Nazi Dictatorship

• when was the reichstag fire

  1933
• What event did Hitler organise to increase the Nazi parties popularity before the elections in 1933

  The reichstag fire
• What happened at the reichstag fire on the 27th Feb 1933

  Reichstag building is set on fire. A young Dutch communist called Van der Lubbe was found with matches in his pocket on the site of the Fire.

  He was tried and executed for arsen
• What was the name of the man Framed for the Reichstag fire

  Van Der Lubbe
• Consequences of the Reichstag fire (Feb 1933) on the March elections

  - increase in anti-communist feelings, encouraged by the Nazis through propaganda like anti-communist conspiracy theories in Nazi newspapers. genral public less likely to vote for communists.

  - Hitler uses his emergency powers to stop the communists from taking their 81 seats in the reichstag that they were voted in for.

  because of this, the nazis now have majority in the reichstag. so the Enabling Act can be easily passed (with some help of initmidation from the SA)
• What did the Enabling Act allow


  Allows the cabinet (high up gouvernment leaders) to pass laws without going through German parliament.
• Effects of the Enabling Act 1933

  - other political parties persecuted (KPD and other communist parties' funds taken). In July 1933, all other parties are banned

  - local governments are closed down and reorganized with Nazi gouvernments

  - trade unions replaced with the German labor front. Many Union officials were arrested
• What three key features in 1934 led to Hitler declaring himself as führer(one threat, 2 events)

  - the Threat of Röhm and the SA

  - the Night of the Long Knives

  - the death of President Hindenburg
• Why was Röhm and the SA a threat

  - now 2 million SA members. Threatens the SS (Hitler's black-shirted bodyguards) and the German army due to its size. They could remove Hitler from power with violence and sheer numbers if they wanted.

  - Röhm disagrees with Hitler's treatment of the SA, he feels they are undervalued

  - the thuggish Tactics of the SA threatened the legitimacy of Hitler's rise to power
• What happened on the Night of the Long Knives

  Hitler decides to end the Threat of Röhmand the SA, as well as many other opponents.

  1. Hitler invites Röhm and 100 SA leaders to a meeting

  2. when they arrive, they are arrested by the SS, taken to Munich and shot

  3. after the arrests, Von Papens start off our arrested and Von Papen placed under house arrest

  4. Many other opponents are arrested and killed, including Von Schleicher.
• How large was the SA in 1934

  2 million members
• When did President Hindenburg die and why was this significant? what did hitler do in response?

  August 1934

  He was the only person senior to Hitler. Within hours, Hitler is placed as a position of Führer - Chancellor and president combined.
• What are the army told to do to the Führer after hindenburg's death

  Swear and Oath of Allegiance to the Führer instead of to Germany
• What were the three sections of policing the police state

  The SS

  The SD

  The Gestapo
• What was the job of the SS

  Protection Squad

  Control all of Germany's police and security forces.

  Set up in 1925 by Heinrich Himmler
• Who ran the SS

  Heinrich Himmler
• What was the job of the SD

  Security service

  Spied on the domestic and foreign opponents of the Nazi party. Set up in 1931 and led by Heydrich
• Who led the SD

  Reinhard Heydrich
• What was the job of the Gestapo

  Secret police

  Spied on the German citizens and prosecuted anyone who spoke out against the Nazi party.

  Set up in 1933 Hermann Goering
• Who is in charge of the Gestapo

  Hermann Goering
• Who is in charge of propaganda

  Joseph Goebbels
• How did Hitler control the legal system

  By controlling the judges...

  - all judges had to belong to the National socialist League for the maintenance of the law

  - all judges had to favor the Nazi Party in any decision

  - only judges were able to decide where the someone was innocent or guilty (so no one who wasn't corrupt could make a decision)

  - the 'people's court' heard all treason cases.
• What did all judges have to be a part of?

  The 'National socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law'
• What did the 'people's Court' do. describe some features

  Deal with all cases of treason

  - hand selected judges make all decisions

  - held in secret

  - very harsh and unfair

  - no right to appeal
• What was the first concentration camp and when was it set up

  Dachau in 1933
• How were concentration camps used?

  first prisoners were opposition politicians and trade union leaders.

  Later, ' undesirables' such as prostitutes, homosexuals, Jews and other minorities were inprisoned.

  Forced to do horrible hard labour

  NEVER TALK ABOUT DEATH CAMPS - AFTER 1939
• What are trade unions

  groups of workers who join together to make sure they are treated fairly in the workplace, like getting paid enough and having safe working conditions.
• What are some forms of propaganda used in Nazi Germany

  - artists and playwrights produce work highlighting Nazi ideas

  - rallies and military parades held, demonstrating power and strength

  - cinema shows films containing subtle Nazi messages

  - Reich chamber of Culture set up in 1933, to ensure all aspects of culture are consistent with Nazi ideas

  - Hitler's speeches played on loudspeakers, in public and in the workplace - cheap radios mass produced

  - posters

  - Olympic Games held in Berlin 1936 heavily promoted Nazi ideologies, such as the superiority of the Aryan race
• Examples of censorship

  - burning of books written by Jewish or anti-nazi writers

  - radio producers, playwrights, filmmakers and newspapers were told what to say

  - newspapers opposing the Nazis shut down

  - only radios that couldn't receive foreign stations were produced
• Why did Hitler want the churches to support nazi?

  He saw them as a potential threat to his power, and they had a large influence over the people. hitler thought the catholics would always stay more loyal to the pope than to him
• How did Hitler control the Catholic Church

  He noticed the people would follow whatever the Pope said...

  Hitler agrees to the CONCORDAT.

  It states that Catholics were free to Worship and run their own schools in return for staying out of politics. However, Hitler did not stick to this later on
• How did the protestant churches run under the Nazi dictatorship

  Hitler attempted to make all churches follow Nazi regime, of course this was very hard...

  .

  The Reich Church

  - pro Nazi

  - made up of 2000 Protestant churches

  - led by Ludwig Müller

  - taught Nazi ideologies over the Bible

  .

  The Confessional Church

  - anti-nazi

  - made up of 6,000 Protestant churches

  - led by Martin niemölla
• What were the numbers of churches as members of the Reich church to confessional church?

  2000 Reich : 6000 Confessional

  It was very hard for Hitler to control the protestant churches
• How many Protestant pastors were arrested and sent to concentration camps for teaching anti-nazi preaches

  800
• How did the Nazis break the Concordat

  Harassed and arrested priests, closed Catholic schools and band Catholic youth organizations

  Around 400 Catholic priests arrested for speaking out against Nazi policy
• How many Catholic priests were arrested for speaking out against Nazi policy

  400
• What were the two groups of the youth, that opposed the Nazi party and did they allow both genders in each?

  the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Youth

  yes, boys and girls in both
• What social class were the Edelweiss Pirates

  working class
• How many members of the Edelweiss pirates were there in 1939

  2000
• What three things did the Edelweise Pirates do

  - followed American culture with clothes, music and literature

  - taunted the Hitler Youth

  - went on hikes and expeditions to get away from Nazi restrictions