THIS SECTION. Life in Nazi Spartacist uprising. biggest party

Transcription

1 THIS SECTION Time of disorder and Time of stability and Germany collapses Nazi era chaos caused by defeat in WW1. Germans angry at defeat and at Treaty of prosperity Germany recovers under Gustav Stresemann due to Wall Street Crash Great Depression in Germany Mass unemployment Hitler becomes German Chancellor Hitler becomes dictator Versailles International and hardship Nazi methods of Weimar Republic agreements Dramatic rise of the control set up. Nazi Party very Nazi party Life in Nazi Spartacist little support By 1932 Nazis the Germany uprising biggest party Nazis and youth Kapp putsch Founding of Nazi Party Hyperinflation Munich putsch Opposition to the Nazis Who did the Nazis persecute Nazis and the economy

2 REVISION TOPIC 1: HITLER BECOMES DICTATOR OF GERMANY Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor on January 30 th At first he was in a weak situation and might not have lasted because Although he was Chancellor Hindenburg was still President and hated Hitler s and Hindenburg s friend Von Papen was Hitler s Vice Chancellor his job was to restrain Hitler. 2. In the Government there were only two other Nazis apart from Hitler. 3. Nazi support was actually going down at that time because unemployment was less severe. 4. Worst of all although the Nazis were still the biggest party in the Reichstag they did not have a majority and could still be outvoted by the other parties this meant they could block what Hitler wanted from becoming law. YET IN JUST OVER 1 YEAR HITLER WAS THE SUPREME DICTATOR OF GERMANY HOW DID HE DO IT? (A) CALLING A NEW ELECTION Hitler set out to solve problem (4) first he wanted a majority in the Reichstag so that he could control the country and do as he pleased. So he called a new election for MARCH 1933 and then tried to make sure he won it. (B) USING THE POLICE AND SA (Stormtroopers) Although there were only two other Nazis in the government Hitler made sure that one of them HERMANN GOERING was put in charge of the Police. To make sure Hitler won the election he - - (a)used the Police to break up meetings of other parties especially Communists. (b)made the SA auxiliary police he gave them the same powers as the normal police and used them to bust up other parties meetings and arrested their leaders. (c )Got President Hindenburg to pass a law only allowing other parties to meet if they gave 48 hours notice Goering used this to stop those meetings! (C) THE REICHSTAG FIRE (Feb ) On the night of Feb. 27 th the German Parliament the Reichstag went up in flames. A Communist called Van der Lubbe was found inside he was charged with the crime No one knows whether he really did it or whether the Nazis set the whole thing up. But Hitler used this to (a)argue that the Communists and others were plotting to take power (as they had set fire to the Parliament). (b)arrest 4,000 Communists (c )Hitler then got Hindenburg to pass a law THE LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PEOPLE AND THE STATE it allowed emergency decrees to be passed giving the police and SA the power to search houses, confiscate goods, and lock people up without trial, ban meetings of other parties, close down newspapers, of other parties, round up political enemies of the Nazis and send them to newly built CONCENTRATION CAMPS. (d) Goering also took over the state radio station and used it for Nazi propaganda. ALL THESE THINGS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE OTHER PARTIES TO ARGUE AGAINST THE NAZIS IN THE BUILDUP TO THE MARCH ELECTION only the Nazis were able to campaign for the election and they used the radio to brainwash people into voting for them. The SA even watched people as they voted to stop them voting against Hitler

3 On 27th February, 1933, the Reichstag caught fire. When they police arrived they found Marinus van der Lubbe on the premises. After being tortured by the Gestapo he confessed to starting the Reichstag Fire. However he denied that he was part of a Communist conspiracy. Hermann Goering refused to believe him and he ordered the arrest of several leaders of the German Communist Party (KPD). When Hitler heard the news about the fire he gave orders that all leaders of the German Communist Party should "be hanged that very night." Paul von Hindenburg vetoed this decision but did agree that Hitler should take "dictatorial powers". KPD candidates in the election were arrested and Hermann Goering announced that the Nazi Party planned "to exterminate" German communists. As well as Marinus van der Lubbe the German police charged four communists with setting fire to the Reichstag. This included Ernst Torgler, the chairman of the KPD and Georgi Dimitrov of the Soviet Comintern. On 23rd March, 1933, the German Reichstag passed the Enabling Bill. This banned the German Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party from taking part in future election campaigns. This was followed by Nazi officials being put in charge of all local government in the provinces (7th April), trades unions being abolished, their funds taken and their leaders put in prison (2nd May), and a law passed making the Nazi Party the only legal political party in Germany (14th July). Marinus van der Lubbe was found guilty of the Reichstag Fire and was executed on 10th January, Adolf Hitler was furious that the rest of the defendants were acquitted and he decided that in future all treason cases were taken from the Supreme Court and given to a new People's Court, where prisoners were judged by members of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). (D)THE RESULTS OF THE MARCH ELECTION The Nazis came top but - - They still did not quite have a majority the other parties could still outvote him even though one other party the Nationalists backed him- - NAZIS 288 seats NATIONALISTS (sympathetic to the Nazis) 52 seats SOCIAL DEMOCRATS (Labour) ant Nazi 120 seats COMMUNISTS (extreme enemies of Nazis) 81 seats CENTRE (Conservatives) anti Nazi 74 seats OTHERS 32 seats So what would Hitler do to get around this? (E) THE ENABLING ACT March 1933 Hitler decided to give himself the power to rule Germany without the Reichstag so he - - (a) Simply arrested all the Communists in the Reichstag this got rid of 81 MPs. (b) Then when the Reichstag met in Berlin (in an Opera House the Reichstag was burnt) the SA turned up and simply forced the other MPs to vote to give all power to Hitler. (c) To achieve this they forced the Reichstag to pas THE ENABLING ACT it gave Hitler the power to rule without the Reichstag or even President Hindenburg. (d) From then on Hitler was the DICTATOR of Germany he could do as he liked. (F) THE LAW AGAINST THE FORMATION OF NEW PARTIES July 1933 Hitler used his new powers to pass this law which in fact banned all other parties in Germany. Only the Nazis were allowed to exist and only Nazis sat in the Reichstag. Form now on the Reichstag met but had no power at all. It was simply a place where Hitler made speeches. (G) THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES June 1934 Hitler was now dictator but he still had two groups in Germany who might threaten him - - THE SA (STORMTROOPERS). The SA had been used to help Hitler into power but they now became a threat because - - (a)the SA was getting out of control and becoming too powerful - over 2 ½ MILLION OF THEM! (b)hitler no longer needed them now he was in power

