Opposition, Control And Consent Nazis Flashcards
(97 cards)
1
Q
How did Brüning, working w/ Hindenburg, use Article 48 to control extremism?
A
- 7 Dec 1931 –> Used Article 48 to ban political uniforms (no more brown uniform for SA)
- SA continued to march but wore white shirts, which was not a breach
- Red Front (KPD’s paramilitary wing) adopted similar tactics
2
Q
As a result of continuing political violence, what did Brüning persuade Hindenburg to do but why did this not work out?
A
- Apr 1932 –> Persuaded him to ban SA + SS
- Police raided branches of SA + confiscated uniforms and equipment
- In many areas, police were broadly sympathetic to SA, so the grp continued w/ little interference
3
Q
How did Schleicher and von Papen try to tame the Nazis but why did all of them fail?
A
- Schleicher argued for a presidential gov, led by traditional elite w/ Nazis in supporting role
- Jun 1932 –> Von Papen lifted ban on SA and SS + invited Hitler to join as vice-chancellor but he refused
- Dec 1932 –> Offered chancellorship to Gregor Strasser, one of Hitler’s senior Nazi rivals, hoping this would split them + give gov some democratic legitimacy. Hitler ordered Strasser to refuse
4
Q
What did Goebbels tell radio controllers, when did this happen and what else happened to staff at these stations?
A
- 25 Mar 1933 –> German radio served the gov hence had to express Nazi ideology + follow gov instructions about what to broadcast
- Staff was purged to remove half-Jews, Jews, those married to Jews, past KPD/SPD members
5
Q
Why was radio easier to control than the press?
A
- It was a newer medium w/ far fewer people to control
- Germany had more newspapers than even the USA
6
Q
What decree was issued in Oct 1933?
A
- Editor’s Law of Oct 1933
- Made editor responsible for content of paper
- Made it illegal to publish anything weakening Third Reich, at home or abroad or harm German economy/culture/people
- Established a Reich Association w/ list of accredited journalists (no Jews, none that are politically unsuitable)
7
Q
Compare Nazi newspaper stats in end of 1932 and end of 1933
A
- End of 1932 –> 59 Nazi newspapers w/ over 780,000 readers
- End of 1933 –> 86 Nazi newspapers w/ over 3 mil readers
8
Q
What was set up in Dec 1933, what were the expectations around this and what did it consist of?
A
- State-owned press agency
- Newspapers had to pick up news stories from this agency
- Guidelines on how to report the story
- List of stories that should not be reported eg. arrests of certain people
9
Q
How many non-Jewish people were sent to concentration camps for political crimes between 1933 and 45?
A
Over 500,000
10
Q
Where and when was the first concentration camp to hold political prisoners set up? What was its name and how were the camps helpful?
A
- Oranienburg
- Prussia
- 1933
- Good deterrent to political protest
11
Q
When and where was the first all-female SS camp set up?
A
- 1939
- Ravensbrück
12
Q
Gestapo:
A
- Nazi secret police
- Set up on 26 Apr 1933 to find enemies of the state
- Could arrest/imprison for anything w/out trial
- 1936 –> Taken over by SS
- No uniform so had to be careful what you say
- Set up by Goering w/ Heydrich in charge
13
Q
SS:
A
- Founded in 1923 as sub-division of SA
- Began w/ 240 men
- Ran concentration camps
- Hitler’s black-shirted elite bodyguards
- Later took over more political policing of state
- Leader: Heinrich Himmler
14
Q
How many men from SS were in charge of the Gestapo?
A
240,000
15
Q
What was set up in Berlin in 1934, what was its purpose, who does it consist of and what was it like? How many people had passed through the court by 1945?
A
- People’s Court
- Try people accused of being traitors to the Third Reich
- 2 judges + 5 other members from NSDAP, SS and armed forces
- Trials were not public
- Impossible to appeal
- Tens of thousands passed through by 1945
16
Q
What were Nazi Party officials expected to do?
A
Look out for even the smallest infringement of Nazi rules
17
Q
In the next few months after Machtergreifung (seizure of power), give examples of a political group whom they acted with violence to:
A
KPD:
- SA & SS broke their meetings
- Engaged in street battles w/ Red Front
- From mid Feb –> They worked w/ police to intimidate
- Violence worsened after 22 Feb when they became auxiliary police officers
- SA beat and imprisoned KPD officials using intelligence from state
- Eventually drove the party underground
18
Q
What did the decree proposed on 4 Feb 1933 say?
