The Racial State 1933-41 Flashcards
(42 cards)
3 phases of radicalisation of the state?
- Phase 1: The Legal Revolution 1933-34. When Hitler came to power in 1933 he depended on political allies. Hitler could not completely prevent the SA’s radical violence but controlled it as much as he could. He consolidated power through legal means.
- Phase 2: Creating the new Germany, 1934-37. By Aug 1934 the Nazi regime was secure but Hitler did not have a free hand. He worried about public opinion at home and abroad.
E.g. Olympic Games Berlin 1936 Nazi antisemitism was put under wraps to project Germany as civilised. He also avoided confronting powerful groups like army and church at this time and knew Germany was not ready for war yet. - Phase 3: the radicalisation of the state 1938-39. By end 1937 regime was far stronger than in 1933. Economy recovered and SS had complete control of police system. Hitler felt Germany was ready for war. Took bolder steps, taking control of the army and sacking it’s 2 most important commanders, Blomberg and Fritsch. Also let loose radical persecution of his ‘racial enemies’.
Define Slavs and Degenerates
Slavs: diverse ethnic group including Czechs, Slovaks, Poles and Russians.
Degenerate: person considered to be lacking some usual or expected property or quality, such as physical, mental or moral.
What was social Darwinism?
The application of Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ principle to pseudo-scientific theories about human society to justify racial superiority and eugenics.
In late 19th and 20th century, many social Darwinists used these ideas to justify European imperialism, by arguing ‘advanced’ Europeans had the right to rule over racially inferior colonial people.
In Sweden, there was an influential group of scientists seeking to eliminate disabilities through population planning and birth control.
Hitler and ‘racial struggle’?
Hitler’s obsession with ‘biological struggle’ between different races fitted easily with his view of the Jews.
Viewed humanity as consisting of a racial hierarchy, in which Jews, blacks and slavs were inferior to the Aryan Herrenvolk ( master race).
Another key Nazi idea was the need to ‘purify’ the stronger races by eliminating ‘germs’ that threatened to poison the nation through marriage between Aryans and ‘degenerate’ races. He saw it as the destiny of Aryans to rule over inferior raves, making it vital for them to maintain their racial purity.
Therefore Hitler’s own concept of social darwinism was on an all or nothing basis. The Jews becoming Christian or winning medals for Germany in war made no difference, the germ had to be eliminated. This is how Himmler later justified killing of women and children as well as men. In the same way policies of ‘racial hygiene’ justified the sterilisation or euthanasia of mentally and physically disabled, gypsys, homosexuals, pacifist, and Jehovah’s witnesses.
What was the Volksgemeinschaft?
To be a member of the volk it was essential to be Aryan and loyal to Nazis. To protect the volk, it was essential to ruthlessly eliminate all un-German elements especially Jews.
Groups excluded from the Volksgemeinschaft:
Political enemies
‘Asocials’
Racial enemies: divided into those of different race like Jews and gypsies and people with hereditary defects such as disabilities or disease.
Lebensraum?
Later 19th century, many European thinkers had proposed opening up space for expanding population of the aryan race. No evidence to say Germany was overpopulated.
Others argued Germany’s destiny lay in the East, conquering Slavs and the former Russian Empire to gain access to farmland and raw materials.
Hitlers concept of lebensraum had particular focus on race. It would not only bring ‘lost germans’ to the reich, but provide battleground for war of racial annihilation to wipe out inferior Slavs and smash Russian Bolshevism.
Nazi policies towards physically and mentally ill?
Viewed mentally ill and physically disabled as ‘biological outsiders’ because their defects made them a threat to the future of the Aryan race. Nazi thinking on this borrowed heavily from eugenics which increased in popularity after ww1.
Eugenics?
In years surrounding ww1, eugenics gained support, especially in Scandinavia. Eugenics suggested that interventions were necessary for deal with the mentally ill, the deformed and gays.
Sterilisation and euthanasia were proposed as means of eliminating biological and social flaws. From 1899, 35 US states permitted the sterilisation of the mentally handicapped.
Sterilisation by the regime?
Before Nazis came to power, state govt Prussia allowed voluntary sterilisation of those with hereditary defects.
The Nazis then passed 1933 Sterilisation Law making it compulsory for certain defects such as feeble-mindedness, schizophrenia, manic depression, blindness and deafness and alcoholism.
Later amendments allowed sterilisation of kids over 10 and abortion in cases were women deemed suitable for sterilisation were already pregnant
1936 law allowed x-ray sterilisation for women over 38
Ban on contraception for Aryan women
60% of those sterilised were feeble minded with IQ 0-49
400,000 sterilised during third reich
Euthanasia?
Oct 1933 regime authorised Euthanasia for mentally and physically disabled. Long term theme of propaganda = something had to be done about ‘burden’ of long term ill and disabled.
The legislation passed allowed disabled kids to be ‘mercifully’ put to death, relieving the burden on the volk.
First euthanasia programme for disabled kids originated from one specific case in 1939. The child’s father wrote letter to Hitler asking for ‘this creature’ to be put to sleep.
Dr Philip Bouhler chief of the Führer’s party office brought letter to Hitler’s attention.
Senior SS doctor, Karl Brandt sent to examine baby and advised euthanasia for the child.
Hitler approved the report and announced he would personally protect doctors who carried out ‘mercy killings’.
T4 programme?
Oct 1939, programme was rapidly expanded and later moved to larger HQ, Tiergarten 4. It was from this address that the name for the programme originated
Basis of programme was bureaucracy and paperwork. Forms about patients filled in at clinics and asylums and passed to assessors, who were paid on a piece work basis to encourage processing of as many patients as possible. Those who made decisions did so by looking at forms rather than the patient.