4 (b)the leader of the SA ERNST ROHM - was becoming too ambitious he wanted to make the SA the real army of Germany and he might have even wanted to replace Hitler as leader. (c )If Hitler gave into Rohm it would mean having to get rid of the real German army. (d)the SA were more radical and left wing than Hitler they criticised Hitler for not changing Germany enough. THE ARMY (a) It was very alarmed that the Nazis might try to abolish it its Generals might move against Hitler (b) Although it had only 100,000 men they were better trained and more disciplined than the SA (c) Some army generals hated Hitler and might have wanted him out. (d) Big business supported the army HITLER S DECISION - - To solve both problems he would Do a deal with the army to get rid of Rohm and the SA. They would no longer be a threat to the army or to Hitler himself 2. In return the army must swear an aoth of loyalty to Hitler personally RESULTS June 29 the SA leaders including Rohm were meeting in the Hotel Hanselbauer in Bavaria. Hitler used the SS his own black uniformed bodyguards led by Heinrich Himmler to surround the hotel and grab the SA. Rohm and the others were murdered. At the same time across Germany many other enemies of the nazis were also killed in the NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES. Up to 200 might have been shot others arrested. The SA was brought under control and wound down and the Army did swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler. Neither the army or SA would now threaten him! ((H) THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT HINDENBURG August 2 nd President Hindenburg died Hitler became President as well as Chancellor but gave himself a new title FUHRER or LEADER of Germany. HE HAD DONE IT! DETAIL - THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES June WHO WERE THE SA? The Nazis own private army who fought other parties Led by Hitler s friend ERNST ROHM They had grown to 2 ½ million by compared with 100,000 in the Germany army. WHY DID HITLER TURN AGAINST THEM? REASON 1 : They were no longer needed Hitler had found the SA useful in gaining power to get rid of his opponents but now he was in power they were no longer needed and were an embarrassment. REASON 2: Rohm s ambitions Ernst Rohm wanted the SA to replace or take over the German army. This alarmed the army who were only 100,00 strong but highly trained and professional. The army were the only force who could now remove Hitler and many of its generals did not like Hitler and the Nazis So Hitler was worried that the army would take over as a result of Rohm s threats he had to do something about the SA. Hindenburg told Hitler he might order this if the SA were not dealt with. REASON 3: ROHM S IDEAS Rohm was more radical or left wing than Hitler and wanted the Nazis to take over many of Germany s businesses.

5 The alarmed big business leaders and they were the ones who provided the party with much of its money. Hitler disagreed with Rohm s ideas. REASON 4 : Rohm had made enemies Rohm had fallen out with some very powerful Nazi leaders like Goering and Himmler. They were now telling Hitler that Rohm was planning to take over from Hitler If Rohm went Himmler s SS would be the most powerful force in Germany REASON 5 : Rohm s personal behaviour Rohm was a thug, a drunkard and homosexual. Hitler had turned a blind eye to this when he had needed Rohm By 1934 Hitler was not prepared to tolerate this. RESULT THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES Hitler decided to fly to Munich to put down the SA rebellion and confront Röhm and top SA leaders who were gathered at the resort town of Bad Wiessee near Munich. Arriving in Munich near dawn, Saturday, June 30, Hitler first ordered the arrest of the SA men who were inside Munich Nazi headquarters, then proceeded to the Ministry of the Interior building where he confronted the top SA man in Munich after his arrest, even tearing off his insignia in a fit of hysteria. Next it was on to Röhm. A column of troops and cars containing Hitler, Rudolf Hess, and others, sped off toward Röhm and his men. At this point, the story is often told (partly conceived by the Nazis) of Hitler arriving at the resort hotel about 6:30 a.m. and rushing inside with a pistol to arrest Röhm and other SA leaders. However it is more likely the hotel was first secured by the SS before Hitler went near it. Hitler then confronted Röhm and the others and sent them to Stadelheim prison outside Munich to be later shot by the SS. An exception was made in the case of Edmund Heines, an SA leader who had been found in bed with a young man. When told of this, Hitler ordered his immediate execution at the hotel. A number of the SA leaders, including Röhm, were homosexuals. Prior to the purge, Hitler for the most part ignored their behavior because of their usefulness to him during his rise to power. However, their usefulness and Hitler's tolerance had now come to an end. Later, their homosexual conduct would be partly used as an excuse for the murders. Saturday morning about 10 a.m. a phone call was placed from Hitler in Munich to Göring in Berlin with the prearranged code word 'Kolibri' (hummingbird) that unleashed a wave of murderous violence in Berlin and over 20 other cities. SS execution squads along with Göring's private police force roared through the streets hunting down SA leaders and anyone on the prepared list of political enemies (known as the Reich List of Unwanted Persons). Included on the list: Gustav von Kahr, who had opposed Hitler during the Beer Hall Putsch of found hacked to death in a swamp near Dachau; Father Bernhard Stempfle, who had taken some of the dictation for Hitler's book Mein Kampf and knew too much about Hitler - shot and killed; Kurt von Schleicher, former Chancellor of Germany and master of political intrigue, who had helped topple democracy in Germany and put Hitler in power - shot and killed along with his wife; Gregor Strasser, one of the original members of the Nazi Party and formerly next in importance to Hitler; Berlin SA leader Karl Ernst, who was involved in torching the Reichstag building in February, 1933; Vice-Chancellor Papen's press secretary; Catholic leader Dr. Erich Klausener. By 4 a.m., Monday, July 2, the bloody purge had ended. The exact number of murders is unknown since all Gestapo documents relating to the purge were destroyed. Estimates vary widely from 200 or 250, to as high as 1,000 or more. Less than half of those murdered were actually SA officers

