Germany's Democracy & Dictatorship Flashcards
(112 cards)
1
Q
Who was the Kaiser Wilheilm II?
A
- Head of the armed forces
- Controlled foreign policy
- Appointed the Chancellor.
2
Q
Who was the chancellor?
A
- In charge of the government
- Had authority over the Bundesrat.
3
Q
Who was the Bundesrat?
A
- Federal Council made up of 58 representatives from the 25 states
- Introduced laws to the Bundestag and power to approve them.
4
Q
Who was the Bundestag?
A
- Federal parliament made up of 397 deputies.
- Voted on laws introduced by the Bundesrat.
5
Q
What were the weaknesses of the Kaiser system?
A
- The Chancellor had to stay in the Kaiser’s good books, or he could be dismissed.
- The 25 individual states controlled income tax, which meant the central government, struggled to raise enough tax to cover its spending.
- Poor working and living conditions were largely ignored by the unelected Chancellor and the Kaiser who held the greatest power in Germany.
6
Q
What was the Prussian influence in Germany?
A
- The army was led by Prussian officers, who reported directly to the Emperor (who was of course also the King of Prussia)
- Prussia provided 17 out of 58 representatives in the Bundesrat.
- Only 14 votes were needed to veto (block) any laws passed by the Bundestag.
- Germany’s legal system, civil service and diplomatic corps were dominated by powerful Prussian noble landholders, known as the Junkers.
7
Q
Who were the Junkers?
A
- The Junkers were wealthy conservative landowners from Prussia.
- They controlled the Prussian Army, which had enormous influence over German foreign and domestic affairs.
- The Junkers were also strong supporters of the German ruling family.
- This state of affairs meant that the most influential force in Germany represented the interests of relatively few people.
- Catholics, Jews and urban workers were treated with suspicion and had little say in how Germany was governed.
8
Q
Why was there an increase in industrialisation (1871 - 1910)?
A
- Agricultural production and heavy industries were replaced by modern industries such as manufacturing chemicals and motor construction (Karl Benz) as the most important sectors of the German economy.
- Unification in 1871 accelerated the process of industrialisation and by 1900 Germany had the largest industrial economy in Europe.
9
Q
What were the demographic changes (1871-1910)?
A
- By 1910, 60% of Germans lived in towns and cities.
- The population of Berlin doubled between 1875 and 1910.
- Other cities like Munich grew rapidly.
- By 1910 there were 48 German towns while in 1871 there had only been 8.
10
Q
What was Kaiser Wilhelm like as a ruler?
A
- Kaiser Wilhelm II takes over in 1888.
- Wilhelm was determined to turn his nation into a world power.
- Germany built an empire, became active in world affairs and took part in an arms race with other European nations that would eventually lead to war.
- Wants Germany to have its ‘place in the sun’
11
Q
What problems did Kaiser Wilhelm face?
A
- The Social Democratic Party (SPD) becoming the largest party in the Reichstag.
- Wanted the Kaiser to share his power.
- Workers unhappy with working conditions.
- Looked to Trade Unions.
12
Q
What was the social reform?
A
- All adult males could vote meant that the workers were able to influence politics through their support for the German Social Democratic Party.
- The party grew rapidly during this period to become the largest party in the Reichstag by 1912.
13
Q
What was the social reform law in 1891?
A
The social law banned Sunday working and the employment of children under 13
14
Q
What was the social reform law in 1900?
A
The length of time accident insurance could be claimed for was increased.
15
Q
What was the social reform in 1901?
A
Industrial arbitration courts were introduced to settle disputes between workers and employers.
16
Q
What was the social reform in 1903?
A
Health insurance was extended and further restrictions were placed on child labour.
17
Q
How did the junkers and industrialists react to the social reform laws?
A
The Junkers and industrialists weren’t happy but recognised the need to limit the influence of socialists and so supported the introduction of modest reforms in order to keep the workers happy and loyal to the German state.
18
Q
Who was Admiral Tirpitz?
A
- Admiral Von Tirpitz was a key person in making the Navy League.
- To win support for his policy he helped to create the Navy League in 1898, which campaigned for his Naval Laws to be passed and which quickly gained one million members.
19
Q
What was the importance of navy laws’ domestic?
