Nazi Core Knowledge: Control and Opposition, 1933-1939

This section delves into the mechanisms of control employed by the Nazi regime to maintain power and suppress opposition in Germany between 1933 and 1939.

The Nazi regime established a comprehensive "machinery of terror" to enforce their rule and eliminate dissent. This system comprised several key organizations:

1. The SD (Sicherheitsdienst): This was the main intelligence-gathering agency of the Nazi Party. It monitored various aspects of German society and passed information to other enforcement agencies.

2. The Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei): The secret police force investigated activities deemed dangerous to the state. Initially focusing on political opponents, they later expanded their scope to target Jews, homosexuals, and religious dissenters.

Highlight: The Gestapo was a crucial component of the Nazi regime's control apparatus, using methods such as phone tapping, mail interception, and a network of informants to gather intelligence.

3. Regular Police: In 1936, the police force was brought under SS control. They performed normal duties but also provided intelligence on potential enemies and carried out arrests.

4. Judges and Courts: The legal system was co-opted to serve Nazi interests. Judges were required to swear an oath to Hitler, and the number of offenses punishable by death increased dramatically.

Example: The number of criminal offenses punishable by death rose from just 3 in 1933 to 46 by 1943, illustrating the regime's increasing use of extreme punishments to maintain control.

Nazi Propaganda played a crucial role in maintaining power and spreading the party's ideology. The regime utilized various media and events for this purpose:

1. Newspapers: The Nazi Party controlled the press through the Reich Press Chamber and by 1939 owned two-thirds of all newspapers. Content was strictly censored to align with party ideology.

2. Radio: The Reich Radio Company controlled both national and local stations. By 1939, 70% of German households owned a radio, making it a powerful tool for disseminating propaganda.

3. Rallies: Large-scale events were used to demonstrate the strength and unity of the Nazi Party. The Nuremberg Rally was the most significant, attracting over 250,000 attendees in 1934.

Quote: Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, once said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

4. Posters: Visual propaganda often depicted Hitler in a god-like manner and showcased idealized Aryan families.

5. Berlin Olympics 1936: This international event was carefully managed as a propaganda opportunity. Anti-Semitic signs were temporarily removed, and newspapers toned down their rhetoric to present a positive image of Nazi Germany to the world.

Vocabulary: The term "Aryan" in Nazi ideology referred to a supposed master race of Nordic Europeans, which formed the basis of their racist and anti-Semitic policies.

The combination of terror tactics and pervasive propaganda allowed the Nazi regime to maintain a tight grip on power and shape public opinion in Germany during this period. This comprehensive system of control was instrumental in suppressing opposition and consolidating the dictatorship in Germany under Hitler's rule.

p3: Nazi Core Knowledge 3: Life in Nazi Germany Below is a list of the core knowledge for this bit of your History GCSE. This is the absolute basic amount you must know. You must learn this off by heart. Women: • The Nazis believed that women should be mothers and wives. They should stay at home and look after their family. • The Nazis encouraged women to have children through financial incentives and medals. • The Nazis discouraged women from working and banned them from certain professions. • The Nazis encouraged women to dress modestly and not wear make-up. • The Nazis encouraged women to join Nazi organisations such as the NS-Frauenschaft. Young People: • The Nazis wanted to control young people and indoctrinate them with Nazi ideas. • The Nazis created youth organisations such as the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls. • The Nazis changed the school curriculum to focus on Nazi ideas and racial science. • The Nazis encouraged young people to inform on their parents if they criticised the Nazi regime. • The Nazis encouraged young people to take part in sports and outdoor activities. Education: • The Nazis changed the school curriculum to focus on Nazi ideas and racial science. • The Nazis introduced new subjects such as racial studies and eugenics. • The Nazis removed Jewish teachers from schools. • The Nazis encouraged boys and girls to be taught separately. • The Nazis encouraged physical education and sport in schools. Employment and the economy: • The Nazis introduced public works schemes to reduce unemployment. • The Nazis introduced conscription to reduce unemployment. • The Nazis introduced the Four Year Plan to make Germany self-sufficient. • The Nazis introduced the Labour Front to control workers. • The Nazis introduced the Beauty of Labour organisation to improve working conditions. • The Nazis introduced the Strength Through Joy organisation to provide leisure activities for workers. Religion: • The Nazis tried to control the Protestant Church through the Reich Church. • The Nazis signed a concordat with the Catholic Church in 1933. • The Nazis persecuted Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious minorities. • The Nazis encouraged people to follow Nazi ideas instead of religious beliefs. • The Nazis encouraged people to celebrate Nazi festivals instead of religious festivals.

p4: Nazi Core Knowledge 4: Persecution of minorities Below is a list of the core knowledge for this bit of your History GCSE. This is the absolute basic amount you must know. You must learn this off by heart. Jews: • The Nazis believed that Jews were an inferior race and blamed them for Germany's problems. • The Nazis introduced laws to discriminate against Jews such as the Nuremberg Laws in 1935. • The Nazis encouraged boycotts of Jewish businesses and shops. • The Nazis encouraged violence against Jews such as Kristallnacht in 1938. • The Nazis forced Jews to wear yellow stars to identify them. • The Nazis forced Jews to live in ghettos. • The Nazis introduced the Final Solution in 1942 to exterminate all Jews in Europe. Other minorities: • The Nazis persecuted other minorities such as Gypsies, homosexuals and disabled people. • The Nazis sterilised disabled people and killed disabled children through the T4 programme. • The Nazis persecuted Gypsies and sent them to concentration camps. • The Nazis persecuted homosexuals and sent them to concentration camps. • The Nazis persecuted Jehovah's Witnesses and sent them to concentration camps. Resistance: • There was some resistance to Nazi rule in Germany. • Some young people formed groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Youth. • Some religious leaders such as Martin Niemoller spoke out against Nazi policies. • Some army officers tried to assassinate Hitler in 1944. • Some Germans helped Jews to escape or hide from the Nazis. • Some Germans joined underground resistance groups.