6 REVISION TOPIC 2 HOW HITLER AND THE NAZIS CONTROLLED GERMANY How well did they control the country? DIAGRAM SHOWING METHODS OF NAZI CONTROL - - How did Hitler keep control of Germany? The Terror State Secret police called the Gestapo would spy on and arrest enemies of the state. SS were responsible for running the concentration camps. Everyone was scared of being arrested by the Gestapo and being put in a concentration camp. Keeping Control of Germany Popularity Ripping up the Treaty of Versailles. Creating Jobs Propaganda Mass Rallies, Posters and Propaganda films. The Nazis controlled and censored the radio & newspapers. School children were indoctrinated with Nazi ideas at school. Hitler Youth & the Young Maidens. METHOD 1 : THE TERROR STATE (rule by FEAR) 1.STRICT DICTATORSHIP Between Hitler made himself supreme dictator of Germany After 1934 he was supreme - - (a)he alone had the right to make the important decisions in Germany (b)there was no other body a cabinet or Parliament which could challenge his power (c)all his Ministers had to work towards the Fuhrer listen to his wishes then go away and carry them out. (d)this made it very difficult for his Ministers and other Nazi leaders Hitler worked few hours and moved from place to place so it was often difficult to see him and get a decision out of him (e)hitler did not attempt to get all his Ministers and departments of government to work together he allowed them to compete with each other for his attention and fight each other for power his job was to make the big decisions and then allow them to fight it out. This led to chaos in the German government. 2.ONE PARTY STATE After the Law Against the Formation of New Parties only the Nazi Party was allowed to exist and its members alone ruled Germany. Only Nazis were allowed in the German Parliament the Reichstag. The rest of Germany was divided up into areas called GAU and Hitler chose a nazi he trusted to run each one of them. These officials were called GAULEITERS. Hitler let them rule their areas as they wanted and only interfered if there was a problem. All the law courts were taken over by the Nazis and all judges had to be Nazis. There was to be no trial by jury. The real reason for the courts was to punch enemies of the Nazis. The number of crimes punishable by death went up from 3 to POLICE STATE

7 In Nazi Germany no opposition or criticism was allowed to make sure everyone obeyed the Nazis they set up a POLICE STATE. The main body who ran it were the S.S. who were led by one of Hitler s most trusted followers HEINRICH HIMMLER and his deputy REINHARD HEYDRICH. WHO WERE THE S.S.? The SS began life as a small group of personal bodyguards for Adolf Hitler - only 500 of them(hence the name Schutz Staffel means Protection Squads ). They were hand picked and more reliable and responsible than the SA Stormtrooper brownshirts and they wore black uniforms to distinguish themselves fro the SA.. But -after the Night of the Long Knives in 1934 (when the SS were sent to murder the SA leadership including Ernst Rohm) the SS became the main Nazi organisation and the main instrument of political control in Germany and then in Nazi occupied Europe. This gave enormous power to Himmler and his SS follower and by 1934 there were 50,000 SS men.by 1939 they had imprisoned 162,000 people without trial in concentration camps. The SS were in charge of a number of separate organisations who were based here. The main ones were - - The Gestapo the feared Nazi Secret Police led by Reinhard Heydrich known as hangman Heydrich. He was second in command to Himmler in the SS and a much harder man he was tipped to succeed Hitler in the long run.. Their job was to hunt down and either kill or imprison enemies of the Nazis in Germany and in Europe. They tapped people s telephones, intercepted their letters and spied on people they had thousands of informers who listened to what people were saying and reported to them. Many of the informers were Block Wardens the Nazis had one of their members in every block of houses or flats in Germany and their job was to report on the people who lived their and whether they were loyal or disloyal. Those who were disloyal could be visited by the Gestapo and taken away. The SD were a special intelligence unit set up by the Nazis to gather information on their enemies also run by Heydrich. The Ordinary Uniformed Police were also under the command of Heydrich. The Nazis also used the normal police to help them run Germany OTHER BRANCHES - - The Office for Economic and Administrative Matters - a boring title which hides its real job it ran the many factories and farms which the SS owned but also the concentration camps and the SS deaths Head Units who ran the camps including the death camps like Auschwitz. The first concentration camps (the very first was Dachau near Munich) were set up after 1933 when the Nazis rounded up so many of the political enemies that there was not enough room in the prisons for them. They set up special camps with huts and barbed wire to house them (they called this Protective Custody ). At first they were run by the SA but then the SS took them over. Prisoners were tortured and killed and used s slave Labour in factories which were set up near the camps. Later racial enemies like Jews and Gypsies were sent to the camps. Finally, after the war broke out, some camps became DEATH CAMPS where Jews and others were sent to be killed by gassing, shooting or work to death The Jewish Office run by Adolf Eichmann responsible for organising the deportation and murder of Europe s Jews. The Waffen SS the military wing of the SS who fought alongside the German Army. The Race Office (race and Settlement) which dealt with the racial cleansing of Germany and Europe and the transportation of millions of people for the purposes of race settlement. The Einsatzgruppen or Special Action Squads - only came into existence during the war -sent out into occupied Eastern Europe to do there work they were special SS groups whose task was the round up and shoot Jews in conquered towns and villages they often made the Jews dig large death pits before shooting them. These groups were the main method of killing Jews before the building of places like Auschwitz later on in the war. The men who worked here were mostly armchair killers. They planned and organised mass murder but did not directly participate(exception some who worked here had been members of Einsatzgruppen like Otto Ohlendorf who led Special Unit D in Russia from before graduating to head the department here responsible for the occupied territories in general. He was executed fro war crimes in Those who worked here could talk about their work in a matter of fact way and did so at their trials later on.

