Life in Nazi Germany
What was it like to live under Hitler’s lead? Who were the SS and the Gestapo? What was work like? What about leisure time? This article explains everything!
National and Local Government
Hitler’s main aim was to get people to follow him. He would achieve this mainly through propaganda – which was very successful, but for some of the time, some people continued to refuse Nazi ideas. They would be forced to accept them. Germany became a police state – which meant that the police had the power to do whatever they wanted – based up on the idea that they were doing something ‘good to the country’. Hitler developed several organisations to help enforce his terror.
The SS
The SS or Schutzstaffel were set up in 1925 as part of the SA. They were led by Henrich Himmler and were completely loyal to Hitler and would carry out any order. They were regarded as perfect examples of Aryan men.
The SS were eventually divided into three main sections…
- The SD or Sicherheitdienst were responsible for state security – meaning that their task was to deal with any enemies of the Nazis.
- The Waffen SS were units who fought alongside the army.
- The Death’s Head Units took control of the concentration camps.
The Gestapo
The Gestapo (Gehemie Staatspolizei) were Hitler’s secret police. Under the administration of the SS the role of the Gestapo was to investigate and combat “all tendencies dangerous to the State”. The Gestapo spies affected the lives of many people living in Nazi Germany, including leader of the Confessing Church , Dietrich Bonhoeffer , who was murdered by the Gestapo in 1945. This was the problem faced by any churchman who tried to oppose the Nazis. Anything they wrote or said would be noted by the Gestapo.
The Gestapo could arrest anyone and send them to concentration camps without the need of a trial. They used informers to uncover any attempts to organise opposition. The Gestapo ended up becoming under SS control after Himmler’s deputy, Richard Heydrich became head of the Gestapo in 1936.
The Courts
Since the SD and the Gestapo had the power to stick people in concentration camps without a trial, the courts could do very little to protect Germans. However, this was not the role of the courts. Jewish and female judges were forced to leave their jobs (both for reasons mentioned later) and were replaced with Nazi supporters. Very unfairly, any opponents of the Nazis would still be punished even if the did (rarely) manage to get a trial. By 1939, the courts had sentenced over 500 people to death and sent many others to the concentration camps.
Work in Nazi Germany
Unemployment was a key problem in Nazi Germany after the huge economic depression of the 30’s. The high unemployment that was caused by the depression is one of the main reasons for the Nazis coming to power. Hitler’s promise to provide ‘bread and work’ for the German people was a promise which really got the public engaged with Hitler and his ideas – he gave some hope after years of misery.
Reich Labour Service
The Reich Labour Service was set up for school leavers and unskilled workers – the Nazis realised that if they were going to win support, they would have to provide jobs and improve living standards as a whole.
The German Labour Front
The German Labour Front was set up to replace trade unions. The Nazis put the concept of ‘ Volksgemeinschaft ‘ – this was the idea of everyone working together for the good of the country. The German Labour Front had complete control over all industrial workers – configuring their hours or work and pay. Robert Lay was head of the German Labour Front and was big on giving Germans enjoyment through the work that they did – usually by rewarding during their non-working hours.
Schönheit der Arbeit (SdA)
SdA or ‘ Beauty of Labour ‘ was a branch of the German Labour Front. Its job was to improve condition in the work place. All sounded good, but the Germans were made to work much harder for the Nazis. Wages did not increase nearly as much as hours did.
Autarky
Another of Hitler’s aims was to establish autarky – to make Germany self-sufficient. This meant that Germany should operate by itself, using its own resources rather than relying on imports, especially raw materials. Hitler realised that German wouldn’t be able to rely on imports once the war had begun, and because he wanted to build up the German forces, large amounts of raw materials would be needed. To add to Germany ’s production of raw materials, Hitler would have to invade and capture Lebensraum (living space).
Leisure Time
The KdF
The KdF (Kraft durch Freunde or strength through joy) was set up as part of the German Labour Front to provide workers with activities for then they weren’t working. The workers were encouraged to work harder in that the KdF may reward them for their hard work – those who worked the hardest would be rewarded with a cruise on the KdF ship.
The KdF was a brilliant way of encouraging workers to get on with their jobs – production of arms and supplies etc. was vital on the home front if Germany was to continue fighting and the Government could expect a higher turnover of production by rewarding efficient workers.
