CHAP 4.2+3; Nazi Methods of Control + Policies

How did the Nazis use Terror & the Police State to control Germany?

THE LAW

• adapted to what the Nazis wanted.

• Germans could be arrested & imprisoned without trial

• Special Courts set up; no juries, pro-Nazi judges and no right of appeal against a sentence. Often used against political opponents, many sentenced to death & executed

THE SS

• Identified & arrested political prisoners

• ran the German concentration camps

THE GESTAPO

• State security

• Had a huge number of informers. Apartment blocks even had “block leaders” that would supervise and inform on any criticism or suspicious behaviour.

  ^ Many Germans didn’t even think they were being oppressed — those who did know thought the benefits were more important than personal freedom

CONCENTRATION CAMPS

• around 200,000+ Germans imprisoned for showing opposition, even for something so minor as a joke

• Inmates subjected to forced labour

• Torture and brutality was common

How did the Nazis use Censorship to control Germany?

• Strict control of the press — any newspapers opposing the Nazis shut down

• Strict control of radio programs — German radios couldn’t pick up foreign broadcasts

• “Unacceptable Literature” defined by the Ministry of Propaganda. Millions of books burned and unacceptable authors banned

• Censorship of the arts - music such as Jazz was banned for Black American, “inferior” influences and connotations. Traditional art with Nazi values and Aryan characters while other kinds, especially modern art, was banned.

How did the Nazis use Propaganda to control Germany?

• Newspapers planted pro-Nazi stories and spread positive Nazi messages

• Radios were made for cheap so 70% of all households owned them. Broadcasts with plays and entertainment pushed subtle Nazi messages

• Loudspeaker systems installed in public places such as factories, bars and restaurants to broadcast Hitler’s speeches

• Public parades & rallies showed Germany’s power and glory under the Nazis

• Posters, especially to portray Hitler as strong and faultless

• The arts; films with Nazi views, classical / nationalist music, art with heroic Aryan characters and values

• The olympics were an opportunity to show Aryan supremacy.

How did the Nazis use education to control Germany?

The school curriculum was changed to push Nazi views and ideals onto students to raise a new generation of Nazi supporters. Young people were expected to attend Nazi Youth groups, so the Nazi regime would mainly form their beliefs and attitudes rather than their families.

key examples;

• “Race Studies” subject teaching the superiority of the Aryans + Jews being the lowest racial type

• emphasis on PE to prepare fit and healthy future soldiers & mothers

• Biology emphasizing the supremacy of the Aryans

• Geography teaching Lebensraum - the need for Germans to have more living space

How did the Nazis control women in Germany?

The 1920s gave women opportunities for significant careers and freedom of personal expression, but the Nazis wanted to stop this and encourage childbearing and “traditional” values.

• Huge propaganda campaign encouraging childbearing & the joy of a large family

• Medals for women with large families / lots of kids

• contraception + abortions banned

• 1933 Law for Encouragement of Marriage; loans scheme providing money for young couples marrying as long as the woman gave up work

What broad methods did the Nazis use to control Germany?

TERROR & THE POLICE STATE

• A series of measures ensuring that Germans would be too scared to criticize Nazism in any way.

• Unfair law practices, the SS seizing political prisoners and running concentration camps, the Gestapo collecting suspects from informers, concentration camps for forced labour & oftentimes torture of inmates

CENSORSHIP

• A range of restrictions on media such as newspapers, radio programs, literature, the arts (fine art/music) ensuring the German people would only receive the “correct message” of Nazi principles.

PROPAGANDA

• The spreading of positive, pro-Nazi messages and the Nazi view of what it meant to be German.

• Key ideas; superior Aryans/inferior Jews, Nazis battling the evils of communism, men vs women in societal roles, the citizens’ duty to suffer for the nation if needed

• Newspapers, radio programs and loudspeaker systems in public places to push Nazi messages. Public parades/rallies to show strength & discipline. Posters & the arts (cinema, music, fine art) illustrated heroic German figures & Aryan characters

EDUCATION + YOUTH GROUPS

• School curricula changed to teach Nazi principles, PE emphasized to prepare healthy future soldiers & mothers

• Youth groups encouraged so young people would spend less time with family — the Nazis would be the main influence on their beliefs and attitudes

• 1936 Hitler Youth Law encouraging membership. Became stricter in 1939

WOMEN

• Nazis wanted to stop the increasing personal & career freedoms that the 1920s gave women.