A
- From 1898 onwards Germany massively expanded its navy.
- This was a key part of the policy known as Weltpolitik, or ‘world politics’, which began in 1897.
- This policy was designed to turn Germany into a world power by building an overseas empire, growing its world trade and increasing its naval power.
20
Q
What were the consequences of the domestic successes of Weltpolitik and naval expansion?
A
- It pleased the Kaiser, who was determined that Germany would become a world power.
- It increased support for the Kaiser and his government by appealing to German people’s sense of patriotism.
- It won the government support from a majority of deputies in the Reichstag
21
Q
What were the domestic problems caused by Weltpolitik and naval expansion?
A
- The government’s majority in the Reichstag did not last and the government found it difficult to reform the Tariff Law in 1902.
- The German government’s budget went into deficit as it spent more and more money on the army, the navy and its new colonies.
- The national debt grew to 490 billion marks by 1913.
22
Q
What was a economic/social problem for Germany during WW1?
A
- A British naval blockade had led to severe food shortages.
- Germans died from starvation and hypothermia.
- The blockade restricted Germany’s ability to trade.
- German workers’ wages were falling despite the extra work they were doing to support the war.
- Germany’s currency was losing its value and inflation was rising rapidly.
- The government was running a huge budget deficit but was unable to raise taxes on the rich.
23
Q
What was the Kiel Mutiny Uprising (political problem of WW1)?
A
- On 3 November 1918 at the main German naval base in Kiel.
- German sailors refused to follow orders to attack the British Royal Navy.
- This sparked rebellions all over Germany and in a matter of days led to the collapse of the German government which forced Kaiser Wilhelm II, to abdicate on 9 November 1918.
- Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) became Chancellor and took power over Germany.
24
Q
How did Germany have to admit fault of the WW1?
A
Germany was forced to accept all the blame for starting the war under article 231 of the treaty, known as the War Guilt Clause.
25
How much did losing the WW1 cost Germany?
* Germany was to be made to pay for the damage suffered by Britain and France during the war.
* In 1922 the amount to be paid was set at £6.6 billion.
26
How did losing WW1 affect Germany's military?
Germany's army and navy were significantly reduced in size and its air force abolished:
* it was allowed a maximum of 100,000 troops in the army
conscription was banned
* no tanks were allowed
* its navy was reduced to 15,000 personnel
* it was allowed only 6 battleships, and no submarines
27
How much land did Germany lose in the treaty of Versailles?
* Germany lost land on all sides of its borders as well as its overseas colonies.
* E.g. Alsace-Lorraine, Polish Corridor, Saar and Rhineland was de-militarised
28
Why did the French and Belgian occupy the Ruhr?
* In November 1922 Germany defaulted on its reparations payment as scheduled
* The first reparations payment had taken all they could afford to pay.
* The French believed Germany could make the repayment but were choosing not to.
* In response, France and Belgium sent troops into Germany's main industrial area, the Ruhr Valley.
* Their aim was to confiscate industrial goods as reparations payments.
* The German government ordered workers to follow a policy of 'passive resistance' - refusing to work or co-operate with the foreign troops and in return the government continued to pay their wages.
29
How did invasion is Ruhr affect Germany hyperinflation?
* The Ruhr Valley was Germany's most productive industrial centre.
* Throughout the French and Belgian occupation production fell drastically as German workers were encouraged to passively resist (refuse to work) whilst the factories were under foreign occupation.
* This loss of productivity hurt the German economy hard as fewer goods were produced.
30
How did the government deal with strikes from workers after WW1?
* The government had promised to pay the striking workers, despite not having any money.
* The government's solution was to pay the workers by printing more paper currency.
* Money was being printed without any matching productive economic activity.
* This led to people losing trust in the German paper currency; the Deutsche mark, which meant its value decreased even more and prices for goods began to increase.
31
Which groups weren't affected by hyperinflation?
* Borrowers, such as businessmen, landowners and those with mortgages, found they were able to pay back their loans easily with worthless money.
* Farmers coped well, since their products remained in demand and they received more money for them as prices spiralled.
32
Which groups were affected negatively by hyperinflation?
* People on fixed incomes, like students, pensioners or the sick, found their incomes did not keep up with prices.
