germany Flashcards
1
Q
when was the nazi first law of coordination and what does it relate to hitler consolidating power?
A
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
2
Q
when was the second law of coordination and what does it relate to hitler consolidation of power?
A
-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
3
Q
what did the law for the reconstruction of the reich say?
A
-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
4
Q
what happened on 14 February 1934?
A
-Reichsrat was abolished this was the parliamentary assembly to which the state assembled sent delegate.
5
Q
how was Hitler given way?
A
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.
6
Q
what was the riechstag fire
A
-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.
7
Q
what did hitler say about the fire?
A
he did claim that the fire was part of the communist plot to takeover.
8
Q
why did hitler blame the communists?
A
-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
9
Q
what was signed after the fire?
A
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.
10
Q
what was the lasting effect of the fire?
A
-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.
11
Q
what were the results of the election 1933 a disappointment for the nazis?
A
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..
12
Q
what was the election result of march 1933 for the nazis?
A
nazi 288
13
Q
what was the election result for the nationalists?
A
52
14
Q
what was the election result for the social democrats?
A
120
15
Q
what was the election result for the communists?
A
81
16
Q
what was the election result for the centre party?
A
74
17
Q
what was the election result for other?
A
32
18
Q
what was the turnout for the march 1933 and for some partys?
A
88 per cent of people voted
-hitler had increased nsdap vote by 10 per cent more than he had secured in November 1932
in
19
Q
why did the nsdap vote increase in march 1933?
A
-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
20
Q
why was hitler disanointed with the election result?
A
-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
21
Q
what was the day at potsdam?
A
-21 march was the day at Potsdam, the event does refer to celebrations surrounding the opening of the newly elected Reichstag.
22
Q
how was Goebbels involved in the day at Potsdam?
A
-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.
23
Q
what was the enabling act?
A
-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.
24
Q
when was the enabling act passed?
A
23 march 1933, did provide the basis of hitler authority in the creation of dictatorship.
25
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.
26
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.
27
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.
28
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.
29
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.
30
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.
31
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.
32
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..
33
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..
34
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
35
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
36
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.
37
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.
38
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.
39
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.
40
what was sa membership in 1931?
100000
41
what was sa membership in 1932?
291000
42
what was sa membership in 1933?
425000
43
what was sa membership in 1934?
30000000
44
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.
45
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.
46
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.
47
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.
48
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
49
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
50
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
51
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.
52
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.
53
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.
54
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..
55
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.
56
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.
57
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.
58
what was the estimated number of people in concentration camps from 1939-45?
September 1939 25000
December 1942 88000
January 1945 714,211
59
where does power lie in the third reich
chaotic polyocracy (various sources of power).
it is clear that everyone is working towards the furher
60
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
61
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
62
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
63
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
64
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
65
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..
66
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.
67
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.
68
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
69
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.
70
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.
71
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.
72
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.
73
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.
74
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.
75
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.
76
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.
77
what was the result of nazi control in the press?
-all press was tightly managed but this did lead to a fall in the quality of journalism as writers were limited in what they could write, meaning that their newspaper sales did fall by 10 per cent by 1929.
78
what restrictions were place in drama and music?
- nazis did want drama and music to uphold Nazi values and they exercised tight control
-theatres and plays had to have a license and were subject to police supervision.
-they banned experimental plays and music.
-even some of the works in the classical tradition was censored while jazz was forbidden as it was seen as degenerate.
-music written by Jewish composers such as Mendelssohn and mahler was banned and Jewish conductors and musicians were dismissed.
79
what restrictions were placed in literature, art and architecture
-all writers did have to be positive about Nazism with approved themes such as the early days of nazism war and expansion.
-reich chamber of literature did list banned books and libraries and second hand bookshops were raided for the prohibited book that were then burned at allies.
-some 2500 writers did leave Germany as a result of this policy
-writers such as Thomas Mann a Nobel prize winning novelist, bertlt Brecht, a modern playwright, erich maria remarque a novelist did all leave
80
what restrictions were placed in modern art?
modern art was banned and modern painting were removed from galleries, with only works that portrayed German heroes or the countryside allowed.
-a lot of permitted paintings did not reflect the real world but nazi ideology particularly as all working artists had to become members of the Riech culture chamber.
81
what restrictions were placed under modern art?
-national and local exhibitions were organised and although subject matter did suggest by the title autobahns of Adolf Hitler through the eyes of art would not suggest that it was the most exciting body of work.
-exhibitions were often well attended. a lot were curious to see the new style
-building did offer a more suitable form of propaganda and were seen by large number of people.
82
what did happen to modern buildings?
-alot of effort was put into designing not just building but restructured cities even at a time when resources were needed for the war effort post 1939.
-vast building often in a neoclassical style did show the permeance of the Reich.
-alot of the new public building were decorated by sculptures conveying nazi ideology.
-in 1934 an order was issued that public building should be decorated with sculptures that did relay the nazi message.
83
what restrictions were placed under film?
-reich film chamber was established and everyone in the movie industry had to join
-German film industry already had a high reputation and this would be enhanced by the cinematic techniques seen in documentaries of leni Riefenstahl in olympia which did much to promote nationalism -nazis would continue to allow the cinema industry to flourish, with geobells realising the importance of film as a form of entertainments, and this would explain why only 96 out of 1097 features films produced between 1933 and 1945 were at the request of the propaganda ministry
-weekly review did contain alot of political information and did have to be included in all film programmes.
84
how was meeting and rallies used as a method of propaganda?
