Topic 9: How Hitler kept control Flashcards
Who was Heinrich Himmler?
- Was a hard worker and efficient organiser.
- Clever at building up his own power.
- Although took charge of the Holocaust, he fainted at the sight of Jewish people being killed.
- Joined Nazi party in 1923 and took part in the Munich Putsch.
- 1929: Made head of the SS
- 1934: Played an important role in the night of long knives
- 1936: Made head of all police in Nazi Germany including the Gestapo.
- 1941: Set up the Death’s head unit of the SS that ran concentration camps and carried out mass murder of Jewish people.
Who was Joseph Goebbels?
- Intelligent and well-educated
- Was declared medically unfit to fight in WW1
- 1928: Put in charge of Nazi propaganda, proved to be brilliant at it
- 1938: Gave orders for Kristallnacht
- 1943: Put in complete charge of war effort. As defeat loomed, helped organise total war, helping maintain morale ad raise support.
The police state - control by terror and repression
1) Himmler: Himmler was at the head of a system of intimidation, he controlled the police, the gestapo and the SS.
- He had to make sure there was no opposition.
2) The Gestapo: The Gestapo was the secret police.
- They spied on people, and had the power to arrest people without trial, torture and imprison them in concentration camps.
- In early years of Nazi rule, they focused on political opponents, in later years Jewish people, religious groups and homosexuals were also targeted.
- Ordinary Germans feared the Gestapo, they thought they were everywhere, although there were only 15,000 officers to cover a population of 60 million.
- The Gestapo relied on informers and built up a large network of people who would report to them.
3) The SS: It was a powerful organisation and by 1939 had nearly 250,000 members.
- Himmler trained them to be ruthless and loyal to Hitler.
- They destroyed opposition and could arrest people without trial, search their homes and take control of property.
4) Concentration camps: The SS arrested may opponents and put them in temporary prisons.
- Then special concentration camps were constructed, and by the 1930’s they were being run by a section of the SS.
- Himmler controlled over 150 companies who used slave labour.
- The camps held Jewish people, communists, socialists, trade unionists, church leaders and any opponents.
- Conditions were harsh and punishments brutal.
5) Block leaders and informers: The Nazi party had a strong structure.
- Every town was divided into units called blocks, and the block leader (a Nazi) visited every home on the block each week, collecting donations and checking up on people.
0- A report was then written which could affect whether or not the person got a job.
- They would report signs of disobedience.
6) The police and the law courts: The ordinary police still continue but their bosses were the Nazis.
- Top jobs were given to high-ranking Nazis who reported to Himmler.
- The police became part of the network of informers.
- Nazis were appointed as judges so fair trial was impossible.
- The number of offences carrying the death penalty went up from3 in 1933 to 46 by 1943.
The use of propaganda and censorship
Goebbels: He aimed to use propaganda to persuade Germans that Nazi ideas were correct, he also aimed to use censorship to prevent people from hearing, seeing or reading any opposition to Nazi ideas.
1) Rallies: Nazis held huge rallies that presented an image of control and order, they were attended by 100s of people.
- Nazis stage managed the rallies to give a dramatic impression of power and unity. Searchlights, uniforms, music, torchlight parades, flags and symbols created an impressive scene and gave people a sense of belonging.
2) Newspapers: By 1939 Nazis owned 2/3 of newspapers, Jewish people were banned from owning or working for newspapers.
- Control were placed over papers and they had to print what Goebbels wanted or they were shut down.
- They praised the Nazis achievements and showed negative stories on Jewish people and Nazi opponents.
3) Radio: Radio broadcasting was taken over, regular programmes included Hitler’s speeches, German music and German history.
- People listening to foreign station were given the death penalty.
- Cheap radios were made so more people could listen.
- Loudspeakers were also set up in public spaces.
4) Films: Goebbels controlled all the films made in Germany, openly pro -Nazi films were made and scripts were always checked by the ministry.
- There was always a newsreel film show before the movie featuring Hitler’s great achievements.
5) Books: In 1933 Berlin students burnt 20,000 books on massive bonfires.
- Burning books preventing people thinking beyond the Nazi message.
- All new book had to be censored and checked by Goebbels’s ministry.
- He encouraged books about the glory of was, anti war novels were banned.
6) Music: Nazis banned jazz music as they saw it as ‘black’ music, originating from people they considered to be racially inferior.
- They promoted German folk music and marching songs.
7) Art: 1n 1936 Nazis burned 5000 paintings they disapproved of, Hitler wanted art to be patriotic and glorify the ‘master race’.
- They encouraged paintings and sculptures that showed heroic military figures or images of the ideal Aryan family.
8) Architecture: Hitler believed architecture could influence people’s lives.
- He favoured ‘monumental’ style to show of Nazi power and ‘country’ style for family homes.
What opposition and resistance did the Nazi face?
1) The army: Some opposition came from high-ranking officers, as they thought Hitler’s decision to invade USSR in 1941 was a step to far.
- They didn’t like his interference with military tactics and when the war started to go south in 1943, there were many army plots to assassinate Hitler.
- One that came closest to success was organised by Claus von Stauffenburg, called the July 1944 bomb plot.
- Claus had been a Nazi supporter, but was disgusted by the SS and Hitler’s policies towards Jewish people, and by 1943 believed Hitler was leading them to defeat.
- Claus plotted with other officers, he would plant a bomb at Hitler’s military headquarters at a meeting he would attend . Hitler would be killed and the officers would seize power in Berlin.
- The plot failed.
The meeting was in a large building, windows were open, force of the blast was lessened.
- Someone moved the briefcase containing the bomb away from Hitler, only injuring not killing him.
- Claus was arrested and shot, other officers committed suicide or were rounded up and executed.
2) Edelweiss Pirates: Young people (14-18) who refused to behave the way the Nazis wanted them to.
- They listened to foreign radio, picked fights with members of the Hitler youth, listened to banned music, went hiking, drank alcohol and smoked.
- Number grew, but they weren’t a united organisation, but were local groups.
- Some wrote anti-Nazi graffiti, distributed anti-Nazi leaflets and helped army deserters.
- First they were given warning but then they were arrested and some were executed or imprisoned in camps.
3) Swing youth: They listened to jazz music.
- Some boys grew their hair long, girls wore brightly coloured make-up.
- Tended to be wealthier and met in nightclubs, bars and houses.
- More interested in American fashion and music.
- Some members were arrested and imprisoned.
4) The white rose: Students at Munich Uni led by Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst.
- They were disgusted at the lack or opposition to the Nazis and the persecution of the Jewish people.
-They spread anti-Nazi messages through leaflets, posters and graffiti.
- They urged Germans to sabotage the war effort.
- In 1943 they organised the first public demonstration in Germany and handed out anti-Nazi leaflets.
- The leaders were arrested, tortured and executed.
