Living under Nazi rule

Question 1

how did Germany politically change from 1870 - 1920

Answer 1

• In 1871 Germany had a strong army unified under the new empire after 3 successive victories by the Prussians (Germans) which formed the german empire. won Allsace Loraine back from french
• In 1920 : heavy consequences for damage done by 1st WW.
  heavily taxed for damages. Army disbanded (to only 100,000 and were only allowed 6 warships). had to give land of Alsace lloraine back and polish land

Question 2

what is the ‘Stab in the back’ myth?

Answer 2

German people were made to believe by the Nazi party that the soldiers on the front weren’t responsible for losing the war but the German communists and Jews were.

Question 3

what was the Reichstag?

Answer 3

Essentially this was the German political cabinet.

Question 4

what was the enabling act?

Answer 4

the enabling act was passed to allow the Chancellor of Germany to pass any laws without the vote of the Reichstag.

Question 5

explain how Hitler became chancellor in jan 1933

Answer 5

• Hitler denied the position of Vice chancellor as he wanted to be Chancellor
• by 1932, 6 million people were unemployed and the economy was at an all time low during the great depression
• as the economy worsened, political instability grew and the Nazis won Hitler.
• in November 1932 general election the Nazi party won and Hitler struck a deal with Franz von Papen. If Von Papen could convince Hindenburg to change his mind, Hitler would make Von Papen Vice chancellor.
• Hindenburg agreed with Von Papen as they believed they could control Hitler. Hitler was then appointed in jan 1933

Question 5

how did the Nazis control Germany
in1933?

Answer 5

1933 -

march: Goebbels sets up the ministry of propaganda

April: Gestapo is set up

may: trade union banned and leaders sent to concentration camp

June: social democrats banned (probably because they were not far enough right)

all of this was to ensure the party could not be challenged by any other groups.

Question 6

The SS

Answer 6

• formed in 1925 as Hitlers elite bodyguard
• was led by Himmler
• was formed from the ‘Racial Elite’
• was seen as Hitlers and Himmlers private army

Question 7

whatwas establisehd between 1933-1934 to hold criminals

Answer 7

concentration camps were established to hold criminals of the state

Question 8

the night of the long knives, why?

Answer 8

Hitlers final threat suprisingly came from in the party from Ernst Rohm and the SA.

The SA was purged because Ernst Rohm as the leader of the SA was a genuine threat to Hitler. Rohm commanded nearly 2 million men.

The SA at the time were becoming out of control and increasingly violent when Hitler was trying to establish a dictatorship using legal methods.

Rohm wanted to merge the SA with the German army. He also favoured a second revolution which would mean more social policies.

overall these factors worries voters and would have had an outcome on the parties votes.

Rohm also had homosexual tendencies which tarnished the party.

Question 9

the night of the long knives, How?

Answer 9

one night in June 1934 Hitler arranged a meeting with 100 SA officials in a hotel.

The leaders of the SA were arrested by members of the SS and were taken to Munich to be shot.

Hitler used the excuse that the SA and Rohm were planning a revolution to overthrow him.

Question 10

what happened in August 1934 which led to Hitler becoming Fuhrer

Answer 10

Hindenburg dies and within hours Hitler declares himself Fuhrer.

after the night of the long knives Hitler now had full control of Germany and no one could stop him.

Question 11

how did Germany use media to control people?

Answer 11

• joseph Goebbels was appointed head of media shortly after Nazis took control in 1933
• in 1933 there were 5000 newspapers in Germany and only 2.4% supported the Nazis. All communist and socialist newspapers were closed down
• every day in berlin the press representatives were given a brief on what news they could and couldnt publish
• the only radio company in Germany at the time was taken over by the Nazis so they could broadcast what they wanted
• short documentary films were made and shown in cinemas

Question 12

policy towards women

Answer 12

• the ideal women was blonde with blue eyes
• ‘pro natalism’ - a law that was passed in June 1933 which stated: the government granted loans of 1000 marks to any women who was getting married as long as they gave up their job.
  For each child they had the loan would be reduced by a quarter.
• couples with 6 children or more payed no taxation
• as a result of this birth rate increased by 30% between 1933 - 1936

Question 13

when was the Hitler youth made compulsory

Answer 13

• 1939

Question 14

what was the appeal of the Hitler youth?