* People with savings and those who had lent money, for example to the government, were the most badly hit as their money became worthless.
33
What the strengths of the new Weimar Republic?
* A genuine democracy - Elections for parliament and the president took place every four years and all Germans over 20 could vote.
* The power of the Reichstag - The Reichstag appointed the government and made all laws. Almost all political power was exercised by politicians in the Reichstag. Before 1918 the Kaiser and the military took most of the important decisions.
* A Bill of Rights - This guaranteed every German citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law.
34
What were the weaknesses of the new Weimar government?
* Proportional representation - Each party got the same percentage of seats in parliament as the percentage of votes it received in an election.
* This meant there were lots of small parties in parliament making it difficult to pass laws and led to weak and often short-lived governments.
* Article 48 - This gave the president the power to act without parliament's approval in an emergency.
* However, it did not clearly define what an 'emergency' was, so the power was overused, which weakened Germans' confidence in democracy.
35
What was the Spartacist Uprising (left wing)?
During 5 - 12 January 1919, The Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
They wanted to:
* overthrow the central government
* establishing soviets (workers' and soldiers' councils)
* Newspapers and communication buildings were seized and the demonstrators armed themselves.
* The government employed the Freikorps to put down the rising.
* the Freikorps were ex-army soldiers who hated the communists.
Aftermath:
* By May 1919 the Freikorps had crushed all of these uprisings.
* The communists and many of Germany's working class developed a hatred of the Social Democrats.
36
What was the Kapp Putsch (right wing)?
* In 1920, Wolfgang Kapp led a revolt as he wanted to take control of Berlin.
* Freikorps troops marched on Berlin.
* The army refused to fire on the Freikorps.
Aftermath:
* Ebert's government fled from Berlin.
* A new government led by Kapp was announced.
* There was insufficient support for the putsch.
* The left-wing SPD and trade unionists organised a general strike in Berlin and an uprising in the Ruhr.
* So the revolt was unsuccessful.
* Participants in the Putsch were treated leniently.
* However participants of the Ruhr uprising were illegally executed by the Freikorps. The leaders were tried and given death sentences.
37
What put an end to hyperinflation?
* Calling off the 'passive resistance' of German workers in the Ruhr.
* This helped Germany's economy because goods were back in production and the Government could stop printing money to pay striking workers.
* Promising to begin reparations payments again.
* This persuaded France and Belgium to end the occupation of the Ruhr by 1925.
* Introducing a new currency called the Rentenmark.
* This stabilised prices as only a limited number were printed meaning money rose in value.
* This helped to restore confidence in the German economy.
* Reducing the amount of money the government spent so that its budget deficit reduced.
38
What was the Dawes Plan?
The Dawes plan was an agreement between the Allies and Germany.
The basic idea behind the plan was to make it easier for Germany to pay reparations and had two key parts.
1. Reparations were reduced in the short term to 50 million pounds per year.
2. The United States gave loans of $25 billion to Germany to help rebuild its industrial capacity (which would make it easier for Germany to generate the tax revenues needed to meet reparations)
* As a result, reparations payments resumed, and the French occupation of the Ruhr ended.
* These measures helped to improve the German economy as German industry thrived with the support of the loans and employment increased. Tax revenues also increased as employment grew.
39
What was the Youngs plan?
* The Youngs plan was to cut Germany's total reparations from £6.6billion to £2 billion.
* In addition, the Young Plan also gave 59 years to pay reparations meaning Germany would be paying reparations until 1988.
* Whilst this agreement made it easier for Germany to pay reparations, the deal did not please everyone, especially those who resented the Treaty of Versailles such as the National Socialists.
40
What was the importance of Berlin?
* The Greater Berlin Act of 1920 made Berlin the third largest city in the world and established it as the centre of German cultural and intellectual life.
* Many of Germany's most prominent artists, writers, academics and performers were based in the city.
41
What and when was the wall street crash?
* The Wall street Crash happened on October 1929
* The economic downturn on the American stock market in 1929
42
What was the impact of the Wall street Crash on Germany?
* Germany was worst affected because American banks called in all of their foreign loans at very short notice.
* These loans, agreed under the Dawes Plan in 1924, had been the basis for Weimar's economic recovery from the disaster of hyperinflation.