A
Police could imprison for up to 3 months w/out trial
19
Q
In 1933, how many left-wing prisoners were detained?
A
Between 150,000 and 200,000
20
Q
By mid-March, how many members of KPD had been arrested and what about from mid March to April in the Ruhr only?
A
- Mid-March –> 10,000
- Mid-March to April in only the Ruhr –> Further 8,000
21
Q
What happened from early March and in May in regards to the SPD and what was the outcome of this?
A
- From early March –> Armed SA occupied SPD offices in major cities
- May –> SPD funds and assets seized
- No longer able to campaign effectively
22
Q
What is the name of the first concentration camp, who and when was it set up, how many was it designed to hold, who was it said to deal with through propaganda and rather who did it actually charge?
A
- Late March 1933 –> Dachau set up by SS
- 500,000
- Propaganda said it would deal w/ KPD and SPD, but rather often those arrested were charged w/ no crime (claimed it was ‘protective custody’)
23
Q
Prior to concentration camps, where were those arrested detained and what happened to these locations?
A
- Sports stadia or school halls
- Transformed into temp prisons
24
Q
Dachau:
A
- Detention and work camp
- Justified as other countries used them eg. GBR during Boer War
- Degrading and brutal
- Those who failed to meet working standards were whipped
- Vandalism punishable by death
- Some guards killed prisoners for target practice (under official records, shot whilst trying to escape)
25
How long did this wave of terror last and give stats to show the changes after
- Short-lived
- May 1933 --> 1/3 prisoners released
- Aug 1934 --> Official amnesty
- By 1935 --> 5 remaining camps had total of 4000 prisoners
26
How many did Hitler admit to being killed and arrested in Night of the Long Knives?
- 74 killed
- 1000 arrested
27
What were the consequences for terror after the Night of the Long Knives?
New wave of terror for 6 weeks arresting and sending those who criticised the killings to camps
28
Show the changing role of the secret police:
- Between 1933 and 36 --> SS and Gestapo largely dealt w/ political opponents
- Between 1936 and 39 --> SS and Gestapo enforced conformity by targeting groups who did not fit in ideal view of society eg. gays
29
What was created in 1939 and what was its purpose?
- RHSA (Reich Main Security Department)
- Formalised relationship between SS and Security Police
30
What did the secret police rely on greatly and give stats to show this
- Complicity of ordinary Germans
- 64% of Gestapo action against Aryans who had sexual relationships w/ Jews were from tip-offs (only 15% from gov agents)
- Official Nazi surveillance generated less than 10%, the other 90% came from public denunciation reports
31
Following the Night of the Long Knives, what happened to homosexuality in Germany and what were the views of senior Nazis on this before the event?
Before the event:
- Himmler hated gays
- Hitler tolerated it
Homosexuality:
- Gay clubs and bars forcibly closed
- Openly gay men arrested and sent to camps
- Established files on all suspected gay men in Nazi movement
- By 1939 --> 22,000 arrested
32
However, which gay men were tolerated and why?
- Aryan gay men
- Believed they could be 'cured'
33
What was the Nazi view on lesbianism, why and what happened to these women?
- Much less concerned as women were naturally passive and hence did not pose a threat to the regime
- Sex between women was not a crime
- Secret lesbian clubs continued
- However, openly gay women were sent to prison camps
34
How did some homosexuals try to overcome the issue Nazis had with their sexuality, however why was this flawed ?
- Married to try avoid suspicion
- Couples who did not have children were investigated by authorities
35
RMVP:
Reich Ministry of Public Enlightment and Propaganda
36
What were the three main methods of press control?
1) Control through compulsory membership
2) RMVP controlled through Press Agency
3) Extension of Nazi ownership of press
37
What was the name of the body responsible for controlling Nazi cultural life, when was it created how many other chambers were there within this and give an example of one
- Reich Chamber of Culture (RKK)
- 22 Sep 1933
- 7
- Reich Chamber of Press
38
How did the Nazis establish control over press?
