Nazi Dictatorship 1933-1939 Flashcards
(105 cards)
1
Q
List 7 reasons why Hitler became Chancellor in 1933
A
- The Depression/economic deprivation
- Political (Backstairs) Intrigue
- Weaknesses in the Weimar Constitution
- His leadership and public appeal
- Nazi promises
- Fear of Communism (Jewish Bolshevism)
- Efficent NSDAP organisation
2
Q
One of Hitler’s most famous slogans was ‘Freedom and …..’. When was it first used?
A
Freedom and Bread (1928)
3
Q
The NSDAP were the largest party in 1932 and had a majority. True or false?
What does this tell us about the Weimar Constitution?
A
False. They were the largest party but they didn’t have a majority.
The fact the largest party was unable to form a majority shows how volatile and lacking in strong leadership the Weimar political system was.
4
Q
What was the backstairs intrigue of 1932?
A
Schleicher attempted to form a stable government by undermining Papen. Papen took an initiative against Schleicher by meeting Hitler several times. Hitler insisted on being Chancellor, agreeing to von Papen being Vice-Chancellor.
5
Q
What was the Gleichschaltung period?
A
The period of consolidation (Jan 1933 - August 1934) whereby Hitler secured his dictatorship, mainly by reducing opposition and infiltrating all aspects of German life with Nazi ideals.
6
Q
What was ‘The Hitler Myth’?
A
A common belief amongst Germans that Hitler embodied the rise of Germany as a great and prosperous nation once more.
7
Q
How was the Hitler Myth promoted?
A
- Via Goebbels’ propaganda. The imagery and words used had connotations of strength and often idolised Hitler as though he was a God, enforcing the ‘Fuhrer princip’.
8
Q
What was the impact of the Hitler Myth? (4 positive, 3 negative)
A
- Great personal popularity (90% of Germans admired him by the late 30s)
- Sustained the regime by unity
- Cleansed Hitler of party failures
- Gave Hitler more freedom
- Personalised system was unsustainable
- Hitler began to believe it himself and stopped looking for opportunities to sustain his power
- Radical momentum weakened the party
9
Q
What led to the decline of the Hitler Myth?
A
Major military failures in 1941
10
Q
The Third Reich was a polyocracy and a dual state. What does this mean?
A
It had many departments for both party and state. Often party and state officials would have to compete with each other with policy ideas. eg. Schact and Goring
11
Q
What was the growth in Nazi membership between Jan 1933 and 1943?
A
850,000 to 6,500,000
12
Q
List the 5 levels of Nazi organisation, from largest to smallest.
A
- Gaue
- Kreise
- Ortsgruppen
- Zellen
- Blocke
13
Q
Who was in charge of the Gaus and the Blockes?
A
The Gauleiter and the Blockleiter
14
Q
What was the role of the Gauleiter? (4)
A
- To implement Nazi policy on a regional scale
- To act as a figurehead
- To communicate progress to hitler
- To create ‘fresh initiatives’
15
Q
Who was Hjalmar Schact and what was he responsible for?
A
Schact was President of the Reichsbank who directed German economic policy, he was part of the economic elite rather than the Nazi Party but was appointed by them in 1933.
He was responsibile for the Rentenmark.
16
Q
List the Nazi’s 4 economic aims
A
- Drag Germany out of the worldwide recession
- Reduce unemployment
- Make Germany an autarky
- Transform the economy to focus on rearmament and war
17
Q
What was the role of the Blockleiter? (4)
A
- To promote NSDAP ideals locally
- To document every household in their Blocke
- To identify everyone who did not conform
- To ensure the next generation were receptive (eg. through participation in the Hitler Youth)
18
Q
What was Hjalmar Schacht’s approach to banking and control of capital? (2)
A
- Lowered interest rates (to lower personal and national debt)
- Rescheduled debts (particularly for local authorities)
19
Q
How did Schacht assist farms and small businesses? (5)
A
- Tariffs were put on imported goods to protect German farmers
- Reich Food Estate offered subsidies and grants to support agriculture
- Reich Entailed Farm Law meant debts were reduced, offering land ownership and security.