* The loans funded German industry and helped to pay reparations.
* Without these loans German industry collapsed and depression began.
43
What was the biggest consequence of the Wall Street Crash?
* There was a huge rise in unemployment.
* The rise in unemployment significantly raised government expenditure on unemployment insurance and other benefits.
* Germans began to lose faith in democracy and looked to extreme parties on the both the Left (the communists) and the Right (the Nazis) for quick and simple solutions.
44
Why did Hermann Müller resign and what happened afterwards?
* In March 1930 the German Chancellor, Hermann Müller, resigned when his government could not agree on how to tackle the rise in government spending caused by the rise in unemployment.
* He was replaced by Heinrich Brüning.
* His policies were ineffective in dealing with the unemployment crisis and further undermined Germans' faith in democracy.
45
What was the impact of Chancellor Brüning ?
* In July 1930 Chancellor Brüning cut government expenditure, wages and unemployment pay.
* This added to the spiral of decline and unemployment continued to rise, as well as making those who had lost their jobs even poorer.
* However, Brüning could not get the Reichstag to agree to his actions, so President Hindenburg used Article 48 of the Weimar constitution, which gave the President the power to pass laws by decree, to govern.
* This undermined democracy and weakened the power of the Reichstag - arguably opening the way for Hitler's later dictatorship.
46
How did the rise of extremism occur?
* When people are unemployed, hungry and desperate, as millions were in Germany between 1930 and 1933, they often turn to extreme political parties offering simple solutions to their problems.
* Between 1930 and 1933 support for the extreme right-wing Nazis and the extreme left-wing communists soared.
* By 1932 parties committed to the destruction of the Weimar Republic held 319 seats out of a total of 608 in the Reichstag, with many workers turning to communism.
* However, the real beneficiaries were the Nazis.
47
What type of people did the Nazi appeal to?
* Wealthy businessmen: frightened by the increase in support for the communists, they began to finance Hitler and the Nazis.
* The middle-class: alarmed by the obvious failure of democracy, they decided that the country needed a strong government and gave their votes to Hitler.
* Nationalists: they blamed the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles and reparations for causing the depression and so lent their support to the Nazis.
* Rural areas: Nazi support was particularly strong amongst both middle class shopkeepers and artisans, farmers and agricultural labourers
48
What were the three main themes of Nazi propaganda?
1. The Führer cult. Hitler was always portrayed as Germany's saviour - the man who would rescue the country from the grip of depression.
2. Volksgemeinschaft (people's community). This was the idea that the Nazis would create one German community that would make religion or social class less relevant to people.
3. Scapegoating the Jews (and others) for Germany's ills. Jews were often portrayed as sub-human, or as a threat to both the racial purity and economic future of the country.
49
How did Hitler appeal to people?
* Hitler was a great speaker with an extraordinary power to win people over.
* Goebbels' propaganda campaign was very effective and brought huge support for the Nazis by targeting specific groups of society with different slogans and policies to win their support.
50
What did the storm troopers/brown shirts do?
* Intimidating the Nazis' political opponents - especially the communists - by turning up at their meetings and attacking them.
* Providing opportunities for young, unemployed men to become involved in the party.
* Protecting Hitler and other key Nazis when they organised meetings and made speeches.
51
What happened in July 1932 to further Hitler's plan?
* Reichstag elections.
* The Nazis became the largest single party with 230 seats, but still did not have a majority.
* Hitler demanded to be made Chancellor but Papen remained.
52
What happened during December 1932 to hurt Hitler's plan?
* Von Papen resigned.
* Hindenburg appointed Kurt Von Schleicher, an army general, as Chancellor.
* Von Schleicher tried to split the Nazis by asking a leading Nazi called Gregor Strasser to be his Vice Chancellor.
* Hitler forced Strasser to decline.
53
What did Hitler convince Hindenburg to do in 1933?
* Hitler needed more support in the Reichstag if he was to be head of a strong government and then eventually gain absolute power, as was his aim.
* He therefore convinced President Hindenburg to call a new Reichstag election for March 1933.
* This set off a series of events that ended with Hitler becoming a dictator.
54
What happened in January 1933 that hindered Hitler's plan?