- All journalists had to be member of Reich Chamber of Press to write for newspapers and magazines (accepted journalists)
- Unpatriotic journals could be expelled from Chamber
- German News Agency (DNB) created --> merged various news agencies placing them under gov control & gave all reporters one source for info
- Nazi publishing company Eher Verlag bought up existing newspapers --> Proportion of Nazi-owned papers increased from 2.5% in 1933 to 69% in 1939 to 82% in 1945
- Became treason to spread false news
39
What was the change in newspaper sales and why did this happen?
- Newspapers became dull and boring as a result of excessive control
- Between 1933 and 39 --> 10% drop in newspaper sales
40
Which newspapers were banned and when?
- End of Jan 1933 --> KPD's Red Flag
- Feb 1933 --> Most SPD papers in Prussia (by Goering)
41
Who were most participants of rallies and what was their purpose?
- Mostly NSDAP supporters
- Commitment was now likely be strengthened
- Bystanders would be attracted
- Rallies were filmed to involve non-participants
42
How were the rallies carefully organised?
Albert Speer specialised in:
- Choreography
- Displays
- Lighting
- Uniforms
- Music
- Flags and symbols
- Often at night
43
How many festivals were there in the Nazi calendar, what would happen on these days, give an example of one and what would happen if you failed to support?
- Lots of festivals
- Rallies on these days w/ streets full of swastika flags
- 9 Nov --> Remembrance of Munich o Putsch
- Failure to support may be reported to Gestapo
44
What was the purpose of the construction autobahns, give stats to show its success up to the war and explain why the concept was flawed
- Expression of a new, united Germany
- Actual impact was exaggerated
- 1936 --> Only 125,000 people directly employed in construction
- 1942 --> Programme stopped w/ 3870km completed
- Car ownership was far below that of GBR and USA
- Surfaces were too thin for tanks
45
How did the Nazis make themselves appear legal and give examples?
Argued that their policies were a continuation of policies used by previous German govs
- Law for the Protection of the Republic (1921) was a precedent for banning political parties
- Article 48 used extensively before
- Ebert used army and Freikorps against communist rebels
- Kaiser's gov authorised use of concentration camps in Africa
46
What shows that there was a lot of passive support for the regime?
No attempted Putsches
47
What did Hitler believe about propaganda and give an example showing this
Anything presented as a simple idea could win over the public eg. One People, One Reich, One Fuhrer
48
How did Nazis reward conformity and give examples of what they did
- Mothers rewarded w/ medals for having babies
- Marriage loans reduced by 250 marks for every child born
- Regular check-ups and vitamins whilst pregnant
- Workers rewarded w/ free trips from courtesy of KDF, Strength through Joy programme
49
What are some other reasons for support for Nazi regime?
- People genuinely believed in the Fuhrer myth
- Hitler restored Germany's honour w/ apparent achievements
50
Various degrees of support for Nazis:
- Active
- Partial
- Passive
51
What were the apparent achievements of Nazi regime?
- German economy improved after Hitler was appointed Chancellor
- Popular foreign policy decisions eg. Germany's withdrawal from League of Nations in 1933, remilitarisation of Rhineland in 1936
52
Give stats from elections to show support for Nazi regime
Oct 1933:
- Turnout of more than 95%
- 92.2% support for NSDAP
Mar 1936:
- 99.9%
53
What were the war youth generation's reasons for being attracted to the Nazi Party?
- Subjected to WW1 propaganda whilst in school
- Saw war as great patriotic adventure
- Devastated by defeat and blamed socialists + democrats
- Attracted to Nazi militarism
54
What was the wealthy industrialists' reason for supported the Nazi Party?
- Benefited from banning of KPD + TUs
55
Why did people who applied to 'Germanise' an area and got accepted support the Nazi Party?
- Given homes and farmland to live on which they would not have w/out Nazis
- They were told owners had been moved eastwards and were starting new lives there
56
Groups who supported the Nazi Party:
- Those who hated Jews, gays, Gypsies, communists and others
- Wealthy industrialists
- People who applied to 'Germanise' an area and got accepted
- Middle class
- War youth gen
- Peasantry
- Women
57
How did those who hated Jews, gays, Gypsies and communists show their support?
- Informed on others
- Ran Hitler Youth groups
- Acted as officials for DAF
58
What were the middle classes' reason for supporting the Nazi Party?
