germany Flashcards
when was the nazi first law of coordination and what does it relate to hitler consolidating power?
31 march 1933 first law of the coordination of the federal states dissolved the exsiting state assemblies and replaced them with the nazi dominated assemblies
when was the second law of coordination and what does it relate to hitler consolidation of power?
-7 april 1933 the second law of the coordination of the federal states created the new post of reich govenror to oversee the goverment of each state. these new laws were accountable to that the state goverment followed policies laid down by the central government
what did the law for the reconstruction of the reich say?
-on 30 January 1934 the law for the reconstruction of the Reich did take the centralization process a stage further. state assemblies were abolished and the government of the state were formally subordinated to the Reich. this did mean that the post of the rgs had now become redundant but Hitler did not abolish the posts
what happened on 14 February 1934?
-Reichsrat was abolished this was the parliamentary assembly to which the state assembled sent delegate.
how was Hitler given way?
the state government could operate largely independent of the central government. in july 1932 however the Prussian state government had been dismissed by papen and a reich commissioner had been appointed to run the state. in hitler cabinet after January 1933, this position was held by Goering. this paved the way for the centralisation of power within the whole reich, which the Nazis began in march 1933.
what was the riechstag fire
-the Reichstag fire was the setting fire to the Reichstag on 27 February 1933 by marinas van der Lubbe that did aide the nazi party.
what did hitler say about the fire?
he did claim that the fire was part of the communist plot to takeover.
why did hitler blame the communists?
-htiler was able to portray the communists as anti democratic through the setting fire of the building that represented democracy.
-despite the fact that they were the largest party in the Reichstag after the November 1932 election they did not have an overall majority hitler did persuade Hindenburg to call fresh election within 2 hours of his appointment as chancellor
-the communist party was still a threat, and during the election campaign it was blamed for the economic condition within Germany
-the blaming of the fire on the communists did lead alot of voters to vote for the nazi party
what was signed after the fire?
decree for the protection of the people was singed by president hidbeurg using power under article 48 of the cosnition the next day. hilter was granted emergency power because of the apparent danger. decree did have far reaching effect. it would suspend cosnitional civil right and give secret police the power to hold people indefinetly in protective policy custody. it would remain in force throguhout the thrid riech.
what was the lasting effect of the fire?
-Nazis did exploit the situation and use it for electoral advantage.. the fire did create atmosphere of fear and election that took place against a background of terror and intimidation of nazi opponents by hitlers private army the sa.
what were the results of the election 1933 a disappointment for the nazis?
despite 88 per cent turn out Nazis were still unable to secure an overall majority even through they were the largest party. vote did increase from 33 per cent to 44 per cent winning 288 seats. it did however mean that they needed nationalist support with 52 seat to secure an overall majority..
what was the election result of march 1933 for the nazis?
nazi 288
what was the election result for the nationalists?
52
what was the election result for the social democrats?
120
what was the election result for the communists?
81
what was the election result for the centre party?
74
what was the election result for other?
32
what was the turnout for the march 1933 and for some partys?
88 per cent of people voted
-hitler had increased nsdap vote by 10 per cent more than he had secured in November 1932
in
why did the nsdap vote increase in march 1933?
-some fel disslusioned at failure of negotiations after july election they did drift
-more apolitical voters were brought out there was 8% increase in the poll
-middle classes that drifted away from hitler in the autumn of 1932 rushed back due to fear of a communist goverment.
-some felt it was inevitable that there was a nazi regime
- some felt intimidated
why was hitler disanointed with the election result?
-despite increasing their vote by 5.5 million 288/647 seats it was not the enormous victory that they had predicted.
-Nazi nationalist coalition partners did gain 52 members giving hilter a bard majority of 51. 9 per cent
what was the day at potsdam?
-21 march was the day at Potsdam, the event does refer to celebrations surrounding the opening of the newly elected Reichstag.
how was Goebbels involved in the day at Potsdam?
-Goebbels did arrange a ceremony at garrison church in the presence of president Hindenburg and a lot of leading army generals giving the impression that Hitler could be trusted.
-Gobbels did set about creating a cult image of Hitler as a national hero that did unit national socialism with forces of old Germany.
what was the enabling act?