* Von Papen and Hindenburg turned to Hitler, appointing him as Chancellor with Von Papen as Vice Chancellor.
* They believed they could control Hitler and get him to do what they wanted.
55
How were the Reichstag Fire and Reichstag election related?
* On 27 February the Reichstag building was set on fire.
A Dutch communist, van der Lubbe, was caught red-handed in the burning building.
Days later in the election 44 per cent of the population voted for the Nazis, who won 288 seats in the Reichstag - still not an overall majority. Hitler had to join with the nationalists to form a majority.
56
How did the Reichstag Fire and Reichstag election further HiItler's control?
* Hitler used the fire to persuade Hindenburg to pass an emergency law restricting personal liberty.
* This enabled him to imprison many communist leaders, which stopped them campaigning during the election.
* Although the Nazis did not gain the overall majority that Hitler had hoped for in the Reichstag, it gave them enough seats.
* Hitler afterwards arrested all the communist deputies and the other parties had been intimidated by the SA which helped to pass the Enabling Act.
57
What was the Enabling Act?
On the 23rd of March the communist deputies banned and the SA intimidating all the remaining non-Nazi deputies, the Reichstag voted by the required two-thirds majority to give Hitler the right to make laws without the Reichstag's approval for four years.
58
How did the Enabling Act further Hitler's control?
It gave Hitler absolute power to make laws, which enabled him to destroy all opposition to his rule.
This removed the Reichstag as a source of opposition.
59
What happened to the political parties on July 14th 1933?
Political parties were banned.
Only the Nazi party was allowed to exist.
60
How did the banning political groups further Hitler's control?
Banning political parties made Germany a one-party state and destroyed democracy in the country.
This removed other parties as a source of opposition.
61
What was the night of the long knives?
* On the 30th of June 1934.
* Many members of the SA, including its leader Ernst Röhm, were demanding that the Nazi party carry out its socialist agenda and that the SA take over the army.
* Hitler could not afford to annoy businessmen or the army, so the SS (Hitler's personal body guards) murdered around 400 members of the SA, including Röhm, along with a number of Hitler's other opponents like the previous Chancellor, von Schleicher.
62
How did the Night of the Long Knives further Hitler's control?
This destroyed all opposition to Hitler within the Nazi Party and gave power to the brutal SS.
It also showed the rest of the world what a tyrant Hitler was. This removed any internal Nazi Party opposition to Hitler.
63
How did Hitler become Fuhrer?
* On the 19th of August 1934.
* when Hindenburg died, Hitler declared himself jointly president, chancellor and head of the army.
* Members of the armed forces had to swear a personal oath of allegiance not to Germany, but to Hitler.
* This neutralised any sources of opposition to Hitler within the army.
64
How did Hitler extend his power through:
local government
trade unions
a concordat
people's courts?
* Local government was reorganised - with Nazi Party officials put in charge of each area of Germany.
* Trade unions were abolished and their leaders arrested.
* A Concordat (agreement) was signed with the Pope, which allowed Hitler to increase his power in Germany without opposition from the Catholic Church, as long as he left the Church alone.
* People's courts: Hitler set up the Nazi people's courts where judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis.
65
How did Hitler increase unemployment?
* He began a huge programme of public works, which included building hospitals, schools, and public buildings such as the 1936 Olympic Stadium.
* The construction of the autobahns created work for 80,000 men.
* Rearmament was responsible for the bulk of economic growth between 1933 and 1938.
* Rearmament started almost as soon as Hitler came to power but was announced publicly in 1935. This created millions of jobs for German workers.
* The introduction of the National Labour Service (NLS) meant all young men spent six months in the NLS and were then conscripted into the army.
66
How did invisible employment work?
* Hitler didn't reduce the unemployment much he just reduced the number of recorded unemployed.
* Jews who were sacked and their jobs given to non-Jews.
* Women who were encouraged to give up their jobs to men.
* People who could only find part-time work were counted as full employed.
67
What was autarky?
A closed economy.
Hitler's ideology that wanted Germany to cease trade with the outside world and rely entirely on its own resources.
68
How did policing of autarky affect Germans?
* The policy of autarky attempted to make Germany self sufficient, so it would no longer be necessary for Germans to trade internationally.
