3 The Nazi regime

(a) How effectively did the Nazis control Germany, 1933–45?

Focus Points

How much opposition was there to the Nazi regime?

-          There were was many opponents to the Nazi Regime. However they never were fruitful of getting through. Anyone who opposed the regime, were either killed or sent to a concentration camp

The Edelweiss pirates

-          Barthel Schink, aged 16 was hanged in November 1944

The Swing Kids

-          Middle class. Inspired by the music of Britain and the USA.

-          Swing clubs were opened where people danced the jitterbug. They listened to music that had been banned.

The White Rose group

-          Students at Munich University

-          They distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, displaying posters and writing graffiti.

How effectively did the Nazis deal with their political opponents?

-          The Nazi’s main weapon for enforcing compliance was intimidation and terror but the use of persuasion and propaganda was also used.

SS

-          It was formed in 1925 as an elite bodyguard and from 1929 came under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler

-          It is split into three 3 main sections:

1) Hitler’s private protection

2) Waffen SS – group of highly skilled and dependable soldiers who fought alongside the regular army

3) Deaths head unit ran concentration camps and later the death camps

Gestapo

-          The Gestapo was a secret state police force set up by Herman Goering in 1933. It was ruthless in dealing with opposition to the Nazis

-          It’s task was to discover the enemies of the state, watch them and render them harmless

-          The Gestapo had the power to arrest and detain suspects without trial

-          Extensive amount of informers ensured that the authorities quickly learned of anyone plotting against them.

-           A one part state meant that all over opposing political parties or ideas were illegal, any opposition would be dealt with harshly

-          Any youth group that opposed would be executed

How did the Nazis use culture and the mass media to control the people?

-          Goebbels was in charge of Propaganda who controlled all types of media

-          Goebbels monitored what would be allowed to be broadcasted

-          Anti-Nazi newspapers closed and every story had to be “Nazi approved”. They didn’t close down all the newspapers so that the German public would not notice the drastic difference

-          Loudspeakers would be placed in public places. The Nazis mass produced the “people’s receiver” which allowed every household to afford one and could hear Nazi propaganda

-          Book burning in universities would take place, this was a form of Nazi censorship which sends a clear Nazi message

-          Jazz music was banned as Black’s were seen as inferior

-          Huge rallies would take place to spread Nazi ideology and allow Hitler to address the German public

-          Berlin games 1936 – New stadium used for propaganda, Germany won most medals.

-          Hero of games was Jesse Owens a black American, won 4 Gold medals Hitler refused to shake hands with him

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society?

-          The Nazis thought the German Aryan race were superior to minorities. Hitler wanted to continue his foreign policy and continue the creation a the “Herrenvolk”

-          The Nazis believed that only Germans could be citizens and that non-Germans did not have any right to the rights of citizenship.

-          The Nazi’s tried to eliminate all Jews. In 1935 the Nuremberg Law passed which stated that Jews could not be citizens of Germany. In 1938 Kristallnacht happened all across Germany which saw attacks on Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues

-          The German killed those with disabilities, gypsies, black people, and those with mental illnesses. These minorities were seen as sub-human “unter mensch”

-          Homosexual were tortured and sent to concentrations camps as they didn’t propagate the species

Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state?

-          A totalitarian state is one in which the leader, in this case Hitler, has total control of the Government and the people.

-          In Hitler's Germany there were many characteristics of a totalitarian state. The Government ran and censored the media. All forms of communication were liable to interference and could be monitored by the Gestapo. This removes freedom of speech, therefore enabling the government to influence popular opinion via propaganda

-          In essence Germany under Hitler was a prime example of a totalitarian sate. People did not question decisions if it was evident that working against the party a potential threat would lead to prison or death. Through careful coercion, manipulation and misleading information the authorities could, and did, do as they pleased as the people were helpless

-          However Germany did not have full control over their economy due to private sector and they did not have any control over factories

-          The Wehrmacht was run by generals who were not always Nazi’s and some parts of the army/air force were more loyal then other

-          Large majority of the German public were very willing to collaborate with the party and inform. They were very often persuaded by propaganda rather forced into obedience

b) What was it like to live in Nazi Germany?

How did young people react to the Nazi regime?

-          Young people were the targets of the Nazis for they would carry on Nazi principles over generations and fight for their country.