-would remove the limitations of Hitler power. in order to gain full control over government and change the constition hilter proposed the enabling act to the new Reichstag.
-act would end parliamentary procedure and legislation and give full power to the chancellor and his government for four years. it would mean the dictatorship Hitler desired would be based on legality.
when was the enabling act passed?
23 march 1933, did provide the basis of hitler authority in the creation of dictatorship.
how was he able to get it passed?
-absence of intimidated communist members of the Reichstag did mean that hitler would be able to get the two third majority that he needed to change the constition to end parliamentary democracy and transfer full power to himself and government for four years.
-only social democrats did oppose the measure as it was passed by 944 to 94 votes.
what did it mean for hitler once the enabling act had been passed?
-he had dismantled the Weimar consitiion and would be able to create a one party state.
-it would mean that intolerance and violence would characterise the regime to govern using tools.
what happened after the enabling act
-outburst of national patriotism that did also go along with a wave of terror..
-system of elections was abolished throughout the whole state provincial and mucipal government.
-other potential opponents were removed despite their attempts to appear loyal to supporter of the regime.
-traditional federal Germany with its many competing sovereignties was replaced by a centralised unified German state.
-independence from the Reichstag was followed by subordination of state government to berlin through the appointment of governors.
what was the imapct of the enabling act?
-on 2 may 1933 sa and ss occupied trade union officers, union funds were confiscated and their leaders a lot of whom were sent to concentration camps were portrayed by Goebbels propaganda machines as swindles of worker payments.
-trade unions were replaced by the German labour front headers by Robert ley former organisation leader by the law for the ordering of national labour in 1934.
what was gelieschaug?
-was coordination. degeneration of Weimar democracy into the nazi system is refferd to as glieschultang or co ordination. it did apply to the nazifying of German society, and structures and establishment of dictatorship.
-it had been viewed as a merging of German society with party associations and intuitions in an attempt to nazify life in Germany.
-two political forces did attempt to co ordinate a lot of aspects of German life as possible along Nazis lines.
when was co ordination evident?
- in 1933 the priority of Nazi leadership was to secure its political supremacy through the process of co ordination. it had to deal with agencies at odd with Nazi political aspirations such as regional states and the political parties and independent trade unions.
what was the night of long knives?
- beginning of 1934 differences between the nazi leaders about the way forward. main difference included the role of the sa who did form Hitler private army.
- sa was frightening and growing.
-rohm was a threat to hitler.. hitler and other leaders saw that they had to be dealt with by force.
what did old fighters under rohm feel?
old fighters did expect rich rewards when hitler became chancellor in 1933. alot of them now felt cheated, were not happy with the new nazis that did join the party since 1933. rohm did try to convince hitler that the sa should replace the tiny regular army of 100000 men.
although the sa with 3 million members was larger than the amry and had helped to bring hitler to power. the amry was the only organisation that could remove him..
what were the benefits to hilter of elimnating the sa?
- would win support of the army leadership
-he would secure his own position
-he would remove an organisation that behaviour had become embarrassing..
when was the night of long knives and what did happen?
-30 june 1934 night of the long knives did end the sa as a military and political force.
-rohm and other leaders of the sa were shot by the ss although the weapons and transport was provided by the army.
-among the 200 that were killed was the former chancellor schleicher, leader of the radical socialist wing of the party gregor strasser.
-Hitler was able to destroy the left wing of the party, and the old conservative right of the establishment
- he did defined his action by saying in the Reichstag that he was defending the state against a plot by Rohm
how important was the night of long knives?
-radical elements within the nazi party had been defeated, and sa virtually destroyed. sa would play no further political role in the state.
-army were conciliated. they did hope that their role would increase and some generals eve proposed that the army take an oath to tie Hitler and the army together. Bloomberg public vote of thanks on 1 July did highlight how close they have become. this would be consolidate further when the army did take an oath of loyalty to Hitler.
-event would see emergence of the ss as a potent force. no longer a shadow of the sa.