Propaganda and Censorship
Goebbels
Once Hitler was in power, he appointed Goebbels as ‘Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda’. Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945) was known for his virulent anti-Semitism and now had full control over the press, the radio, publishing, films and arts. Goebbels had so much power that he even had control over what could and couldn’t be published. He would destroy anything which he felt disagreed with Nazi views. Goebbels’ technique (also known as argumentum ad nauseam , is the name given to the idea of taking a lie and repeating it continuously until it is taken to be the truth. On 1 st May 1945 , Goebbels and his wife committed suicide.
In Germany , there were now constant Nazi rallies, parades and marches amongst the relentless propaganda of Goebbels. The first Nazi rallies took place in Munich and Weimar (the former being in 1923 and the latter in 1926). From 1927 onwards, rallies took place exclusively in Nuremburg. Nuremburg was chosen for practical reasons – it was the centre of the German Reich. Every rally was given a title, such as 1933’s ‘Rally to Victory’, relating to the seizing of power and victory over the Weimar Republic .
The focus of the rallies was up on Hitler. Followers at the rallies would follow his speeches, swear by his name and march in front of him. Hitler’s use of rallies, parades, marches and other outings enabled him to advertise and promote Hitler’s views and gave him opportunities to make use of his great power as a public speaker.
The Treatment of the Jews
The Nazi’s are perhaps most famous for their hatred of Jews. They took their extreme dislike of Jews to a dreadful height. The Jews were an easy target. In 1933 the Jews made up just 1% of the German population. However, they were very successful, intelligent and efficient workers. Many Germans were jealous of their success and suspicious of their different religious beliefs.
As soon as Hitler became Chancellor, life became more difficult for Jews. In March 1933, Hitler ordered the SA to turn customers away from Jewish shops. People were ordered to quit using Jewish lawyers and Jewish doctors.
The Nuremberg Laws made life even tougher. They made it illegal for Jews to marry non-Jewish citizens and were deprived of German citizenship. Jews were also deprived from public services, such as swimming pools and bars.
Why? Hitler was focused on creating an all-ayrian Germany . He believed that only people of complete German blood and the classic blonde hair, blue eyes belonged in Germany and were worthy enough of being German citizens.
Young People in Nazi Germany
Nazi propaganda – the Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth
The Nazis set up organisations for outside of school. Boys could join the Hitler Youth at the young age of 14. In 1936, membership was unavoidable. Camping and hiking were popular activities – both in order to strengthen the next generation of Nazi soldiers.
The BDM
The BDM or Bund Deutsche Mädel ( League of German Girls ) was the girls’ version of the Hitler Youth. This re-enforced the Nazi belief of women working at their best in the home and taking up the role of being a strong mother. As well as this, the BDM also showed young women life out of the home, taking them on trips out of their villages and letting them take part in new activities which had previously only been available to boys.
Why focus on young people?
Hitler focussed specifically on young people because he realised that they were the next generation of Germans. He figured that if they were taught the Nazi way from a young age, they would stick to it.
Religion in Nazi Germany
When the Nazi’s came to power in Germany , most Germans were Christians. They belonged to one of two churches.
- The Catholic Church – The Catholic Church was lead by the Pope. It was very strong in the south of Germany – the Nazi’s home state, Bavaria . The Catholic Church supported the Nazis in the beginning.
- The Protestant Church – This consisted of a group of churches. They had no single head. Many of these churches openly supported the Nazis.
In 1933, Hitler signed the Concordat with the Pope. This agreement meant that the Catholic Church would be left alone by the Nazis – provided the Church stayed out of politics.
Both Christian Churches supported the Nazis. The Nazis’ opposition to communism was an important factor which meant that the church would support the Nazis since the communists wanted to destroy Christianity. Secondly, to many Christians, Weimar Germany seemed a very immoral country. The Nazis supported old fashioned ways and more moral standards.
The Catholic Church was soon upset by the Nazis however, when, in 1937, the Catholic Youth was made illegal. Similar to the Hitler Youth, it taught young people the best way to live their lives. However, Catholic parents were much more willing to send their children to the Catholic Youth rather than the Hitler Youth. The Nazis realised that they were missing out on a vital portion of youngsters that should be educated the Hitler-way. Children in Catholic Schools were not subjected to the similar levels of government propaganda compared to state school kids. As many as 400 Catholic Priests were put in a special block at Dachau concentration camp for protesting against the absence of a Catholic cross in school rooms. The Catholic Church often felt that they could not oppose the Nazi Government. In doing so, they would be punished. Hitler wanted them on his train of thought, and no-one else’s.