-effective way to gain support was through mass rallies
-rallies did help to reinforce their commitment to the regime
85
how was popular rituals and festivals used as a method of propaganda?
-regime did attempt to create a new social ritual through things such as heil Hitler greeting, nazi salute, the horst Wessel anthem and wearing of uniforms.
-an aspect to win over public was festivals, key dates were celebrated in the nazi year and were often associated with large scale rallies.
- at special dates people were expected to hang out flags and parades and speeches were organised. these did include
30 January day of seizing power
24 February founding of the nazi party day
16 march war heros day
20 april Hitler birthday
86
what key dates were celebrated and how were popular ritual and festivals used as a way to gain support in propaganda.
second Sunday in july ' German culture day
September reich party day
9 November anniversary of the Munich putsch
87
how was the courts used as part of the terror state?
the court did play a role in enabling the regime to remove its opponents while giving the semblance of legality of nazi actions
-new court under nazi control were easily influenced to do the regime binding , with people court trying the enemies of the state.
-action was taken to extend nazi control and influence pre existing courts,
-judges were instructed to issue harsher sentences for crimes as it would hope it would discourage others.
88
how was the courts used in the terror state?
-all new laws regarding political offences were enacted.
-judges that did not carry out nazi wishes were removed and from 1929 judges did have to study nazi beliefs
-senior court officials were replaced by the nazis,
-it did become difficult for opponents of regime to receive a fair trial.
89
how was the ss used in the terror state and who were they?
-established as an elite bodyguard for hitler in 1925
-responsible only to hilter ' a state within a state'
-key part of police state and was crucial to upholding the regime
-play a leading role in the concentration camps and using its power of arrest and detention to hold people in ' protective custody'
-far reaching and include policing, intelligence gathering, controlling security, imposing ideology, inculcating race and economic theories and involvement in military issues.
90
what changes did happen in the ss?
-in 1929 himmler became head of ss
-in 1931 himmler created sd, secret intelligence wing of ss
-in 1935 ss became elite force that aryans could only join
-in 1939 all police and gestapo powers were placed under gestapo control
-in 1939 all party and state officials were amalgamated to the rsha.
91
what role did Himmler have in the ss?
- did turn the ss into most loyal brutal of all the regimes agencies.
-despite ss power laid, it was due to war and conquest of land in 1939 that did mean that its power did expand and develop
92
who were the gestapo?
-secret state police with a reputation of all seeing and all knowing element of the police state
-view was put forward by gestapo agents to encourage people to conform believing that if not they would be caught.
-did have an image of arresting and sending all opennts in concentration camps
93
why could the gestapo be seen as being not an effective organisation?
-only a small organisation, with between 20000 and 40000 agents. large cities had only about 4-50 agents
-alot were office workers that did rely on informers or block wardens of whom there were 2 million.
-wardens were responsible for 50 houses or apartments and did ensure that Nazi flags were displayed and rallies were attended.
-unable to impose a regime of terror
94
what was the role of concentration camps in the terror state?
-used to question and torture to re educate and inflict hard labour on so called enemies of the state
-initially used for opponents such as communists, and trade unionists and socialist
- alot were actually closed as they were seen as offensive to nationalist
95
what was the impact of Himmler in concentration camps?
by the time Himmler took over responsibility for all concentration camps in 1934 they held only 3000 inmates.
-from 1936 until outbreak the camps did house that who did not fit in, such as beggars romani people and even long term unemployed.
-after 1942 prisoners and foreign workers were transferred to the camps then as a source of forced labour and other camps did become extermination camps.
96
what was the number of people in concentration camps in September 1939?
25000
97
what was the number of people in concentration camps in December 1942?
88000
98
what was the number of the people in concentration camps in January 1945?
714, 211
99
what was the role of hitler and the system of goverment?
- he did lack experience but his lifestyle, did include absence from berlin and disruptive sleeping patterns which in turn did make effective government difficult.
-he did want to give the impression of a all powerful and it did mean alot were frightened to make decisions.
-did seem impossible for an Indvidual to control all areas of government, Hitler did fail to co ordinate it.
-it did mean that government and law did emerge in a help hazard form.
100
what role did hitler play?
-limited role in day to day government
-absence lifestyle and unwillgness to make decisions and lack of contact with ministers did mean that he had to try and determine his actual wishes.
-everyone had to 'work towards the furhrer'
-did have a strong dislike of paper work and comitee meeting,
-did cause a decline in the role of cabinet which did meet 72 times in 1933 but only four in 1936.
101
what did ian kershaw say about Hitler style of government?
the approach that Hitler did have did invite as the historian ian Kershaw argued initiatives from below provided they were broadly in line with Hitler actual goals
-an approach did lead to the radicalisation of policy, seen in genocide, terror and foreign policy.
102
what was Hitlers relationship with the German people?
-basis of Hitlers power
-he did claim hat he knew what they wanted and that he could fulfil their needs his will was absolute as it was the will of the people
-his power was based on his mission no his position within government.
-a lot of Hitlers belief and acceptance was the result of the weak Weimar government and humiliations that had preceded him.
-German people did want to establish a messiah and believed Hitler was perfect for that role.
103
what was Hitler relationship with the German people?
- Nazi party had been based on the principle of fuhrerprizip which was applied to all of Germany.
-Hitler successful policies and propaganda did help to create a charismatic leadership that was sustained by the Hitler myth.
-his successful policies did help to create a charismatic leadership that was sustained by the hitler myth.
104
what did ian kershaw say about Hitler and popularity>
' hitler stood for at least some things that they admired, and had become a symbol of embodiment of the national revival'
105
how had the Reichstag changed?