* In 1937 Hermann Göring was made Economics Minister with the job of making Germany self-sufficient in four years.
* He introduced, such as tighter controls on imports and subsidies for farmers to produce more food, were not successful.
69
How were big business affected by Hitler's policies?
The Nazis had promised to curb the power of monopolies, but by 1937 they controlled over 70 per cent of production. Rearmament from 1935 onwards boosted profits of big weapons companies, and managers of the major industrial companies saw their incomes rise by 50 per cent between 1933 and 1939.
70
How were small business affected by Hitler's policies?
Rules on opening and running small businesses were tightened, which resulted in 20 per cent of them closing.
71
How were farmers affected by Hitler's policies?
Having been one of the main sources of their electoral support during their rise to power, farmers benefitted under the Nazis. By 1937, agricultural prices had increased by 20 per cent and agricultural wages rose more quickly than those in industry.
The Hereditary Farm Law of 1933 prevented farms from being repossessed from their owners, which gave farming families greater security.
72
What was the labour front?
This was a Nazi organisation that replaced Trades Unions, which were banned.
It set wages and nearly always followed the wishes of employers, rather than employees.
73
What was the strength through joy programme?
This scheme gave workers rewards for their work - evening classes, theatre trips, picnics, and even very cheap or free holidays.
74
What was the beauty of labour programme?
The job of this organisation was to help Germans see that work was good, and that everyone who could work should.
It also encouraged factory owners to improve conditions for workers.
75
What the national labour service?
All aged men between 18 and 25 had to spend six months in the RDA.
Men in the RDA had to wear uniforms and live in camps, but they were given free meals.
They were only paid pocket money, but at least it was a job - and because more people were working, the unemployment figures began to drop rapidly.
76
What did the faults of treatments of Nazi workers lead to?
Forced conscription into the armed forces between ages 18-25 for at least 2 years.
The German Labour Front:-Replaced Trade Unions, which were banned.
-It set wages and nearly always followed the wishes of employers, rather than employees so workers lost their rights.
-Workers could not quit without the government's permission and were banned from striking.
-People could also be forced to work as many hours as the Nazis required.
Strength through Joy:
-Benefited a lot of people however some of the holidays, such a cruise around Italy or skiing in Switzerland were still too expensive for most working class Germans.
Germany was trying to be self- sufficient and not rely on imports from other countries:
-As a result, there was less food in the shops, so shopkeepers charged more because of the high demand.
77
What were the advantages of the treatment of Nazi workers?
Nazis fulfilled their promises to provide work for Germans and unemployment levels decreased.
Strength through joy:
-This scheme gave workers rewards for their work
e.g evening classes, theatre trips, picnics, and even very cheap or free holidays.
Beauty of Labour:
-The job of this organisation was to help Germans see that work was good, and that everyone who could work should.
It also encouraged factory owners to improve conditions for workers.
Rearmament from 1935 onwards boosted profits and managers of the major industrial companies saw their wages rise by 50 per cent between 1933 and 1939.
78
What were the Nazi views on women and the family?
The Nazis had clear ideas of what they wanted from women. They were expected to stay at home, look after the family and produce children in order to secure the future of the Aryan race.
79
What are the 3 K's?
Kinder, Kuche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church)
80
How did Hitler encourage marriage and family?
Hitler wanted a high birth rate so that the Aryan population would grow.
He tried to achieve this by:
-introducing the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage which gave newlywed couples a loan of 1,000 marks, and allowed them to keep 250 marks for each child they had.
-giving an award called the Mother's Cross to women who had large numbers of children
-allowing women to volunteer to have a baby for an Aryan member of the SS
81
What were the policies on employment?
The introduction of the Law for the Reduction of Unemployment, which gave women financial incentives to stay at home not conscripting women to help in the war effort until 1943.
82
How were women expected to look like?
Women were expected to emulate traditional German peasant fashions:
plain peasant costumes, hair in plaits or buns and flat shoes. They were not expected to wear make-up or trousers, dye their hair or smoke in public.
They were discouraged from staying slim, because it was thought that thin women had trouble giving birth.
83
What was Hitler's Youth?
Its aim was to prepare German boys to be future soldiers.
Boys wore military-style uniforms.
