History: Germany

What was the rosenstrsse protest

1943, in Berlin where Aryan women’s Jewish husbands had been arrested had protested , they were released a few days later to remove attention, First successful protest

What was the white rose group and who had it been led by

Emerged during the war as a group of opposition to the war led by Hans and Sophie, They published anti Nazi leaflets and graffiti exposing Nazi atrocities, 1943 they had been publicly by the gestapo to set a precedent for the future

Why had the opposition groups been quite ineffective

Due to the significance of repression and the groups had poor communication and coordination

From what period of time had the edelwiess pirates and the swing youth been a a problem from

from 1933-1939

What was the edelwiess pirates about

A group of youths in the Rhineland, members were based in working class backgrounds and showed resistance through attacking the Hitler youth and writing anti nazi slogans and graffiti. In 1939 had 2000 members

rebelled the Nazis

in 1944 had killed the chief of the gestapo

12 pirates had been publicly hanged

What was the swing youth about

They had embraced the ‘degenerate’ culture of the Weimar republic, they would drink alcohol play jazz and organised illegal dances which young people attended and came from wealthy backgrounds

Edelweiss pirates during the war

Opposition escalated during the war

attacked Hitler youth

protected army deserters

1942- 700 members had been arrested

1944 12 members publicly hanged in cologne to set a precedent for the future

Who were the Gestapo

A small unit of 50000 men who relied on informants to identify opponents

Spied on Germans and prosecuted those who spoke against the Nazi regime

Punishment- torture, concentration camp

They had intimidated the Germans#

The secret police could arrest people without normal legal procedures.

People could be sent to concentration camps without a proper trial.

Who were the SS

Hitlers protection squad

Set up in 1925 and led by Heinrich Himmler

All SS members were Aryan - it was expected that SS members would have children with another Aryan

members had been highly trained and disciplined

90000 full time employees and 200000 informal employees

Success of the nazi police state

Widespread fear meant Germans did not oppose the Nazis

As Gestapo had so many informants there was no dissent

Censhor ship what was it

Had served the same purpose as as propaganda

Nazis had burned books written by jews or books which went against Nazi regime

Only newspapers which supported the Nazis were permissed to operate

in 1944 the Nazis had controlled over 80% of newspapers

How had censorship affected Music

Nazis encouraged traditional music

‘Degenerate’ jazz music was banned

Any music created by jewish composers were banned e.g mendelssohn

Instead beethoven was encouraged

how did censorship affect cinema

All movie scripts had to be approved by Joseph Goebbels

beginning of movies played a small clipn which projected pro nazi

define Gleichschaltung

The process of Nazis taking control of all parts of German aspect society and eliminating German opposition

What was Heinrich Himmler’s role

charge of the Nzis tool for repression, Gestapo, SS and SD

What was the nazi legal system

Got rid of trial by jury

Mandatory for all judges to join the Nationalist Socialist League for the maintenance of war

What were the main aims of Nazi propaganda

All propaganda was tailored to the Nazi regime

Glory of war

Hitler as a powerful leader

evilness of communism

inferiority of jews

glorification of the Aryan race

Films and radios under Nazi control

Cinemas shared films which ere pro Nazi

clear in propaganda films

subtle in entertainment films

Hitler used rallies and loudspeakers in public top engage German population

Pros of rallies

Presents the strengths of Germany

appealed to the nationalist side of the people

Annual Nuremberg rally

Berlin olympics

1936, opportunity to portray Nazi regime success

When had Nazi propaganda became ineffective and why

Near the end of the war due to starvation and famish

What were the Ghettos in Germany

In WW2 Jewish persecution escalated

1939- Jews began to be placed in Ghettos. An area safetly occupied by jews separated from the population

First Ghettos were built in Poland, many died from diseases and starvation

Execution in Nazi Germany

Jews were killed by the einsatzgruppen whop were the SS killing squad. This lead to 1 million jews killed

By 1941 Jews were being gassed at chelmo death camps

What was The final solution

After the Wannsee conference in 1942 where senior Nazi officials met to discuss operations which were to exterminate the Jewish population of Europe through mass deportation and murder in extermination camps.

Out of 60% of jews had been killed after 1942

Wartime policy

1939- gypsies were told they would be deported

1940- gypsies were deported to labour camps or Chelmo death camps

1942-Nazis ordered for all Gypsies to be deported

By the end pf war 85% of gypsies were killed and also 25% of the European Roma population

Who were the undesirables

Homosexuals

beggars

socialists

where were homosexual men and beggars sent to

homosexual- sent to concentration camps

beggars- sent to do hard labour

What was the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring

Allowed the compulsory sterilisation of people the Nazis considered to have hereditary illnesses or disabilities.

around 300000 disabled people were sterilised

Jews and anti semitism

jews in germany were often associated with communism

what was the T4 Euthanasia Programme

• Hitler secretly authorised the T4 Programme.

