Nazi propaganda and control

• By August 1934, what position did Hitler hold in Germany?


  Dictator with absolute power
• Why did Hitler need organizations to control the population?


  To ensure absolute loyalty to the Führer
• What event led to the demise of the SA?

  The Night of the Long Knives
• What were the three main organizations involved in controlling the German people?

  • Schutzstaffel (SS)
  • Gestapo
  • Sicherheitsdienst (SD)
• Who led the Schutzstaffel (SS)?


  Heinrich Himmler
• What was the initial purpose of the SS?


  To serve as Hitler's personal bodyguard service
• How did the SS demonstrate loyalty to Hitler?


  By overseeing concentration camps for 'enemies of the state'
• What was the role of the Gestapo?


  To monitor the German population for signs of opposition
• How did the Gestapo gather information?


  Through ordinary German people informing on their fellow citizens
• What was the function of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD)?


  It was the intelligence gathering agency of the SS
• Who led the Sicherheitsdienst (SD)?


  Reinhard Heydrich
• What mnemonic can help remember key features of the police state?

  • Himmler’s - Head of the police state
  • Sight – The SS
  • Gradually – The Gestapo
  • Spreads – The SD
• How did the Nazis change the legal system in Germany?


  They swept away many freedoms and controlled the judiciary
• What did judges have to do under Nazi rule?

  Swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler
• What was required of all lawyers in Nazi Germany?

  They had to join the Nazi Lawyers' Association
• How was the role of defense lawyers affected in criminal trials?


  Their role was weakened
• What change occurred regarding standard punishments for crimes?


  Standard punishments were abolished, allowing local prosecutors to decide penalties
• How did the number of criminal offenses change between 1933 and 1939?


  It more than halved
• How did the number of crimes that carried the death penalty change?


  It increased from three to 46
• What happened to many convicted criminals after their sentences?

  They were moved to concentration camps instead of being released
• Who was the head of the Ministry of Propaganda?


  Dr. Joseph Goebbels
• What was the aim of the Ministry of Propaganda?


  To brainwash people into obeying the Nazis and idolizing Hitler
• What methods did the Ministry of Propaganda use?


  • Censorship of the press
  • Control of radio broadcasts
  • Mass rallies
  • Use of sports events
  • Loudspeakers in public places
• How did the Nazis control the press?


  All newspapers were controlled by the government
• Why were radios sold cheaply in Nazi Germany?


  To ensure most Germans could afford one
• What was the significance of the mass rallies held by the Nazis?


  They demonstrated public support for Nazism and showcased German strength
• What event did the Nazis use to showcase their regime in 1936?


  The Berlin Olympics
• How did the Nazis react to Jesse Owens' victories in the 1936 Olympics?


  They were infuriated
• What message did Nazi propaganda often reinforce?

  Aryan racial superiority
• How did the Nazis influence culture and the arts?

  • Removal of 'degenerate' art
  • Promotion of 'Aryan art'
  • Control over architecture through Albert Speer
  • Book burnings of subversive literature
  • Control of film production and distribution
  • Banning of works by Jewish composers
• What did Hitler think of modern art from the Weimar period?


  He saw it as 'degenerate'
• Who was the most important architect during the Nazi regime?

  Albert Speer
• What was the purpose of book burnings in 1933?


  To eliminate subversive ideologies opposed to Nazism
• How did the Nazis control the film industry?


  By taking over production and distribution
• What was banned in classical music under the Nazis?

  Works by Jewish composers
• What type of music did the Nazis oppose?

  Jazz music
• What does the Nazi influence on culture and the arts demonstrate?


  The extent to which the party sought to control German life