The Terror State

Question 1

Who led the SS?

Answer 1

Heinrich Himmler

Question 2

When was the SS established?

Answer 2

1925

Question 3

By 1936, how many men did the SS have?

Answer 3

50,000

Question 4

Who were the SS fiercely loyal to?

Answer 4

Hitler as they acted as his personal bodyguards

Question 5

Key values of the SS

Answer 5

Loyalty and honour - defined strictly in terms of adherence to Nazi ideology

Must be strictly disciplined, racially pure and unquestioningly obedient

Question 6

What did the SS help Hitler accomplish in June 1934?

Answer 6

The Night of the Long Knives

Question 7

What powers did the SS have?

Answer 7

Almost unlimited powers to:

• arrest people without trial
• search houses
• confiscate property

Question 8

What did the SS run?

Answer 8

Concentration camps

Question 9

When and where was the first concentration camp established?

Answer 9

1933 - Dachau

Question 10

Who was the leader of the SD?

Answer 10

Heydrich

Question 11

What was the role of the SD?

Answer 11

Internal security service of the Nazi party

Investigated claims that the party had been infiltrated by its political enemies

Question 12

What was the Gestapo?

Answer 12

The secret police who developed a reputation of being all knowing

Germans believed that the Gestapo had agents in every workplace, pub and neighbourhood

Question 13

What was the reality of the Gestapo?

Answer 13

They only had 20,000 officers most of whom were office based

They depended on information supplied by informers

Question 14

Did the Gestapo instil fear in the German people?

Answer 14

Yes people believed that there were Gestapo agents and informers everywhere so adjusted their behaviour accordingly

Question 15

What would prisoners experience at concentration camps?

Answer 15

Questioning, hard labour, torture, and ‘re-education’

Question 16

Name four of the Gestapo’s methods

Answer 16

1) Tapped telephones
2) Intercepted mail
3) Spied on people
4) Used a network of informers

Question 17

After June 1936, who did the Gestapo come under the ultimate control of?

Answer 17

Himmler - the head of the SS

Question 18

What did the Gestapo have throughout Germany?

Answer 18

A network of informers

Question 19

What was a Block Warden?

Answer 19

A local Nazi who had to report to the government on the ‘political reliability’ of the Germans living in their housing block

Question 20

Give 4 examples of things a Block Warden report a person for:

Answer 20

1) Telling anti-Hitler jokes
2) Refusing to support the Party
3) Hosting illegal political meetings
4) Not flying the Nazi flag on celebration days

Question 21

What did the Nazis do to the legal system when they came to power?

Answer 21

Introduced news courts to control it

Special courts were set up in 1933 and Peoples courts in 1934 to deal with political crimes

There were no juries and defendants couldn’t appeal against sentences

Question 22

Who did judges have to swear an oath to?

Answer 22

Hitler

Question 23

How many crimes were punishable by death in 1933?

Answer 23

3

Question 24

How many crimes were punishable by death in 1943?

Answer 24

46

Question 25

Give two examples of crimes punishable by death

Answer 25

1) Listening to foreign radio (e.g. BBC World Service) 2) Publishing anti-government leaflets

Question 26

What did the courts ignore?

Answer 26

Crimes committed by Nazi agents

Question 27

Political resistance from SPD

Answer 27

Unprepared for the Nazi takeover Not equipped to organise resistance to a regime that did not respect the law Priority for those resisting was to survive and be prepared for a future collapse of the regime rather than to mount a serious challenge

Question 28

Political Resistance from KPD

Answer 28

KPD was much better prepared for engaging in underground activity Established an underground network in some German industrial centres but all of these were broken up by the Gestapo As with the SPD, the priority was very much on survival since the party had ceased to exist and no serious challenge to the regime was possible

Question 29

Resistance of workers

Answer 29

In the whole of 1937 there were 250 strikes due to conditions or wages Absenteeism was an overt way to resist but Gestapos would quickly arrest the 'slackers'

Question 30

Resistance from the Protestant Church

Answer 30

Establishment of the Pastors' emergency League (1933) and its development into the Confessional Church (1934) Pastors spoke out against the Nazis from the pulpit Many churches refused to display swastika flags

Question 31

Resistance from Catholic Church

Answer 31

RC church more united so more likely to retain its independence 'With Burning Grief' papal encyclical was only openly conflicted the regime RC didn't move beyond a narrow defence of its own independence making it ineffective

Question 32

Resistance of Youth

Answer 32

Resentment due to the compulsive and regimentation of the youth movements Some young people formed gangs to show their independence Many young people did not attend weekly parades This nonconformist behaviour amounted to little more than normal teenage rebelliousness

Question 33

Extent of Opposition

Answer 33

Propaganda and indoctrination created genuine support for the regime There was no basis for an organised or sustained resistance as many felt the Nazis had restored order and prosperity in Germany

Question 34

Aims of Propaganda

Answer 34

Hitler and Goebbels aimed for Spiritual mobilisation of German People

Question 35

Methods of Propaganda

Answer 35

* newspapers * radio - April 1934 all radio stations in Germany were brought under the control of the Reich Radio Company) * film - all films to some degree contained political messages * parades and spectacles - annual Nuremberg rallies * posters displayed in offices and public buildings

Question 36

Hitler Myth

Answer 36

- Hitler presented himself as being unlike other politicians - "man of the people" - presented as hardworking, tough who lived a simple life and sacrificed personal happiness to devote himself to his people

Question 37

Hitler Myth Reality

Answer 37

- Hitler was surrounded by officials who compete with each other to gain his attention - he supplied the vision but was not very involved in decision making - stayed up late watching films, usually not getting up till midday - spent his days eating, walking in the grounds of his mountain retreat and delivering long, rambling speeches to his subordinates - disliked reading official documents and rarely got involved in discussions on policy