The ‘Terror State’ And Nazi Propaganda Flashcards
(51 cards)
What is a totalitarian state?
One where there is total obedience to the state/leader
What is a ‘terror state’?
A state where everyone is living in fear
Who overall controlled the police system in the Third Reich and what were the main factions?
Himmler
Main factions: SS, SD and Gestapo
What was the SS, what did it do and when was it expanded?
Main Nazi organisation involved in identifying and arresting political prisoners
. Its role expanded after the NOTLK
How powerful were the SS by 1936?
. Full control over police system
. Tightened their control
. Increased repression
. There were more concentration camps than ever, showing how brutal the SS were
What were Himmler’s intentions for the SS members as chief of German police?
. Strictly disciplined members
. Racially ‘pure’
. Unquestionably obedient
How did the SS operate more systematic than the SA’s street brawls?
. Actions of violence and murder were up to the state powers decision and were carried out without any reference to moral standards (brutal)
. The SS concentration camp guards were brutalised so they didn’t feel any sympathy towards prisoners and they wouldn’t move out of line out of fear of being brutalised further (more evidence for ‘terror state’)
When was the SD created?
1931
How did the role of the SD develop?
. Initially just an internal security service of Nazi party
. By 1933, it became an intelligence gathering system
Why was the SD set up?
To investigate claims over the Nazi Party being threatened/infiltrated by political enemies
How did the SD carry out its intelligence gathering role from 1933?
. Monitored public opinion
. Identified ‘no’ voters in plebiscites (small elections)
This information was reported back to Hitler
How important was the SD and how is this seen?
Had an important role in the Nazi Party as it reached 50,000 officers by 1939
- clearly the Nazi’s felt they needed to completely disintegrate political enemies, and such a large membership contributes to the idea of living in fear
How was the SD different to the Gestapo?
. SD staffed by amateurs committed to Nazis but Gestapo were professional police officers
. Gestapo was a state organisation but SD was working closer to Nazis
This meant they caused overlap and confusion as they were independent of each other while carrying out similar roles
How did the Nazis develop the Gestapo initially?
Extended its operations from only Prussia to all of Germany
What was the belief vs reality of the Gestapo in the eyes of ordinary Germans?
Belief: Gestapo agents were in every pub, workplace and gained a reputation of being all knowing
Reality: in 1939, there were only 20k officers for the whole country, it was a small organisation
However, as the Gestapo still caused the ordinary Germans to live in fear, this myth about the Gestapo helped the Nazis establish a terror state without needing extreme membership in the Gestapo
What is the truth about the agents of the Gestapo?
. They weren’t typically Nazi members
. Their work was more office-based, relying on informers to do field/investigative work
. They were really professional police with a role to serve the State
How did the Gestapo get their information?
. Nazi party activists were asked to spy on workmates and neighbours
. There was a ‘block leader’ in every block of flats and residential street that would report suspicious activity.
. Voluntary denunciations from ordinary Germans
How was it clear that there were too many alleged crimes for the Gestapo to deal with?
They increasingly used arbitrary arrest (without reason) and protective custody
What was the main reason for voluntary denunciations to the Gestapo?
To settle personal grudges, not because of political commitment
How did the Gestapo impact ordinary German people?
. Instilled fear and suspicion despite small size
. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 worked to get more Jews in concentration camps as ordinary Germans denounced the Jewish people to divert suspicion from themselves
. Political debate and criticism of the Nazi party went away out of fear
. Myth that Gestapo were everywhere forced people in line with Nazi principles
How is torture methods of Gestapo seen with Richard Krebs (communist)?
Arrested by the Gestapo and wrote about his conditions under arrest:
. Whipped and beaten for several weeks while being questioned
. Chained to a cot in his cell, couldn’t wash
. His wife was arrested as a threat which made him give in info
After Richard Krebs agreed to provide info to Gestapo, what did he actually do?
Became a double-dealer, secretly providing the communists with Nazi info
Who was Jacques Delarue and what were his views on the Gestapo?
Member of the French resistance
- made the Gestapo seem like they were in complete control of German society using effective methods to terrorise citizens
- he chose this view as he wanted the French resistance to seem less weak by portraying Germany as an almost indestructible force
What was the true average size of the Gestapo from 1934 onwards?
Around 32,000 in a 65 million population
= around 1 Gestapo for 2000 people (not significant control)
