Summary 8 - Nazi policies towards the Protestant Church

Question 1

What was the main Protestant Church in Germany?

Answer 1

The main Protestant church was the German Evangelical Church.

Question 2

How did the Nazis feel that they could use the German Evangelical Church for their own gain?

Answer 2

Many Nazis saw the German Evangelic Church as a useful nucleus for a single national church.

Question 3

Describe the level of support for the Nazis from Protestant areas before 1933?

Answer 3

Before 1933, the Nazis had enjoyed considerable support from Protestant areas.

Question 4

Why did the Nazis enjoy considerable support from Protestant areas?

Answer 4

Evangelicals tended to be conservative, nationalistic, co-operative with the State and many shared anti-semitic and anti–communist views.

Question 5

When did the Nazis start to ‘co-ordinate’ the Evangelical Church into a centralised Reich Church under Nazi control?

Answer 5

In 1933

Question 6

Who was appointed as Reich Bishop?

Answer 6

Ludwig Mϋller

Question 7

What did Ludwig Muller do as Reich Bishop?

Answer 7

All elected bodies in the Church were abolished.

Question 8

When did the Nazis demand that all pastors declare their allegiance to the new regime or be dismissed?

Answer 8

In November 1933

Question 9

How many pastors were dismissed from the Church?

Answer 9

18 pastors were dismissed in total.
Some of these were dismissed as they had converted from Judaism.

Question 10

When did a dissident group emerge and who were they led by?

Answer 10

A dissident group emerged in September 1933, they were led by Martin Neimӧller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Question 11

What did the dissident group that emerged in September 1933 create?

Answer 11

They created the Confessional Church.

Question 12

The dissident group were able to create the Confessional Church as they had the support of how many pastors?

Answer 12

5,000

Question 13

What was the aim of the dissident group?

Answer 13

Their aim was to resist State interference and re-establish a theology based on the Bible.

Question 14

Give evidence which suggests that the Nazis were unsuccessful at ‘co-ordinating’ the Protestant Church?

Answer 14

The existence of the Confessional Church is evidence that Nazi policy to ‘co-ordinate’ the Protestant Church failed.

Question 15

When did the Nazis step up their attempts to repress the Confessional Church?

Answer 15

In 1935, the Nazis stepped up the repression of the Confessional Church.

Question 16

How did the Nazis attempt to reduce the influence of the Confessional Church?

Answer 16

The Nazis abolished Church schools in an attempt to reduce their influence.

Question 17

Give evidence which suggests that the Nazis were successful at reducing the influence of the Protestant Church?

Answer 17

By 1939, only 5% of the German population were listed as ‘god-believers’.

Question 18

How did the Nazis reduce the influence of the Protestant Church amongst party members?

Answer 18

Party members were not allowed to hold any office within Churches.