End of the T4 programme?
By 1941, rumours about euthanasia spread and aroused opposition.
One public official filed a complaint with the Reich Justice ministry as well as a murder accusation against Bouhler.
July 1940 groundswell of protests from church led to papal intervention.
3 August 1941 Archbishop Galen gave an emotive sermon against euthanasia.
Alarmed by hostile public reaction led to Hitler halting the programme 24 Aug 1941. = isolated success for public protest against Nazi race policies
Nazi policy towards asocials?
- Sept 1933, regime began mass round up of ‘tramps and beggars’. Since didn’t have space for all in conc camps, began to differentiate between ‘orderly’ and ‘disorderly’ homeless.
Orderly had no convictions given a work permit and forced to work for accommodation. Disorderly seen as habitual criminals and sent to conc camp. - Mass round of tramps and beggars in Berlin before 1936 Olympics to present Germany as hard working and dynamic society to the world.
- In 1936, ‘asocial colony’ set up in North Germany known as Hashude. The aim was to reintegrate them into society.
- In 1938, even bigger round up of ‘beggars,tramps,pimps and gypsies’ most sent to Buchenwald.
Nazi policy towards homosexuals?
1933: Nazis purged gay organisations and literature.
1934: Gestapo compiled lists of gay men.
1935: law on homosexuality amended to impose harsher penalties for those convicted. Under this amendment over 22,000 men arrested and imprisoned 1936-38.
1936: Himmler created the Reich Office for the Combating of Homosexuality and Abortion
Overall 100,000 men arrested for homosexuality and 50,000 convicted.
Had to wear pink triangle in camps and faced particularly brutal treatment, many beaten to death with about 60% of gay prisoners dying in the camps.
Many imprisoned were subjected to ‘voluntary castration’ to ‘cure’ them of their ‘perversion’.
Lesbians didn’t suffer same treatment as they were considered ‘asocial’ rather than degenerate.
Nazi policy towards Roma and Sinti?
1935 nuremberg laws applied to them despite them not being explicitly mentioned.
1936: SS set up the Reich Central office for the Fight Against the Gypsy Nuisance.
1938: Himmler issued the Decree for the struggle against the Gypsy Plague.
1939: deportation to conc camps.
Nazi policy towards Jehovah’s witnesses?
Only religious group to show uncompromising hostility to Nazi system. Refused to take oath of loyalty fo Hitler and refused to fight as only jehovah could lead them into conflict.
Refused to give Hitler salute, take part in Nazi parades.
Many arrested and refused to take off caps or obey orders in prisoners.
By 1945, 10,000 out of 30,000 JWs had been imprisoned and many had died. However regime failed to break their resistance and they even secured some converts in the camp.
Nazi policy towards seventh day adventist?
Describe Nazi regime as rebirth of Germany.
Ban on the sect removed within 2 weeks as it agreed to display swastika in churches and conclude services with Heil Hitler, as well as removal of so called jewish language from old testament from its services.
It’s well.developed welfare organisation agreed to exclude asocials, Jews and other race enemies from getting help. This was the same for mormom welfare organisations.
Describe the boycott of Jew businesses?
On 1 April 1933, the Nazi regime
organized a boycott of Jewish shops,
doctors, and lawyers in Germany. It was
claimed to be retaliation against foreign
criticism of Nazi policies. The boycott
was enforced by SA (Sturmabteilung)
members who intimidated customers
outside businesses. Jewish
professionals were harassed, and many
such as lawyers and doctors, were
publicly attacked. The event was
organized by Joseph Goebbels and was
marked by heavy propaganda
Importance of boycott?
The boycott symbolized the Nazis’ first
public act of anti-Semitism and their
readiness to use intimidation and
propaganda. Though short-lived (lasting
only one day), it exposed internal
tensions in the Nazi regime. Hitler wasn’t
enthusiastic and feared backlash from
conservative allies and foreign opinion
It also demonstrated Hitler’s strategy of
using anti-Semitic actions to gain
support while avoiding political
instability. The boycott highlighted how
Hitler balanced radicalism with
maintaining power and public order.
Civil service laws 1933?
Law for Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, which dismissed Jews from civil service. Led to emigration of 37,000 Jews
Hindenburg insisted that Jews who had fought or their father’s had been killed in ww1. This stayed place until Hindenburg’s death.
Further Antisemitic legislation 1933?
Legal profession: 1933 60% non aryan laws could continue practise. In following years, stricter regulations passed to close loopholes.
Doctors: Jewish doctors only allowed to treat other Jews but many carried out normal practise several years after 1933
Education: 1933 Law against overcrowding of German schools and universities restricted how many Jews could attend.
Jews removed from state schools
Press: 1933 Reich Press Law enabled the regime to apply strict censorship, silencing Jew journalists.
Reich Citizenship Law 1935?
Nuremberg law. Meant that someone could be a German citizen only if they had purely German blood. Jews now classed as subjects of the state
Law for protection of German Blood and Honour?
1935 Nuremberg law. Outlawed marriage between aryan and non-aryan. Law later extended to cover almost any physical contact between Jews and Aryans. Men convicted under the terms of this law were often re-arrested by Gestapo and sent to conc camps.
November 1935 First Supplementary Decree on the Reich Citizenship Law?
Described Jew as someone who had a least 3 Jewish grandparents, or someone who had 2 and was married to a jew.
Labelled ‘half jews’ mischlinge
Left Jews with obligations to the state, but with no political rights
Many non-practising Jews attempted to prove their Aryan ancestry. Some acquired false documents on black market
Mischlinge able to continue relatively normal lives and could even serve in lower ranks of military