The Protestants, on the other hand, were at odds. Many Protestants continued to support the Nazis, where as other groups opposed Hitler. One such group was the Confessing Church . One leader, Dietrich Bonhoeffer tried to organise resistance to the Nazis – and ended up being sent to a concentration camp and murdered by the Gestapo (secret police). Anything that the church said was written or noted by the Gestapo. They could either speak out and be arrested or keep quiet.
Women in Nazi Germany
The Nazis promoted many old fashioned beliefs, such as the idea that women were more suited to staying in the home rather than working. Many Nazi posters promoted this idea by showing women with children and looking after them and the home. Girls were taught this in school.
The classic Nazi family
Hitler realised that the next generation of children were going to grow up in a Nazi world. The Nazis emphasised the fact that women must produce many, healthy children, creating a number of laws to encourage reproduction. Health was very important for the mother and child – smoking and dieting was discouraged and children were made to lead a healthy life style in order to grow up to become strong, healthy soldiers.
Women were restricted from working in many professional jobs, such as doctors and lawyers in order to produce children.
The Nazis were so big on reproduction that they would even award women based up on the number of children they had. Women would be awarded with an Honour Cross for having children – on the birthday of Hitler’s mother. The birth rate did rise – from 970 000 babies in 1933 to 1 413 000 by 1939.
A league for German girls – the BDM – was set up to educate girls about family life and to make them healthy so that they could produce lots of children. The BDM also enlightened young women by offering them new experiences and taking them to new places.
Opposition to the Nazis
For much of the 1930s, Hitler was very popular. The Gestapo dealt mercilessly with anybody who did try to oppose Nazi ruling. There were, however, almost 50 attempts to assassinate Hitler – so who didn’t’ like him?
| Political Opposition | In 1933 all oppositional political parties were banned. The main opposition the Nazis had came from the Communists and the Socialists. The two parties failed to work together, which made it increasingly difficult to over throw the Nazis. |
| Opposition from Young People | Many gangs developed in the late 30’s. Many young people felt disturbed by the Hitler Youth and were annoyed that the Nazis were becoming to control almost every aspect of a young person’s life. Most pirate groups only ever carried out very small acts of opposition. They usually would express their view by writing anti-Nazi slogans on walls. They would beat up other gang members and as the war went on, acts became more violent. They collected up the propaganda leaflets dropped by allied bombers and pushed them through people’s doors. The most serious incident occurred in 1944. The Pirates attacked the chief of the Gestapo in Cologne . The Gestapo then took action, arresting a total of 407 gang members across Germany . 12 were executed. |
| The Army | The army played a very important component in Nazi Germany – Hitler relied on the army to carry out all of his policies – therefore, opposition from the army was a very serious problem. In 1938, Lt. Col Beck resigned as Chief of Staff of the German armed forces. He disagreed with some of Hitler’s actions, including the war in over the Sudetenland – he didn’t believe it was justified. Along with his successor, General Halder, he plotted to overthrow Hitler. The plan was to capture Hitler when ordered to invade the Sudetenland . However, this plan was never executed. In 1944, a group of army officers attempted to assassinate Hitler. Count von Stauffenberg was attending a meeting with Hitler on 20 July 1944 . He entered the meeting with a bomb in his briefcase. He placed it under the table that Hitler was sat at and left the room. The bomb went off but Hitler managed to escape. Stauffenberg was executed. |
Conclusion
Who gained the most from Nazi ruling?
| Young Men | Many young men liked the idea of being trained to fight in the army. A lot got involved with debates over Nazi regimes and because enlightened to political issues. Lots of young men were given enjoyment and experience through the Hitler Youth. |
| Young Women | Young women gained a lot from Nazi ruling. The BDM took them to places that they had only ever dreamt of before and were enlightened to many new possibilities. |
| Women | Women were not quite so benefited from Nazi ruling. As a whole, whether or not Nazi ruling was beneficial is based up on the women’s personality. Some women liked the idea of staying at home and raising a healthy family… where as others preferred to work in professional jobs. Those who did work in professional jobs – as nurses, lawyers, teachers, etc, were forced out of work by the Nazis – meaning that the skill that they were specifically trained to do would be lost – not so good. |
| Men | German industrialists and less skilled workers gained a lot from Nazi ruling as they were offered labour programmes that encouraged them to work and rewarded them when they did well. |
I don’t think that anybody gained all together in Nazi Germany. Everybody was affected by some plus points as well as an equal share of negative points, making life in Nazi Germany very difficult.