Activities centred on physical exercise and rifle practice, as well as political indoctrination
84
What was the league of the German Maidens?
Its aim was to prepare German girls for future motherhood.
Girls wore a uniform of blue skirt, white blouse and heavy marching shoes.
Girls undertook physical exercise, but activities mainly centred on developing domestic skills such as sewing and cooking.
85
What was Nazi control of the yound through education like?
All teachers had to join the Nazi Teachers' Association, which vetted them for political and racial suitability.
History - lessons included a course on the rise of the Nazi Party.
Biology - lessons were used to teach Nazi racial theories of evolution in eugenics.
Race study and ideology - this became a new subject, dealing with the Aryan ideas and anti-Semitism.
Physical Education - German school children had five one-hour sports lessons every week.
Chemistry and Mathematics - were downgraded in importance.
86
What were the control of the Churches like?
A state Reich Church under the leadership of the Nazi Bishop Ludwig Müller was established to unify the different branches of Protestantism.
This enabled the Nazis to use a group called the 'German Christians' within the Reich Church to promote Nazi ideas.
In 1933 Hitler agreed a Concordat with the Pope, which said that he would not interfere in the running of the Catholic Church if it stayed out of political matters.
Hitler didn't keep his side of the bargain, however, as the Nazis attempted to infiltrate the Church and spread their propaganda.
87
How did the Nazis attempt to supress the churches?
The Reich Church attempted to ban the use of the Old Testament in religious services as it was considered a 'Jewish book'.
Pastors of the Confessional Church, a non-conforming Protestant group, were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
The Nazis attempted to stop Catholics using the crucifix in church, though this attempt was not successful.
Catholic schools and youth organisations were supressed, with German children being educated in state schools and taught a Nazi curriculum, as well as being expected to join the various branches of the Hitler Youth.
Catholic newspapers were banned and four hundred Catholic priests were sent to Dachau concentration camp.
88
What was the impact of the Nazis actions about the church?
In 1937 Hitler was forced to return control of the Church to the old Protestant leadership, in return for a promise that the Church would stay out of politics.
Attendance at Catholic churches increased substantially under the Nazis, especially during World War Two, showing that Hitler's attempts to reduce the influence of religion in Germany was ultimately unsuccessful.
Both Protestant and Catholic clergy played a large role in opposing Hitler and the Nazis, for which they often paid a high price.
89
What was the Schutzstaffel (SS)?
This organisation was responsible for ensuring the population remained under control and any potential threats to the Nazis were dealt with.
It oversaw the Gestapo (secret police), which spied on ordinary Germans, and it ran concentration camps where enemies of the state were sent.
90
Who were the gestapo?
This was the Nazis' secret police force.
Its job was to monitor the German population for signs of opposition or resistance to Nazi rule.
It was greatly helped by ordinary German people informing on their fellow citizens.
91
Who were Sicherheitsdienst (SD)?
This was the intelligence gathering agency of the SS.
It was responsible for the security of Hitler and other top Nazis and was led by Himmler's right hand man, Reinhard Heydrich.
92
How did the Nazis take control of the legal system?
Judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and were expected to act always in the interests of the Nazi state.
All lawyers had to join the Nazi Lawyers' Association, which meant they could be controlled.
The role of defence lawyers in criminal trials was weakened.
Standard punishment for crimes were abolished and so local prosecutors could decide what penalties to impose on those found guilty.
93
How was Hitler constantly present in peoples lives?
The infamous Swastika symbol appearing on every government uniform and public building.
Pictures of Hitler displayed everywhere.
Germans having to greet each other with a 'Heil Hitler' raised arm salute.
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What was the control the press about?
All newspapers were controlled by the government and could only print stories favourable to the Nazi regime.
95
What was the control of radio broadcasts about?
Radios were sold very cheaply so that most Germans could afford one.
All radio output was controlled by Goebbels' ministry through the Reich Broadcasting Corporation.
96
What were the mass rallies?
These public displays of support for Nazism involved music, speeches and demonstrations of German strength.
The biggest one was held each year in August at Nuremberg.
97
How did the Nazis use the sports events?
Berlin hosted the Olympics of 1936, which the Nazis used as an opportunity to showcase the success of the regime and to demonstrate the superiority of the Aryan race.
