destruction of the bombing campaign allowed them to get away with this underground activity
What were edelweiss pirates and Hitler youth relationship like?
During the war years, there was an increasing number of clashes between them, clearly the youth aren’t unified in their opposition
How did the Nazis deal with the Edelweiss pirates?
. Gestapo and Hitler youth crushed them
. When arrested, the primary move was to shave their heads and banish them for labour camps
- if they continued to resist after that, more severe measures were used
- leaders of cologne edelweiss pirates were publicly hanged in November 1944
How successful were the Edelweiss pirates in resisting the Nazi regime?
Not very effective:
. Their rejection of Hitler-youth and avoidance of conscription was just typical rebellious nature of teenagers, not a proper form of resistance
. Proper forms of resistance such as the pirates in Cologne were dealt with brutally so that Germans would live in fear of opposing in such a way
What were the two main middle-class youth groups that resisted the Nazi regime?
. Swing youth
. White rose (students)
What was the motivation of the swing youth that may lead to questions over the seriousness of their opposition?
To ‘have a good time’
How did the swing youth consciously rejected Nazi values?
. Listened to American and British swing and jazz music
. Wore English-style clothes, believing the English were more free and were able to fulfil the swing youth’s ‘desire for a good time’
Where were some of the swing clubs that sprang up because of the swing youth?
. Hamburg
. Kiel
. Berlin
. Frankfurt
. Dresden
What was the main way that the swing youth was a ‘threat’ to the Nazi regime?
Jazz music was seen as ‘negro music’ by the Nazis, so promoting this put them in direct opposition with the Nazis regime
- they were very unashamed in their pleasure-seeking
What made the swing youth a bit of a rubbish resistance group?
They weren’t even really a resistance group, not having much of a political basis or trying to actively overthrow the regime. They were just typical rebellious youth who wanted some freedom
How did the Nazis deal with swing youth?
There wasn’t really much to deal with but the Nazi regime and Himmler wanted to send the leaders to concentration camps for 2-3 years due to their rejection of Nazi moral values
Who led the white rose group and where was it based?
. Led by Hans and Sophie Scholl
. Based at Munich university with its main target audience being the educated middle class
How were the white rose group somewhat religiously motivated?
Influenced by Catholic theologians such as Von Galen and emphasised the importance of individual freedom of personal responsibility in questions of morality, hence why they were so adamant on uncovering the truth of the Nazi regime and not giving in to the terror state
