Control and Propaganda

Question 1

Who was head of the SS?

Answer 1

Himmler

Question 2

What did the SD (part of the SS) do?

Answer 2

Could arrest anyone for any reason, search homes and seize property. They even spied on and policed the Nazi party themselves

Question 3

How had regular police and law court changed?

Answer 3

Police continued their regular work but ignored crimes committed by the Nazis. All the top jobs in ordinary police went to Nazis. Law court and judges were under control of Nazis too.

Question 4

What kind of things could now get you the death penalty?

Answer 4

Telling an anti-Hitler joke, having sex with a Jew, and listening to foreign radio station.

Question 5

What were the 5 main features of the Nazi police state?

Answer 5

-Himmler
-Concentration camps
-The SS
-The regular police and law courts
-The Gestapo

Question 6

Since when had Himmler known Hitler?

Answer 6

Since 1923.

Question 7

When was the SS set up?

Answer 7

1925

Question 8

Give 4 traits of the SS:

Answer 8

-Tall
-Strong
-Athletic
-Totally loyal to Hitler

Question 9

What were the SS originally?

Answer 9

Hitler’s personal bodyguards

Question 10

Who were the Waffen SS?

Answer 10

They were an elite unit in the army.

Question 10

Overtime the SS was divided into what 3 groups?

Answer 10

-The SD
-The Waffen SS
-The Death’s Head Units

Question 10

What did the SD do?

Answer 10

They looked after ‘security’ - they could arrest anyone for any reason, search homes and seize property. They even spied on and policed the Nazi Party itself.

Question 11

What did the Death’s Head Units do?

Answer 11

They ran the concentration camps, and later, death camps.

Question 12

What did the ordinary police do once Nazis came to power?

Answer 12

They continued their regular work, but ignored crimes committed by the Nazis.

Question 13

What happened to all the top jobs in the ordinary police?

Answer 13

They went to Nazis.

Question 14

What happened to law courts and judges?

Answer 14

They went under Nazi control too.

Question 15

Give 3 things that new laws allowed to give the death penalty for:

Answer 15

-Telling an anti-Hitler joke
-Having sex with a Jew
-Listening to a foreign radio station

Question 16

What were the secret police known as?

Answer 16

The Gestapo.

Question 17

Give 4 characteristics of the Gestapo:

Answer 17

-They didn’t wear uniforms
-They spied on people they thought might be a threat
-They tapped telephone calls
-They opened mail

Question 18

What did the Gestapo have the power to do?

Answer 18

Arrest, imprison without trial and torture anyone.

Question 19

What network did the Gestapo set up?

Answer 19

A huge network of ‘informers’ who would report anyone who even moaned about the Nazis.

Question 20

What did the Gestapo encourage children to do?

Answer 20

Report their parents or teachers.

Question 21

What caused ordinary Germans to inform on each other regarding the Gestapo?

Answer 21

There were not many Gestapo officers, but because people didn’t know who they were, ordinary Germans informed on each other because they thought the Gestapo would probably find out anyway.

Question 22

Who did Hitler put in charge of Nazi propaganda?

Answer 22

Leading Nazi, Joseph Goebbels.

Question 23

What was Goebbel’s official title?

Answer 23

The Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda.

Question 24

What 3 key messages continuously appeared all over Germany?

Answer 24

-Blaming Jews for Germany’s problems
-Criticising the Treaty of Versailles
-Making Germany great again

Question 25

Give 5 ways the Nazis 3 key messages were spread:

Answer 25

-On posters
-In newspapers
-Speeches
-Films
-On the radio

Question 26

When did Goebbels join the Nazi party and what was his reaction at first?

Answer 26

He joined in 1924, and was not fully supportive of Hitler to begin with but grew to admire him totally.

Question 27

What did Goebbels use to control and limit other ideas and beliefs?

Answer 27

Censorship.

Question 28

What was censorship?

Answer 28

The government tightly controlled what German people heard, read or saw.

Question 29

Name 4 things that were banned as a part of Nazi censorship if they were viewed as harmful to the Nazis or Hitler:

Answer 29

-Books
-Films
-News articles
-Even jokes

Question 30

How were books, theatre and music controlled by Goebbels?

Answer 30

Writers were forced to write books, plays and songs that praised Hitler and the Nazis.

Question 31

How were newspapers controlled by Goebbels?

Answer 31

Only stories that showed the Nazis doing good things were printed. There were many negative stories about Jews. Newspapers that printed stories that Goebbels hadn’t approved were shut down.

Question 32

How were films controlled by Goebbels?

Answer 32

All film plots were shown to Goebbels before the actual film was made. All films had to show Nazis in a good way, and their ‘enemies’ in a bad way.

Question 33

Give 3 examples of propaganda in radio:

Answer 33

Germans owned more radios in the 1930s than Americans. Loudspeakers were placed in the streets, factories and cafes to air radio broadcasts.

Question 34

How had the Nazis controlled radio?

Answer 34

The Nazis controlled all radio stations, which were used to put across Nazi ideas. Cheap radios were produced that could only tune into Nazi-controlled stations.