Why Opposition Seemed Limited
Here's the thing though - whilst opposition definitely existed, it often looked pretty weak compared to Nazi power. The regime was just too good at shutting down resistance before it could really threaten them.
Most church leaders played it safe. Of Germany's 18,000 Protestant pastors, only 7,000 actually joined the anti-Nazi Confessional Church, whilst 8,000 stayed neutral. When brave pastors like Martin Niemöller did speak out, they were quickly imprisoned or even murdered. The Concordat of 1933 basically told the Catholic Church to stay out of politics, and 400 priests ended up in Dachau concentration camp - which definitely scared others into silence.
The youth opposition wasn't as threatening as it seemed either. The Edelweiss Pirates only had 2,000 members across all of Germany by 1939, and they were just small, disorganised gangs rather than a proper movement. Meanwhile, Hitler Youth membership became compulsory in 1936, reaching over 7.3 million members by 1939.
The Nazis were ruthlessly efficient at destroying political opposition during Gleichschaltung (their takeover period). They banned all trade unions in May 1933, made all political parties except their own illegal by July 1933, and replaced state governments with Nazi governors by January 1934. The Gestapo and SS then hunted down anyone who tried to resist underground.
Reality Check: Most Germans fell into what historians call 'loyal reluctance' - they didn't love the Nazis, but they weren't willing to risk their lives fighting them either.