What choices did people have in Germany? (8) Flashcards
Why can’t we only blame Hitler for the holocaust?
It would have not been possible without the support and involvement of millions of ordinary people.
Why had a lot of people supported the Nazis?
The Nazis had put an end to the economic collapse in Germany. Their lives had improved and so they were prepared to go along with Nazi policies as long as these policies did not harm them personally.
What did many Nazi supporters believe?
They believed Nazi propaganda, that they were constantly told- that Hitler had saved Germany and brought political and economic stability.
What was the Holocaust?
Mass murder of Jews by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945.
Did ALL Germans support the Nazis?
No, but most were too scared to openly criticise the actions of the Nazis.
What was the punishment for criticising the Nazis?
It meant imprisonment in a concentration camp or death. So most people just closed their eyes and minds to what was happening. They did not want to know.
What were examples of inconspicuous ways of resistance? (2)
Listening to a foreign radio broadcast or refusing to join the Hitler Youth
Who were the ‘White Rose’?
A group of students at Munich University, who were executed for openly criticising Hitler’s actions.
What happened to the dissatisfied generals in the German army who unsuccessfully tried to kill Hitler in 1944?
They believed he was leading the country to defeat in WW2 and hundreds of people who were involved in the plot, and their friends, were executed.
True or false
Several churchman who spoke out against Nazi policies were pardoned from jail.
False, Several churchman who spoke out against Nazi policies were put in jail or in concentration camps.
Who was Pastor Martin Niemoller?
A church leader who was arrested and put in a concentration camp because he criticised ‘bystanders’ who did not speak out against the Nazis.
What was the difference between Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Bishop Clemens von Galen?
Bonhoeffer died in a concentration camp because of criticism of Nazi policies. The same for von Galen who also criticised the ‘euthanasia programme’ but was released because of his popularity.
How did some Germans save Jews?
They hid Jews in their houses and smuggled them out of the country.
What was the Quaker Movement?
Religious group who were against any form of violence and smuggled Jewish children out of Germany.
What did some Danes do to help Jews when the Nazis took over Denmark?
Helped them escape to Sweden.