Anybody who Hitler considered to be non-ayrian – that is, Jews, homosexuals, the handicapped, gypsies, liberals, communists – led a very miserable life under Nazi ruling.
Liked it
User Comments
Becca
On December 5, 2007 at 5:38 pm
i agree with this 100% of the way cuz NO one I MEAN NO ONE should be alound to be treated this way
lfc
On March 27, 2008 at 4:05 pm
rubbish
cal
On May 17, 2008 at 5:01 am
can’t say i like it but its useful thx
soolii `
On May 28, 2008 at 5:14 am
cant say that i like it, but ta for the info – it helped me nd ma history project.
xna
On May 31, 2008 at 3:12 am
very helpful. Thanks!
helped me with my modern histroy test.
:]
fitz
On June 2, 2008 at 6:15 am
this is very good info i loved it . thanx m8 george cummings
fitz
On June 2, 2008 at 6:18 am
it helped me get an A i love reading
mustafiz raymond
On June 2, 2008 at 6:20 am
dafizzle
fitz
On June 2, 2008 at 6:22 am
becca learn to spell
Gerhard Putzkammer
On July 6, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Well done, but some of your facts are wrong, i’d look up the name of the leader of the SD for one thing and your definition of “aryan” is wrong on all counts but one, also there was no “war” over the Sudetenland, the Czech people were Betrayed by the western powers and made to hand it over after the “Munich agreement”…even so your discovery of the youth group “The Pirates” shows you do have good research skills…Keep it up!
asshole liker likes cocaine with weed
On August 8, 2008 at 2:05 pm
hilter roxx mah soxx
i wanna blaze it with him on his b-day
Anonymou
On August 16, 2008 at 3:06 am
Um, your assertion that both the Christian churches supported the Nazis is quite wrong… Certainly some members of the Church did, but it is not as clear cut as you made it. The Catholic Church, for one thing, was opposed to the euthanasia program carried out by the regime and helped put an end to it. It would be more accurate to say that some members of the churches supported the Nazis, some didn’t and you must acknowledge that the Nazis tried to set up their own brand of Christianity.
Tierra
On August 17, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Helped me get my work done fast to get to my friends block party
Jake
On September 29, 2008 at 9:40 am
thanks helped me alot, but some of your facts are wrong and you could go into a bit more detail on leasure time and a few other areas.
mariano depreste
On October 21, 2008 at 12:12 pm
yo yo yo
dis was quite whoppa,thnx alot
this is some quality info boyz sound re
ttys talk to use shlata
xxxxx
Jack
On December 4, 2008 at 10:55 am
haha George CUMmings
Lynette Scavo ;)
On December 23, 2008 at 6:16 am
sum of the stuff is inaccurate other than that thank you very much ^.^
lol blue eyes blond hair yet hitler hasnt gt any of those loll
TheGeekyNerd
On January 12, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Thanks that really helped me revise Nazi Germany.
Ellie
On January 15, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Thank you so much , that really helped me with my history homework
cheers
Angel
On February 1, 2009 at 10:03 am
It’s a bit confusing, but hey, it helped me out!!!
mboo
On February 8, 2009 at 10:48 am
nothing on the Jews or the holocaust in general….. get that sorted and some other small facts and your all good
Jayne
On February 14, 2009 at 3:08 am
thank you. this article’s very useful indeed.
unknown
On February 22, 2009 at 7:55 am
thanks this was a great help for my project
lalalalalalalala
On March 1, 2009 at 4:20 pm
thanks this helped me with my history progect thanks
curious
On March 11, 2009 at 4:04 pm
to number 21’s point there is already so much availble on the holocaust and the jews in nazi germany i think the whole point was to shead light on the other end.