- Allowances were made to encourage the rehiring of domestic servants
- Grants for house repairs
20
Q
What state investment strategies did Schacht use? (3)
A
- Reich Labour Service employed 18-25 year olds (meaning they weren’t counted in unemployment figures)
- Compulsory military conscription from 1935 (at least 6 months of unpaid work in military construction)
- Reforestation, land reclamation (brownfield sites), motorisation of infrastructure and building projects
21
Q
What were the 3 main components to Schacht’s New Plan of 1934?
A
- Bilateral treaties
- Regulation of the Reichsmark currency
- Mefo bills
22
Q
What was the impact of Schacht’s New Plan? (3 positive, 1 negative)
A
- By 1936 unemployment was at 1.5 million from 6 million in 1932 (although this figure was tweaked)
- Industrial production increased by 60%
- GNP had grown by 40%
- However, there was still a deficit sue to the demand for rearmament imports.
23
Q
What was the ‘Guns vs Butter’ debate?
A
Hitler and Hermann Goring vs Hjalmar Schacht
Hitler and Goring were intent on rearmament and gearing the economy for war, whereas Schacht’s policies focused on increaing industrial production
24
Q
What 5 methods did Goring use in order to create a war economy during peace time in his Four Year Plan (1936)?
A
- Regulate imports & exports, focusing on metals over agriculture
- To control the labour force and prevent wage increases (DAF - German Labour Force)
- To increase production of raw materials
- To develop substitute products eg. artificial rubber
- To increase agricultural production by building on the resources they already had
25
What were the 4 main impacts of Goring's Four Year Plan?
* He came into conflict with Schacht (Party vs State), causing Schacht to resign in 1939 and Goring becoming an economic dictator
* The Four Year Plan was not fully supported by business leaders as they believed rearmament should not come at the expense of standard of living
* Influence of business leaders was minimised due to the economy coming under increasing political control
* Many German companies began producing the components for war
26
After his resignation, Schacht became involved in resistance activities. True or false?
True. He was in contact with resistance groups as early as 1934 and supported the plan to cause a coup against Hitler if he invaded Czechoslovakia. He was arrested by the SS and sent to various concentration camps, before being liberated by the US in 1945.
27
Which German companies produced:
a) chemicals
b) electrical items
c) transport and aircraft?
a) I.G. Farben
b) Siemens
c) Daimler-Benz
28
By how much did real wages drop in Germany between 1933 and 1938?
25%
29
What percentage of their GDP did Germany spend on the military in
a) 1933
b) 1939.
What percentage of the workforce was employed in industry assosciated with military production?
a) In 1933, Germany spent just 3% of her GDP on the military.
b) By 1939, this had grown to 32%
c) 22% of the work force was directly employed in an industry assosciated with military production
30
By what year was German GNP back to pre-Depression levels?
1935
31
Which 5 organisations/institutions did the Nazi's use to create terror?
1. The S.A.
2. The Courts
3. The SS
4. Einsatzgruppen
5. Gestapo
32
How many members did the S.A have by 1934?
2 million men
33
List some of the S.A's jobs (6)
* To protect Nazi speakers
* To disrupt meetings of political opponents
* To start then stop fights at NSDAP meetings
* March, sing, carry banners and play drums at Nazi rallies
* Frighten opposition voters during elections
* To attack Jews and Communists
34
What did the Nazi's do to the justice system once they took power in 1933?
They nazified it by:
* Ensuring that Nazi officials ran courts
* Covering the walls of courts with Nazi propoganda
* Creating the Sondergerichte, to support the work of the SS and Gestapo
* Creating The People's Court (after the Reichstag Fire) to ensure that political opponents were found guilty of treason
35
How did the Nazi's use the courts to create terror? (5)
* By ensuring that members of the SS and Gestapo did not get tried for their violent actions
* Enfocring predetermined guilty charges
* Refusing defendants sufficient legal representation
* Disallowing defendants the possibility of appeal
* Making defendents dress shabbily and appear in court wearing handciffs
36
Which two pieces of legislation dominated the focus of the courts under Nazi rule?
