Why did industrialists support the Nazis?
industrialists feared a communist government would nationalise their industries
Why did young people support the Nazis?
young people were attracted by the parades, banners and the feeling of power
Why did landowners support the Nazis
landowners feared that a communist government would take away their land
Why did the army support the Nazis?
the army was attracted to Hitler and the Nazi Party because he promised to destroy the Treaty of Versailles and to build up Germanys armed forces
Why did the unemployed support the Nazis?
the unemployed were given food and shelter in Nazi hostels and then became part of the SA
Why did the middle class support the Nazis?
- the middle class hoped a strong Nazi government would prevent a repeat of the inflation of 1923 which has ruined many of them
- they also feared that the unemployed might lead to a communist revolution which would destroy them
Why did businessmen support the Nazis?
- Weimar Germany had seen a growth in the power of the trade unions and an increase in the wages and working conditions of working people
- with Germany in a depression they wanted to cut wages and benefits
- Hitler promised to destroy trade unions and give them more power
Why did ex-servicemen support the Nazis?
ex-servicemen were attracted by the Nazis commitment to rearmament
Why did the Nazis attempt to influence and control the church?
- most Germans were Christians and belonged to either
- the Catholic church or
- the Protestant church
- some of which openly supported the Nazis
- Hitler saw the church as potential opposition to him and the Nazis, so it had to be removed
- he realised it would be almost impossible to destroy Germanys different churches so he needed to limit their influence as much as possible
Nazis attempt to control the Catholic Church
- Hitler signed a Concordat with the Catholic Church, July 1933
- as part of this agreement the Catholic Church would stay out of politics
- in return for the Nazis promising to let services, youth groups and schools continue to operate
- the Pope ordered bishops take an oath of loyalty to Hitler
Nazi attempts to influence the control the Protestant church
- under pressure from the Nazis Germany’s Protestants (Lutherans) united their 28 church groups to form the Reich church,
- led by Ludwig Müller
- taught Nazi ideas
- adopted Nazi-style uniforms, salutes, and marches
- slogan “the swastika on our chest and the cross in our hearts”
- symbol Christian cross with a swastika in the centre
- the Bible was altered to remove many references to Jews
- replaced ministers with Reich ministers
The German Faith Movement
- Nazi church
- based on pagan beliefs
- symbol, swastika
- replaced the Bible with Mein Kampf
How did the Nazis control Jehovah witnesses?
- refused to cooperate with the Nazis
- refused to serve in the army
- ended up in concentration camps, one third of them died
What were the Nazis successful attempts to influence/control the church?
- controlled what the churches did
- limited the churches power
What were the Nazis failed attempts to influence/control the churches?
opposition from the Protestant church
- in 1934, Lutherans, who disagreed of Nazism, set up the Confessional Church 6000 pastors joined and 800, including Martin Niemoller were arrested and sent to concentration camps
Opposition from the Catholic church
- the Concordat broke down in 1936
- in 1937, Pope Pius XI condemned the Nazi regime
How did young people oppose the Nazis?
- Social Democrat and Communist parties youth wings
- continued as “Friends of Nature” hiking clubs
- When it was made compulsory to join the Hitler youth movement as many as 1 million didn’t join and formed their own groups including;
- Swing Youth
- Edelweiss Pirates
- Leipzig Hounds
- White Rose
White Rose
- distributed leaflets
- put up posters
- graffitied
Swing Youth
- danced to jazz music
- accepted Jews
-wore English style clothes - met in cafés and nightclubs
- grew their hair long
Edelweiss Pirates
- listened to banned jazz
- rejected Nazi values
- Went on hikes and camped
- Wore checked shirts, shorts, white, socks and lapel pin of edelweiss flower
- hung around parks
- distributed propaganda leaflets
- committed acts of vandalism
Leipzig Hounds
Communist youth group
How did the Nazis try and control youth?
1936, compulsory to join the Hitler Youth Movement