Answer 14

• the curriculum taught children about the pride of Germany
• gave children a chance for extra curricular activities and sports
• created scout like groups which were very popular
• some Hitler youth were taken into the army which excited some of the children

Question 15

positives and negatives for the industrial class from Nazi laws and schemes

Answer 15

GOOD
- unemployment decreased from 1.4 million to just 400,000 people in just 10 years

• wages increased
• working weekly hours increased

BAD

• death rates in the workplace doubled in 10 years
• meat rations were lessened by 18% in 10 years and instead potato rations were increased by only 4%

Question 16

what happened to Jewish shops in April 1933

Answer 16

• SA ransacked Jewish shops as an act of violence and power (had negative effects for people as many shopped in these places)

Question 17

what laws were passed in September 1935?

Answer 17

• German citizens could only be of German blood
• Jewish and German marriages were completley forbidden

Question 18

how did the Nazis help the middle class?

Answer 18

• they helped small businesses by making sure larger retailers couldnt expand their companies because of the tax they would have to pay
• they helped craftsmen by passing a law that said by running a crafts trade you had to have a masters degree in it

Question 19

what happened in NOV 1938

Answer 19

• synagogues burnt
• hundreds of Jews murdered
• 8000 Jewish shops vandalised
• 30,000 jews sent to concentration camps

Question 20

why in 1944 did Germany reduce the production of Heinkel’s and Luftwaffe?

Answer 20

to produce more fighters for the protection of Germany as they were beginning to lose the war

Question 21

what was there a lack of in peak production and why?

Answer 21

shortage of clothing in Germany due to almost all factories producing weapons

Question 22

what was the red army in Germany and what was its casualties?

Answer 22

the red army was the soviet army

suffered 100,000 casualties in eastern Germany at the end of the war and over 10 million during the war

Question 23

how did the reichstag fire help Hitler gain power 23rd March 1933

Answer 23

It allowed Hitler to present the Enabling act to Hiddenburg.

this meant that Hitler could pass any law he wanted as chancellor without the Reichstags vote

Hitler required 2/3 of the Reichstag to vote for the act and because Communists were banned and the rest of the political parties were intimadated days before by SA soldiers it was passed easily

Question 24

what happened on the 2nd of May 1933 ?

Answer 24

the trade Union was banned because it meant communists and socialists could join and scheme against the Nazis in mobs

all workers were then expected to join the DAF (German Labour Front)

Question 25

what political action that led to the Nazis all out power happened on july 14th 1933

Answer 25

All other political parties were banned cementing Nazi rule for the future

Question 26

when was the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 26

30th June 1934

Question 27

when did Hitler become Fuhrer of Germany

Answer 27

19th August 1934

Question 28

What was the other threat to Hitler in june 1934 on the night of the Long Knives?

Answer 28

the Conservatives in Germany , run By vice chancellor Von Papen.

it was said that Von Papen wanted to take Hitlers place and become chancellor so Hitler had him arrested however he escaped.

After an interview with Hitler he resigned his place

Question 29

who was Reinhard Heydrich ?

Answer 29

Nicknamed by Hitler ‘the man with the iron heart’

Heydrich joined the SS in 1931 and made such an Impression that he was asked to become the leader of the SD.

By 1934 he was also head of the Gestapo

In 1936 when all the police forces of Germany united, Himmler was the director and he made Heydrich his vice director.
together they were the 2 most important people in controlling Germany

Question 30

what was the SD?

Answer 30

the SD was the Intelligence organisation for the SS

Question 31

What happened to imprisoned communists and other Nazi opponents

Answer 31

in 1933 45,000 communists, trade unionists and other political opponents were sent to 70 diffrent concentration camps

These camps gave extreme punishments to the extent that some guards were jailed for torturing prisoners.

they were so unorganised, run by the SA, that they closed down 6 moths later which embarrassed the Nazi party

Question 32

How did communists fight Nazi Regime ?

Answer 32

They aimed to provide visible resistance through meetings

They made propoganda and newsletters called ‘The Red Flag’ and they produced 10,000 copies.

This visibility soon meant communists were easily recognized and arrested by the Gestapo