Germany - topic 4 - Nazi Germany 1933-39

Reichstag Fire

feb 1933

- Reichstag building was destroyed in a fire

- Dutch communist, Marinus van der Lubbe was found at the site with matches and fire lighters

- he was found guilty and executed 8th jan 1934

- some historians believe is was set up by the Nazis, other believe the Nazis started the fire and blamed Van der Lubbe

- Van der Lubbe was communist so the Nazis used this to their advantage

Consequences of the Reichstag fire

- New Nazi chief of police, Herman Goering

- On the night of the fire, 4,000 communist leaders were arrested

- Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to pass a new emergency decree - "Decree for the Protection of the people and the state"

- this gave the police power to search homes, imprison anyone without trial, ban meetings, and close newspapers.

- Goering used this to take over the state radio station

March 1933 election

1933

- Hitler called for a new Reichstag election

- Goering began replacing police officers with Nazi supporters

- He also recruited 50,000 SA members to be police auxiliaries

- SA violence was used to intimidate opponents

- 70 deaths from political violence

- Thousands of communist anf SDP members were arrested and sent to concentration camps

- Newspapers which didn't support the Nazis were closed

- Hitler secured funds from industrialists

- Nazis threatened voters at voting polls

- Results: Nazis - 288 seats. other parties - 395 seats. Hitler had hoped to gain 2/3 of the vote as it would allow him to make changes to the German constitution.

Enabling Act

1933

- Hitler tried to persuade other parties to support his new law

- he used emergency powers to ban communists from the Reichstag

- nationalist party agreed to support

- centre party supported as he promised to protect the catholic church

- SA and SS persuaded SDP to vote for the new law too

- The enabling act was passed in 1933

Consequences of the enabling act

1933

- End of the Weimar constitution

- Hitler made all decisions

- Hitler removed all remaining opposition

Key Measures:

1. Local gov

- 3rd March, 18 state parliaments closed

- Appointed new Nazi governors to make laws

- Jan 1934, state parliament abolished

2. Trade Unions:

- 2nd May 1933, Nazis arrested trade union leaders

- created the German workers' front, and forced workers to join

3. Other political parties:

- SDP and communist parties suspended

- July 1933, new law stating no other parties could be formed apart from the Nazi party.

The Night of Long Knives

June 1934

- SA was very powerful, 2 million members in 1934

- The leader, Rohm was a possible rival to Hitler as he had differing views

- Head of the SS Heinrich Himmler resented SA's influence

- SA actions embarrassed Hitler

- Hitler wanted to increase the army but the SA wanted to replace the army and stopped convey to confiscate weapons

- 30th June Hitler launched the Night of Long knives

- SS arrested 200 SA members, around 90 of which were taken to Munich and executed (including Rohm)

- Hitler also went after old enemies like von Kahr and von Schleicher

- He claimed he was defending Germany from a plot by Rohm

Hitler becomes Fuhrer

1934

- In August, Hindenburg died

- Hitler used this to combine the offices of the chancellor and president and declare himself Fuhrer (leader)

- He was now in control of the third Reich (3rd empire)

- The army swore loyalty to Hitler himself rather than to Germany

- Hitler held a plebiscite to get the public to agree with the changes

- Following the huge propoganda campaign, Hitler gained 90% of the public vote

Nazi Methods of Control

- Hitler became totalitarian

- Nazis controlled police, courts, radio, newspapers, education, films, the arts, trade unions, the churches, and working conditions

- German women were tole it was 'un-german' to change hair colour or use makeup

- Nazis used indoctrination, censorship, and propoganda

- There were rewards for 'good Nazis', for example, women who had many children earned medals, and good workers were given cheap tickets to the theatre

- Germany became a police state controlled by the SS and Gestapo

- The first concentration camp was opened in 1933 and many more opened through the years

Terror and the Police State

- Ensured Germans were too afraid to criticize the Nazis

- The law became whatever the Nazi party believed was right

- Germans could be arrested and imprisoned without trial

- Established the People's court

- Judges were expected to support Nazi policies

- Political opponents were sentenced to death

- In 1936, the SS and Gestapo were brought together under Himmler

- Between 1933-35 he dismissed 60,000 SS members for being homosexuals, alcoholics, or 'morally corrupt'