1. the Decree to Protect the Government of the National Socialist Revolution from Treacherous attacks
2. Law against isidious attacks upon the State and Party and for the Protection of the Party Uniform
37
Who was the most feared judge and regarded as the personification of the Nazi's 'blood justice'? Which controversial decree did he provide the legal basis for?
Roland Freidler
He introduced the decree that provided the legal basis for imposing the death penalty on juveniles.
38
How many Germans were executed on the orders of the Sondergericht bwteen 1933 and 1945?
12,000
39
What did Andrew Szanajda say in his book, The Restoration of Justice in Postwar Hesse, with regards to the effectiveness of the courts at creating terror in Nazi Germany?
They had a 'strong deterrent effect and the German public were intimidates through 'psychological terror'.
40
What was the purpose of the SS? (3 main aims)
1. To cleanse Germany of the 'untermenschen' or 'sub-humans'.
2. Himmler intended a complete fusion of the SS and German police.
3. To utilise the executive authority fo the police to impose Nazi ideals.
41
When were the SS
a) formed
b) lead by Heinrich Himmler
c) given responsibility of racial cleansing and concentration camps
d) in complete control of the police?
a) 1925 (by Hitler)
b) January 1929 - 1945
c) 1934
d) 1936
42
Did the SS achieve their 3 aims? (3 for points, 1 against)
1. Yes, Through concentration camps, they were able to eradicate large portions of communities the Nazis deemed 'undesirable'
2. No, they were not able to totally eradicate these groups.
3. Yes, the complete fusion of the SS and the police occurred in 1934.
4. Yes, the new police force and Gestapo was able to enforce Nazi ideals.
43
What were the Einsatzgruppen, when were they formed and why?
The Einsatzgruppen were a death squad branch of the SS, formed in 1941 to carry out mass-murder operations as the German army advanced into the Soviet Union.
44
What were the aims of the Einsatzgruppen?
* To enter occupied areas, seize records and 'neutralize' those who threated the Nazi ideals.
* To murder all those that Hitler deemed 'unfit'.
45
Initially the Einsatzgruppen used mass shootings to kill their victims, and often forced them to dig their own graves. What changed in 1941 and why?
Himmler notices how their methods of killing were psychologically damaging soldiers so the Einsatzgruppen began using gas vans instead. Prisoners were used to clear the bodies out of the vans, to spare the SS any trauma.
46
What were the Gestapo and who controlled them?
The Gestapo were the secret police of Nazi Germany, under the control of Heinrich Himmler (who controlled all police units after 1936).
47
What was the purpose of the Gestapo? (2)
* To identify and hunt down 'untermenschen' and people with anti-Nazi views
* To make Germans feel as though they were being monitored constantly
48
When was the Gestapo established? And by whom?
26th April 1933 by Hermann Goring
49
What methods did the Gestapo use to incite terror? (3)
* The secrecy of Gestapo officer's identities ensured that people were constantly in fear of saying something wrong.
* Sudden disappearances (kidnappings) of victims
* Brutal interrogation methods: including near drowning and electrical shocks to hands, feet and genitalia.
50
What happened in 1936 which meant that the Gestapo were free to do as they pleased?
The Gestapo Law was passed. This meant anything that the Gestapo did was permitted by law and ensured that they could incite terror in all German citizens.
51
Name the 5 parts of Nazi party organisation, ranging from largest to smallest.