8 REINHARD HEYDRICH The chief organiser of the SS was Heydrich Himmler s trusted deputy. Heydrich ran several of the organisations here but in 1942 he was transferred to be the governor of occupied Bohemia (now called the Czech republic). Here he was assassinated by Czech Commandos trained in Britain and parachuted in to kill Heydrich (all the commandos were themselves killed). Before he died Heydrich had been given the task - by Himmler of preparing the Final Solution of the Jewish Question. Heydrich called and chaired a meeting not here but at another SS villa in Wanssee and the 15 men who attended planned the Holocaust which resulted in the rounding up and transportation of millions of Jews to the gas chambers. CONCENTRATION CAMPS They were first used to house political enemies of the Nazis who could not be sent to prison. At first they were run by the SA but then by the more reliable SS. The first tow were at DACHAU near Munich in the South and then SACHSENHAUSEN near Berlin in the north. Victims were made to work and tortured for information. They were encouraged to commit suicide. Later there was a whole network of camps over Germany and then Europe during the war and they were not just for political enemies they also included millions of Jews, Russian prisoners of war, tramps, gypsies, homosexuals, churchmen etc HOW THE NAZIS TRIED TO CRUSH RELIGION Facts % of Germans were Christians There were two types of Christians Protestants and Catholics The Catholics lived mainly in the South and were 1/3 of the population Prods 2 /3 Nazis relations with the Churches went through a number of phases - - CO-OPERATION At first Hitler and the Nazis tried to co-operate with the Churches because Most Germans were believing Christians this made the Church strong 2. Many Church members had sided with the Nazis especially as the Nazis attacked the Communists who were atheists (non believers) 3. The Church agreed with many Nazis ideas like preserving family life, combating crime. 4. The Churches agreed with Nazis ideas about building up the army and protecting the country. RESULTS Hitler and the Churches got on Hitler signed an agreement with the Catholic Church called THE CONCORDAT which promised that Catholic schools and organisations would be left alone Hitler united all Protestants under one REICH CHURCH and chose a Nazi Bishop Muller to run it they even wore swastikas. CRUSHING THE CHURCHES After 1935 Hitler set out to crush the Churches and religion because He was now in a stronger position as a very popular leader 2. He came to see religion as a rival to Nazi ideas it taught people to be loyal to God and the Church not him. Hitler wanted Germans to regard him as their leader and not Jesus or God, he wanted them to follow him not their religion and he regarded Mein Kamp as the new bible of Nazism which would replace the real bible. 3. Some Churchmen began to attack and criticise the Nazis for some of the things they were doing especially their treatment of the Jews. Their ideas of tolerance and love and peace were directly opposed to Nazi ideas of punishing the weak and using violence and conquest. 4. Hitler was especially suspicious of the Catholic Church because (a) Their loyalty was to the head of their Church the Pope not Hitler (b) They had always supported the rival Centre Party in politics (c) The Catholic Church had its own youth groups which were a rival to the Hitler Youth (d) The Catholic Church ran many schools which would not accept so much Nazi propaganda.