-enabling act did give legislative power to hitler and Reichstag would only pass seven more laws.
-enabling act would renewed every four years, Reichstag itself seldom meeting
-when it did meet it was usually to applaud the speeches of Nazi leaders.
106
how did the cabinet change?
-did remain, but did largely loose its role
-Hitler did not view it as important since decisions were increasingly made on an individual bases and often depended on what had access to the furher.
-laws were used through Hitler rather than the cabinet, drawn up by the Reich chancellery.
107
how did the reich chancellery change?
reich chancellery was the central administrative body as laws and decrees were drawn up to its officials.
-role was to co ordinate government, but as time went on this became harder as of the growing number of insitions.
-government minister such as economics did find themselves under pressure from Nazi institions with the four year plan.
108
how did the civil service change?
-a lot of civil servants that did work for the republic did continue their jobs
-only five per cent removed under law for the restoration of the civil service in 1933.
-was further nazified as a lot of nazis did take up jobs in the civil service, other civil servants did continue to join the party
-by late 1930s it was less important as other agencies had been established which by passed the ministries.
109
how did local government change?
-taken over by centrally appointed officials and state governments did become the agents of central government with real power in the Reich governor.
110
how did the judiciary change?
-as of the establishment of the new courts it did allow the nazis to circumvent the established system
-judiciary did face interference
-ss Police system was arbitrary and acted as if it was above the law
-role was limited.
111
how was Nazi power impacted ?
-it was the Gualtiers that were dominant in the regions and their concern was to preserve the interests and they only resisted both the state and party institions.
-after 1938 they were attempts to increase party influence as deputy furhere Rudolf hess insisted that all civil servants did have to be party members.
-supervision of party members was increased and martin Bormann created the department of internal party affairs to discipline the party structure and the department for affairs of state.
-some of the party members who did gain power abused it and alot of German did resent it, suggesting that while Hitler did remain popular the nazi party was not
112
what happened with the social democrats in regards to oppositions?
-before 1933 spd was supported by a million members and five million voters, located in normally working class areas.
-when Hitler gained power, spd did organise anti nazi demonstrations.
-in march 1933 spd members of the Reichstag did vote against the enabling act,.
-in may 1933 funds were seized
-in june 1933 the spd was forced to disband.
113
what happened with regard to the social democrats and opposition?
-spd did quickly establish a underground organisation to oppose the nazi regime
-did consist of exiled leadership, newspapers and party activists
-very important spd resistance group was red shock trooop that was on the socialist fringe of the party.
- end of 1933 group had 3000 members consisting of primarily university students based in the berlin area.
-group did set up a newspaper called the red shock troop, that did appear every 10 days.
-the editorials of the red shock troop did suggest that the nazi regime would be overthrown by the revolutionary action of german workers.
-in December 1933, however the leaders of the red shock troop were arrested by the gestapo (nazi secret state police) and imprisoned in concentration camp.
114
what happened with regards to social democrat opposition?
-spd regional committee did however take part in a number of other resistance activities against the nazi regime between 1934 and 1937. using funds supplied by the exiled spd leadership, a newspaper entitled socialist actin was circulated throughout berlin.
-in January 1935, the gestapo was arrested the leaders of the committee by the and of 1938 the continued success of the gestapo finding and arresting spd underground resistance groups did lead to the exiled leadership of spd to conclude that underground resistance activities, including production of anti nazi pamphlets and newspapers were so dangerous and so were ended.
115
what happened with regard to social democratic opposition?
from 1939 the remaining spd activists concentrated their efforts on collecting information on the state of public opinion in nazi germany.
-reports produced by spd local secretariats (known as the sopade reports) did reveal that while alot of Germans had been w on over to supporting the nazi regime, most social democrats did accepted the nazi regime as a' fact of life and had turned inward towards family and home..
-did accept there way no way to overthrow a tolitarian regime, spd leadership did come to the conclusion that nazi regime could be overthrown only by a coup led by the German army.
116
what happened with regard to the social democrats in opposition?
on the left of the spd, a small fringe group known as the new beginning (neu beginnen) also engaged in resistance activities.
-group did take its name from pahmplet written in 1932 by Walter lowenheim.
-members did meet secretly in private houses and flats to discuss what the future direction of German politics will be.
-leaders of the new beginning did believe that the left wing disunity was one of the reason why hitler did come to power.
-group did feel a left wing coalition of social democrats and communists was the best means to combat nazism.
117
what happened with regards to the small fringe group the new begging?
spd did dismiss the idea of a left wing coalition as they felt that the communists desire for a dictatorship of the proletariat was incompatible with the social democratic desire for a democratic government based on free elections.
-during 1935 alot of the most active members of the new beginning were arrested by the gestapo.
-however the group did continue to operate, in the autumn of 1938 new beginning was decimated by a further wave of arrest by the gestapo.
118
what happened with regards to communist resistance groups?
-kpd and groups associated with the new beginning led the underground resistance against the nazi regime
-the communists who resisted Nazism faced a multitude of dangers, and alot died in the struggle
-from 1933 to 1939 150000 communists were detained in nazi concentration camps and a further 30000 were executed.
119
what was the reasoning for nazi attack on the kpd to combat opposition?
german communist party set up in 1919 was the largest before 1933.
-strongest areas of communist electoral strength was berlin, hamburg, stuttgart, lepizig, the industrial areas of the ruhr and saxony
-when hitler was appointed chancellor on 30 January 1933 the largest street demonstrations against his new regime were led by the communists.