Hitler
On March 16, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Toten die juden!!! its all wrong im still alive i live in vagas
unknown1
On March 18, 2009 at 3:51 pm
#17- hitler actually did have blue eyes but thats something your never here about because they want to make it seem like he was a hypocrite
unknown1
On March 18, 2009 at 3:52 pm
*You never hear about* correction lol sorry fast typist
Ed
On April 19, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I tend to disagree with the writer of this article since I detected strong bias that tended to favor the Jews than Germans. Interestingly, many people take this article as an authority (as evidenced by the many people who stated that they used it as a source), yet the author did not even produce ONE source where the information came from (except from the author; that doesn’t count)! This article should be clearly labeled as an Editorial because there is so much bias in the article that it cannot be considered impartial. I’ll pull just one paragraph to show you, Ollie.
1. “The Nazi’s are perhaps most famous for their hatred of Jews. They took their extreme dislike of Jews to a dreadful height. The Jews were an easy target. In 1933 the Jews made up just 1% of the German population. However, they were very successful, intelligent and efficient workers. Many Germans were jealous of their success and suspicious of their different religious beliefs.”
Ollie, please learn English. The plural form of “Nazi” is “Nazis”, not “Nazi’s.”
“In 1933 the Jews made up just 1% of the German population.” How do you know that Jews only made up one percent of the German population? Where is your source to back up your claim?
“However, they were very successful, intelligent and efficient workers.”
This is an opinion. It has no place in a factual article.
Also, you are generalizing and IMPLYING that ALL Jews match the description above; the fact is that not all Jews fit that description.
“Many Germans were jealous of their success and suspicious of their different religious beliefs.”
And…where’s your source? You are making a very outrageous claim, but if you can’t back it up with any proof, this is just complete rubbish.
That was just one small excerpt from this entire article. The author did not list any sources whatsovever, so we can’t analyze whether the author is using sources that have bias or not. The information presented in this article is, at best, questionable. The fact that SO many people used it as an authority for “Life in Nazi Germany” is quite disturbing. Please stop.
Megan.
On April 26, 2009 at 5:31 am
This was unuseful (if that is a word, if it is’nt figure it out), i asked for how hitler improved the lifes of children in Nazi Germany. And to be honest it does’nt mention nout’ about it. “/
Rachel Haran
On May 8, 2009 at 4:24 am
I love history it rocks man!!
DANIEL RAMSDEN
On May 8, 2009 at 4:26 am
I LOVE HISTROY IT ROCKKSSSS DUDEEE I DO IT EVERY NIGHT AT HOMEEEEE YAYAAAAAAAA
JADE REILY AND HOLLY SHARP
On May 8, 2009 at 4:28 am
WEEEE LOVEE HISTORYYYYY YARPPPP EVERYYYY SINGLEEEE DAYYYY WOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPP
adil
On May 8, 2009 at 4:34 am
hi man history rocks and r.e
hollly
On May 8, 2009 at 4:37 am
hey there danny !!!:P
schweinkreiger
On May 8, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Ich leibe das madchen mit den blauen augen!
Chloee x
On May 18, 2009 at 5:01 pm
This has kinda helped me with my history coursework, however there could of been more information like what people used to do back then for entertainment if hitler werent sending people around killing people that werent german.
(:
You Know Who
On June 2, 2009 at 5:51 am
Hello Sophie.n=]
Hi This Is Nazi Germany
On June 2, 2009 at 5:59 am
The Third Reich arose in the wake of the national shame, embarrassment, anger and resentment which resulted from the Treaty of Versailles.[5]
Versailles, a harsh treaty offered to the vanquished Germans after a brutal war, provided for:
Germany’s acceptance of and admission to sole responsibility for causing World War I[6]
the permanent forfeiture of various German territories and the demilitarization of other German territory[7]
the payment by Germany of heavy reparations, in money and in kind, such payments being justified in the Allied view by the War Guilt clause[8]
unilateral German disarmament and severe military restrictions[9]
Other conditions fostering the rise of the Third Reich include nationalism and Pan-Germanism, civil unrest attributed to Marxist groups, the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s (spurred by the stock market crash in the US), the reaction against the counter-traditionalism and liberalism of the Weimar period, and the rise of communism in Germany, as reflected by the growth of the KPD, the Communist Party of Germany. Many voters, seeking an outlet for their frustrations and an expression for their repudiation of parliamentary democracy which seemed incapable of keeping a government in power for more than a few months, began turning their support towards the far right and far left of the political spectrum, opting for extremist political parties such as the Nazi Party. The Nazis offered promises of strong authoritarian government in lieu of effete parliamentary republicanism, civil peace, radical changes to economic policy (including elimination of unemployment), restored national pride (principally through the repudiation of Versailles) and racial cleansing, implemented in part by active suppression of Jews and Marxists, all under the banner of national unity and solidarity in lieu of the partisan divisiveness of democracy and the class divisiveness of Marxism. The Nazis (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei[10] or NSDAP, National Socialist German Workers’ Party) promised national and cultural renewal based on volkisch traditionalism, and it proposed military rearmament, repudiation of reparations and reclamation of forfeited territory in opposition to the Treaty of Versailles; the party claimed that through Versailles and the liberal democracy of the Weimar Republic, Germany’s national pride had, by the inspiration and conniving of the Jews, been deviously surrendered by the wicked and traitorous “November criminals,” whose goal was to subvert and poison the German blood.[5]. The Nazis also endorsed the Dolchstoßlegende (”Stab in the back legend”) which figured prominently in their propaganda as it did in propaganda of most other nationalist-leaning parties in Germany.