9 So he set out to crush them by Hitler sets up a department of Church Affairs to control the Churches 700 Protestant Chrchmen were arrested The Nazis launched a campaign to stop children attending Church Schools or youth groups -= hundreds of catholic Churchmen and women were arrested Christian carols and nativity plays banned in schools Priests stopped from teaching religion in schools All Church schools were abolished. HOW EFFECTIVE WERE THE NAZIS IN CRUSHING THE CHURCH??? CATHOLICS Hitler s policies failed to destroy the Catholic Church because - - (a)persecuting the Church and priests simply made them stronger (b)the priests who were sent to concentration camps were regarded as heroes by Catholics and many survived because they were so popular Catholic Churches were full each Sunday The Church became one of the main sources of opposition to the Nazis. PROTESTANTS They split into two SUPPORTERS those Protestants who supported the Nazis AGREED TO GO INTO THE NEW Reich Church and their leader Ludwig Muller. Some even worse Swastikas alongside the crucifix. They had 2000 pastors OPPONENTS Thos who opposed the Nazis for the Confessional Church and Niemoller was their leader. They had 6000 pastors. They were not destroyed either. METHOD 2 : INDOCTRINATION BY BRAINWASHING THROUGH PROPAGANDA.PROPAGANDA WHAT WAS NAZI PROPAGANDA? = and attempt to brainwash the German people into accepting and supporting Nazi rule. WHO WAS IN CHARGE? = JOSEPH GOEBBELS one of Hitler s must trusted followers. Goebbels used the following methods to spread Nazi propaganda and Hitler worship NEWSPAPERS Goebbels took charge of all Germany s newspapers and decided - - (a)what journalists could and could not write (b)what the papers could print (c )Important stories which they had to print stories praising Nazi achievements and glorifying Hitler (d)to close all non Nazi newspapers down their numbers were reduced from 4,700 in 1933 to 1,000 in (e)all Nazi newspapers had to be displayed in public places. RESULTS Goebbels controlled what the German people could or could not read they only read good things about the Nazis those who did not support the Nazis had no say. RADIO Goebbels knew how important radio had become in the 1930s (bit like TV today). It was peoples main source of entertainment and information.. It was essential for the nazis to control the radio so he - - (a)set up the Reich Radio Company which took over control of ALL radio stations for the Nazis.

10 (b)provided cheap radios which all Germans could afford so that all could hear Nazi propaganda on the radio (c )Set up loudspeakers in factories, offices and public places which the Nazis could use to broadcast Hitler speeches and news. RESULT a whole generation of Germans were brought up knowing nothing but Nazi propaganda from the radio they never heard an alternative view and people tended to trust the radio more than the newspapers. FILMS Goebbles took over film making in Germany he continued to make films which entertained people but deliberately made political films as well to influence people. He made films which poisoned people against the Jews like the film The Eternal Jew which showed Jews as rats infesting Germany. Of the 1,300 films he made 200 were propaganda films. All films were accompanied by a 45 minute newsreel showing the successes of the Nazi government RESULT the cinema was a main source of entertainment and information for Germans as it was the world over yet even here the Nazi message was got through. FESTIVITIES AND CELEBRATIONS Goebbels organised huge public displays and meetings and rallies to impress the German people and rally support for the Nazis. The main rally was the NUREMBURG RALLY which was held every September and lasted one week and included mass meetings, speeches by Hitler and others etc. Other Nazi celebrations were - - CULTURE Goebbels wanted to control all the Arts in Germany including art, music, theatre, literature, sculpture, architecture. to ensure that Nazi ideas were got across. He - - (a) Set up the Reich Chamber of Culture run by himself all musicians, writers, actors had to be members you could not work unless you were in it so it was a way for Goebbels to end the career of anyone he thought was against the Nazis mant top writers and musicians left Germany because of this. (b) MUSIC he drew up strict rules about what musicians could compose all music had to be German and it had to glorify the German nation modern music like Jazz was banned (c ) THEATRE Goebbels controlled which plays could be performed only those not dangerous to the Nazis were allowed and he encouraged plays which celebrated German history and life. (d) LITERATURE Goebbels drew up a list of banned books because they gave the wrong political views. The Gestapo removed them from libraries and bookshops and in one famous event in May 1933 Nazi students at Berlin University took all anti Nazi or Jewish books from the library and burnt them in a square opposite the University. Goebbels encouraged books about race, war and heroic stories about the rise of the Nazis. Goebbels himself wrote a book called Michael in 1929 which glorified Hitler and encouraged young Germans to fight Jews and Communists and to fight for Germany on the battlefield (e) ARCHITECTURE Hitler was very keen on architecture and once wanted to be an architect himself. He demanded buildings which would be grand and glorify his rule. He favoured massive stone buildings with lots of pillars like Greek or Roman buildings. Eg Hitler s architect Albert Speer designed his new Headquarters the Reichschancellory which Hitler moved into just before the war and from which he ruled Germany. Hitler wanted the whole of central Berlin re-built in this style. (f) ART Hitler also wanted to be an artist and had firm views about what could and could not be painted. He hated modern art and abstract art he loved simple, realistic pictures which portrayed Germans as heroic and strong. All other art he called degenerate art eg in 1937 the Nazis put on an exhibition in Berlin at the House of German Art which showed good Aryan art but also degenerate art which the Nazis encouraged people to hate. CASE STUDY: THE 1936 BERLIN OLYMPIC GAMES The Nazis also used sport for propaganda the most famous example th1936 BERLIN OLYMPIC GAMES. BACKGROUND In 1936 Germany hosted the Olympic Games to be held in the capital Berlin The mass media from 49 countries would be there so Goebbels decided to use this as a chance for Nazi propaganda a chance to show how great and strong Germany was under Hitler.