120
what happened with regards to the nazi attack on the kpd?
kpd was the first organisation to experience full vigour of nazi terorr.
burning of the Reichstag on 27 February 1933 provided the nazi regime with an ideal excuse to step up its persecution of communists.
-on 6 march 1933 the activities of the kpd was declared illegal. party leaders did assume that hitler regime, would soon run into political and economic difficulties paving the way for a communist revolution. this was an error of judgement.
-in a matter of week of Hitler coming to power the nazi did set there sight on destroying the kpd as an electoral force.
121
what happened with regards to the nazi attack on the kpd?
-nazi blackshirts did launch a series of daring and brutal raid on the working class suburbs of major German cities during which duplicating machines, typewriters and propaganda material were seized.
-aim of the raids was to demoralise the communists and to deter them from mounting resistance.
pro communist newspapers were closed down and thousands of communists were sent to concentration camps.
-did become clear that there was major defeat on communism in Germany. leaders of the kpd that were no arrested did flee into exile in Prague then to paris and moscow after 1941.
122
what happened with regards to nazi attack on the kpd?
after 1933 the kpd was forced to change from a mass party with 360000 members into a clandestine anti nazi underground organisation.
-communists brave enough to engage in resistance against the nazi regime did follow a hopeless struggle followed by the haunting of the inevitable gestapo and detention in concentration camp .
123
what was the extent of communist resistance?
-in the summer of 1933 50 per cent of kpd members still paid contributions to the party
-in 1933 the berlin supreme court heard 1000 cases concerning resistance activities brought against members of the kpd.
-one estimate does suggest that between 1933 and 1935 around 10 per cent of kpd members were active within the underground resistance.
-in 1935 the gestapo estimated that there were 5000 active members of the communist resistance in berlin alone.
-a lot of those involved in communist resistance were of two types the skilled members of the working class, or unemployed workers living in inner city areas.
124
what was the activities of communist resistance?
most important activity of communist underground was distribution of anti nazi literature
-communist leaflets and newspapers circulated in beer halls and workplaces in working class areas.
-leading communist newspapers red flag and a number of regional communist newspapers were printed and distributed widely throughout Germany from 1933 to 1935.
125
what was the activities of the communist resistance?
-from 1933 to 1935 kpd did produce and distributed over a million anti nazi leaflets.
-great deal of this literature focused on brtual acts of terror undertaken by nazi authorities against members of the working class.
-according to the gestapo report 1. 2 million communist anti nazi pamphlets were seized in 1934 and 1.67 million were discovered by the nazi authorities in 1935..
126
what was the underground network of the kpd?
-Maintenace of this underground network did require a major organisational effort.
-key post within the communist resistance were filled by paid party activists, that were supported by illegal subscriptions collected in factories and working class areas.
-communists activists did use false names and forged papers.
the chief aim of a member of this underground network was to be ahead of he gestapo. it would prove more difficult as time went on.
127
what was the underground network of the kpd?
most communists who were part of the underground network did not elude the gestapo for more than six months..
-of the 422 people who had been salaried kpd officials in January 1933, 219 had been arrested, 125 exile and 24 had been killed by the nazis and 54 had left the party by the end of 1935.
-number of communists arrested by the gestapo for resistance activities fell from 14000 in 1935 to 3800 in 1938.
128
what happened when the kpd did rethink there strategy?
-late 1930s the underground communist resistance network has been greatly reduced by the gestapo.
-at the berne conference convened in January 1939 the exiled kpd leadership undertook a major policy review which resulted in a demand for the creation of a popular from consisting of all anti fascist forces inside and outside Germany.
-august 1938 the policy did suffer a setback when stalins communist soviet union did sign a non aggression pact with hitler nazi germany.
-kpd leadership called for the observrence of the Nazi soviet pact but continued to warn of the consequences of nazi aggression.
129
where was the growth of the communist resistance evident after the invasion of the soivet union?
-number of anti Nazi leaflets seized by the gestapo in 1941 grew from 62 in January to 10277 in October.
-during the same time many important communist groups did begin to engage in resistance activities. they operated in a number of German cities and factories.
130
who was the uhrig group?
-led by robert uhirg operated during 1941 and 1942 in berlin, with about 100 active members.
-it did take the view that the soveit union must be defended from the nazi aggression at all costs.
-uhrig group fly posted billboards throughout berlin with anti nazi slogans urging workers to engage in sabotage.
-in September 1941 the group did win support from 70 workers based in a large belin arms factory.
-did also produced a monthly news sheet called the information service.. which did publisce nazi war crimes.
131
what happened to the urhrig group?
-did want to weaken German public support for the war against the soviet union.
-the uhrig and over 200 supporters of his group were arrested by the gestapo in February 1942 and 100 of them were then executed.
-67 separate factory group closely connected with the uhrig group continued to engage in resistance actitvies.
132
who were the home front?
-was located in berlin and hamburg areas.
-leading figures in home front were wilhelm guddorf, john sieg, martin weise and jon graudenz) had all been active members of the kpd before 1933
-in 1941 home front produced a fortnightly anti nazi underground newspaper described as a fighting sheet for a new free germany which did aim to expose the lies of nazi propoganda.the newspaper was circulated in a number of factories in berlin.
133
who were the home front?
home front did produce a number of anti nazi phamplets highlighting nazi war crimes on the eastern ront.
home front was made up of well educated kpd members an drew support from like minded intellectuals and professionals.
-however its propaganda activities quickly came to the attention of the gasteppo.
-in the autumn of 1942 several members of home front were arrested, including Gudorf and sied.