• Propaganda campaigns encouraging & medals for having lots of kids, contraception + abortion banned

• 1933 Law for Encouragement of Marriage gave young couples loans as long as the woman gave up work

Why did the Nazis want to control the Church?

They wanted control over what Germans heard at school or on the radio to completely control their beliefs / opinions. The Churches in Germany were very relevant socially and could impact people’s attitudes — the Nazis wanted to “bring them into line”.

How did the Nazis control the Catholic Church?

The Nazis needed to reduce the authority of the Church as the Catholics were loyal to the Pope. Hitler needed all Germans to see him as the supreme leader, so he needed a stronger influence over the Catholics.

1933 CONCORDAT; the Church would stay out of politics, the Nazis would grant freedom of worship + allow Catholic schools and youth groups.

^ promptly broken.

SCHOOL + EDUCATION

• Christian imagery in schools replaced by Hitler’s image

• Catholic schools turned into community schools

• Membership of the Catholic League banned

PROPAGANDA/FINANCES

• Catholic newspapers censored

• State funding for the Church cut

• Propaganda implied there was financial corruption in the Church

POLICE STATE

• Catholic priests that spoke out got arrested

• Some priests were sent to concentration camps

How did the Nazis control the Protestant Church?

REICH CHURCH SET UP 1933

• all parts of the Protestant Church united

• Pastors pressured to support Nazi ideas by the German Christians (pro-Nazi Christian group). 18 pastors that refuses lost their jobs

RESISTANCE - THE CONFESSIONAL CHURCH SET UP

• Niemöller + Bonhoeffer

• Believed the church + Nazi politics should stay separate

• grew to 5,000 and rivalled the Reich Church

CRUSHING RESISTANCE

• Niemöller + many Protestant clergy arrested and sent to concentration camps

• Bonhoeffer executed

How did the Nazis impact the Churches’ influence?

Significantly. By the late 1930s neither the Protestant or the Catholic Church had a strong influence. By 1939, only 5% of all Germans described themselves as “God-believing”.

How did Nazis reduce the Churches’ influence?

• Promoting the Hitler Youth and banning the Catholic League

• Removing church schools

• Propaganda against the church

• Arresting those who spoke out + concentration camps

How did Nazis remove Untermenschen (subhumans) that didn’t contribute to the Aryan race?

1933 STERILIZATION LAW

• tramps, beggars, mentally disabled people

1935 INTERMARRIAGE BANS

• between Gypsies & Germans

• Between Black people & Aryans

1936 ONWARDS - CONCENTRATION CAMPS

• juvenile delinquents, tramps, homosexuals, Jews, Gypsies

1939-41 - MENTAL ILLNESS

• 70,000+ mentally ill people killed (lethal injection, gas chambers)

How did the Nazis persecute Jews from 1933-38?

1933

• NATIONWIDE BOYCOTT; Jewish shops & businesses

• CAREER BANS; Jews banned from socially significant careers (government, medicine, teaching, etc)

1935

• SPACE BANS; Jews banned from public places and the army

THE NUREMBERG LAWS

• THE REICH LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF GERMAN HONOUR & BLOOD; Jews & Aryans cannot marry. Divorce encouraged or the Aryan will be treated like a Jew by the law

• THE REICH LAW ON CITIZENSHIP; only people of German blood are citizens. Jews cannot vote or hold a German passport.

1938

• All possessions to be registered by the government

• Jews had to carry identification at all time & present it when asked

When & what were the Nuremberg laws?

1935

LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE GERMAN BLOOD & HONOUR

• Jews & Aryans cannot marry

• Divorce encouraged ; if not the Aryan will be treated like a Jew by the law

THE REICH LAW ON CITIZENSHIP

• Only people of German blood are citizens

• Jews cannot vote or hold a German passport

Why did Kristallnacht happen?

A German official was killed by a Jewish man, giving the Nazis an excuse to launch a violent campaign against Jews.

When was Kristallnacht & what happened?

NOVEMBER 9-10 1938

• 800+ Jewish-owned shops destroyed

• almost 200 synagogues destroyed

• Many Jewish homes attacked

• 91 Jews killed, 30,000 arrested

How was Kristallnacht presented?

It was presented as an outburst of rage and hatred by the people, but it was really premeditated attacks by Nazi forces.