- Savings lost during 1923 hyperinflation gained value again
- Young uni graduates found it very difficult to jobs after Depression but now there were many opportunities like promotions, better pay and secure social status
59
How were so many opportunities created for the Aryan middle class?
- Jewish academics excluded from unis
- Jews in top professions excluded
- Professionals needed to run new Nazi institutions like 4 yr Plan Organisation
60
In general, how did the working class view the Nazi regime?
Positively:
-Unemployment was reduced
- Nazi policies did improve working conditions
- Kept wages down
Negatively:
- Lower living standards
- Decline in working class food consumption --> beer consumption in 1937 less than half of what it had been in 1927 +less meat, eggs etc
61
In order to please the working class, what programme was designed?
- DAF instituted the Beauty of Work
- Programme designed to make factories safer, cleaner and more efficient
62
What was the peasantry's reason for being attracted to the Nazi Party?
- Sep 1933 --> Reich Food Estate established to centrally organise agricultural policies
- Reich Entailed Farm Law passed to give peasants more security over their land
- No competition w/ imported goods due to food autarky
63
What was the average woman's reason for being attracted to the Nazi Party?
- Many middle class and conservative women believed gender roles were determined by nature
- Shown by Nazi policies that excluded women from working
64
Give the name of a Nazi Party section devoted to recruiting women and give stats for its growth
- National Socialist Women's League
- 1932 --> 110,000
- 1934 --> 1.5 mil
65
What did most independent women's groups join, when was it founded what was the role of this organisation and give stats to show its growth
- German Women's Enterprise (DFW)
- Founded in 1938
- Supervised women's groups on behalf of Nazis
- By 1938 --> 4 mil members
66
Give stats to show Protestants' sympathy to Nazis
Jul 1933 elections:
- 2/3 members wanted to join the German Christians sect
Jul 1933:
- Ludwig Miller coordinated 28 Protestant churches into German Reich Church
- Around 700,000 members of Protestant youth grps merged into Hitler Youth
67
Give stats that show higher support in rural compared to urban areas:
Jul 1932 elections:
Support was 28% higher in country than city
68
What were Protestants' reason for being attracted to the Nazi Party?
Historical reasons:
- Evangelical Protestant Church was dominant religion in Prussia for many yrs
- As a result it was closely linked to German nationalism
- Preachers had traditionally supported Kaiser, patriotism. tradition & respect for authority (represented by Nazi Party)
69
In what ways did Hitler try to appeal to Catholics?
- Appealed to ZP to support his gov
- Mar 1933 --> ZP supported Enabling Act
- Jun 1933 --> Hitler signed Concordat, gaining maj of Catholics' acceptance
70
What is the German Christians sect?
Faith grp promoting Nazism w/in Protestant Christianity
71
What is the Concordat?
Promised to allow RCC control over education and youth grps in return for neutrality in political affairs
72
When tensions emerged, who usually protested?
Individuals rather than Catholic Church as an institution
73
Give stats from plebiscites to show support for Nazi regime
- 1933 --> Agree with pulling out of League of Nations? 95%
- 1938 --> Support Anschluss? 99%
74
Give stats to show increase in Nazi Party membership but explain why this still does not show accurate support
- 1930 --> 130,000 members
- May 1933 --> 849,000
- By 1940 --> 5 mil
- However, many just joined to gain jobs/promotions
75
How did Hindenburg oppose the Law for the Restoration of Professional Civil Service and did it have an effect?
- 4 Apr 1933 --> Sent letter to Hitler pointing out many civil servants who were Jewish had actually fought in WW1
- Law was passed regardless
76
In the early 1930s, what did KPD, SPD and TUs do and give one example of this by a SPD grp:
- Printed pamphlets + other anti-Nazi literature
- SPD grp Red Shock Troop published newspaper Red Shock Troop every 10 days
- Built membership to 3000
77
What strikes were there between 1933 and 35, organised by who and how many were there?
- Wildcat (unofficial) strikes
- Communists
- 400
78
After what event were the communist grps revived and what did each of these do?
- Jun 1941 --> After GER invaded USSR in Operation Barbarossa
Uhrig grps:
- Put up posters in factories urging worker sabotage
Red Orchestra:
- Gov employees who passed GER war effort info to USSR
79
In what ways did workers sabotage the Nazis, what would happen if they were reported but how was this flawed?