134
who were the red orchestra?
-another group of communists who engaged in resistance activities
-led by Arvid Harnack and harro schulze boysen. members of this group has not been members of the kpd but they were generally sympathetic to communism and the soviet union.
-main activity of the red orchestra was passing on secrets of the German war efforts to the soviet government. This was possible as alot of members of the red orchestra were employed in the nazi ministries concerned with the economy and the air force.
-gestapo did discover the leading members and their identity who were put on trial and executed.
135
who was the baum group?
the baum group consisted of around 30 pro communist jews, aged between 20 and 30 all of who worked at the siemens plant in berlin.
-the baum group produced a monthly news sheet entitled the way out which did describe itself as a paper of the anti fascit struggle. the group did urge German soldiers to fight with use for the overthrow of the hitler regime.
136
who was the baum group?
-did carry out activities such as breaking into anti soviet exhibition organised by the ministry of propaganda, on 18 may 1942 and set fire to a number of exhibits.
-within days of this the gestapo did round up all the members of the baum group, they were subject to torture and execution.
-in a further act of reprisal against the group the nazi arrested 500 berlin based jews who had no connection with the baum group and executed them.
137
what was the revival of the kpd activity?
the destruction of the communist anti nazi groups by the gestapo during 1942 was a severe blow.
-the crackdown on the communist resistance by the nazi authorities was unrelenting.
-the defeat of the german army at Stalingrad in February 1943 led to a revival of resistance activities by the kpd leadership exiled in moscow.
138
what was the national committee for a free Germany?
-set up by the kpd which did use a large radio transmitter to broadcast directly to the German people using the radio title radio free Germany.
-broadcast of radio free Germany did urge all Germans to turn against the nazi regime and promised that a post Hitler Germany would be based on democratic ideas.
-committee did also establish a newspaper free Germany edited by Anton Ackermann, a member of the exiled kpd leadership. the national committee for a free Germany had given encouragement to resistance fighters to unit against Nazi Germany.
139
what happened in the last months of the kpd in opposition of Nazi Germany?
crackdown of kpd figures intensified further after the 1933 bomb attack on Hitler.
-0n 18 august 1944 Ernst Thalmann the kpd leader before his arrest in 1933 was executed in Buchenwald concentration camp, along with 24former communist Reichstag deputies.
-even during later of the war members of the communist resistance were still hunted down by the gestapo, a lot were arrested and executed.
140
what happened during the last months of kpd as opposition of nazi Germany?
-a lot of the members of the communist resistance, facing denunciation by their fellow citizens had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide from the Search highlights of the gestapo.
141
what was the resistance shown by industrial workers?
there was resistance from industrial workers, it took a variety of forms inclduing absenteeism from work, sabotage of industrial machinery, the refusal to serve in the german army and to give the hitler salute.
-gestapo records show widespread worker protests over rises in food prices in 1935. there is evidence of strikes by workers who built the motorways in the mid 1930s and a lot of examples od deliberate slow working in armaments factories.
142
what was the resistance shown by industrial workers?
individuals such as George Elser attempted to bring down the nazi regime. elser had always voted kpd and was aggravated over the destruction of workers rights by the nazi regime.
-on November 1939 he planted a bomb in munch beer hall at which hitler was due to give a speech.
-due to the bad weather and good luck Hitlers plane to Munich was delayed and he arrived late for his speech, when the bomb exploded soo after he was arrested and executed.
143
what was the resistance shown by industrial workers?
-organised form of opposition to the nazi regime was undertaken by factory workers based in Hamburg most of whom were sympathetic to the kpd
-towards end of the war industrial unrest greatly increased.
-from January to the end of June 1944 for example 193, 024 foreign workers were arrested for taking part in strikes. Even so much hoped for workers uprising did not take place.
144
what was the resistance shown by industrial workers?
in a lot of industrial areas there is evidence of workers engaging in resistance activity. in Dortmund prison the 21, 833 prisoners serving time for political opposition to the nazi regime overwhelming majority recorded their occupation as industrial workers.
-most of the factory workers who engaged in resistance against the nazis either were members of or had sympathy towards the kpd.
145
who were the anti fascist workers group of central Germany?
-this group did engage in acts of sabotage and passed on information to workers gained by illegally listening to broadcasts made by the bbc
-members of this group were arrested in a series of gestapo raid in late august 1944.
146
who was the Mannheim group?
-leading factory group which engaged in anti nazi propaganda, based in the Rhineland area.
-group did produce a monthly newspaper called the herald. which first appeared in October 1942. the gestapo found copy of this newspaper and arrested most of the leaders of the group in march 1943.
147
what were the activities of the white rose and what did they do ?
-were motivated primary because of the lack of personal freedom in nazi Germany.
-they wanted a post Hitler Germany to be based on freedom of speech, freedom of confession and the protection of all the citizens of Europe from arbitrary criminal power states
-major aim of the white rose was to influence the educated sections of German public opinion to oppose Nazism. the alternative type of government advocated by the group was a federal one which stressed mortality, individualism and personal freedom.
148
what were the activities of the white rose?
from the summer of 1942 to February 1943 he white rose produced six pamphlets which were distributed by them in the dead of night in cologne Innsbruck, eseen, hannover, stuttgart, frankurt.
-they did distribute leaflets in linz where Hitler had spent most of his childhood.
-every trip by the members of white rose to deliver their anti nazi message carried with the threat by the Gestapo
149
what were the activates of the white rose?
-group did also daub anti nazi graffiti on public buildings in many of the major German cities.