1. Gaue
2. Kreise
3. Ortsgruppen
4. Zellen
5. Blocke
52
List some media platforms that the Nazi's used for propaganda (8 total)
1. Posters/leaflets
2. Radio
3. Newspapers
4. Films
5. Theatre performances
6. Rallies
7. Songs
8. Books (especially textbooks in schools - although this was more subconciously indoctrinating rather than outwardly promoting Nazi ideals)
53
List 8 groups of people who opposed the Nazis
* Churches
* Youth
* The army
* Government and the civil service
* Judiciary
* The workers
* Opposition parties
* Traditional elites
54
Give 3 examples of who within the Church opposed the Nazis and a brief explanation of how (2 denominations, 1 individual)
* **Confessional Church** defended itself from Nazification
* **Catholic hierarchy** initially co-operated but opposition increased gradually and much of the clergy disagreed with sterilisation and euthanasia.
* **Pastor Dietrich Bonhoffer** openly criticised Nazism and reached out to resistance from abroad (had links with General Oster and Beck) but was executed in Flossenburg in 1945.
55
What have the Church been accused of with regards to opposition to the Nazis?
The Church have been acccused of defending their own interests rather than providing active opposition to the Nazis.
56
What were the White Rose Group and how did they oppose the Nazis?
The White Rose Group were a **youth** resistance group formed by students of the University of Munich, **active between 1941 and 1943.** They were inspired by sermons of Bishop Galen and distributed **leaflets** aimed at 'decent Germans', providing details about Nazi front line atrocities and euthanasia schemes.
57
Who was Sophie Scholl and how did she die?
Sophie Scholl lead the White Rose Group alongside her brother. She was distributing leaflets in February 1943, when she was captured and tortured for 17 hours but released no information. She was guillotined alongside her brother, Professor Huber and other members of the WRG.
58
Aristocratic army officers were often suspicious of the Nazis due to their radical foreign policy. Which 3 army officers notably opposed the Nazi regime?
1. General Ludwig Beck
2. Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
3. General Hans Oster
59
Which army office:
a) was horrified by SS barbarities, vowed to kill Hitler and took bombs into his offices twice in July 1944, eventually detonating them on the 29th to culminate in the 'Bomb Plot' (wounding Hitler).
b) had links with Trade Unionists and was involved in the Bomb Plot
c) opposed the Nazi attack on Czechoslovakia, resigned and planned to march on Berlin
a) Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
b) General Hans Oster
c) General Ludwig Beck
60
How did von Papen and Schact oppose the Nazi regime?
* In 1934, von Papen caleld for greater freedom
* In 1935, Schact criticised anti-semitic violence
61
Who was Carl Friedrich Goerdeler and how did he resist the Nazis?
Goerdeler was the Mayor of Leipzig 1923 - 1937.
He joined the government in 1934, hoping to influence Hitler but was disillusioned after realising that Hitler was intent on war and resigned in 1935. He travelled around with an anti-Hitler message but was executed along with 5000 others after the Bomb Plot.
62
How did some judges attempt to resist Nazi rule?
They attempted to maintain proper standards of justice, despite an increasingly arbitary system.
63
How did some workers oppose Nazi rule?
* Strikes (400 between 1933 and 1935)
* Maintaining links will illegal political parties/resistance groups
64
Why did many workers have reason to support the Nazis?
The German Labour Front made them feel represented and included in the regime.
65
What was the impact of pockets of strong resistance to the Nazis in working class areas?
There were 'no go' areas in some working class districts of industrial cities.
66
How did the a) SPD b) KPD and c) The Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra) resist the Nazis?
a) SPD in exile were based in Prague but they organised groups like the Berlin Red Patrol and Hanover Socialist, who distributed leaflets and tried to start a whispering propaganda campaign.
b) The KPD had underground cells, even in the DAF (although 2/3rds of their members were arrested).
c) The Rote Kapelle sent information to the USSR but they were destroyed in 1942.
67
Who was Julius Leber and how did he resist the Nazis?
Julius Leber was a socialist who became leader of the Lubeck SPD. He spent 20 months in prison from January 1933 and was then sent to a concentration camp until 1937. Once released he resumed political activity and joined the Kreisau Circle but in June 1944 was arrested after a Gestapo spy informed the authorities that he was organising communists and Stauffenberg conspirators.