p5: Nazi Core Knowledge 5: Nazi Germany and World War Two Below is a list of the core knowledge for this bit of your History GCSE. This is the absolute basic amount you must know. You must learn this off by heart. Nazi foreign policy: • The Nazis wanted to overturn the Treaty of Versailles and make Germany great again. • The Nazis wanted to unite all German-speaking people in one country. • The Nazis wanted to gain Lebensraum (living space) in Eastern Europe. • The Nazis wanted to destroy communism. • The Nazis wanted to create a racial empire in Europe. Steps to war: • 1933: Germany left the League of Nations. • 1935: Germany introduced conscription and began to rearm. • 1936: Germany remilitarised the Rhineland. • 1938: Germany annexed Austria (Anschluss). • 1938: Germany took over the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. • 1939: Germany invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. • 1939: Germany signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact with the Soviet Union. • 1939: Germany invaded Poland, starting World War Two. World War Two: • 1939-1940: Germany invaded Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. • 1940: Germany bombed Britain in the Battle of Britain. • 1941: Germany invaded the Soviet Union. • 1941: Germany declared war on the USA after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. • 1942: Germany was defeated at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union. • 1944: The Allies invaded France on D-Day. • 1945: Germany was defeated and Hitler committed suicide. The Holocaust: • The Nazis began to persecute Jews in Germany from 1933. • The Nazis introduced the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 to discriminate against Jews. • The Nazis encouraged violence against Jews such as Kristallnacht in 1938. • The Nazis forced Jews to live in ghettos in occupied countries. • The Nazis introduced the Final Solution in 1942 to exterminate all Jews in Europe. • The Nazis killed around 6 million Jews in concentration camps and death camps. • The Nazis also killed other minorities such as Gypsies, homosexuals and disabled people.

Economic and Social Transformation

The Nazi regime implemented significant changes to German workers' lives and economic structure.

Quote: "By 1939 only 35,000 out of 25 million were unemployed."

Key Economic Programs:

• Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF) replaced trade unions
• Strength through Joy program provided leisure activities
• Reich Labour Service addressed unemployment
• Volkswagen scheme offered affordable car ownership

Highlight: Despite reduced unemployment, wages remained frozen at 1933 levels while prices increased.

Wartime Economy and Production

The transition to a war economy dramatically altered German industrial production and civilian life.

Definition: War economy refers to the mobilization of a nation's economic resources for military purposes.

Key Developments:

• Military production increased to 47% of total output by 1941
• Albert Speer's appointment as Minister for Armaments
• Implementation of forced labor programs
• Introduction of rationing for civilians

Nazi Core Knowledge: Democracy to Dictatorship

This section provides an overview of the key figures in the Nazi Party, their core ideologies, and the steps taken to establish a dictatorship in Germany.

Highlight: Adolf Hitler became the leader of the Nazi Party in 1921 and surrounded himself with influential figures who would play crucial roles in the party's rise to power.

The Nazi Party leadership included:

• Joseph Goebbels, responsible for propaganda
• Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS
• Rudolf Hess, Deputy Leader of the Party
• Ernst Röhm, leader of the SA (Sturmabteilung)
• Hermann Göring, second in power to Hitler and founder of the Gestapo

Vocabulary: The SS (Schutzstaffel) was the Nazi Party's elite guard, while the SA (Sturmabteilung) was their paramilitary organization, also known as the "Brownshirts."

Nazi ideology encompassed several key principles:

1. Rejection of the Treaty of Versailles
2. Opposition to Marxism and Communism
3. Anti-Semitism
4. Aryan supremacy
5. Lebensraum (living space)
6. Extreme nationalism
7. Strong central government and education

Definition: Lebensraum refers to the Nazi concept of territorial expansion, particularly into Eastern Europe, to provide "living space" for the German people.

The establishment of the Nazi dictatorship involved several crucial events:

1. The Reichstag Fire (February 1933): A young communist was blamed, but the Nazis used it to stoke fears of a communist plot.

2. Reichstag Fire Decree: Civil liberties were suspended, and thousands of communists were arrested.

3. March 1933 Election: The Nazis won but failed to secure an outright majority.

4. Enabling Act (March 1933): This key legislation gave Hitler the power to pass laws without parliamentary consent.

Highlight: The Enabling Act was a crucial step in Hitler's rise to power, as it effectively made him a dictator by allowing him to bypass the Reichstag.

5. Gleichschaltung: The process of "bringing into line" all aspects of German society with Nazi ideology.

6. Elimination of opposition: Trade unions were dismantled, opposing political parties were banned, and dissenting voices were silenced.

7. Centralization of power: Local government powers were reduced, and a new People's Court was established to handle political offenses.

8. Night of the Long Knives (June 1934): A purge of SA leadership and other political rivals, consolidating Hitler's power.

9. Death of President Hindenburg (August 1934): Hitler combined the roles of Chancellor and President, becoming Führer and Reich Chancellor.

Quote: Hitler declared himself the "supreme judge of the German people" after the Night of the Long Knives, signaling his absolute authority.

This series of events marked the transformation of Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship in Germany under Nazi rule, with Hitler's rise to power complete by 1934.