- SS arrested political prisoners and ran concentration camps

- Gestapo was in charge of state security

- German's often didn't feel oppressed

- In concentration camps, inmates were forced to work, torture and brutality were common

- 200,000 Germans were imprisoned for opposing Nazi rule

- Law on Malicious Gossip

Nazi Propoganda

- Goebbels coordinated Nazi policy towards the media, sports culture, and the arts

- He believed propoganda should be subtle

The key messages of Nazi propaganda were:

- Supremacy of the Aryan race and inferiority of Jews and others

- Nazis fight against the evils of communism

- The different roles of men and women and the important of family

- All citizens had to suffer for the good of the nation

- Newspapers were used to plant stories and present Nazis in a positive light

- By 1939, 70% of German households has a radio

- Owners of factories, bars, and restaurants had to install speakers to broadcast Hitler's speeches

- On national holidays, parades were held, and people were expected to hang out swastikas

- posters were used to display Hitler as a great leader

- Films reflected Nazi view of on society

- Art was used to promote the Aryan race

Nazi Censorship

- Newspapers were strictly controlled, all editors and journalists had to be a member of the Reich Press Chamber

- Radio was strictly controlled, radios made in Germany couldn't pick up foreign signals

- Lists of unacceptable literature, the Gestapo could search libraries

- Students were encouraged to burn books which contained 'un-German' views

- All writers, actors, and musicians had to join the Reich Chamber of Commerce

- Some types of music were banned (especially if influenced by the USA)

1936 Olympics

1936

- Used to show supremacy of the Arynas

Germany won more medals than other countries

- But, the star athlete was Jesse Owens, an African American, who won 4 gold medals

Education in Nazi Germany

- Education indoctrinated young people to become loyal Nazis

- Teachers were forced to join the Nazi teachers' association to recieve training

The school curriculum:

- Race studies - taught that Aryans were superior and Jews were the lowest racial type

- Many hours of PE - kept students fit anf healthy, prepped boys to be soldiers and girls to be mothers

- Maths - often used military problems

- History - rise of the Nazi party

- Biology - supremacy of Aryans

- Geography - German need for lebensraum

- Domestic science - taught only to girls, prepared them to be wives and mothers

- Extra schools were set up to educate boys of future leadership roles

Young people in Nazi Germany

- Outside of school, young people were expected to join Nazi youth groups

- in 1933 Nazis banned all other youth groups

- In 1936, Hitler Youth Law: all eligible young people had to belong to a Nazi youth organisation

- Taught the importance of racial purity

- Girl groups emphasised crafts and child care

- Activities were made fun so young people enjoyed the Nazi movement

- In 1939, Hitler youth had 8 million members

Women in Nazi Germany

- Women were encouraged to stay home and have babies

- Contraception and abortion were banned

- 1933, Law for Encouragement of Marriage: loans to help young couples to marry, but only if the woman gave up work

- Medals were awarded to women with large families

- German Women's Enterprise Organisation trained women in household skills

- Smoking, drinking, and makeup were discouraged

- Slimming was discouraged as it was believed that larger women gave birth easier

- Yet, as the rearmament policy grew, and men joined the army, more workers were needed, so women were encouraged back into work

- Women's employment grew by 50% from 1933-39

The Catholic Church

- Churches had a big impact, so they had to be in line with Nazi ideas

- Catholics were loyal to the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church. Hitler wanted all Germans to see him as the supreme head of state, so he was keen to weaken the church.

- At first, Hitler and the Catholic Church tried to co- operate In 1933, the concordat was signed. This was an agreement that stated that the Church would not get involved in political affairs and the Nazis would allow the Catholic Church to have freedom of worship and to run its own youth groups and schools.

- Hitler soon broke this agreement. In schools, Christian symbols were taken down. Hitler wanted his own image to appear in classrooms, rather than the crucifix . Catholic newspapers were censored and propaganda began to hint at financial corruption in the Church.

- In 1937, the Pope made a statement criticizing the Nazis, Nazi reaction was severe.

- Membership of catholic youth groups was made illegal

- State funding for the church was cut

-Gestapo and SS began to spy on the church

- Catholic schools were closed

- Priests who spoke out against the Nazis were arrested