11 HOW WAS THIS DONE To show that Germans were racially superior the Nazis specially trained their athletes who were professional for the very first time (in those days all athletes from other countries were amateurs). As a result they DID get more medals than anyone else they got 33 Gold and the USA second with Persecution of Jews was stopped while the games were on show the world that Germany was not hurting Jews. 3. A brand new stadium was built the best in the world to show off German know how, 4. Massive and impressive ceremonies were organised especially the Opening Ceremony which was the biggest of its kind. 5. The German crowd were encouraged to hero worship Hitler when he entered the stadium they all gave the Nazis salute and screamed his name. The games were broadcast all around the w orld by radio for the first time foreign commentators could describe the races the biggest ever. This won the admiration of many countries. BUT the most spectacular performance at the games was by a black American athlete called JESSE OWENS who won 4 gold medals this was a blow for the Nazis because black people were supposed to be racially inferior! THE CULT OF THE FUHRER HOW PROPAGANDA WAS USED TO GLORIFY ADOLF HITLER One of the main aims of Nazi propaganda to portray Hitler as a genius who Could never make a mistake 2. Knew everything 3. Cared for all the people all the time and was especially kind to children 4. Worked tirelessly and endlessly for the good of the German people. 5. Was above other men and not like them a superior almost God like person. HOW WAS THIS DONE? Goebbels propaganda machine ensured that - - Newspapers wrote endless articles praising Hitler as a kind of God or Saviour of the German people. Newspapers were made to say that all Germany s successes at home and abroad were the direct result of Hitler s genius. Portraits and posters of him showed him as the great Fuhrer of the German people who protected children, led the Nation and lived a simple, honest life. Films portrayed Hitler as a genius. DID IT WORK? Yes millions of Germans did have faith in Hitler as an exceptional man and never blamed him when things went wrong they tended to blame those under Hitler for letting him down. This was reinforced up to 1942 by his great successes He did give Germany prosperity the economy recovered and unemployment dropped to zero. He enjoyed one foreign success after another and defeated all his enemies abroad he took back the Rhineland in 1936, took over Austria in 1938, took Czechoslovakia by 1939, conquered Poland in 1939 and conquered Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, France in In 1941 he took most of South east Europe too. In 1941 he invaded Russia and took huge areas of that country.

12 These great victories won him massive support in Germany and seemed to suggest that the propaganda about him was correct!!!! The German public only began to lose faith in him after 1942 when the war turned against Germany not until defeat was certain from did they turn away from him but he was too powerful to overthrow. Even then some people still believed that Hitler would produce a miracle which would save Germany! OPPOSITION TO THE NAZIS HOW SERIOUS? YOUTH OPPOSITION During the war some young people formed resistance groups and would not go along with the Nazis because they were angered by the deaths of so many other young people or fed up with being bullied by the Nazis Eg the SWING YOUTH who followed the music of black American jazz players and swing bands all this was frowned on by the Nazis. The Nazis crushed this behaviour and many of them went to concentration camps Eg THE EDELWEISS PIRATES edelweiss = a white flower and it was worn by young Germans as a symbol of their opposition to the Nazis. They were violent and often attacked and beat up Nazis eg they killed the Nazi Gestapo leader in Cologne. They sheltered deserters from the German army. They were arrested and wiped out. Eg THE WHITE ROSE GROUP - organised by Munich university students who were angered by the Nazi treatment of Poles and Russians in the war. Their leaders were Hans and Sophie Scholl and Professor Kurt Huber (at Munich University). Hans had served in the German Army in Russia and saw the atrocities the Germans had committed there he thought that if he publicised this the German people might oppose the Nazis. They distributed leaflets and put up posters - but they were caught doing this in 1943 and arrested by the Gestapo. They were beheaded. These groups were totally ineffective against the Nazis CHURCH OPPOSITION Many Christians opposed the Nazis some openly stood up to them. Facts % of Germans were Christians There were two types of Christians Protestants and Catholics The Catholics lived mainly in the South and were 1/3 of the population Prods 2 /3Nazis relations with the Churches went through a number of phases - - CO-OPERATION At first Hitler and the Nazis tried to co-operate with the Churches because Most Germans were believing Christians this made the Church strong 6. Many Church members had sided with the Nazis especially as the Nazis attacked the Communists who were atheists (non believers) 7. The Church agreed with many Nazis ideas like preserving family life, combating crime. 8. The Churches agreed with Nazis ideas about building up the army and protecting the country. RESULTS Hitler and the Churches got on Hitler signed an agreement with the Catholic Church called THE CONCORDAT which promised that Catholic schools and organisations would be left alone Hitler united all Protestants under one REICH CHURCH and chose a nazi Bishop Muller to run it they even wore swastikas. CRUSHING THE CHURCHES After 1935 Hitler set out to crush the Churches and religion because - -