-          At schools the children were learnt to pride in their Fatherland and Fuhrer, they were also taught to hate Jews and maintain their racial purity. However, schools were not very effective in bringing these changes.

-          It was the youth movements which gained widespread support from young people. Even children in the countryside joined the Hitler Youth.

-          Most of them joined for the excitement and the aspect of leisure. Girls joined to get away from the boring duties of the home.

-          But it is wrong to assume that all young people approved the Hitler Youth movement.

-          In fact, only 50% of the total boys joined the movement. Groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates were anti-Nazi. They weren't political opponents of the Nazis but rather radical teenagers who hated being told what to do.

-          The Pirates attacked members of the Hitler Youth, the Pirates were eventually put under control by the authorities as they were seen as an opponent to the regime.

How successful were Nazi policies towards women and the family?

-          Nazis held very traditional views about women and the family. Women were to have a passive role of staying at home and looking after their families, while men were to be the active provider and protector of the home.

-          Women were not to take jobs, but instead stay at home. They were to marry only racially pure Aryans and have as many children as possible. Young married couples were given incentives.

-          The birth rate did rise, although not by the large percentage that the Nazis were expecting.

-          Women were given awards and medals if they had 4 children and above.

-          However, when the war started it created labour shortages in key industries, the government found themselves in need of factory workers.

-          Women refused to abandon their traditional role as home keepers to work in factories no matter how much advertising the government did.

-          Those who did go to work battled to look after their families and work-related stress.

-          So it can be said that the Nazi policies towards women were partly successful, since an increase in birth rate did occur

Did most people in Germany benefit from Nazi rule?

Those who did:

The Unemployed

-          The effects of the Wall Street Crash on Germany's gradually improving economy were among the worst in the world and over 6 million people were out of a job.

-          The Nazi's created tones of schemes which got people back to work, building of the Autobahns

The Patriotic

-          The Nazis refused to stick to the Treaty of Versailles and began to restore national pride.

-          People who wanted Germany to become both strong and proud again were very happy with Hitler for refusing to bow to the international pressures they were under.

The Army

-          Grew significantly and created thousands of more opportunities for German men. Conscription was also introduced.

Business

-          Businesses began to flourish under the improving economy.

Those who didn't:

The Jewish

-          Though many German's were not particularly welcome in Germany no minority was more persecuted than the Jewish.

-          The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were among the first to remove rights of the Jewish within society.

The Disabled

-          Babies were inspected at birth to look for disabilities and if 3 doctors agreed that the baby was disabled it was to be killed.

-          This was stopped because it caused outrage and Hitler didn't want to provoke the public but when WW2 began and administration became chaotic, the program resumed to actively killing the disabled of all ages and pretending they had been sick

Political Opposition

-          Many were sent to concentration camps early in the Nazi regime to teach them why they must not speak out, while many were killed.

-          Censorship and propaganda made people unable to form their own opinions

-          If you complied with the Nazi regime and weren't seen as a minority, you would benefit from back to work schemes and economic opportunities. Those who were seen as minorities would suffer

How did the coming of war change life in Nazi Germany?

German Economy

-          The full impact of the war was not generally felt until around 1942.

-          At first the economy was little affected, but as war grew, it began to hurt the Nazis.

-          Bombing raids damaged or destroyed factories and ways of transport.

-          The large focus on concentration camps also took away from the war effort.

-          Germany did however succeed in strengthening their arms, between 1942 and 1944 due to a Full Time War economy being implemented in 1942

-          The economy was no longer stable; there was a shortage of food, and fuel, which had a hard impression on the people.

-          Millions of Germans became homeless because of the bombs being dropped on Germany’s cities.

Bombing Raids

-          Right from the beginning bombing was a popular method used by the British.

-          The main targets were military areas and industrial sites

-          By 1942 the RAF was dropping bombs on entire cities and towns as well.

-          Homes, schools, doctors, posts, trains, and people were harmed, or completely wiped out.

Hitler Youth

-          Member did as much as possible to prevent war from reaching the domestic front.

-          Fun and games turned into preparing for battle, which meant that those signing up for the Hitler Youth massively decreased. By 1936 joining the Youth was compulsory

Women

-          The Nazis previous policy towards women was forced to change after the war.

-          The birth-rate was encouraged to grow even more, while women were also asked to go back to work.

-          The Nazis used the term “Final Solution” to refer to their plan to annihilate the Jewish people. The genocide, or mass destruction, of the Jews.