Nazi Dictatorship 1933-39 Flashcards
(25 cards)
The Reichstag fire
27th February 1933
A lone Dutch communist was executed (Marinus Van de Lubbe)
Hitler used the opportunity to accuse the Communist part of conspiracy against the government
Four thousand communists arrested
Gave Hitler an excuse to issue a Decree for the Protection of People and the State, giving the powers to imprison political opponents and ban opposition newspapers
He persuaded Hindenburg to call an election in March 1933 to secure more Nazi seats
The Nazi Party managed to secure 2/3 of the seats by using emergency powers to prevent the communists taking their 81 seats
Hitler was now able to change the constitution
The Enabling act
1933
Hitler proposed the Enabling Act in order to destroy the power of the Reichstag and give himself total power to make laws:
- the Reich Cabinet could pass new laws
- the laws could overrule to constitution
- Hitler would propose the laws
Result: Germany no longer a democracy
Local government closed down
31st March 1933 - January 1934 (completely abolished in 1934)
Trade Unions replaced by German Labour Front
May 1933
- Many union officials were arrested
Other political parties banned
July 1933
The Night of the Long Knives
30th June 1934
Why Rohm and the SA were a threat
- Rohm disliked Hitlers policies
- Many of the SA felt undervalued by Hitler and were loyal to Rohm
- The SA was much bigger than the arm and the army feared Rohm wanted to replace them
- The leaders of the SS wanted to reduce the size of the SA to increase their own power
Hitler invited Rohm and the 100 SA leaders to a meeting, but it was a ruse. The leaders were arrested and shot by the SS
Many others were killed that night
Hindenburg dies
August 1934
Within hours of his death a law concerning the head of states merged the officers of Chancellor and President and Hitler became Fuhrer
SS
Created by Heinrich Himmler in 1925
- Led by Himmler
- Wore black uniforms
- Controlled all Germany’s police and security forces
- Acted outside the law
- Had racially pure wives
- Ran the concentration camps
SD
Security service
Set up by Heinrich Himmler in 1931
- Led by Reinhard Heydrich
- Wore uniforms
- Spied on opponents of the Nazi Party both at home and abroad
Gestapo
Secret State Police
Set up be Hermann Goering in 1933
- Led by Reinhard Heydrich
- Wore plain clothes
- Spied on people
- Prosecuted people for speaking against the Nazis and sent to concentration camps
First concentration camp
Dachau - 1933
Inmates were made up of:
Political prisoners
Undesirables such as prostitutes and homosexuals, and minority groups such as Jews
The Concordat
July 1933
Hitler agreed with the Pope in the concordat that the catholic church were free to worship and run their own schools in return for staying out of politics. Hitler broke his promise and:
- Priests opposing Nazis were harassed and/or sent to concentration camps
- Catholic schools closed
- Catholic youth organisations banned
By 1937, the pope spoke out against Hitler in his statement known as ‘With Burning Anxiety’
The Reich church
Founded in 1933 and led by Ludwig Muller
- 2000 protestant churches that supported the Nazis
The Confessing church
Founded in 1934 and led by Martin Niemoller
- repressed by the Nazis
- 6000 protestant churches that opposed the Nazis
Joseph Goebbels Reich Minister of Propaganda
1933-45
Edelweiss Pirates
Late 1930s
- Mainly based in the working-class districts
- Read and listened to banned music and wrote anti-Nazi graffiti
- Taunted the Hitler Youth
- Copied American style
The Swing Youth
Around 1939
- Wore American clothes
- Listened to American music (Jazz) and films
- Gathered to drink alcohol, smoke and dance
- Organised illegal dance parties
- Largely made up of children of wealthy families
Marriage law
1933
- Initiated the use of Vouchers (Marriage loans) to newly married couples if the women agreed to stop working
- Let of 1/4 of loan for every child they had
Nazi Youth Organisations
Young German folk (boys aged 10-14)
Young Girls (girls aged 10-14)
Hitler Youth (boys aged 14-18)
League of German Maidens (girls aged 14-18)
National Labour Service (RAD)
July 1935
- Compulsory for men aged 18-25 to serve for six months on this scheme
- Worked on job creation schemes
- Hated due to low pay, long hours and boring work
Nazi Workers organisations
- German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront DAF) - replaced trade unions
- Strength through Joy (KdF) - free/ low price activities
- Beauty of Labour (SdA) - improve conditions
- The Volkswagon
Gypsies laws
1933 - arrested and sent to concentration camps
1938 - had to be registered and banned from travelling
1939 - deported
Jewish laws
1933 - SA boycott Jewish shops and painted yellow stars on doors, Jews banned from army and civil servants, actors and musicians banned
1934 - segregation
1935 - The Nuremburg Laws
1937 - Businesses taken by Aryans
1938 - Kristallnacht - passports stamped with J
1939 - Reich Office for Jewish Emigration
The Nuremburg Laws
1935
The Reich Law on Citizenship
- Only those of German blood can be citizens
- Jews must become subjects not citizens
- Jews cannot vote or work for government
- Jews must wear yellow - star badge sewn on clothes for easy identification
The Reich Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour
- No Jews to marry German citizen
- No Jews allowed sexual relationship with German citizen