13 5. He was now in a stronger position as a very popular leader 6. He came to see religion as a rival to Nazi ideas it taught people to be loyal to God and the Church not him 7. Some Churchmen began to attack and criticise the Nazis for some of the things they were doing especially their treatment of the Jews. EXAMPLES MARTIN NIEMOLLER In the 1930s he became the main critic of the Nazis in the Church he was a Protestant pastor. When the Nazis set up their own Reich Church to control the Protestants he broke away and formed his own Church called the Confessional Church. He then began to speak out against the Nazis. He was arrested in 1937 and sent to prison for 7 months but kept on attacking the Nazis when he was released and ended up in a concentration camp (Sachsenhausen). He was sentenced to death but the war ended before it could be carried out. DEITRICH BONHOFFER He was a Protestant like Niemoller and helped him found the Confessional Church in He also spoke out against the Nazis especially their racial views and he was banned from preaching. He joined the German secret service in the war but plotted against Hitler and he even helped Jews escape from Germany. He was arrested in 1942 and ended up in a concentration camp. He was shot in 1945, PAUL SCHNEIDER He was a Church man in a small town who began to attack the Nazis in 1937 he was sent to a concentration camp but continued to smuggle out letters he was found out and tortured until he was released after 2 years. CARDINAL GALEN He was a Catholic who protested at the nazis killing the mentally ill and disabled he was so popular that the Nazis dare not touch him! RESULTS most religious opponenets of the Nazis were crushed because The Nazis began to attack and destroy religion. This is what they did in Hitler sets up a department of Church Affairs to control the Churches 700 Protestant Churchmen were arrested The Nazis launched a campaign to stop children attending Church Schools or youth groups -= hundreds of catholic Churchmen and women were arrested Christian carols and nativity plays banned in schools Priests stopped from teaching religion in schools All Church schools were abolished. THE ARMY HIGH COMMAND Some senior commanders in the German army opposed Hitler because - - (a)before 1939 Hitler was taking great risks by building up Germany s armed forces and challenging France and Britain in 1937 Hitler met them and told them to get ready for war. They felt that Hitler was about to land them all in a war they could not win and the only way to stop this was to get rid of Hitler. Top Commanders like Fritsche and Blomberg were ready to move against Hitler arrest and replace him the minute he made a mistake in his foreign policy. BUT Hitler always triumphed and France and Britain did not stop him so their plots came to nothing In the end both Fritsche and Blomberg were removed by Hitler. (b)after the war broke out in 1939 German victories silenced the generals but after 1942 Germany began to lose the war and many generals feared that Germany itself and the entire German army would be destroyed if the war was not ended. Hitler was planning to fight on so the only way to end the wear was to remove him and ask the British and Americans for peace.

14 (c )Some Generals and officers in the German army were horrified at the behaviour of the Nazis murdering Jews and civilians in Russia and decided to kill Hitler and remove the Nazis on moral grounds. HOW SERIOUS WAS THIS OPPOSITION? Not very army plots to remove Hitler usually came to nothing as the generals did not have the guts to move against him. The only serious plot was the JULY BOMB PLOT of 1944 THE JULY BOMB PLOT 1944 In July 1944 there was the only serious attempt to kill Hitler the July Bomb Plot WHO WAS BEHIND IT? For a long time some senior officers in the German Army had opposed Hitler they were horrified at Hitler;s attacks on other countries and by 1943 they were convinced that Germany was going to lose the war an be destroyed. They wanted to kill Hitler and then make peace with Britain and America before it was too late. The ringleader was a junior officer called VON STAUFFENBERG. He had fought for the German army in Russia and been seriously wounded. He was shocked by the mass murders committed by the SS in Russia and he was also convinced that Germany was going to lose the war. Stauffenburg volunteered to kill Hitler because he was an intelligence officer who had regular contact with Hitler. Only he could get close enough to kill Hitler THE PLAN On July 20 Stauffenberg was summoned to Hitler s Headquarters in east Germany called The Wolfs Lair at Rastenberg. He planed to place a bomb I his briefcase with a timer. He would place the briefcase next to Hitler and then make an excuse to leave. He would then fly back to Berlin. Here his fellow officers would take over the city on hearing of Hitler s death. They would then make peace with Britain and America. WHAT HAPPENED? Stauffenberg got into the meeting with Hitler and other Generals he placed the briefcase next to Hitler by a table and then left and saw the building blow up. BUT Hitler had not been killed the briefcase had been moved by a General. When Stauffenberg got back to Berlin the other plotters heard that he had failed- and the plot collapsed. Stauffenberg was arrested and shot the other plotters were all murdered later on 5,000 of them RESISTANCE BY ORDINARY PEOPLE Many ordinary Germans came to resent the nazis - their bullying, the pressure to join, the lack of freedom and lack of privacy. This grumbling only got serious when the Nazis began to lose the war and when the bombing of German cities and shortages of food and goods began to bite. But this was never a serious threat to the nazis because People were too scared to speak out openly or do anything about it. The Gestapo would get you. 2. You never knew who informers were who might give you away. 3. Most people thought that ther Nazis had made people better off not worse. 4. Most people still had faith in Hitler 5. There were no opposition leaders to turn to they had all been wiped out by the Nazis. CHANGES TO THE ROLE OF WOMEN BEFORE THE NAZIS HOW THE NAZIS CHANGED GERMAN SOCIETY Women had made great progress in the Weimar Republic In 1919 women got the vote and 1/10 of the German Parliament (Reichstag) was made up of women. Women made great progress in careers there were 100,000 women teachers and 3,000 women doctors They enjoyed more freedom they went out on their own and behaved as men by drinking and smoking in public