From 1925 to the 1930s, the German government evolved from a democracy to a de facto conservative-nationalist authoritarian state under President and war hero Paul von Hindenburg, who opposed the liberal democratic nature of the Weimar Republic and wanted to find a way to make Germany into an authoritarian state.[11] The natural ally of the foundation of an authoritarian state had been the German National People’s Party (the Deutschnationale Volkspartei, DNVP or “the Nationalists”), but increasingly, after 1929, more radical and younger-generation nationalists were attracted to the revolutionary nature of the National Socialist party, to challenge the rising support for communism as the German economy floundered. In addition, the middle class parties lost support as the German electorate polarized around the left and right wings, thus making majority government in a parliamentary system even more difficult.
In the elections of 1928, when economic conditions had improved following the end of the hyperinflation of 1922-23, the Nazis gained a meager 12 seats. In 1930, months after the US stock market crash, they won an astonishing 107 seats, going from a splinter group that ranked ninth in the Reichstag to the second-largest parliamentary party. After the July elections of 1932, the Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag, with 230 seats.[12] Hindenburg was reluctant to give any substantial power to Hitler, but former chancellor Franz von Papen and Hitler worked out an alliance between the Nazis and the DNVP which would allow Hitler to assume the chancellorship subject to the control of the traditional conservatives and for Hindenburg to accordingly develop an authoritarian state. Hitler consistently demanded to be appointed chancellor in order for Hindenburg to receive any Nazi Party support of the cabinets appointed under his authority.
On 30 January 1933 Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany by Hindenburg after attempts by General Kurt von Schleicher to form a viable government failed (the Machtergreifung). Von Schleicher was hoping he could control Hitler by becoming vice chancellor and also keeping the Nazis a minority in the cabinet. Hindenburg was put under pressure by Hitler through his son Oskar von Hindenburg, as well as intrigue from former Chancellor Franz von Papen, leader of the Catholic Centre Party following his collection of participating financial interests and his own ambitions to combat communism.[citation needed] Even though the Nazis had gained the largest share of the popular vote in the two Reichstag general elections of 1932, they had no majority of their own, and just a slim majority in parliament with their Papen-proposed Nationalist DNVP-NSDAP coalition. This coalition ruled through accepted continuance of the Presidential decree, issued under Article 48 of the 1919 Weimar constitution.[13]
The National Socialist treatment of the Jews in the early months of 1933 marked the first step in a longer-term process of removing them from German society.[14] This plan was at the core of Adolf Hitler’s “cultural revolution”.[14]
Consolidation of power
The new government installed a totalitarian dictatorship in a series of measures in quick succession (see the article on Nazi forced coordination or Gleichschaltung for details).
On the night of 27 February 1933 the Reichstag building was set on fire and Dutch council communist Marinus van der Lubbe was found inside the building. He was arrested and charged with starting the blaze. The event had an immediate effect on thousands of anarchists, socialists and communists throughout the Reich, many of whom were sent to the Dachau concentration camp. The unnerved public worried that the fire had been a signal meant to initiate the communist revolution, and the Nazis found the event to be of immeasurable value in getting rid of potential insurgents. The event was quickly followed by the Reichstag Fire Decree, rescinding habeas corpus and other civil liberties.
