CIE IGCSE History - Control in Nazi Germany

flashcards on control in Nazi Germany, 1933-39, taken from Germany 1918-45 Depth Study

what were the key Nazi aims?

• to have a racially pure Germany

• to have a strong Germany

• to create a people’s community - unity

why did the Nazis want a police state? (5 reasons)

• to protect themselves from the KPD

• to avoid civil war

• to promote Hitler’s image as a ‘strongman’

• to crush resistance

• to ensure implementation of new policies

what were the main components of the Nazi police state?

• SS

• Police

• informers

• Gestapo

• Concentration camps

what was the SS originally?

a private bodyguard for Hitler and other key Nazis

how did the membership change for the SS?

• originally 500 members

• 50,000+ members after the NOLK

who was the leader of the SS?

Heindrich Himmler

who was the deputy leader of the SS?

Heyrdrich (leader of security service)

what was the main aim of the SS?

to create terror leading to obedience along with the gestapo

what did the SS do?

• acted as an auxiliary police force - could arrest without warrant, search houses, confiscate property

• ran Concentration Camps and Death Camps

• ran Gestapo

• ran Waffen SS - fighting units in WW2

• ran the security service

• ran the slave labour carried out by the Nazis

what were concentration camps originally?

• temporary prisons due to mass arrests of communists

• venues for questioning, hard labour, re education

• not originally intended for genocide

what units of the SS ran concentration camps?

Death’s head units (as well as death camps)

what had the concentration camps become by 1939?

huge businesses - ran on slave labour of those persecuted racially

what was the gestapo originally?

• prussian secret police run by Goering

• state secret

when was the gestapo taken over and by whom?

taken over by Himmler and Heydrich in 1936 - completes SS takeover of ‘law and order’

what did the gestapo do?

• created a culture of mass terror and fear - smaller than perceived - worked based on image not on action

• tapped telephones and mail

• spied on people

• maintained network of informers

• arrested anyone thought to oppose Hitler

how was the judiciary controlled in Nazi Germany?

• in 1934 ‘people’s courts’ were set up

• all judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler

• courts were used against Nazi opponents - people arrested on technicalities

• number of crimes punishable by death increased - 1933→43: 3→46 - incl. listening to foreign radio stations

how was the police controlled in Nazi Germany?

controlled by SS

what was every town in Nazi Germany divided into?

‘blocks’ - small units

what was each ‘block assigned’?

a loyal local Nazi - ‘block warden’

what did the ‘block wardens’ do?

• checked up on every member of neighbourhood

• reported anyone suspicious to the gestapo

• had to write reports on ‘political reliability’ for everyone which impacted one’s ability to get a job

who was in charge of Propaganda in Nazi Germany?

Goebbels - Minister for Enlightenment and Propaganda

what were Germany’s key aims with propaganda?

• to promote German strength and power, to maintain control

• to suppress opposition

what were the Nuremburg rallies?

• huge military rallies held every year

• had bands and marches

• torchlit processions

• speeches from Hitler and other leading Nazis

how did the Nuremburg rallies benefit German propaganda?

• promoted the Hitler myth

• made the Nazi party look very powerful and like it had huge support

• gave a sense of belonging to Germans and promoted order - sense that Germany was under complete control

• demonstrated Germany’s military strength and therefore intimidated opposition, promoting the Nazi party

describe the 1934 Nuremburg rally

• known as the ‘6th party congress’

• attended by 700,000 supporters

• ‘Triumph of the Will’ film produced there

Propaganda: how did the Nazis control books?

• all books had to be approved by Goebbels

• 1933 - Book Burning held - pro-Nazi university students burnt un-German (Jewish) books in Berlin, urged by Goebbels

Propaganda: how did the Nazis control newspapers?

• most newspapers banned

• only pro-Nazi newspapers and articles allowed

Propaganda: how did the Nazis control music?

banned Jazz music as it was considered ‘black’

propaganda: how did the Nazis use posters?

• posters everywhere in order to have maximum effect

• proclaimed Hitler + Nazi successes and ideas

• had Nazi slogans

• also promoted negative stereotypes of Jews and ‘sub-Aryans’

propaganda: how did the Nazis control art?

• all art had to be approved

• only Nazi approved artists could work

• art had to promote a Nazi ideal, for example strength or a perfect ‘Aryan’ family

propaganda: how did the Nazis control and use cinema?

