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Created by Natalia Cliff
over 7 years ago
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Question | Answer |
Reichstag Fire | -27th February 1933 the Reichstag building was destroyed by a massive fire -A communist supporter van der Lubbe was caught on the site with matches and fire lighters -Confessed and was put on trial -Goering, the new head of police, claimed that there was evidence that this was a communist conspiracy -Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to declare a state of emergency |
New Elections | -Election called for 5 March 1933, he was hoping for more support -Decree for protection of People and the State enabled him to suspend civil rights, imprison political opponents and ban communist newspapers -Ensured Police turned a blind eye to SA action -Persuaded Krupp and others to finance him, 3 million mark were donated in one meeting -Bloody election campaign led to 70 deaths |
Election Results | -The Nazi Party had 288 votes -used his emergency powers to stop the communists taking their 81 seats -With the other Right Wing parties he now had a 2/3 majority and so could force through any legislation he wanted to and change the constitution |
Enabling Act | Law for Removal of the Distress of the People and Reich -Forced irt through late March 1933 -Gave Hitler the right to make laws for 4 years without consulting Reichstag -It was renewed in 1937 -Passed 444 votes to 94 -Included a lot of intimidation -Fewer Social Democrats arrived as some were in hospital and some had fled the country -Corridors were lined with SS -Outside SA mob chanted "Give us the Bill or else fire and murder" |
Removing Opposition: Trade Unions | -Trade Unions were a possible source of opposition -Believed that communists could control them and then strikes could undermine the government -May 1933 banned trade unions and made strikes illegal |
Removing Opposition: Political Parties | July 1933 Hitler issued a decree making all political parties bar the NSDAP illegal in Germany |
Removing Opposition: Local Government | -Strengthened power of the government in central Berlin which he controlled and weakened the local governments -January 1934 abolished Laender Parliaments and declared that governors, appointed by him, would run every region of Germany |
The Night of Long Knives: Causes | -Hitler feared Roehm, leader of the SA -Roehm had merged an army veteran group with the SA -The SA now numbered 3 million and were very loyal to Roehm -Roehm also opposed Hitler's politics, he wanted more socialist policies and criticised Hitler's links with rich industrialists and army generals -German Army was scared of Roehm as he wanted to replace the army with the SA -SS leaders Himmler and Heydrich resented Roehm and wanted to increase their own power -1934 SS and army warned Hitler that Roehm was planning on seizing power |
The Night of Long Knives | -30th June 1934 arranged for Roehm and other senior SA officers to be arrested, imprisoned and shot -Roehm was left in a room with a pistol loaded with one gun -After 15 min of hearing no sound SS brigade leader and his deputy entered and shot him -6 other SA leaders were shot -Von Papen protested and was told SS was in control and he should go home for his safety -Von Papen's home surrounded and telephone cut -Over 4 days 400 people including 150 senior SA members were shot without trial -von Schleicher was gunned down supposedly resisting arrest |
The Night of Long Knives: Reaction | -Hitler was no clearly acting illegaly -A few Germans protested -Most weren't aware of how bad it had been and were grateful that the SA, hated for their brutality, had been restrained -Hitler now had firm control of the Nazi Party |
Death of Hindenburg | -2nd August 1934 Hindenburg died age 87 -Hitler declared himself Fuehrer -As Fuehrer he added the presidents powers to his own as chancellor -Forced an oath of loyalty to him from every soldier in the army -Plebiscite was organised to confirm Hitler as a Fuehrer -Bombarded by pro Nazi Propaganda, 90% of voters decided in favour -The Weimar Republic was over, Hitler's Third Reich had begun |
Police State: The SS | -Schutzstaffel -Main role was to be the Nazi's private police force -Ran by Himmler -They were totally loyal to Hitler -1930s expanded to 50 000 men and put in charge of all other state security services -Carried out the policy of racial purification -One part of the SS, the Totenkopf, was in charge of concentration camps |
Police State: Gestapo | -Hitler's non uniformed secret police -Set up in 1933 and put under control of SS in 1936 -Created by Goering but ran by Heydrich -Particularly feared because no one could distinguish them from the normal public -Arrested people who acted or spoke out against the Nazi's in any way -Could imprison people without a trial -SS and Gestapo could arrest people without being responsible to anyone but Hitler and their leaders -1939 150 000 people under protective arrest |
Police State: Concentration Camps | -First Concentration Camp was at Dachau in 1933 -Located in isolated, out of the way places -Secretive places not controlled by normal prison rules -Inmates were political prisoners or undesirables like jews -From 1938 onwards SS used camp inmates for forced labour -6 concentration camps by 1939 with 20 000 people in them -After 1939 they increased in number and size and were used for the mass murder of jews and other minority groups |
Police State: Judiciary System | -Set up the National Socialist League for Maintenance of the Law -Judges had to be members -Any judges that didn't agree with Nazi ideals were denied membership -Certain that judges supported the ideas, he allowed them to punish people even if they hadn't broken the law -People's Court was created to try treason -Judges were handpicked for this -Hitler personally increased sentences if he thought they were too lenient |