15 They adopted modern fashions eg bobbed haircuts THE NAZIS AND WOMEN They wanted to reverse the changes of the 1920s and return women to their traditional role - housewives and mothers. Hitler believed that this was the natural role for women Hitler wanted to increase the birth rate more Germans so encouraged women to have more children especially Aryans The Nazi slogan for women Kinder, Kirche, Kuche (Children, Church. Cooking) WHAT DID THE NAZIS DO? WOMEN AND JOBS Women were encouraged to give up their jobs after 1933 and have large families. Women doctors, civil servants, teachers were made to leave their jobs Employers were encouraged to give jobs to men not women Girls were discouraged from going into higher education and professional jobs WOMEN AND THE FAMILY 1933 Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave money (a loan) to young couples who got married but the woman had to leave her job. Then you kept all the loan if you had 4 kids. ¾ if you had 3, ½ if you had 2 children etc Birth control clinics were closed Abortion was banned Medals give to women with large families eg gold medal for 8 kids, silver for 6 and bronze for 5. The LEBENSBORN project forced Aryan looking girls to mate with Aryan men from the SS to produce Aryan children WOMENS APPEARANCE The ideal woman was fair haired, blue eyed and well built for children The Nazis frowned on women wearing makeup or going out without men. HOW SUCCESSFUL WERE THE NAZIS? At the start the number of women in work went down The number or marriages did increase The birth rate did go up The Nazis Women s Organisation which encouraged these ideas had 6 million members THEY WERE NOT THAT SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE - - The rise in births may be due to the recovery of Germany after 1933 not Nazi ideas The number of women in work went up 4.85 million in 1933 to over 7 million 1939 After 1937 there was a shortage of workers so the Nazis softened their ideas married women who had been give the loan could now go out to work and did not have to give up their jobs As war approached more women were needed to work - so after 1938 they relaxed their rules on women working DURING THE WAR The Nazis were desperate for more births (for the armed forces) so in 1943 they tried to pass a law which said that all women up to 35 HAD to produce 4 children (if they already had 4 the husband could be set free to get other women pregnant! After 1943 when Germany was losing the war women HAD to go to work because the men were needed at the front 3 million women were called to work in factories (only 1/3 did so) CHANGES TO THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHY DID THE NAZIS TRY TO CONTROL YOUTH? For the Nazis it was a top priority to influence and indoctrinate the young because - - (1)Young people has no memory of the time before Hitler they could be brainwashed or indoctrinated with Nazi ideas and they would know no difference (2)Goebbels, Hitler s propaganda Minister, understood that if you catch people young and indoctrinate them with Nazi ideas they will stay with them for the rest of their life and never question or challenge them. They would always bee Nazis and always support the Third Reich which was meant to last for 1000 years

16 This was done in two ways CONTROL HOW DID THE NAZIS CONTROL THE YOUNG? Through youth organisations Through EDUCATION in schools and Universities - INDOCTRINATION in your free time THE HITLER YOUTH. WHY DID THE NAZI TRY TO CONTROL YOUTH? Hitler and the Nazis placed great importance on influencing the youth of Germany because They knew that if they could catch young people and brainwash them into being loyal Nazis they would stay loyal for life. Young people would not know any ideas different to Nazism. They would not question Nazi ideas. The young were the future of Germany and had to be prepared for their future role as leaders of Germany and then the world Boys had to be prepared to be soldiers in later life and to fight the wars that Hitler was planning Girls had to be prepared for their roles as wives and mothers CONTROL THROUGH EDUCATION The Nazis deliberately used schools to indoctrinate people with nazi ideas so that within a generation they would no nothing else. This was done in a number of ways CONTROLLING THE TEACHERS All teachers had to agree top teach Nazi ideas or they were sacked. Nearly all teachers belonged to the NAZI TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. CONTROLLING WHAT WAS TAUGHT Lessons were changed to make sure that the right ideas were taught - - HISTORY BIOLOGY GERMAN GEOGRAPHY German history was taught and glorified. Teachers had to focus on the rise of the Nazi Party and the bad influence of the Jews. Teachers had to teach Nazi ideas about race and that Aryans were superior and how to classify other races as inferior. In German they read stories about German heroes and learnt about how German culture was better than other countries. They were taught about the lands which had been taken from Germany after the First World War and how they rightly belonged to Germany.

17 R.S. P.E. GIRLS The Nazis dropped this subject in the end because its ideas were different to Nazi ideas. This became more important and took up 15% of school time to get German youth fit for the wars and struggles ahead. Girls studied different subjects to boys they did more things like domestic science (cooking) and child rearing. CONTROL THROUGH THE HITLER YOUTH The Nazis set up their own youth wing in the 1920 s after 1936 when Hitler had been in power 3 years you HAD to join. The Hitler Youth was actually made up of separate organisations for boys and girls of different ages AGE BOYS GIRLS 6-10 The PIMPFEN (little fellows) The YOUNGVOLK (Young Folk) The YUNGMAIDEN (Young Girls) The HITLERUGEN (Hitler Youth) The BUND DEUTSCHE MAIDEN (League of German Girls) WHAT DID THEY DO? 1. Hard physical tasks the boys had to be made hard and ready for war. 2. They had to go to training camps and do marches, map reading, sports, camping. 3. Each boy had a Performance Book which recorded how well he had done at these things. 4. The boys who got top marks were sent to special Adolf Hitler Schools at the age of 12 to be trained to be the leaders of the future. 5. The very best of those could go to special schools called Order Castles where they were given a proper military training. Many ended up in the SS. 6. Girls also had to go on marches and camping expeditions but they tended to focus on making them fit partners for German men. 7. The youth movements also indoctrinated boys and girls with Nazi ideas. EDUCATION The Nazis deliberately used schools to indoctrinate people with nazi ideas so that within a generation they would no nothing else. This was done in a number of ways CONTROLLING THE TEACHERS All teachers had to agree top teach Nazi ideas or they were sacked. Nearly all teachers belonged to the NAZI TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. CONTROLLING WHAT WAS TAUGHT Lessons were changed to make sure that the right ideas were taught - -