- hilter did secure his dictatorship. acceptance of his actions did mean that he was allowed to get away with murdering his opponents. clear indication of the power he possessed. it was evident that the Nazis state was a new personal dictatorship
what did Ian Kershaw say about the oath of loyalty?
’ far from creating a dependence of Hitler on the army the oath, marked the symbolic moment where the army chained itself to the furher.
when did Hindenburg die and what was the impact?
-2 august 1934 he died age 87
-served as president for nine years, and had high amount of popularity amongst the German people, he was seen as symbol of honour and stability
-impact was great as after his death hid using his power did combine the position of president and chancellor as furher. Hitler did announce this one hour after the news of hid death
-he said there would be no president as it would be a insult.
-he did become chief and commander of the armed forces using his power
-by the end of the summer of 1934 Hitler dictatorship had then been firmly established. all non Nazi political parties had been banned or had voluntary disbanded.
how did Hitler use Hindenburg death to his advantage?
- 6 august hitler did use the funeral address to full propaganda purposes, he said that Hindenburg would remin immortal even when the last trace of his body had vanished.
-in Hindenburg political testament, field Marshall said my farther had seen himself in Adolf Hitler
-the supremacy of furher was applied, he did decide policy make laws and control foreign policy.
what were the results of the plebiscite?
95.7 per cent of the 45 million voters did go to the pols, and 89.93 did vote yes.
4.5million did say no, 870000 spoiled their papers.
what was sa membership in 1931?
100000
what was sa membership in 1932?
291000
what was sa membership in 1933?
425000
what was sa membership in 1934?
30000000
how important was the ss and the emergence of a terror state?
-ss would develop an identity and structure of its own which kept it sperate from the state and yet through its dominance of police matters linked with the state.
-by 1933 ss numbered 52000 and had a estbalsihed reputation of blind obedience and total commitment tot he nazi cause.
-himmler created a special secuirty service, to act as party own internal secuirty service.
-in 1933-4 hitler did assumed control of all police in the lander, including the gestapo in Prussia.
what role did ss play?
-did play a leading role in concentration camps and using its power of arrest and detention to hold people in protective custody even after they had served their official sentence by the courts..
-role did include, far reaching and included policing, intelligence gathering, controlling security, imposing ideology, inculcating race and economic theories, and involvement in some military issues.
where was the role of ss demonstrated?
-hitler turned to himmler to carry out the purge of 1934. the loyalty and brutal effiecney of the ss on the night of long knvies had its rewards.
-in 1936 all police power were unfied under himmler control as rechfurer ss and chief of all german polcie inclduing the gestapo.
-in 1939 all partya nd state orgnazation involving police and security matters were rsha, overseen by himmler.
-it was an establsihed bodyguard for the hitler since its establishement in 1925.
how did the ss become so powerful?
- in 1929 there were 280 members, but by the late 1930s it had become a vast organisation
-third Reich had been called the ss state
-alongside gestapo most powerful and feared of the organs of repression in nazi Germany
-ss was authorised on hilter accession to power to act as a auxiliary police
-did use the emergency power decree of February to take suspects into protectories custody.
-between 1933 and 1939 about 225000 Germans were convicted and imprisoned for political crime.
-did direct against all enemies of Nazism, take responsibility of extermination and concentration camps.
did also establish a vast economic empire.
-by 1939 there were 240000 members organised into divisons.
what was the role of Himmler in the terror state?
-Himmler did become head of the ss in 1929
-in 1933 he took over the Bavarian police and within three years had unified all the police and security forces under his control as chief of German police and Reich leader of the ss
-enormous power was extended when in 1939 he was Reich commissioner for strengthening German nationhood with then major power over territory in the east
-Himmler did run the concentration camps and expand waffen ss to rival the Wehrmacht. in 1943 he did become minister of the inferior
-April 1945 hoping to preserve former Nazi state,, he tried to negotiate armistice with the west and was dismissed by hitler for the treachery.
-he did preside over vasst repressive machinery of the third reich
what was the gestapo?
-were secret state police with a reputation for being all seeing and all knowing elment of the police state.
- did have an image of finding and arresting opponents and send them to concentration camps was extensively prevailed at the time
were the gestapo effective?
