History - Democracy and Dictatorship in Germany, Establishment of Nazi Dictatorship.

Which 6 key things helped Hitler consolidate his power and dictatorship?

The Reichstag Fire, March elections, Enabling Act, Gleichschaltung/one-party state, Night of the Long Knives, and the Death of Hindenberg.

What was the Reichstag Fire and how did it help Hitler consolidate his power?

==27th Feb, 1933.== Nazi’s weren’t the majority and Hitler had convinced Hindenberg to call another election. A fire was set in the Reichstag, and Hitler and the NSDAP party blamed the Communists, despite their main ‘suspect’ being an Anarchist, Van Der Lubbe. Hindenberg used article 48 to sign a ==‘Decree for the Protection of the People’== which gave Hitler the power to take away civil and political liberties to protect them from the ‘communist threat’. Some think the Nazi’s may have set this fire to give Hitler some power and to place some blame on left wing ideals. Hitler exploits this fire for his own gain.

What was the March Elections and how did it help Hitler consolidate his power?

==March, 1933.== The Nazi’s got ==288 seats in the Reichstag==, which is 44%, which still wasn’t majority. They had to form a coalition to make majority, and joined with the Nationalists. Hitler had been using intimidation through his private army (SA) to increase votes - NSDAP went from ==33% to 44%.==

What was the Enabling Act and how did it help Hitler consolidate his power?

23rd March, 1933. With communist deputies banned due to the Reichstag Fire and the SA to intimidate all the non-Nazi deputies, the Reichstag voted a 2/3rds majority to give Hitler the right to make laws without the Reichstag approval for 4 years. It gave Hitler absolute power, which meant he could destroy all opposition to his rule.

What was the Gleichschaltung/one-party state and how did it help Hitler consolidate his power?

Gleichschaltung was the Nazification of German society and Hitler’s dictatorship. The idea was to merge German society with Nazi institutions to allow Nazi’s to control all social, cultural and educational activity. Hitler needed control of the federal states, trade unions and other political parties - He did this through intimidating and using violence against federal states, ==dissolving regional parliaments in March 1933 and replacing them with Nazi state governments==, tricking trade unions by creating a fake labour day on 1st of may and ==closing/occupying union buildings==, and opposed other parties by forbidding other political parties, banning the Communists and the Soc Dems. Other parties were dissolved and on the ==14th July Hitler made the ‘Law Against the established of Parties’.==

What was the Night of the Long Knives and how did it help Hitler consolidate his power?

==30th June, 1934==. Hitler needed the army’s support to impliment foreign policy and help him be president if Hindenberg died. He needed to remove some threats, such as SA leader Rohm. The SA had become too powerful and were now trying to carry out extreme ideals and be the army. Hitler ordered SS members to ==execute Rohm, SA leaders, enemies of the Nazi’s, Schliecher, Strasser== and over 200 more. The SS became Hitler’s new force, and the SA’s power was limited.

How did Goebbels use propaganda effectively?

He was ==Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda== - controlling film, radio and theatre. All broadcasts were under his control, most well known being ==Reich Radio==. He was intelligent and knew just propaganda bored people, so interspersed it with music. The ==1933 ‘Editor’s Law’== ensured all papers printed Nazi views. Daily conferences were held to tell editors what to print. Censorship increased, and the ==Reich Chamber of Literature banned and burned books==. New social rituals such as the Heil Hitler greetings, Nazi salute, Horst Weisei anthem, etc.

What was the Machinery of Terror?

Nazi’s established courts, legally removed Nazi opponents through peoples courts, state judges were told to offer harsher sentences to discourage enemies, new laws regarding political offences were introduced. Judges who didn’t listen were removed.

The SS was Hitler’s personal bodyguard, and became a key part of police state and upheld the terror regime. The Waffen-SS was an armed military unit, SS-Totenkopfverbande ran concentration camps and the SS also dealt with policing, intelligence, security and watching issues such as ideology, race, ecomony and military.

The Reich Security Office (RSHA) was overseen by Himmler and Heydrich, and ran all police and security. Kripo was criminal police responsible for law and order, SD was responsible for party security, Sipo was responsible for state security and the Gestapo was an ‘all seeing and all knowing’ organisation of ==20,000-40,000== agents which relied on informants.

How was the Nazi government inaffective and weak?

Hitler lacked experience and left Berlin for long periods, failing to run or co-ordinate a government affectively. He disliked meetings and paperwork, causing a declining cabinet, leaving ministers to guess Hitler’s wishes without any guidance.