68
What was the Kreisau Circle?
The 'Kreisau Circle' was the name the Nazi Gestapo gave to a group of German intellectual and military elites who joined together to oppose the Nazis on the estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke at Kreisau, Silesia (Poland). They wanted to reconcile patriotic loyalty to Germany with opposition to the Nazis and in 1943, drew up 'Basic Principles' for the 'New Order' with emphasis on open society, equality and justice.
69
Who was Joachim Gottswalk and how did he die?
Gottswalk was a famous actor married to a Jewish woman who refused to work for Strength through Joy. In 1941, he and his wife killed their 8 year old son and then committed suicide.
70
What youth programmes were there for boys
a) age 6-10
b) age 10 - 14
c) 14 - 18?
a) Pimpfen (Cubs)
b) Deutsches Jungvolk (Young German Boys)
c) Hitlerjugend/HJ - the Hitler Youth
71
What youth programmes were there for girls
a) age 10 - 14
b) age 14 - 18
c) 18 -21
a) Jung Madel/JM (Young Maidens)
b) Bund Deutscher Madel (League of German Girls)
c) Glaube and Schonheit (Faith and Beauty)
72
What was the growth in membership of the Hitler Youth between 1933 and 1934?
Membership in 1933 was 100,000, by 1934 it was 4 million
73
In what year did it become compulsory for young boys to join the Hitler Youth? Why was this significant?
1936
Significant because by this point Hitler had gained widespread support due to economic growth and had secured his dictatorship.
74
When were the 3 Hitler Youth Laws passed? Give a brief outline of what they consisted of.
1936: Membership in the Hitler Youth mandatory for all 14-18 year old boys.
1939: German children were forces to join the Hitler Youth at 10 and were made to serve through until 18. Penalties given to guardians who did not comply.
1941: Exemptions from mandatory Hitler Youth limited further and penalties made harsher
75
True or False: The Nazis valued school highly and would allow children to do homework rather than attend youth programmes.
False
76
How many German girls age 15 - 18 became pregnant during a rally of 100,000 Hitler Youth in 1935?
900
77
Give examples of how
a) History
b) Geography
c) Biology
d) General science
was Nazified in schools?
a) History focused on German military might and blamed Jews/Communists for German defeat in WW1.
b) Geography focused on the lebensraum (living space).
c) Biology focused on racial purity.
d) Science was militarised and, students were taught how to build bridges/aircraft and about the impact of poisonous gases.
78
Who went to
a) 'Adolf Hitler Schools'
b) Order Castles
and what did they do there?
a) Exceptional boys would go to Adolf Hitler schools to take part in tough physical training and be prepared to work in positions in the Wehrmacht, the SS or go to University.
b) The very best boys would go to Order Castles, where they would play war games with live ammunition. Some pupils died, those who survived often became high ranking officers.
79
What did Goebbels say about the role of women?
"The mission of women is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world."
80
What three point vision did the Nazis have for women?
Kinder
Kirche
Kuche
81
When was the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage introduced and what did couples receive as a result?
1933
Newly wed couples would receive a loan of 1000 marks and would be able to keep 250 for each child they had
82
What 10 commandments were released for women in 1934?
10 commandments for choice of spouse
83
What did the Nazis stop women from wearing/having?
* Make up
* Perms
* Trousers
* Dyed hair
* Short hair
84
What did the Nazis stop women from doing due to health concerns?
* Slimming
* Smoking
85
How many children did a woman have to have in order to receive the Bronze, Silver and Gold Cross Honour of the German Mother?
Bronze = 4
Silver = 6
Gold = 8
86
What was Lebensborn?
It was an SS-initiated, state-supported, registered association with the goal of raising the birth rate of "Aryan" children. Lebensborn encouraged anonymous births by unmarried women, and mediated adoption of these children by likewise "racially pure and healthy" parents, particularly SS members and their families. SS members had to father 4 children (within or outside of wedlock).
