Nazi dictatorship

• Reichstag fire 


  27th February 1933

  set on fire supposedly by a dutch communist

  Nazis used this as an opportunity to accuse communists of trying to destroy government

  4000 communists arrested

  People then turned to nazi party

  Used this as an excuse to issue a decree of the protection of the people and the state - can now imprison opposition and ban opposition newspapers
• March 1933 elections 


  Nazi party at peak

  Managed to secure 2/3 seats

  Now could change constitution
• Enabling act 1933


  Hitler could pass any law without support from Reichstag - lasted 5 years

  Banned communist party and persuaded nationalists to support

  Germany no longer a democracy

  Used sa to intimidate opponents

  Local government now controlled by nazis

  Trade unions replaced with the german labour front - many union officials arrested

  May 1933 sdp and communist funds taken

  July 1933 - all other parties banned
• why the sa were a threat to hitler 


  many were now out of control and violent

  Rohm opposed hitlers ideologies ( homosexual )

  Felt unvalued and angry

  wanted control over army and hitler couldn't risk they gaining power over army

  Ss also wanted a reduction in power from sa out of jealousy
• Ss

  Set up in 1925 by himmler

  Were hitlers personal bodyguards and were a select elite group

  Intimidating and violent and sparked fear
• Night of long knives

  Hitler believed sa were an internal threat as they were out of control, rohm was a threat to his power and thought he wanted to take over: openly opposed hitler

  So hitler arranged to meet sa members including rohm in a hotel

  All arrested and put into prisons

  Over 4 days 400 sa members were shot including rohm

  Got away with it bc he told everyone it was for the protection on the german people

  As a result hitler removed internal opposition
• Death of hiddenburg aug 1934

  He was the only person above hitler

  Now called himself the Furher - leader

  “ hiel hitler” a salute made by hitler to look omnipotent
• Oath of allegiance

  Hitler made army swear an oath of allegiance to the nazi party. trying to solidify power
• police state SS

  controlled all police and security force

  Acted against law however was legalised because of the enabling act 1933

  Could only be ayran and marry aryan

  Ran concentration camps
• police state sd

  set up in 1931 led by heydrich

  spied on opponents home and abroad
• police state gestapo 


  secret police spying on people to try catch them out talking bad about the nazi party read mail and tapped into telephone conversations

  partially relied on people who would inform them about another person who spoke bad about hitler

  prosecuted them

  so feared because people couldnt trust anyone

  ruined freedom of speech

  sometimes tortuted people for a confession
• court and judges

  All had to take an oath to the nazis

  Removed jury so only one judge decided prosecution

  All decisions were in favour of the nazi party

  Set up poeples court, trials held in secret and people didnt have the right to appeal
• propaganda

  led by Goebbles

  censorship - public burning of books 1933, burnt books that didnt aline with nazi ideology or written by jews

  mass produced cheap radios, 70% of poeple had one and used it to promote Hitler speeches, couldnt pick up foreign stations

  banned jazz and modern artwork
• reich chamber of culture act 1933 


  a law that made the nazi control all art, literature, theatre and music

  all had to be seen by the nazis before being promoted

  all work had to be traditional and be inspired by nazi ideology's, for example, porttraits of families, all had to be aryan, the women had to be natural, patriarchal society
• Youth opposition edelweiss pirates 


  a secret group that opposed nazis

  by 1939, 2000 members

  went on excursions to get away from nazi prosecution

  taunted hitler youth

  listened to banned music

  working class

  possible consequence of 1936 - making hitler youth compulsory

  influenced by americans

  mainly boys
• swiss youth 


  didnt conform to nazi beliefs

  smoked, drank, danced, sung

  organised illegal gatherings

  upper class, form wealthy families

  anti nazi graffiti

  anti nazi jokes

  influenced by Americans

  motives were cultural rather than political
• first concentration camp

  Dachau

  built in 1933 to house growing number of people getting arrested

  camps were isolated so people couldn't see what was going on

  people were treated badly and forced to do hard labour

  inmates made up of political opposition, jews, gypsies, minorities, homosexuals

  lack of opposition due to fear
• Neimoller 


  was an ex nazi supporter but didnt like his interference on the church and nazis opposing jews becoming christians

  arrested multiple times for speaking out against nazi party between 1934-37

  sent to a concentration camp in 1938
• confessing church

  set up by neimoller in 1934

  6000 churches opposing hitler
• berlin olympics 1936 


  used this promote nazi germnay

  to highlight how hitler was a seemingly good leader

  good image for germany

  promoting superiority of aryan race
• Nazi vs christian beliefs

  hitler was omnipotent vs God was ultimate authority

  ayran race superiority vs everyone is equal

  war, violence, discipline vs strive for peace

  dominance of strong over weak vs strong should look after weak
• Catholic church

  1/3 of the german population was catholic

  Hitler was worried they Would oppose him because

  Catholics were loyal to the pope and not political figures

  usually supported catholic centre party

  Sent children to catholic schools and youth organisation
• protestant church

  Set up reich church

  Founded in 1933

  2000 Protestant churches

  Supported nazis and has swassitchaz

  Led by muller

  Nazi uniforms - called themselves german christians

  Banned jews from joining
• concordat

  july 1933 agreement that hitler wouldn't interfere with catholics and pope wouldnt get involved in the nazi politics

  catholics could continue and run schools and youth organisations. However Hitler broke his promise and ruined the alliance with the church

  priests that opposed were being harassed and sent to concentration camps

  catholic schools banned

  pope opposed and realised a speech called with burning anxiety