key words from checklist

Eugenics

The idea of 'selective breeding' based on Darwin's work on evolution, taught in German schools and enforced through laws such as forced sterilization.

Racial Hygiene

The aim of creating a 'pure' Aryan race, enforced by laws preventing mixed-race marriages and promoting the breeding of Aryans.

Concordat

An agreement signed by Hitler and the Pope in July 1933, stating that the Catholic Church would not oppose Nazism in exchange for Nazi non-interference with Church affairs.

Pastors' Emergency League (PEL)

A group of Protestant pastors, including Martin Niemoller, that organized opposition to Nazi treatment of churches and formed the Confessing Church.

Reich Church

A Nazi-controlled Protestant church aimed at 'Nazifying' Christianity in Germany.

Lebensborn

A movement aimed at increasing the Aryan birth rate by providing assistance to unmarried mothers and kidnapping children for adoption by Aryans.

The Final Solution

The Nazi plan for the systematic extermination of the Jewish population during World War II, which included mass shootings and the establishment of death camps.

Gestapo

The secret police of Nazi Germany who used informers, tapped calls, and had the power to arrest and imprison without trial.

Hitler Youth

A youth organization aimed at indoctrinating young Germans with Nazi ideology through physical, political, and military training.

League of German Maidens

A girls' group associated with the Hitler Youth that trained girls in domestic skills and emphasized racial hygiene.

Nuremberg Laws

Racial laws enacted in 1935 that stripped Jews of their German citizenship and prohibited marriage between Jews and non-Jews.

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)

A coordinated attack on Jews and Jewish property in November 1938, resulting in deaths, arrests, and widespread destruction.

Four Year Plan

An economic plan implemented by Hermann Goering in 1936 to prepare Germany for war by increasing military production and self-sufficiency.

Strength through Joy (KDF)

A program of the German Labour Front (DAF) that organized leisure activities for workers to reward hard work and improve morale.

DAF (Deutsche Arbeitsfront)

The German Labour Front that replaced trade unions, aimed to protect workers' rights and improve conditions under Nazi rule.

Invisible Unemployment

A method used by the Nazis to manipulate unemployment figures by excluding women who left jobs to have families and Jews who lost jobs due to discrimination.

Police State

A state in which the government uses the police to enforce law and order, often through oppressive means, as established under Hitler.

Pastor Martin Niemoller

A prominent leader of the Confessing Church who initially supported Hitler but later opposed his regime and was imprisoned.

Cardinal Galen

A Catholic leader who criticized the Nazi euthanasia policy and denounced the killing of the disabled.

Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda who coordinated efforts to control the media, culture, and public perception for the Nazis.

Swing Youth

A group of middle-class teenagers in Nazi Germany who rebelled against Nazi rules by enjoying American culture, including music and dance.

Edelweiss Pirates

Youth groups that opposed the Hitler Youth by engaging in rebellious activities such as camping and mocking the Nazi regime.

Final Solution

The Nazi plan to exterminate the Jews, culminating in the establishment of extermination camps during World War II.

T4 Programme

A secret Nazi program for the euthanasia of individuals with disabilities, which began with the killing of those deemed 'unfit'.

Kristallnacht

A state-sanctioned night of anti-Jewish violence in November 1938, resulting in widespread destruction and loss of life among Jews.

Nazi Olympics 1936

An Olympic event in Berlin used as a propaganda tool to showcase German power and Aryan superiority while masking the regime's discriminatory policies.

Propaganda Techniques

Methods employed by the Nazis, including media control, censorship, and cultural manipulation, to shape public perception and beliefs.

Censorship

The suppression of speech, public communication, or any material that may be considered objectionable by the government, used extensively by the Nazi regime.

Military Training in Hitler Youth

A component of the Hitler Youth program focused on preparing boys for military service by teaching them skills such as map reading and shooting.

The Reich School System

An educational system under the Nazis that was restructured to enforce Nazi ideology and exclude anti-Nazi ideas, focusing on physical and ideological indoctrination.

Goebbels's Film Control

Joseph Goebbels's oversight of Nazi film production to ensure all films carried pro-Nazi messages and depicted Jews negatively.

Concentration Camps

Prisons established by the Nazis to detain political opponents, minorities, and other 'undesirables,' where many were tortured or killed.

Aryan Race

The racial concept promoted by the Nazis, asserting that the Aryan race was superior and should be preserved through strict cultural and marital policies.

Berlin’s Nazi Olympics

The 1936 Olympics used by the Nazi regime to showcase so-called Aryan superiority and promote Nazi propaganda on an international stage.

Nazi Ideology

A set of beliefs held by the Nazis, including ideas of racial purity, authoritarianism, and ultra-nationalism, to justify their political and social policies.