Opposing Groups Flashcards
Social Democrats
Leaders fled after Nazi takeover
Remnants formed little groups - largest group had 250 members
Worked secretly
Gestapo arrested some
The Communists
More active than social democrats
Resistance with newspapers- sold 10,000 per month
Easily identified
Most effective
The Church
Largest non-Nazi organisations
July 1933 agreement with Catholics that they’d leave each othe alone
Protestants needed to pledge allegiance to Hitler
1937 Pope wrote letter criticising Nazis which was read out in all churches
Nazis arrested priests that spoke the letter
Martin Niemoller
Protestant pastor
Founded the non-Nazi confessional church
By 1934 6,000 priests joined
800 pastors including him sent to concentration camps
Paul Schneider
First priest to be murdered by Nazis
Arrested many times but continued to speak out
Murdered in 1939 in concentration camps
Pope Pius XI
In 1937 wrote a letter to be read allowed
Caused Nazis to intensify their actions
Cardinal Galen
Initially welcomed Nazis
By 1934 started criticising Nazis
Too high profile to remove
Jehova’s witness
Unwilling to comply with Nazis
Wrote anti-Nazi leaflets
Gestapo created a special force to combat them
Youth groups
Opposed because of
-Politics
-Religion
-Culture
Young Communists
Banned so met in secret
In Leipzig 1500 people joined gangs
Some wrote anti-Nazi flyers
Christians
In 1933, 2.5 mil members of youth groups
Banned so met in secret
Swing Kids
Wanted their own personalities which contrasted Nazis
Arrested and sent to concentration camps
Eidelweiss Pirates
Formed around 1938
Promoted flyers and drew slogans on walls
Bartholomaus Schink was publically executed in 1944
Eidelweiss Pirates
Formed around 1938
Promoted flyers and drew slogans on walls
Bartholomaus Schink was publically executed in 1944