-were only a small organisation with between 20000 and 40000 agents, large cities had about 4-50 agents.
-alot were no more than offices workers that did rely on black worders, which there were about 2 million
-warden were responsible for 50 houses they ensured that nazi flags were displayed and rallies were attended.
-given their weakness it is unlikely that the gestapo were able to impose a regime of terror.
-however alot were scared and accepted them as they were scared of the persecution that they could face
how was the power of the ss enhanced racially?
the racial policy of extermination and resettlement was pursued with vigour and the system of concentration camps was widely established and run by the ss death head units the various inferior races were used for their economic value.
how was the ss enhanced by secuirty?
all responsibilities of policing and intelligence expanded as occupied land spread. the job of internal security did become a lot greater and ss officers were granted severe power to crush opposition.
how was the ss enhanced military?
the waffen ss increased from three divisions in 1939 to 35 in 1945 which developed into a second army, committed, brutal and military highly rated.. by 1944 the ss was so powerful its rivalled the power of the German army.
how was the ss enhanced economically?
the ss did become responsible for the creation of the new order in occupied lands of eastern Europe. such a scheme provided opportunities for plunder and power on a massive scale which members of the ss exploited to the full. by the end of the war the ss had created a massive commercial organisation of over 150 firms, which exploited slave labour to extract raw materials and to manufacture textiles, armaments, and household goods..
what were the four main functions of the ss?
- intelligence gathering by the sd. it was responsible for all intelligence and security and was controlled by its leader Heydrich, but still part of the ss. it was responsibilities did grow as occupied lands spread.
-policing by the gestapo and the kripo. gestapo was a key in upholding the regime by using surveillance and repression. it did have a reputation of brutality.
-disciplining the opposition. torture chambers and concentration camps were created in 1933 to deal with political opponents, mainly socialist and communists. in 1936 number of imamates was however limited to 6000. number did then grow by 1939 to 21000
-military action by the first units of the waffen ss. up to 1938 it did consist of about 14000 soldiers in three units, but it was racially pure, loyal and committed to nazi ideology.
how much were concentration camps used as a method by the Nazis?
- used to torture, re educate, and inflict hard labour on so called enemies of the state.
-were initially used in campaign against political opponents, especially communists, trade unionists and socialist.. - by the time himmler took over control of concentration camps in 1934 they held only 3000 inmates.
-from 1936 until the outbreak of the war, the cmap housed those who did not fit into nazi ideal.
did terror help Hitler consolidation of power?
- ss and gestapo did much to break any remaining political opposition in the early years of the regime.
-they moved on to deal with enemies of the people community.
-despite there being only a few gestapo agents and six concentration camps in 1939 they did act as a warning to people because of their reputation.
what was the estimated number of people in concentration camps from 1939-45?
September 1939 25000
December 1942 88000
January 1945 714,211
where does power lie in the third reich
chaotic polyocracy (various sources of power).
it is clear that everyone is working towards the furher
a hitler myth did devlop it was
Hitler portrayed as someone
- that personified nation
- stood alfort from selfish intrest.
-understood german people
-architect of germany economic miracle
-was the representative of popular justice
-defined Germany against its enemies, for example jews, extremists
-was responsible for all major sucesses of goverment
why did the hitler myth devlop?
-reaction against divisions and weakness of old Weimar system
-satisfies people emotional need for strong government
-developed from long established fuhrer principle of nazi party
-was enhanced by propaganda
what was the effects of hitler myth?
-did contribute to hilter popularity by the late 1930s estimated 90 per cent of Germans did admire him
- myth did however contribute to decline of thrid reich. without formal constraints it was inherently unstable.
-his popularity did give him more freedom from the elites
what did Kershaw saw about the myth?
that day on Hitler started to believe in his own myth marked in a sense the beginning of the third Reich. moreover the major military failures after 1942 did lead to a declining of the belief in the myth
how did the third reich operate
Hitler image, great national leader, Germany best interest, above factional disputes, responsible for regime sucess
hitler style of rulling, lazy, rarely intervened in polcy debate/decessions, signed a series of decrees, involved in foreign policy, far from berlin.
administration, polyocracy series of overlapping bodies e.g state ministries party organisations
how did nazi propaganda present hitler?