Reich Chancery found it difficult to co-ordinate the growing numbers of institutions, such as new peoples courts and the economic ministry.

The Nazi party wasn’t designed to govern but instead to gain support. Having a one party state with a dictator led to an inaffective government.

How did Communists oppose the Nazi regime from 1933-1939?

They supported the working class in large cities, produced pamphlets, and produced a spy network called Red Orchestra to send information to the USSR. However, this had a limited impact as the leadership was all arrested after the Reichstag Fire and most communists were more focused on resisting arrest. The Gestapo infiltrated the network with informers which made it hard to operate.

How did the Social Democrats oppose the Nazi regime from 1933-1939?

They had support from the working class, produced pamphlets attacking the regime, and ran an underground organisation ran by the exiled party from Prague to gather information and spread discontent. However, its impact was limited as most had been arrested and the party had been banned, they didn’t co-operate with the communists, weakening leftist opposition and many were concerned with self preservation.

How did Trade Unions oppose the Nazi regime from 1933-1939?

They had support among the working class and organised strikes in 1935-1936 with the working class. However, industrial action wasn’t very effective and was weakened following afrrests in 1933-1934, and independant unions were replaced by the establishment of the German Labour Front.

How did the Church oppose the Nazi regime from 1933-1939?

Nazi policies were criticized by some protestant and catholic churches. In 1941, the Bishop of Munster condemned the Nazi policy of murder, he was a conservative nationalist who was anti-communist. However, these were ineffective as most were pragmatic to preserve their religious practices, and Bishop of Munster was temporarily suspended for criticizing Nazis and most low level clergy were sent to camps if they spoke out.

How did Youth oppose the Nazi regime from 1933-1939?

Groups were created opposing the Hitler Youth such as the Swing Youth and Eidelweiss Pirates. Swing Youth refused to mistreat Jews and the Eidelweiss Pirates refused to conform to Nazi values. They resisted by playing jazz music and attacking Hitler Youth members. However, this was pretty limited as moist just wanted to listen to music and disliked Hitler Youth’s military emphasis, and there wasn’t many attacks.

How did Protestants function alongside Nazism?

Protestants were willing to support the Nazi’s family values. Churches were used as Nazi bases. Hitler wanted to control the church, which became a possibility in 1933, when fanatical Nazi Ludwig Miller established the Reich Church, where members were known as ‘German-Christians’. Their slogan was ‘The Swastika on out breasts and the Cross in our hearts’. Nazism eventually alienated protestants and in 1934, 2 bishops were arrested for opposing the Reich church. Other pastors established the Confessional Church, which was independent of the state which upheld protestant beliefs and rejected Nazi distortions.

How did Catholics function alongside Nazism?

Hitler was concerned that Catholics would put loyalty to the pope above the state. He didn’t want conflict with Catholicism and the Catholic Church wanted to preserve it’s independence from the state. In July 1933, the Concordat was signed which appeared to guarantee religious freedom in return for the Church to keep out of politics.

How did the Nazi regime recieve opposition with the Church, and how did they deal with it?

Nazi’s began to undermine the church, by closing some Church schools, replaced crosses with swastikas on school walls, banned nativity and carols, attacked Catholic Youth Movement, arrested pastors/priests and confiscated funds. The Pope criticizing the Nazi Regime in 1937 in the public letter ‘With Burning Concern’.

What was the German Faith Movement?

This was the Nazi’s attempt to create an alternate religion to Christianity. It was not Christian and was based on the beliefs of German’s in ancient history, with 4 key themes.

1) A belief in the superiority of the Germanic race and an opposition to Jews

2) The replacement of Christian ceremonies eg. marriage with pagan versions as Jesus was Jewish

3) Rejection of Christian ethics such as mercy and forgiveness

4) A belief in the cult of Hitlers personality.

The movement was a failure with only 5% of Germans joining.

How did the Nazis attempt to build up armed forces?

Conscription was introduced in 1935, reducing unemployment

Rearmament involving 1/4th of the workforce created problems such as shortages in food, consumer goods and raw materials. Hitler still continues with rearmament despite all the issues.

By 1939 German economy was dominated by war preparations.

The economy wasn’t ready for war as the preparations had been for short conquests and not global warfare.

How did the Nazis attempt to create a survivable economy?

Schact, Minister of Economics, encouraged heavy state spending (govt. spending rose by 70%), by following a deficit spending plan. It lowered unemployment but brought a shortage of money.

‘Schact’s New Plan’ was introduced in Sept 1934, which gave the govt. control over all trade, tariffs, capital and currency exchange. The government could decide which imports were allowed.

