How much opposition was there to the Nazi regime?

Question 1

Which groups opposed the Nazi regime?

Answer 1

• Left-wing parties and trade unions
• Conservative groups
• The army
• The churches
• Youth groups
• Ordinary Germans

Question 2

What methods did left-wing parties and trade unions use to oppose the Nazi regime?

Answer 2

• Communists and Social Democrats met in secret and issued pamphlets, slogans and anti-Nazi jokes
• Some printed anti-Nazi newspapers and encouraged strikes

Question 3

What methods did conservative groups use to oppose the Nazi regime?

Answer 3

The Kreisau Circle involved army officers, industrialists and aristocrats meeting together in secret to plan to overthrow the Nazis

Question 4

What methods did the army use to oppose the Nazi regime?

Answer 4

• General Beck + von Steuffenberg + other army leaders became disillusioned with the Nazis when the war turned against them in 1942
• Beck + other army leaders planned to assassinate Hitler in the 20th July 1944 Bomb Plot - Operation Valkyrie

Question 5

What methods did churches use to oppose the Nazi regime?

Answer 5

• The Catholic Church spoke out against the Nazi T-4 euthanasia programme in 1941
• Protestant Pastor Niemoller organised a Confessing Church that opposed the Nazi take-over of the Churches

Question 6

What methods did youth groups use to oppose the Nazi regime?

Answer 6

• Anti-Nazi teenagers formed a Swing movement, listened to jazz music which was banned
• Edelweiss Pirates put anti-Nazi messages on walls and fought the Hitler Youth
• the White Rose movement printed anti-Nazi pamphlets

Question 7

What methods did ordinary Germans use to oppose the Nazi regime?

Answer 7

• Fed up with Nazi propaganda
• Gestapo reported public grumbling against the Nazis
• Anti-Nazi jokes were common
• Some refused to give the Hitler salute or say “Heil Hitler”

Question 8

How effective was opposition from left-wing parties and trade unions

Answer 8

• Enabling Act banned these groups, forcing them underground
• in 1936, SS and Gestapo tried to stop these groups and broke up over 1000 opposition meetings
• Never effectively challenged the regime

Question 9

How effective was opposition from conservative groups?

Answer 9

• Leader was arrested by the Gestapo for treason
• Never sanctioned a violent overthrow of the Nazis

Question 10

How effective was opposition from the army?

Answer 10

• Bomb plot failed when the case carrying the bomb was removed
• Hitler executed 5000 people out of revenge

Question 11

How effective was opposition from churches?

Answer 11

• Nazis publicly changed the Euthanasia policy (but carried on in secret)
• Many outspoken priests (Niemoller) were sent to concentration camps or executed

Question 12

How effective was opposition from youth groups?

Answer 12

• Difficult to stop
• Gestapo and SS sometimes successfully broke up meetings, arrested and executed some members

Question 13

How effective was opposition from ordinary Germans?

Answer 13

Many only complained in private out of fear for concentration camps

Question 14

Why was large scale opposition to the Nazi regime difficult?

Answer 14

• Hitler banned political parties and trade unions using the Enabling Act
• He used SA, SS and Gestapo to root out opponents and often send them to concentration camps

Question 15

Did opposition to the Nazi regime exist?

Answer 15

Yes, because the Nazis never had a majority in the Reichstag so anti-Nazi opposition always existed

Question 16

What did the Nazi regime want to create

Answer 16

A totalitarian state