3. Terror and Repression; SA and SS Flashcards
SA stand for?
Sturmabteilung
What is SA?
set up as the Nazi Party private army.
What were members of SA known as?
Its members were known as the ‘storm troopers’ or ‘brown shirts’.
What happened to SA?
The SA was important in the Nazi rise to power but once Hitler came to power it lost its role and was supplanted by the SS.
Who were Early members of SA?
WWI veterans and people who were badly affected by the 1920’s.
What role SA play when Hitler came to power?
the SA was incorporated into the police and they intimidated people during the election campaign of 1933, along with the SS
SA responsible for in 1933?
running the Concentration Camps with brutality
What did Rohm and his supporters want for SA?
to take over the role of the German army, however Hitler didn’t.
What resulted from conflict between Hitler and Rohm?
program, the Night of the Long Knives resulted from conflict between Hitler and Rohm. 200 people were killed but only 50 of them were actually SA members
What happened after Night of Long Knives?
SA replaced by SS, play less significant role within the Party now
What was the Gestapo?
Secret State Police Nov 1933
Purpose of Gestapo?
to protect the regime against its enemies – became byword for cruelty and brutality
What was feared from Gestapo?
Visits by Gestapo feared. Activities not hidden and those released from custody provided organization with free propaganda regarding its behavior
Despite such fears, what didn’t Gestapo have? what was it actually like?
have manpower to be the overreaching security organ that popular legends would have. Often worked in conjunction with other police organization.
It was also a reactive organization; it responded to approaches made to it rather than seek out opponents itself
Why was denunciation of others common?
As many Germany accepted warnings of threat to the nation and hence needed little persuasion to report anything suspicious to authority, as way of showing loyalty
What did Goering state when asked how Nazis managed and sustained control?
he only had to convince people they were being attacked and that opposition to the regime was unpatriotic
Who were Gestapo members?
filled with public servants, not Nazi fanatics and the myth that it was efficient is false
Was Gestapo effectively administered?
it was a bureaucratic jungle, weighed down by rules and restrictions
What did Germans believe about Gestapo?
– mass Germans believe Gestapo efficient and repressive, hence was effective in influencing people.
‘it is not the truth that counts but what people believe is the truth’
Who led Gestapo?
First Goering in charge then Himmler
What does SS stand for?
Schutzstaffel (elite)
What is SS?
initially a small bodyguard for Hitler and was made up of the most committed party members.
what was SS responsible for?
It was responsible for the terror campaigns against opponents, security and the implementation of Nazi racial policies
What did the SS become?
Himmler took over leadership of the SS and it became the most powerful organization within the Nazi movement
