opposition to the nazis

• political opposition (communists and socialists) were banned in 1933 but worked in secret. SPD smuggled reports out of germany. KPD set up a secret organisation called the Red Orchestra, which aimed to undermine and weaken the Nazis. controlled from moscow.
• youth opposition


  Edelweiss Pirates :

  • helped deserters and escaped prisoners.
  • attacked military institutions
  • murdered the head of the gestapo [secret police]
• youth opposition

  white rose group:

  • Hans and Sophie Scholl wanted to increase awareness of the cruelty of the Nazis and handed out anti-Nazi leaflets but they were caught, arrested and guillotines in February 1943.
• youth opposition


  swing groups:

  • mainly middle class youths
  • rebelled against Nazi ideas
  • met in secret and listened to jazz [which was banned]
• religious opposition

  Confessional Church 1934

  • set up by Martin Niemoller
  • won the support of 75% of church members
  • Nazis declared the church illegal and arrested 800 ministers in 1937., many + Niemoller were sent to concentration camps.
• religious opposition

  Operation 7

  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • helped a small number of jews escape to Switzerland
  • he was also involved in the july Bomb Plot.
• religious opposition

  von Galen of munster: 1941

  • protested against policies like euthanasia, Gestapos, forced sterilisations and concentration camps in his sermons.
  • he was arrested after the 1944 July Bomb Plot.
• military opposition

  Operation Valkyrie:

  • organised by Count Claus Staffenburg
  • they were appalled by the brutality of the SS towards Jews.
  • they planned to assassinate hitler. [july bomb plot]
• military opposition


  July Bomb Plot: 1944

  • a bomb was placed in a meeting with Hitler
  • he was saved by the leg of a table, and didn't die
  • 5746 people were executed as a result.