• spent huge budgets on pro-Nazi films

• Nazi newsreels were shown before a showing of a film

• all films had to have a pro-Nazi message

which famous film did the Nazis commission as propaganda?

• ‘Triumph of the Will’ - 1934 Nuremburg Rally - Leni Riefenstahl

• pictured Hitler flying in on an aeroplane to create a god-like image

propaganda: how did the Nazis control and use radio as a method of propaganda?

• cheap radios were made readily available so all Germans could have one

• all radio stations were Nazi-controlled

• listening to foreign radio stations, particularly BBC, was punishable by death

• loudspeakers were placed in the streets and in bars in case of no radia

• Hitler’s speeches were broadcast over and over again on these radios until they became normal belief

how were the 1936 Berlin Olympics used as propaganda?

• aimed to show superiority of the Aryan race - Germany topped the medal table

• included one token Jewish athlete in order to prevent boycott

• built new stadium

• to Germans: demonstrated power, strength, achievement

• to other countries: such blatant display of propaganda was perceived as odd and unusual

what were the three main groups that the Nazis persecuted? (not incl. Jews)

• Gypsies (Sinti/Roma)

• Mentally Ill and Disabled

• ‘asocials’

• also: Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals

why did the Nazis persecute the Roma/Sinti?

• believed to be non-Aryan - regarded as ‘gypsy plague’ - believed to be racially inferior

• believed to be asocial due to their nomadic lifestyle

how did the Nazis persecute Roma and Sinti people?

• sent to concentration and death camps

• led by Himmler

how many Roma and Sinti people died as a result of persecution?

around 500,000 - 25-50% of European population at the time

why did the Nazis persecute the Mentally Ill and Disabled?

• believed them to be a burden on the community - thought that their care was a waste of money

• weren’t perceived as Aryan enough - believed to be polluting the Aryan race

how did the Nazis persecute the mentally ill and disabled?

• ‘Sterilisation Law in 1933 - forced sterilisation of Aryan Germans believed to have hereditary diseases

• ‘euthanasia’ programme in 1939 - first executions by the Nazis - 72,000 in total between 1939 and 1941 (gassed)

how was the Nazi euthanasia programme ended?

huge public outcry as a result of preaching by a Catholic Bishop, Galen, led to Hitler issuing a ‘Halt order’ - feared repercussions if continued

why did the Nazis persecute ‘asocials’?

they thought they were polluting the Aryan race

who did the Nazis regard as ‘asocials’?

• homosexuals (5-10000 sent to concentration camps)

• persistent alcoholics

• homeless

• prostitutes

• persistent criminals

how did the Nazis persecute asocials?

sent them to concentration camps

what did the Nazis sign with the catholic church?

A ‘concordat’

when was the concordat signed?

1933

why was the concordat with the Catholic church signed?

• Nazi: to prevent catholic interference with politics

  • Catholics had absolute loyalty to the pope over Hitler and made up a large minority population

  • therefore may believe alternatives to Nazi teaching - threat to control

• Catholics: to allow them to maintain their religion and schools

what did Hitler do to the protestant Churches in Germany?

unified them into one large, all-encompassing Church called the Reich Church

who was the leader of the Reich Church?

Pro-Nazi Bishop - Muller

what was the general German view of the Reich Church?

many Germans did not really like it as they felt that their loyalties lay with their local churches

Why did Hitler create a Reich church?

• there were 20+ different kinds of protestant church in Germany

• they all had different teachings and schools of thought

• this could weaken German control as other teachings may be taught than the Nazi ideologies

• it also prevented a complete feeling of unity and the people’s community being complete

what alternative was set up to the Reich Church?

the confessing church (1933) - rival protestant moving, claimed racial ideology of Nazis was incompatible

who led the Confessing church?

Niemoller and Bonhoeffer

what happened to Niemoller and Bonhoeffer?

• Niemoller: sent to concentration camp 1938-45 + died

• Bonhoeffer: silenced in 1937

which catholic bishop resisted some Nazi policy?

Galen

what Nazi policy did Galen oppose?

• euthanasia programme

• preached sermons about it and gathered a large following

what happened as a result of Galen’s preaching?

Hitler issued a ‘halt’ order to the euthanasia programme as he feared the power of Galen’s supporters