The victories of the African-American athlete Jesse Owens for the USA infuriated the Nazi leadership.
98
What happened to catholic opposition?
Despite the Concordat, some Catholic priests opposed Hitler. In 1937, the Pope's message 'With Burning Concern' attacked Hitler as 'a mad prophet with repulsive arrogance' and was read in every Catholic Church.
The Catholic Archbishop of Munster, von Galen, led a successful campaign to end euthanasia of mentally-disabled people.
400 German Catholic priests were imprisoned in Dachau concentration camp by the regime.
99
Who were the Edelweiss Pirates?
They reacted to the discipline of the Hitler Youth by daubing anti-Nazi slogans and singing pre-1933 folk songs.
Many were arrested and killed.
100
Who were the white rose group?
The White Rose group was formed by students at Munich University in 1943.
They published anti-Nazi leaflets and marched through the city in protest at Nazi policies.
Its leaders, brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl, were arrested to and sentenced to the guillotine.
101
Who were the Swing Youth?
During the war, 'Swing Youth' and 'Jazz Youth' groups were formed.
These were young people who rejected Nazi values, drank alcohol and danced to jazz.
The Nazis rejected jazz music as degenerate and called it Negro music, using their racial ideas against this cultural development.
These youths were closely monitored by the Gestapo, who regularly raided illegal jazz clubs.
102
What happened to opposition from workers?
Often helped by communists, who posted anti-Nazi posters and graffiti, or organised strikes.
In Dortmund the vast majority of men imprisoned in the city's jail were industrial workers.
103
Which groups were mainly persecuted by Hitler and Why?
Hitler and the Nazis had firm views on race.
They believed that certain groups were inferior and were a threat to the purity of the Aryan race.
There were many groups who were targeted for persecution, including Slavs (Eastern Europeans), gypsies, blacks, homosexuals and the disabled - but none more so than the Jews.
104
What were the Nazi racial beliefs?
The Nazis' racial philosophy taught that Aryans were the master race and that some races were 'untermensch' (sub-human). Many Nazi scientists at this time believed in eugenics, the idea that people with disabilities or social problems were degenerates whose genes needed to be eliminated from the human bloodline.
The Nazis pursued eugenics policies vigorously.
105
How did the Nazis use sterilisation?
In order to keep the Aryan race pure, many groups were prevented from reproducing.
The mentally and physically disabled, including the deaf, were sterilised, as were people with hereditary diseases.
Children born to German women and French African soldiers in the Rhineland at the end of World War One were called 'Rhineland Bastards' and also sterilised.
106
What lead to the murder of disabled people?
The Nazis' false belief in genetic superiority led to the persecution and murder of people with disabilities.
Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve suffering.
However, this is very different to the Nazi euthanasia programme, which was the systemic and state sponsored murder of people with disabilities.
107
Who got rounded up at concentration camps?
Homosexuals, prostitutes, Jehovah's Witnesses, gypsies, alcoholics, pacifists, beggars, hooligans and criminals were often rounded up and sent away to camps.
108
How were Jews persecuted in 1933?
Nazis organised a boycott of Jewish businesses.
Books by Jewish authors were publicly burnt.
Jewish civil servants, lawyers and teachers were sacked.
Race science lessons were introduced, teaching that Jews were sub-human.
109
How were Jews persecuted in 1935?
The Nuremberg Laws formalised anti-Semitism into the Nazi state by:
Stripping Jews of German citizenship.
Outlawing marriage and sexual relations between Jews and Germans.
Taking away from Jews all civil and political rights.
110
How were Jews persecuted in 1938?
Jews could not be doctors.
Jews had to add the name Israel (men) or Sarah (women) to their name.
Jewish children were forbidden to go to school.
The Kristallnacht.
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What was Kristallnacht?
The SS organised attacks on Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues in retaliation for the assassination of the German ambassador to France by a Jew.
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How was the Kristallnacht a turning point for Jews?
Up until then there had been a progressive erosion of their rights but Jews had not been physically threatened or attacked. When their businesses and homes were destroyed and their synagogues were burnt down, many concluded that their time in Germany was up.
Those who were able to fled and a scheme to evacuate Jewish children to Britain, called the Kindertransport, began.