-all six pamphlets produced by the white rose stressed that Hitlers regime was evil and corrupt.
-first written in the summer of 1942 by hans scholl urges the German people to sabotage armaments works, boycotts meetings of the nazi party and generally try to obstruct the war machine of he nazi regime
-the white rose pamphlets did reveal public knowledge in Germany of the sorry fate of jews in the death camps was widespread.
150
what were the activities of the white rose?
-one pamphlet did claim that since the conquest of Poland 300000jews have been murdered in the country in the most bestial manner.
-powerful and well expressed attacks of the nazi regime in the white rose pamphlets came to the attention of the gestapo which did make a determined effort to find out who produced them.
151
what did the gestapo did about the white rose?
powerful and well expressed attacks of the nazi regime in the white rose pamphlets did come to the attention of the gestapo which made a determined effort to find out who had produced them.
-throughout the winter of 194-43 the gestapo started to search for the leading members of the group.
-the increase in the number of leaflets circulating in Munich, did lead the gestapo to say that it leaders were in Munich.
-activities of white rose did lead to the fears on the art of the nazi authorities that there was possibility of an anti nazi uprising in Bavaria.
152
what did lead the gestapo to put the university of Munich
in February 1943 nazi Gaultier of Munich paul giesler delivered a blunt speech which aggravated many men and women students and. As a result of the student unrest that followed in Munich, which was the first public demonstration against the Hitler rule on the streets of Munich since 1933.
-the gestapo did decide to place students at the university under strict surveillance.
-the nazi leader within the speech did advice female students to stop wasting their time reading book and find a suitable husband to produce a child for the furher.
153
what was the end of the white rose?
on 3 February 1943, Sophie and scholl went out together in the middle of the night and daubed the walls of many of the university building with anti nazi slogans.
-Sophie wrote the word freedom near the entrance to the main university lecture hall. They did not realise they were under close surveillance
-on the morning of 18 February 1943, hands and Sophie decided to distribute the leaflet rough the main university building dropping leaflets along the corridor they walked they were spotted by jakob Schmidt, who seized both of them.
154
what was the arrest and trial of the members of the white rose?
-gestapo arrived on campus they arrested hands and Sophie scholl. willi graf was taken into custody followed the next day by Christoph probst.
-alexander schmorell was arrested by the gestapo on 24 February 1943 and kurt huber was taken into custody a mere three days later.
-they were interrogated by the gestapo for over 20 hours.
-on Monday 22 February 1943 all were accused by dr Roland freisler and were sentenced to die by guillotine immediately.
-they all died on Monday 22 February 1943 at 6:15 pm
155
who were the edelweiss pirates?
-did emerge during the late 1930s located in working class districts in tows most notably cologne, Essen Duisburg.
-pirates considered of 12-18 year old boys who had great antipathy towards the grim uniformity of the hitler youth and a general lack of freedom in nazi Germany.
-to express their free spirited individuality and natural desire for youthful rebellion against authority they word distictive checked shirts which sported a metal badge with a flower emblazoned upon it.
-edelweiss partners were closely related to a number of other gangs such as the raving dudes based in Esean and Navajos operated in cologne.
156
who were the edelweiss pirates and how did they operate and how joined?
-did grow alot , as a youthful rebellion against the rigid control of Hitler youth over german teenagers.
-operated in small gangs, in the inner city areas they congregated on street corners hung around parts of the city centre.
-was difficult for nazi authorities to distinguish their behaviour. young people who joined were sick with a lack of freedom from the Nazi regime.
157
who were the edelweiss pirates and how did they operate and how joined?
-did engage in camping trips during wartime when the nazi regime did place limitations on travel
-subversive activities of the edelweiss pirates increased dramatically during the war year where there was a reduction in parental supervision.
-did post nazi leaflets dropped by British and American bomber through the letter boxes of local people
-did daube subways with anti Nazi slogans such as down with Hitler we want freedom
-did join with other industrial fighters such as communists, to engage in acts of industrial sabotage.
158
how did the nazis respond to the edweliss pirates?
- in some areas their activities were regarded by the local police force as childish pranks.
-during the wartime gestapo defined their activities as opposition and placed leaders of the group under strict surveillance.
-gestapo did regard them as extremely hostile towards the Hitler youth and a growing danger to other young people in Germany.
-did have a crackdown on the group, on 7 december 1942 739 pirates were arrested in areas such as duisburg, essen.
159
how did the Nazis respond to the edweliss pirates?
-leaders were placed in a re education camp that was designed to instil conformity towards Nazi ideas.
-October 1944 the ss issued a decree on the combating of youth gangs which led to further arrests of leading edelweiss pirates.
-November 1944 the leaders of the cologne edelweiss pirates were publicly hanged to deter others from joining the group.
160
what opposition did the swing and jazz youth pose?
-non cofirmst behaviour of the swing youth and jazz youth did consist of a powerful desire to listen to banned American music in particular the swing music produced by big bands such as the glen miller orchestra and the American jazz music of the 1930s.
-Himmler suggested that all that listened to jazz music should be beaten given the severest exercise and then put to hard labour.
-the people in the swing youth did admire American music and popular culture and organised illegal dances attended by up to 6000 young people.
161
what opposition did the swing and jazz youth pose?
-members of the jazz youth establish illegal clubs at which hot jazz was played.
-in Frankfurt the gestapo closed down one jazz club called the Harlem club
-members of the groups did also set up their own swing and jazz bands. the gestapo did monitor the activities of these during the war.
-the nazis did impose a ban in 1940 on public dances. however members of the groups did regardless offer have a number of illegal clubs, often located in the basement.