People selling were paid in Reichmarks so they had to buy German goods to pump money back into Germany’s economy.

Mefo bills helped avoid inflation by being made to pay for military goods which were used to raise funds by offering 4% investment, forcing banks to invest.

How did Nazi’s attempt to reduce employment?

In 1933, Hitler said in 4 years time he would solve unemployment. He invested 1 billion into public work schemes.

Car industry saw a 40% increase in production due to tax concessions.

In 1935, conscription was reintroduced, as well as the Voluntary Labour Service, absorbing large amounts of the unemployed youth.

By 1938 there was practically full employment, though workers were stripped of rights, and trade unions were replaced with the German Labour Front (DAF).

DAF arranged wages, working conditions etc. They raised working ours but didn’t raise wages. 1933 = 43 working hours in a week, 1939 = 47 hours).

What are some examples of Hitler’s early racial policy?

1st April 1933: 1 day boycott of Jewish businesses.

7th April 1933: Law for restoration of the professional civil service, Jews were to be excluded

4th October 1933: Law for exclusion of Jewish Journalists

What and when were the Nuremberg Race Laws and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour?

5th September 1935. Nuremberg Race Laws embedded antisemitism into German society by banning Jews from public places, such as swimming pools and parks. Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour made marriage and extramarital relations between Jews and Germans forbidden, those who continues were prosecuted in special courts and publicly humiliated.

How did the Berlin Olympics affect Hitler’s race laws?

Anti-Semetic propaganda was paused to present Germany as tolerant and unified to an international audience.

What was Kristallnaught?

9th-10th November 1938 - ‘Night of Broken Glass’. Jewish property, synagogues, and businesses were attacked. 100 Jews were killed and 20,000 were taken to concentration camps. Jews were fined for the damages.

What did Hitler tell Goring in November 1938?

That the Jewish question ‘should be solved one way or another’.

Who else was persecuted under Hitler’s policies?

‘Gypsies’: They were seen as outsiders and workshy. They were included in the the Nuremberg race laws. ==‘1938 Decree for the Struggle against Gypsy Plague’== meant they all had to register themselves. In 1939, 30,000 were deported to ‘special sites’ in Poland.

Disabled People: ==‘1933 Law for Prevention of the Hereditary Diseased Offspring’== saw anyone who was blind, deaf, ‘simpleminded’, alcoholics or schizophrenics were sterilised, 35,000 total.

Criminals: ==‘1933 Law against Dangerous Habitual Criminals’== saw compulsary castration for criminals, and concentration camps for repeat offenders.

Homosexuals: 50,000 prosecuted through the Gestapo.

Also sent to the camps were ‘workshy, tramps, beggars, prostitutes, homosexuals and delinquents’.

In 1939 the Euthenasia campaign was legalised.

What Nazi female organisations were ran, and what did they do?

National Socialist Womanhood and German Women’s Enterprise. They ran schools offering courses in households and motherhood and were used to spread anti-feminist ideology.

What happened to women under the Nazi rule?

‘Kinder, Kutche, Kirche’ Children, Kitchen, Church.

Strict anti-abortion and contraception laws introduced.

Lebensborn: Unmarried ‘pure’ women being recruited and forced to sleep with SS officers.

Women were encouraged to reproduce, with the slogan ‘I have donated a child to a fuhrer’, with a Womens Cross of gold, silver and bronze level depending on how many children she had.

Between 1933-1937 women were limited from attending university, from certain jobs, but this proved useless.

Women were sent back to the workforce, but there was incentives not to go, such as free loans if you got married and gave up work.

What was Hitler Youth and how was it ran?

60% were members in 1936.

Boys groups had an emphasis on military and discipline whilst girls groups were focused on domestic roles and motherhood.

10 Adolf Hitler Schools were opened by the Hitler Youth.

They had poor leadership and were fairly ineffective.

By 1938, it became compulsory.

What was the Nazi Educational Policy?

Teachers had to reinforce Nazi values, Headteachers had to be Nazis, PE was emphasized for strength, biology reinforced Nazi racial ideology, and RE was removed. All schools were controlled by the Reich ministry of education, culture and science. It was meant to indoctrinate children and 21 new schools for the ‘German Elite’ called National Political Educational Institutions (Napolas)

How consistant were Nazi policies from the beginning (1933) to the start of the war?

Similarities: Throughout, they covered their tracks through positive propaganda and hidden hatred, and had the same purpose and goal throughout their dictatorship.

Differences: Persecution and killings didn’t happen that often until 1936-1937.