87
True or false: The Nazis banned contraception, abortion and sterilized those they deemed to be racially unpure
True
88
How were girls educated differently to boys in Nazi Germany?
They were taught about domestic duties and eugenics, whereas boys were prepared for military service. They could also enter into the Reichs Mother Service when old enough to be trained in bringing up children and domestic/economic tasks.
89
A 10% cap was put on female enrollment in University, what piece of data suggests this was ignored by educational institutions?
Female enrollment in medical schools only decreased from 20% to 17%
90
By the end of 1934, how many women had given up work?
360,000
91
True or false: Women largely supported Hitler and over half of his votes were from women.
True
"When Hitler came to power, almost half of those voting for him were women...Unemployment bred uncertainty and discord at the heart of their family lives. Women who worked to keep their families as their husbands lost their jobs, or who saw their standard of life deteriorate, longed for stability and certainty - feelings successfully tapped by Hitler." - Cate Haste, *Nazi Women (2001)*
92
Between 1933 and 1939, what was the
a) revenue
b) expenditure
a) 62 billion marks
b) 101 billion marks
(thus causing a huge deficit and national debt, reaching 38 billion marks in 1939)
93
True or false: The Nazis founded the National Socialist Women's League in 1931
True
However the leader, Frau Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, opposed women being in politics (despite her own position).
94
What were Hitler's aims in terms of the Church?
* To gain control over existing churches
* Weaken hold of traditional Christianity
* Replace Christianity with a new Nazi religion
95
What percentage of Germans were Christian in 1933?
94%
| (54% Protestant, 40% Catholic)
96
What was Hitler's policies towards Protestantism? (2)
* Supported German Christians who wanted Nazi spirit incorporated in their faith.
* Set up Official Reich Church - attempt to combine all Protestants within one structure.
97
What were the German Christians?
A Nazi-supported Protestant group that were established in November 1933
98
What were the results of the Nazi policy towards Protestantism? (3)
* Mostly opposition
* The Confessional Church was established by over 100 pastors to defend Protestantism
* Large public outcry at the fact that pastors were required to swear and Oath of Loyalty to Hitler and after two bishops were arrested (in 1934)
99
What were Hitler's policies towards the Catholic Church? (3)
* In July 1933 the Concordat was established (Pope recognised the regime and Nazis promised not to interfere with the Church)
* However, the Concordat was not adhered to as Catholic youth groups/schools were disbanded from 1936
* 200 priests were accused of financial and sexual misbehaviour
100
Which two Catholic figureheads outwardly praised Hitler?
* In 1936, the **Bishop of Munster**, thanked him for remilitarising the Rhineland and asked God to bless his endeavours.
* In 1937, **Cardinal Faulhaber** ordered a special service to celebrate Hitler's survival of an assassination attempt.
101
What were the results of Nazi policy towards the Catholic Church?
* Initial support for the Concordate but when terms were not adhered to, Pope Pius XI became issued 'With Burning Grief' (an outspoken attack on Nazism)
* In March 1939, Pope Pius XII was elected and did not condemn Nazism (only Communism), refused to excommunicate those who were involved in the Genocide.
* Church more concerned with maintaining itself than resisting the Nazis
102
Give 3 anti-semitic policies that the Nazi's implemented in 1933
* Jews were forced out of jobs in law, civil service, dentistry, journalism, teaching and farming
* the April Boycott
* Kosher meat was banned
103
What was the Law for the Prevention of Hereditary and Defective Offspring of 1933?
A law that allowed the sterilisation of Gypsies, people with mental/physical disabilities and other 'undesirables'.
104
What was Kristallnacht?
One night of violence that occurred in 1938 in Germany and Austria. 91 Jews were murdered, synagogues were burned, sacred objects were desecrated and 20,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.
105
What was the Volksgemeinschaft?
The harmonious, socially unified and racial pure 'people's community' that the Nazi's wanted to create.