The Enabling Act was passed in March 1933, with 444 votes, to the 94 of the remaining Social Democrats. The act gave the government (and thus effectively the Nazi Party) legislative powers and also authorized it to deviate from the provisions of the constitution for four years. In effect, Hitler had seized dictatorial powers.
Over the next year, the National Socialist Party ruthlessly eliminated all opposition. The Communists had already been banned before the passage of the Enabling Act. The Social Democrats (SPD), despite efforts to appease Hitler, were banned in June. In June and July, the Nationalists (DNVP), People’s Party (DVP) and State Party (DStP) were forced to disband. The remaining Catholic Centre Party, at Papen’s urging, disbanded itself on 5 July 1933 after guarantees over Catholic education and youth groups. On 14 July 1933 Germany was officially declared a one-party state.
March at Reichsparteitag 1935.Symbols of the Weimar Republic, including the black-red-gold flag (now the present-day flag of Germany), were abolished by the new regime which adopted both new and old imperial symbolism to represent the dual nature of the imperialist-Nazi regime of 1933. The old imperial black-white-red tricolour, almost completely abandoned during the Weimar Republic, was restored as one of Germany’s two officially legal national flags. The other official national flag was the swastika flag of the Nazi party. It became the sole national flag in 1935. The national anthem continued to be “Deutschland über Alles” (also known as the “Deutschlandlied”) except that the Nazis customarily used just the first verse and appended to it the “Horst-Wessel-Lied” accompanied by the so-called Hitler salute.
Further consolidation of power was achieved on 30 January 1934 with the Gesetz über den Neuaufbau des Reichs (Act to rebuild the Reich). The act changed the highly decentralized federal Germany of the Weimar era into a centralized state. It disbanded state parliaments, transferring sovereign rights of the states to the Reich central government and put the state administrations under the control of the Reich administration. This process had actually begun soon after the passage of the Enabling Act, when all state governments were thrown out of office and replaced by Reich governors (German: Reichsstatthalter). Further laws ended any autonomy in local government. Mayors of cities and towns with less than 100,000 people were appointed by the governors, while the Interior Minister appointed the mayors of all cities with more than 100,000 people. In the case of Berlin and Hamburg (and after 1938, Vienna), Hitler reserved the right to personally appoint the mayors.
In the spring of 1934, only the army remained independent from Nazi control. The German army had traditionally been separated from the government and somewhat of an entity of its own. The Nazi paramilitary SA expected top positions in the new power structure and wanted the regime to follow through its promise of enacting socialist legislation for Aryan Germans.
“ At the risk of appearing to talk nonsense I tell you that the Nazi movement will go on for 1,000 years!… Don’t forget how people laughed at me 15 years ago when I declared that one day I would govern Germany. They laugh now, just as foolishly, when I declare that I shall remain in power! ”
Adolf Hitler to a British correspondent in Berlin, June 1934[15]
Wanting to preserve good relations with the army and the major industries who were weary of more political violence erupting from the SA, on the night of 30 June 1934, Hitler initiated the violent “Night of the Long Knives”, a purge of the leadership ranks of Röhm’s SA as well as hard-left Nazis (Strasserists), and other political enemies, carried out by another, more elitist, Nazi organization, the SS.
Bones of anti-Nazi German women still in the crematoriums in the German concentration camp at Weimar, Germany. Photo taken by the 3rd U.S. Army, 14 April 1945At Hindenburg’s death on 2 August 1934 the Nazi-controlled Reichstag merged the offices of Reichspräsident and Reichskanzler and reinstalled Hitler with the new title Führer und Reichskanzler. Until the death of Hindenburg, the army did not follow Hitler, partly because the paramilitary SA was much larger than the German Army (limited to 100,000 by the Treaty of Versailles) and because the leaders of the SA sought to merge the Army into itself and to launch the socialist “second revolution” to complement the nationalist revolution which had occurred with the ascendance of Hitler. The murder of Ernst Röhm, leader of the SA, in the Night of the Long Knives, the death of Hindenburg, the merger of the SA into the Army and the promise of other expansions of the German military wrought friendlier relations between Hitler and the Army, resulting in a unanimous oath of allegiance by all soldiers to obey Hitler.[citation needed] The Nazis proceeded to scrap their official alliance with the conservative nationalists and began to introduce Nazi ideology and Nazi symbolism into all major aspects of life in Germany. Schoolbooks were either rewritten or replaced and schoolteachers who did not support Nazification of the curriculum were fired.