162
what opposition did the swing and jazz youth pose?
-the upper middle class affluence of swing youth did allow them to purchase fashionable clothes, record plays and illegal imports of American swing and jazz recordings.
-gestapo reports on swing groups lay strong emphasis on the hedonistic pleasure which these uninhabited young Germans took in heavy drinking and high energy dancing.
-it did seem that the members of these groups were motivated to offer political resistance to the nazi regime.
-the young people wanted more of an open culture in Germany that would allow them to buy American swing and jazz music.
163
what did nazis think about the jazz and swing youth?
-nazi authorities interpreted the admisntrations shown by swing and jazz youth for American culture as a lack of patriotism.
-members of the swing and jazz youth did want a more culturally permissive society.
164
what was the response of the protestant church to the nazi regime?
-protestant in germany during the nazi era numbered 45 million
-article 24of the political programme of the nazi party promised christians that they could support nazism without comprising their own religious convictions.
-a lot of protestants did welcome Hitlers rise to power as they were strong supporters of german nationalism.
165
what was the nazi approach to the protestant church?
-nazi regime did want to create a centralised and unified protestant church that would promote nazi ideology.
-in july 1933 the 28 provincial protestant churches were Amalgated to form a single rich church.
-in September 1933 bishop Ludwig muller was elected to be leader of the new formed body.
166
what was the nazi approach to the protestant church ?
-one of the aims of the nazi policy was to force the protestatn church to conform to the ideological doctrines of the nazi party
-muller told the nazi leader that it would be easy to use a fringe protestant group called the faith movement to force the protestant church to follow the doctrines of the nazi party.
-more extreme members of the German Christians launched a campaign in 1933 to have he old testament of the bible removed from protestant church services on the ground that it was a jewish book.
167
what did muller do?
-muller did push through in December 1933 in spit of protests the amalgamation of the evangelical youth composed of 70000 young members of the protestant church into the hitler youth.
-throughout 1934 muller also attempted to destroy the indepdence of the various provincial protestant and Lutheran churches in Germany.
168
what was the conflict between the nazi state and the pricples of christian faith?
-attempt to nazify Protestantism in Germany provoked a strong reaction within the protestant church which aimed to defend traditional values and church instions.
-resistance was to the nazi regime was offered by a group within the protestant church called the confessing church which established in September 1933 by the reverend martin niemoller who reject the nazi claim to authority over the practises of Christianity with the protestant church.
169
who were the confessing church ?
niemuller persuasively argued that the primary allegiance of the protestant clergy was to god not nazi ideology,
members of the confessing church who viewed themselves as the 'true custodians of the protestant faith' mounted a brave campaign of opposition to the attempts of the German Christians to nazify the church.
-in may 1936 the church leaders sent a memordum to hitler denocuing the ' de christanising of german life' by the nazi regime.
-the nazi regime did respond to the confessing church by placing its supporter under surveillance.
170
171
how did the nazis respond to the confessing church?
-in many cases the pastors were removed from their perished by the Gestapo and incarcerated in concentration camps.
-in july 1937 niemoller was placed in protective custody, in a concentration camp where he did remain until his release in 1945.
-in march of that year 800 pastors who supported the confessing church has also been detained in concentration camps.
172
how was the church struggle embarrassing?
-in 1937 hitler tried to take the heat out of the church struggle by returning control of the protestant church to the official church establishment in return for a promise that it would maintain loyalty towards the state.
-attempt to nazify the protestanct church was aondedn and the inflleunce of german christians went into decline.
173
what was the beck goerdeler?
-group that was behind the 1944 bomb plot on Hitler
- was a leading conservative and military resistance group
led by general ludwigbeck and carl goerdeler
174
what was the beck goerdeler group and what was did it start?
-beck depsite welcoming htiler national revolution in 1933 did become increaisngly alarmed about the implications for european peace of hitler aggresive foreign policy.
-during 1938, he did become worried by hitler detemriantion to engineer a european war over the minor issues of 3.5 million german speakers in the regio of czechoslovakia
175
why was the beck goerdeler group started?
-to prevent Germany being plunged into an unnecessary war beck did decide to mount a coup by a small group of army officers to overthrow Hitler regime.
-he did send a few officers to Britain in order to warn of Hitler burning desire to crush czechoslovakia by military force.
-despite this it did come to nothing.
-after this beck did resign as chief of the army general staff in august 1938, but did soon emerge as the leading military figure in a network of conspirators that did aim to bring about the fall of the nazi regime.
176
who was involved in the beck Goerdeler group?
-second figure did include carl Friedrich goerdeler, a German nationalist.
-he was appointed reich commissioner for price control in hitler goverment.
- he did become increasingly disillusioned by the nazi regime during the late 1930s. he did resign from the nazi government in 1935.
-from 1937 onwards he did become a leading civilian figure in the conservative military resistance against the nazi regime building an impressive network of supporters inside nazi germany and developing useful diplomatic contacts abroad.
177
how was the beck goedeler group established?
by 1941 goedeler had been able to establish a small informal group of sympathisers who discussed the idea of overthrowing hitler regime.
-group co ordinated the conservative military resistance against hitler, engaged in discussions with like minded people established important diplomatic contacts abroad and worked on detailed plans to bring about the fall of Hitler.
-
178
what was the importance of the German army in the beck goerdeler group?
-the group did realise that the German army was best placed to strike a decisive blow against Hitler regime.
-the group di make an effort to win support among hitler military commanders.