Ways of sabotage:
- Lightning strikes lasting few hrs eg. in 1936, when building autobahns
- Working slowly
- Damaging machinery
- Reporting in sick when they aren't
- Would be arrested
- However, often overlooked as workers were in great demand (unless they were very organised/successful)
80
What happened in the Hossbach Conference, when was this and what happened as a result?
- Nov 1937
- Hitler outlined plans to seize Lebensraum in Eastern Europe
- Fritsch (commander-in-chief) and Blomberg (Reich war minister) opposed
- Goering + Himmler persuaded them to resign
81
What did some young people, esp from rich middle class, do, which opposed the regime and how did the Nazis react to this?
- Did not join Hitler youth
- Dressed in clothes + listened to music similar to West (eg. Swing Youth)
- Set up own bands
- After 1940 --> these clubs made illegal
- Occassional arrests as they weren't actively anti-Nazi
82
What was Swing Youth and in what way was this illegal?
- A craze based on popularity of jazz
- Jazz banned from GER radio since 1935
- Foreign broadcasts outlawed in 1939
83
White Rose Group:
- Secret
- Students at Uni of Munich
- Distributed anti-Nazi material, urging sabotage + non-violent resistance and exposed Nazi murder of Jews
- Caught and executed
84
Edelweiss Pirates:
- Usually 14 and 17
- Actively anti-Nazi
- Own uniform
- Activities like hiking, painting anti-Nazi slogans or working w/ resistance grps
- Beat up members of youth organisations
85
What was a common way to oppose the Nazis, in what different ways was it done and around how many did they help because of this?
- Help those the Nazis wanted to arrest
- Worked as individuals, within Nazi organisation or organised escape lines eg. Protestant Church had one
- Thousands escaped like this
86
Give an example of someone who worked within the Nazi justice system and showed opposition secretly:
- Hans von Dohnanyi
- Worked w/ brother-in-law Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Protestant pastor) to help escapees
87
Between Jul 1921 and Jul 1944, how many known attempts were there to assassinate Hitler and how many of these after 1939 were committed by people linked to army?
- 15 total attempts
- 7 by army
88
What happened to plotters who were discovered?
- Executed immediately
- Investigations to find out others involved
89
What was the most serious plot against Hitler and explain what happened?
- Stauffenberg bomb plot of 1944
- Attempt by army to take over gov and negotiate end of war w/ Allies
- 20 Jul --> Lieutenant Claus von Stauffenberg left bomb in briefcase in conference room, where Hitler would be
- 4 died but Hitler survived
90
After realising Hitler was alive, what did one of the plotters do and what was the aftermath of the incident?
- Friedrich Fromme arrested chief plotters to prove his loyalty (died anyway)
- 200 were executed for (alleged) involvement in the plot
91
What church did Hitler set up and what had happened to by 1933?
- People's Church, w/ Reichbishop from German Evangelical Church (biggest Protestant Church)
- By 1933 --> Less Christian and more Nazi eg. banners in churches, removal of Old Testament (as it was Jewish)
92
As a result of the actions made by 1933, what was formed, what did this later develop into (when?) and what did it do?
- Pastors' Emergency League (PEL)
- May 1934 --> Developed into Confessing Church
- Condemned People's Church for obeying state, being anti-Semitic and for encouraging atheism (many arrested/executed)
93
Who was one of the founders of the PEL and who was he?
Martin Niemöller:
- Protestant pastor
- Objected strongly to racial elements of Nazis
- Arrested and sent to concentration camp
94
In 1935, whose opposition led to the restoration of crucifixes in Church?
Catholic protest
95
Which bishop protested against T4 and what happened as a result?
- Bishop Galen of Munster
- Gov publicly backed down
96
Give two examples of people's informal reactions having an influence on the decisions of Nazi Party?
Church:
- Hans Meiser and Theophil Wurm (bishops) arrested
- People started protesting
- Released the bishops to keep Church on their side
Czechoslovakia invasion:
- 1938 --> Ordered military processions in Berlin
- Saw unenthusiasm
- Decided not to go to war and negotiate at Munich conference instead
97
Kreisau Circle:
- Supply info to Allies about regime's weaknesses
- Supported democratic Germany
- Dissolved when key German elitist von Moltke was arrested