- unlike other policitans
-man of the people
-was presented as hard working and tough
-was a political genies that mastered problems faced by Germany in 1933
-responsible for national awakening - does live a simple life and has made sacrifices for the people
-guardian of traditional monarchy and social justice..
how were decisions taken in Germany?
-Hitler acted as absolute monarch
-would provide overall vision
-he was decision making and administrative matters
-unbureaucratic approach, went to bed late and got up lad. He did also withdrew himself from society.
-orders were on the basis of Hitlers will
-five chancellery offices all did claim to represent Hitler
-Hitler was preoccupied with foreign affairs.
how did hitler describe the development of the system between 1934 and 1938
he described it as one feature of this process was fragmentation of government as hitler form of personalised rule distorted the machinery of administration and called into being panoply of overlapping and competing agencies dependence on the differing ways upon the will of the furher.
how was propoganda used in the nazi party
used films for exampel as a way to get their support, aswell as press and visual art.
-in 1933 hitler set up a propoganda minsitry under goebbels who supervised a vast machinery contorl of all aspects of the media.
-he did ban horst wessel film, he aimed to stay away from everything political.
-he did relaise that enetertainment was the most effective way of propoganda
what role did goebells play?
-he had control over films
-was seen as being elegant and charming
-goebells did approach film makers such as leni. he did make films that would be supposed to symbolise hitler. the films he made did compare hitler with other leaders such as Fredrick the great and Bismark.
how important was propaganda in the third reich?
- they did create a series of insitions that had excessive control over propaganda
-most important was ministry for popular enlightenment and propaganda created in march 1933 and headed by Goebbels.
-it did develop by 1937 employing 140000 people and did become a vital prop for nazi rule.
how important was goebells in propaganda and the nazi party?
- he was a powerful speaker, and this together with his organisation of propaganda played a major role in gaining popular support for the nazis before 1933.
-in march 1933 he did join the cabinet as head of the rmvp
-he did want to create one single public opinion, and put stress on the importance of radio and films.
how was the press used in propaganda?
-regime exercised three main methods of control. it did rigoursly control all those involved, journalist editors and publishers through compulsory membership of co ordinating bodies
-decrees were issued suspending publications i was treason to spread false rumours and news.
-rmvp did control content of press through state controlled press agency it did provide half content of newspapers.
-rmvp did do news conferences and issued directive on content, including position of articles
-nazi party publishing house eher velag did take control over the press
-Nazi ownership of the media did grow from 3 per cent in 1933 to 69 per cent in 1939 and 82 per cent in 1944.
how role did radio play in propaganda?
regulated since 1952 creation of the Reich radio company
- 51 per cent was owned by ministry of posts and 40 per cent by nine regional broadcast companies. it did control content
-in 1933 it was taken over by Reich governors and in April 1934 nazi established a unified radio system and purged it of hostile elements.
-radio was one of the most powerful elements for introduction. geobells did described it as a spiritual weapon of a toletarian state.
-1933 there were 7 million sets, by 1934 there were 16 million.
-by 1939 70 per cent of household owned one. there were communal loudspeakers.
-did transmit Hitler speeches.
1933 50 broadcasts were transmitted and 1933 the estimated audience for his speeches was 56 million.
how was film used as a method of propaganda for the nazi party?
- 1930s did see a growth in production and audiences. number of filmgoers did quadruple between 19 33 and 1942.
state exercised control both over film companies and content of film
-1933 four major film companies were allowed to remain private companies, partly as government did not want to harm export sales.
-rmvp gradually bought up shares and financed films so companies could be indirectly state owned.
how was newspaper used in the third reich?
Germany had over 4500 daily newspapers in 1933 and it was a lot harder to bring them under state control.
what measures did the Nazis implement to control the press?
-all socialist and communist papers were closed down
-the editor law of 1933 made newspaper content the responsibility of the editor and he did have to satisfy the requirements of the propaganda ministry
-a daily press conference was held at which editors were told what they had to write
-news agencies were placed under Nazi control
-the Nazi publishing house did brought up alot of papers, so that by 1939 it did control two third of the press.