-in march 1943, goerdeler sent a memorandum to generals urging a coup. leading figures who supported the group did include Henning von tresckow, field marshal erwin von witzleben.
-the group did try to gain the support of field marshal gunther von kluge but failed
-the number of german army officers in the group did increase as the fortunes of the German army plummeted in the war against the soviet union after its defeat at Stalingrad in February 1943.
179
what was the plans for goverment of the beck goerdeler group?
-they did want to create a government based on rule of law, with free speech, religious freedom and social justice.
-they did not want post hitler germany to have a parliamentary system with competing politcal parties.
-they did want to create a state with a dominant leader supported by hand picked elite who controlled parliament.
-goedeler was designated as chancellor and beck was head of state.
180
what was the plan for the government of the Goerdeler beck group?
-in foreign policy the aim was to negotiate a peace settlement with the western allies, which they hoped would lay the basis for peacful co operation in europe.
-they did propose a creation of a jewish indepedent state
-to the British and American diplomatic officials who held secret task with repsenatatives of the beck Goerdeler group during 1941 to 1944 the foreign policy objective of the group did appear extremely militaristic.
181
what was the plan for goverment of the beck goerdeler group ?
-they did want britian and america to abandon the wartime alliance with the soviet union and enter a pact with figures within the army which the allies were united against.
-it did seem that the indviduals within the group di want the achievement of many fof hitler foreign policy aims by more peacful means.
182
what opposition was their in the foreign office and how did they become involved in the beck Goerdeler group?
members of the old upper class elite who occupied main position in the German foreign office were not committed Nazis and did become deeply concerned during the late 1930s that Hitler aggressive foreign policy would produce a war.
-a number of diplomats did work closely with beck goerdeler group ti build up overseas diplomatic contacts.
-two leading members of the beck goedler group in the foreign office were adman von trutt zu solz and ulrich von hassel
-hassel did engage in diplomatic negotiations on behalf of the conservative military resistance with British intelligence and diplomatic sources in the hope of negotiating a peace settlement.
183
what threat did abwehr pose in opposition?
-they were the military intelligience wing of the german foreign office.
-members of the group did supply vital information concerning hitler movements and military plans to teh leaders of the beck goerdeler group.
-it was a useufl means to pass infomration between the two groups and diplomatic officals in britain and america.
-they did put together a secret dossier which detailed nazi war crimes in the coccupied terrotires.
-two leading figures were admiral wilihelm canaris, and major general hans oster.
-both men were executed in april 1945.
184
what was the kreisau circle?
-conservative group that did discuss what type of politcal order shoudl be established after the fall of hitler regime
-group did meet spredatdicoly between 1942 and 1944 at kreisau castle and in the apartments of sympathisers in the afflunet berlin suburbs.
-the group did want to restor personal freedom and the rule of law throughout germany, and repalce the cult leader of the party wi and the party with a democratic system in which self govenring regions would govenr for then the benfit of local communitie.
-they did advocate the creation of federal europe in order to end european conflict.
-however the ideas did not meet with approval of the most of the leading figures within the beck Goerdeler group
185
what happened to the kresiau circile?
-gestapo did discover the kresiau circle during the winter of 1943-44 . in January 1944 moltke was arrested and executed.
-however despite this the group did continue to meet
-pete graf yorck did assume leadership
-the kreisau circle did agree to accept carl Goerdeler as the leader of the transational government which was designated to replace hitler.
-Yorck did become a close adviser to Stauffenberg on admisntrative and social reform before the attempt on Hitler life in july 1944.
186
who was claus von Stauffenberg and what was his reasons for opposing Hitler?
-during the German campaign against the soviet union which began in 1941, Stauffenberg did become disillusioned with Hitler
-in august he told a friend that 'they are shooting jews in masses'
-goerdler supported the plot to overthrow the regime by force but he opposed killing hitler, preferring instead to put him on trial for war crimes
187
what were the attempted plans to kill hitler and how did they come about?
-during 1934 there were six separate attempts by members of the army to assassinate the nazi dictator.
-army plotters did nearly succeed on 13 march 1934 when a time bomb smuggled onto Hitler plane failed to explode.
-army officer olbricht brought Stauffenberg into contact with the leading army figures involved in the plot to overthrow the nazi regime.
188
what were the final attempt to win over the generals to the resistance struggle?
-the beck Goerdeler group did decide to go ahead with their plan to overthrow Hitler because many of the army resistance plotters did believe that this act would help to restore some of Germany tarnished reputation.
-the beck Goerdeler group did make an effort to win support from the high command of the German army.
-figures that were recruited included henning von tresckow, field marshal erwin von witzleben.
-the group did recruit a significant number of younger officer to support the resistance struggle
189
what was the valkyrie plan?
- July 1944 the beck Goerdeler group did prepare detailed plans for military and political action to topple the nazi regime. the crux of the plan was known as the Valkyrie plan, its aim was to assassinate Hitler.
-there was an issue of secret orders, which were designed to put down civil arrest. the order were used after Hitler assassination as a smoke screen design to help the army seize control of berlin and other key German cities.
-they also planned to take hold of the national radio station and to arrest all ss and nazi national and local leaders.
-they did also say once the army had gained control of berlin a state of martial law was to be declared.
190
what was the assassination of hitler?
-at the beginning of july 1944 the plans for the conspiracy were finalised. Stauffenberg did wait for a suitable oppountiry to Lauch his attempt on Hitler life.
-it did come on 20 July 1944, Stauffenberg did leave a bomb. He did not realise until late that hitler had miraculously survived the bomb blast with only minor cuts and burns.