The inception of the Gestapo, police acting outside of any civil authority, highlighted the Nazis’ intention to use powerful, coercive means to directly control German society. An army, estimated to be of about 100,000, spies and informants operated throughout Germany, reporting to Nazi officials the activities of any critics or dissenters.[citation needed] Most ordinary Germans, happy with the improving economy and better standard of living, remained obedient and quiet, but many political opponents, especially[citation needed] communists and Marxist or international socialists, were reported by omnipresent eavesdropping spies and put in prison camps where many were tortured and killed. It is estimated that tens of thousands of political victims died or disappeared in the first few years of Nazi rule.
“Between 1933 and 1945 more than 3 million Germans had been in concentration camps or prison for political reasons”[16] “Tens of thousands of Germans were killed for one or another form of resistance. Between 1933 and 1945 Special Courts killed 12,000 Germans, courts martial killed 25,000 German soldiers, and ‘regular’ justice killed 40,000 Germans. Many of these Germans were part of the government civil or military service, a circumstance which enabled them to engage in subversion and conspiracy while involved, marginally or significantly, in the government’s policies.”[17]
World War II
See also: European Theatre of World War II and History of Germany during World War II
German and Axis allies’ conquests (in blue) in Europe during World War II
Conquest of Europe
The “Danzig crisis” peaked in early 1939, around the time that reports of controversy in the Free City of Danzig increased, the United Kingdom “guaranteed” to defend Poland’s territorial integrity and the Poles rejected a series of offers by Nazi Germany regarding both the Free City of Danzig and the Polish Corridor. Then, the Germans broke off diplomatic relations. Hitler had learned that the Soviet Union was willing to sign a non-aggression pact with Germany and would support an attack on Poland. Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 and two days later, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany. World War II was underway, but Poland fell quickly, especially after the Soviets attacked Poland on 17 September. The United Kingdom proceeded to bomb Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven[18], Heligoland[19] and other areas. Still, aside from battles at sea, no other activity occurred. Thus, the war became known as “the Phony War”.
The year 1940 began with little more than the UK dropping propaganda leaflets over Prague and Vienna[20] but a German attack on the British High Seas fleet was followed by the British bombing the port city of Sylt.[21] After the Altmark Incident off the coast of Norway and the discovery of the United Kingdom’s plans to encircle Germany, Hitler sent troops into Denmark and Norway. This safeguarded iron ore supplies from Sweden through coastal waters. Shortly thereafter, the British and French landed in Mid- and North Norway, but the Germans defeated these forces in the ensuing Norwegian campaign.
In May 1940, the Phony War ended. Against the will of his advisors, Hitler ordered an attack on France through the Low Countries. The Battle of France ended with an overwhelming German victory. However, with the British refusing Hitler’s offer of peace, the war continued on.[22][23]Germany and Britain continued to fight at sea and in the air. However, on August 24, two off-course German bombers accidentally bombed London – against Hitler’s orders, changing the course of the war.[24]In response to the attack, the British bombed Berlin, which sent Hitler in a rage. The German leader ordered attacks on British cities, and the UK was bombed heavily during The Blitz.[25]
Ye Ye Bruv WOT
On June 2, 2009 at 6:02 am
Thanks this is very helpful. Thanks again. WooHOO.
Watchout ye po po
Look Behind You
On June 2, 2009 at 6:02 am
SLASH SLASH SLASH
SLASH SLASH SLASH
On June 2, 2009 at 6:03 am
Look Behind You
Hi
On June 12, 2009 at 3:47 am
No Help At ALL
Charlieee
On June 22, 2009 at 11:18 am
This Got Me An A* In My History Test!! Thx Whoever Wrote This!!
Sarah Glenister..Ox
On July 10, 2009 at 8:18 am
HATESSSSSSSS HISTORYYY !!
ESPECIALLY RE WQHEN I HAD MRS JOHNSON!!
ayah
On July 22, 2009 at 11:01 am
i love history n sarah…..mrs johnson is a gud teacher
SarahRose.Ox
On October 5, 2009 at 4:52 am
nar shes not she a dik !
Post Comment