Persecution of the Church | -Likelihood for friction between Church and Nazi Party was obvious -Nazi's glorified strength violence and racial superiority -Christians teach peace, respect and tolerance for all people -Tried working with them in the beginning -But this approach didn't last long |
Persecution of the Church: Catholic Church | -One third of German christians were catholic -On social issues owed their first allegiance to the Pope, not Hitler -Catholics had their own schools that taught different values to Nazi State Schools |
Persecution of the Church: Concordat | Tried to reach an agreement with the Catholic Church at first, July 1933 reached a concordat with the pope: -Freedom of worship for Catholics -Hitler wouldn't interfere with Catholic schools -Priests wouldn't interfere with politics -German bishops to swear loyalty to the national socialist regime |
Persecution of the Church: Hitler Breaking Promises | -Hitler didn't keep his promises to the Catholic church. As 1930s went on: -Catholic Priests Harassed and arrested, 400 priests in Dachau -Catholic schools brought in line with state schools or closed -Catholic youth activities like the catholic youth league, were banned |
Persecution of the Church: Reichs Church | -At first, some protestants were so grateful for protection from the communists they worked with the Nazi's -They even allowed Nazi flags to be displayed inside their churches -These protestants formed the Reichs Church -Protestant pastors who supported Hitler were allowed to continue with their services as usual |
Persecution of the Church: Confessional Church | -Many protestant christians opposed Hitler and some even spoke out against him -1934 Pastor Martin Niemoeller set up the confessional church that opposed interference from the Nazis -1937 Niemoeller and 800 fellow ministers sent to a concentration camp -By this time Hitler was in complete control of the Reichstag, NSDAP, police, army and legal system. He treated the church with contempt |
Censorship and Propaganda: The Press | -Goebbels was in charge of Propaganda as the Minister of People's Enlightenment and Propaganda -Newspapers were encouraged but had to present Nazi views -Journalists were given regular briefings containing information the government was willing to publicise. -Sometimes they were specifically told what to write -Under these circumstances there was no free press |
Censorship and Propaganda: Universities | -Nazi's had little respect for academic research -1933-38 3000 professors and lecturers were dismissed -Research was directed by the Ministry -Results had to support Nazi views -All remaining academics had to publicly agree with things that were clearly nonsense |
Propaganda and Censorship: The Arts | -Goebbels set up the Reich Chamber of Culture -Writers, musicians, artists and actors had to be members |
Propaganda and Censorship: Books | -Books with views that Nazi's didn't like were censored -Millions of books were taken from public libraries and burned on massive bonfires -On one night students in berlin burned 20 000 books were the authors were jews, communists or anti-Nazi |
Propaganda and Censorship: Music | -Jazz music was banned as it was seen as black and therefore inferior -Wagner's work was promoted as he put music to heroic German legends -Beethoven, Bach and traditional German music were favoured |
Propaganda and Censorship: Art and Theater | -Art was heavily censored on racial and political or simply because of taste -Disapproved of modern art but liked art that showed traditional male and female roles or heroic German folk tales -Theater's plays about German politics and history were favoured so long as they showed Nazi views -Cheap Theater tickets made available, was a good way of getting Nazi views across |
Propaganda and Censorship: Old Methods | Goebbels expanded existing methods by having: -Government posters -Expanding rallies and parades. Mass rally was held at Nuremberg each year to create an image of Nazi unity -Aeroplanes were used to transport Hitler from place to place so that millions could see him |
Propaganda and Censorship: Radio | -All radio stations were put under Nazi control -Hitler and Nazi Officials made regular broadcasts -Cheap radios were mass produced and sold, and placed in restaurants and schools -By 1930s more radios per person in Germany than anywhere else in the world |
Propaganda and Censorship: Cinema | -With 250 million visits in 1933 it was an excellent way to communicate Nazi views -Films were shown alongside 45 min newsreels that publicised Germany's achievements -From 1934, Film makers had to have plots approved by Goebbels -Some films had overtly political messages, e.g. a young Nazi boy being shot by communists |
Propaganda and Censorship: Sport | -1936 Olympics held in Berlin -Built a 110 000 seater stadium, the largest in the world to reflect German power -Events were faultlessly organised to show off German efficiency -Germany won 33 gold medals, more than any other country, claimed this was proof of Aryan superiority -However, African American Jesse Owens broke Olympic records 11 times and won 4 gold medals -Hitler refused to present any of the 9 African American gold medalists with their medals |
Propaganda and Censorship: Hitler | -Hitler's image as a figurehead was carefully controlled -Shown as strong and decisive -But also frequently pictured with children to show he was a caring father figure |
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