The Terror State

• What was the main foundation of the Nazi State?

  A mixture of terror and consent
• How did the Nazis use the Reichstag Fire to their advantage?

  They persuaded Hindenburg to pass the Emergency Decree
• What was the first concentration camp built by the Nazis?

  Dachau
• How many political opponents were arrested by the end of 1933?

  100,000
• What happened to the number of prisoners in concentration camps by May 1934?

  It dropped to a quarter of the previous year
• Who were the primary victims of concentration camps after 1936?

  Asocials, habitual criminals, and non-Aryans
• What role did the SA play during the March 1933 election campaign?

  They were made auxiliary policemen
• Why did the Nazis still obtain 44% of the vote despite their use of terror?

  The terror targeted unpopular groups
• What significant event occurred on June 30th, 1934?

  The Night of the Long Knives
• What was the outcome of the Night of the Long Knives?

  Hitler ordered the SS to purge SA leaders
• How did the SS change after the Night of the Long Knives?

  It became a separate and more important organization
• When were the SS formed?

  1925
• How many members did the SS have by 1939?

  240,000
• Who was the leader of the SS?

  Heinrich Himmler
• What was the role of the Gestapo?

  To find political opposition to the Reich
• How many officers were in the Gestapo by 1939?

  20,000
• What was the role of block leaders in the Nazi State?

  To report suspicious behavior
• Who led the SD (Security Police)?

  Reinhard Heydrich
• What was the purpose of the Special Courts created in 1933?

  To try political offenders without appeal
• What was the function of the People’s Courts set up in April 1934?

  To deal with treason cases
• How many people were tried by the People’s Courts between 1934-39?

  3,400
• What was the nature of law in Nazi Germany?

  The rule of law did not apply
• What was the impact of the arbitrary nature of law in the Nazi State?

  People avoided anti-Nazi statements
• How many German citizens were convicted for political crimes between 1933 and 1939?

  225,000
• What was the general attitude of the German population towards the Nazi regime?

  Many accepted their new reality
• What are the key components of the Nazi terror state structure?

  • SS: Elite bodyguard for Hitler, expanded rapidly
  • Gestapo: Secret police, arrested without trial
  • SD: Intelligence arm of the SS, surveilled party members
  • Special Courts: Tried political offenders without appeal
  • People’s Courts: Dealt with treason, no jury or appeal
• What were the main methods of repression used by the Nazis?

  • Use of concentration camps for political opponents
  • Arrests without trial under the Reichstag Fire Decree
  • Public denunciations and informants
  • Special Courts and People’s Courts for political crimes
• How did the Nazi regime maintain control over the judiciary?

  • New laws favored Nazi ideology
  • Special Courts staffed with loyal judges
  • Judges required to swear loyalty to Hitler
  • Civil Servants retired if not supportive of the regime
• What was the public perception of Nazi terror?

  • Many viewed it as necessary for stability
  • Terror targeted unpopular groups, not the majority
  • Repression often reinforced consent among the populace