Nazi Germany

• Nazi Party


  Hitler's political party - right-wing nationalists and fascists
• Mein Kampf


  Hitler explained Nazi ideology in this book
• Nazi ideology


  • Turn Germany into a one party state by removing all opposition, especially communists
  • Purify Germany by removing Jewish influences
  • Strengthen the army and the economy in preparation for war
  • Gain living space (Lebensraum) for the German people in eastern Europe
  • Create a Third Reich that would last for a thousand years
• By 1933, the Nazis had become the largest political party in Germany
• Factors that led to an increase in support for the Nazis


  • High unemployment during the Great Depression encouraged people to support extremist parties like the Nazis and the communists
  • Hitler's private armies - the SA and the SS - intimidated the supporters of other parties
  • Nazi propaganda promised to end the Depression and remove the communist threat
• As the leader of the largest party in the Reichstag, Hitler was appointed Chancellor in January 1933
• Reichstag Fire


  The Nazis used a fire at the Reichstag as an excuse to remove the threat from the communists
• In February 1933, the Reichstag building was set on fire
• Marinus Van der Lubbe


  A Dutch communist, was arrested and found guilty of setting the fire
• Although Van der Lubbe had worked alone, Hitler and the Nazis claimed that the Reichstag Fire was part of a larger communist revolution
• Reichstag Fire Decree


  1. Hitler manipulated Hindenburg into passing this decree

  2. The decree claimed to protect Germany from revolution by ending the freedom of the press and removing civil liberties (rights) such as the freedom from arrest

  3. The Nazis used the new powers in the Reichstag Fire Decree to remove the communist threat
• Actions taken by the Nazis using the Reichstag Fire Decree


  • More than 4000 communists were arrested, including 100 Reichstag deputies (MPs)
  • Communist newspapers and meetings were banned, even though there was an election coming up in March
• Enabling Act


  1. The Nazis only just secured a majority in the March 1933 elections

  2. Across Germany, the Nazis used violence and intimidation to stop other parties campaigning

  3. Communist deputies were still in prison

  4. Despite this, the Nazis only managed a majority by forming a coalition (alliance) with the Nationalist Party

  5. On 24th March 1933, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act by 444 votes to 94

  6. This new law gave Hitler the power to pass laws without needing the consent of the Reichstag

  7. The Enabling Act ended German democracy - there were no more elections until 1945
• Reasons the Nazis were able to pass the Enabling Act


  • After the March 1933 elections, the Nazis had a majority in the Reichstag
  • The communist deputies, who would have voted against the Nazis, were still in prison
  • The SA surrounded the debating chamber and intimidated deputies from other parties
• Gleichschaltung


  1. Bringing Germany into line with Nazi ideas

  2. Anti-Semitic laws

  3. Book burning

  4. Ban on trade unions

  5. Ban on other parties
• In 1933, the Nazis passed several laws that persecuted German Jews, including banning Jews from joining sports teams and choirs, and stopping Jews from working as lawyers and judges
• In May 1933, the Nazis encouraged students to burn 'un-German' books written by Jewish or communist authors - 25,000 books were burned
• The Nazis banned trade unions and arrested their leaders
• In July 1933, the Nazis banned other political parties, creating a one party state
• People's Court


  The Nazis set this up to make quick and harsh decisions
• Concentration camps


  Run by the SS, people found guilty were executed or sent here
• The death of Hindenburg allowed Hitler to become Fuhrer
• Night of the Long Knives


  1. Hitler acted ruthlessly to remove political rivals

  2. Hitler asked the leaders of the SS to make up evidence that Rohm was planning a rebellion

  3. Using this as an excuse, Hitler ordered the SS to move against the SA

  4. In total, 85 people were killed - including Rohm and other SA leaders

  5. This helped Hitler secure power by removing the threat from Rohm and the SA, securing the loyalty of the army, and deterring other rivals from moving against him
• Impact of Nazi rule on workers


  • The Nazis introduced policies that appeared to help workers, but these were often misleading
  • Unemployment decreased but wages did not increase to keep up with inflation
  • No one ever received a car through the Volkswagen Scheme as the Second World War stopped production
  • Workers had to pay to join the DAF and, although membership was not compulsory, it was very difficult to get a job if you were not a member
• Impact of Nazi rule on German women


  • The Nazis wanted women to play traditional roles - be fit and healthy so they could have lots of children, look after their children and husband, and wear traditional German clothes
  • The number of women at university fell drastically
  • The birth rate actually dropped between 1933 and 1939
  • More women worked in factories before and during the war
• Impact of Nazi rule on young people


  • The Nazis used schools and youth organisations to indoctrinate young people
  • The school curriculum was Nazified, with subjects like History and Biology teaching Nazi ideology
  • Physical education took up 15% of lesson time because the Nazis wanted a fit and healthy population ready for war
  • Membership of the Hitler Youth was compulsory after 1936, although some young people were bored and hated the physical activity
• Aryans


  The Nazis believed that the people of northern and western Europe were the Ubermenschen (superhumans)
• Untermenschen


  The Nazis believed that non-Aryans, including Gypsies, Black people, Slavs from Eastern Europe, and Jews, were subhumans
• The Nazis were anti-Semitic and viewed Jews as a race rather than a religion
• The Nazis made Jews scapegoats for Germany's defeat in the First World War, the Great Depression, and the communist threat
• Persecution of the Jews


  1. 1933-1935: Anti-Semitic Laws isolated German Jews from their non-Jewish neighbours

  2. 1935-1938: New laws removed Jews' rights, including the 1935 Nuremburg Laws which removed all rights from German Jews and made it illegal for Jews to marry non-Jews
• Aryans


  The Nazis wanted Germany to be filled with Aryans
• Untermenschen


  Subhumans (according to the Nazis)
• Groups considered Untermenschen by the Nazis


  • Gypsies
  • Black people
  • Slavs from Eastern Europe
  • Jews
• Anti-Semitic


  The Nazis viewed Jews as a race rather than a religion
• The Nazis treated anyone with a Jewish grandparent as a Jew
• Scapegoats


  The Nazis made Jews scapegoats for Germany's defeat in the First World War, the Great Depression, and the communist threat
• Nazi persecution of the Jews


  1. 1933-1935: Anti-Semitic Laws isolated German Jews

  2. 1935-1938: New laws removed Jews' rights

  3. 1938: Kristallnacht - increased anti-Semitic violence

  4. 1939: Jewish possessions confiscated
• Police state


  The system of intimidation, courts, and punishments in Nazi Germany
• SS


  • Elite organisation loyal to Hitler
  • Himmler only recruited pure Aryans and used indoctrination
  • Controlled the police state after the Night of the Long Knives
  • Responsible for concentration camps and the Holocaust