• Doctors were instructed to kill people whom the Nazis considered "life unworthy of life", including many with physical and mental disabilities.

• Victims were often killed using carbon monoxide gas in special killing centres.

• 100000 were secretly killed between 1939-1941

What happened during Kristallnacht in 1938

Nazis staged a night in response to a jew assaulting a German ambassador in Paris Jewish synagogues and businesses were attacked

What was the Aryan race

Was believed to be the perfect race

characteristics- tall, blond, blue eyes, athletic

What were the SS race farms

SS men would deliberately have children with Aryan women

Who were below the Aryans

White western Europeans

Nuremberg laws and Aryans

In 1933 The Nazis began a racial policy to reduce the number of Untermensch(sub-humans)

What were the policies of the Nuremberg laws

Banned marriage and sexual relation between Aryans and non- Aryans

Any mixed race children were sterilised

What was the hierarchy of the untermenschen

Slavs

Black people

Roma gypsies

Jews

What was the policy towards the slavs

constantly encouraged that they were inferior but not much apart from that

What were the pre war policies against Roma gypsies

1933- gypsies were told they would be arrested

1938- all gypsies had been registered and fully examined

what were Religious opposition to Nazis

Not all protestants followed the Nazis, The confessional church had been set up in 1934, led by Martin Niemoller and was made up by 6000 churches

Opposed the Reich Church, which tried to combine Protestant churches under Nazi control.

✅ Believed the Church should obey God, not Hitler.

✅ Criticised Nazi interference in religious affairs.

✅ Many members were arrested, imprisoned, or harassed by the Nazis.

What was the significance of the church to the Nazi regime

The church in Germany was a threat to the Nazi party. Policies of the church contrasted with Nazi ideas

Information on the church

Christianity had been split into mainly Catholics and protestants

Protestants were more likely to support the Nazis

ultimately Hitler would try to supplant Christianity with a Nazi based religion

churches were a great propaganda tool

1933 there was an estimated 40m German protestants and 20m Catholics

What was the Reich church

Founded in 1933 as a new Nazi church

Ludwig Muller led this after being elected Reich Bischof

What was the concordat

Hitler and the pope signed the Concordat this meant

Catholics were allowed to attend there Nazi schools

Pope wouldn’t intervene with Nazi policies

How did Hitler betray the Concordat

He had closed down catholic schools and sent priests who opposed the Nazis to concentration camps

What did the Pope do in response to this

He released a statement called ‘with burning anxiety’ which criticised Nazi policies and the persecution of the Church. It encouraged Catholic opposition to Nazi interference but led to increased Nazi persecution of Catholics and clergy.

What was the Nazi curriculum

It had been tailored to help indoctrinate children as Nazis

in 1935 all textbooks had to be approved by Nazis

How had racism been presented in the curriculum

Race studies was used to teach children about eugenics

taught that Aryans were the superior race and should grow

and that inferior races should stop reproducing

What were the successes of the youth policy

Most children were enthusiastic supporters of the Nazi regime

The Hitler youth was fun and enjoyable

Unsucceses of the youth policy

90% of children were signed up to the Hitler youth 10% resented the Nazis

Children resented the focus on military drills

What were the Nazi youth organisations

Males 10-14 Young german folk

Females 10-14 Young girls

Males 14-18 Hitler youth

Females 14-18 League of German maidens

By what year were memberships complusory for 10 year olds

1936

For the youth organisations what was the aim for the boys

Prepare them to be future soldiers and political leaders

Boys wore military uniforms and activities focused on PE and

For the youth organisations what was the aim for the Girls

Prepare to be future mothers

PE, cooking, home making

What did Nazis do to reinforce indoctrination in terms of teaching

All teachers were made to join the Nazis Teachers Association Th

Child birth under the Nazi regime

Nazis encouraged child birth and had a pro-natalist policy

For every child a family had they were allowed to keep 250 marks of the marriage loan

What was the motherhood cross

Another incentive which encouraged child birth

bronze medal- 4 children

silver medal- 6 children

gold medal- 8 children

Birth rates increased from 15 per 1000 in 1932 to 19 per 1000 in 1938

What were women like in home

women were discouraged from working

1933 onwards women were banned from having professional jobs

Propaganda reinforced this

These policies we unsuccessful as female employment rose 2.4m from 1933-39

what was female education like

The German women enterprise ran classes and radio shows

1937 onwards girls in grammar school where forbidden from preparing for university

What was Nazis views on women for family

women were expected to look after and bare children for the third reich

Attitudes towards women were shaped by the 3ks kinder kuche kirche

The impact of the US bombing raids

500000 civillians killed 750000 germans were wounded

What were some of the WW1 after effects

2m troops died from fighting and 4m wounded

This left 600000 women as widows

The Homefront had been effected 763000 civilians died from starvation

How had the economy been damaged following WW1

By 1918 industrial production was about 33% lower than it had been in 1913

Germanys debt had increased over WW1 from 50bn marks in 1914 to 150bn marks in 1918