germany key terms

total war

all areas of society focused on war

incendiary bomb

bombs that start fire upon impact to destroy areas completely

ghettos

areas in towns and cities where Jews were separated by force

pogrom

violent riot leading to organised massacre of an ethnic group

nuremburg laws

removed jews from having german citizenship in september 1935

kristallnacht

Night of Broken Glass where the public destroyed jewish homes and businesses. 9-10th november 1938

shtetl

small jewish town outside a larger ghetto with free movement

porrjamos

name for the genocide of roma gypsies

volksgemeinschaft

people’s community based on racial purity

untermenschen

term used by Nazis to describe those they considered racially inferior, justifying discrimination and violence against them. included jews and slavs

lebensraum

living space. wanted land from inferior nations to create more space for Germans

gleichschaltung

forcing into line, synchronising all areas of society

dolchstoss

stab-in-the-back myth blamed jews and communists for losing the war

constituent assembly

elected body who were to draw up a new constitution

article 48

presidential decree

article 1

confirmed germany as a democracy

passive resistance

refusal to work with occupying forces

mittlestand

germany’s lower middle class e.g. shopkeepers

storm-troopers

nazi para-military wing who beat up opponents. nicknamed brownshirts. purged during NotLK

protection of the youth from trash and filth writings

passed 3rd time in 1925, banned works that were poisoning young people’s minds

schutzsaffel

formed in 1925 as Hitler’s elite bodyguards, less thuggish than SA who lost Hitler’s trust

balance of trade

difference between imports and exports

red-front fighter’s league

paramilitary of KPD, established 1924

cabinet of barons

nickname for Papen’s 1932 cabinet

work and bread

nazi campaign during the depression about food shortages and the battle for work. they promised to provide both

social fascism

theory that a social democracy is fascist because it stands in the way of communism

gestapo

secret state police

gauleiter

district leaders

fuhrer

means leader and guide

second revolution

Rohm and SA wanted further social and economic reform as well as merging the SA and army to create a ‘people’s army’

night of the long knives

assassination of SA leaders and other political opponents by the SS and army. 30th June 1934

plebiscite

direct vote on political issues, a referendum

totalitarianism

system of government that is centralised and dictatroial, needs complete subservience to the state

aryan paragraph

under 1933 law for reconstruction of the professional civil service. non-aryans were to be dismissed

resistance

refusal to support something and speaking against it

opposition

actively against something and working to remove it

non-conformity

not joining in, passive resistance

pastor’s emergency league

campaigned against the government and tried to prevent nazis forcing people to convert

Weltanschauung

philosophy/ view of the world

thousand year reich

hitler aimed for his empire to last a long time

reich ministry for popular enlightenment and propaganda

produced propaganda in all areas including art, press, theatre and legislation

reich chamber of culture

set up to ensure all forms of art were in line with nazi policy. artists needed a license

central propaganda office

organised local and national propaganda. produced educational propaganda

hitler myth

hitler’s power was based around his unique relationship with the people. only he knows what they want, only he can do it

fuhrerprinzip

hitler’s word is above all laws and should be obeyed without question

autarky

self-sufficiency in food and raw materials

mefo bill

scheme where the gov paid for rearmament with credit as to not be found out for violating the terms

wehrwirtschaft

fighting economy

guns or butter

the economic choice between rearmament and consumer goods

new plan

By Schacht, aimed to reduce unemployment, reduce trade deficit and prepare for rearmament

4 year plan

led by Goring, focused on the economy being ready for war by 1940

ersatz

substitute goods

invisible unemployment

women and jews and other groups banned from or encouraged not to work so unemployment figures aren’t accurate

kinder, kuche, kirche

children, kitchen, church- women’s roles in society

DAF

german labour front, replaced trade unions but not able to negotiate wages etc

hitlerjugend

hitler youth, HJ

bund deutscher madel

league of German girls, girl paramilitary youth group

encyclical

formal policy statement issued by the pope

synod

assembly of protestant pastors and laity

confession

type of protestant church

beauty of labour

SDA, aimed to make workers work harder through campaigns for better facilities including hygiene and hot meals

strength through joy

KdF, provided holidays and theatre tickets for good workers at reduced prices