Germany: The Nazi Party

1. National Socialist German Workers Party = NSDAP The 25 Points - These were the core beliefs of the Nazi party which Hitler wrote. It was a political manifesto which set out what the Nazis would do. Germany: The Nazi Party 2. There should be a strong tough central government led by 1 man – the Nazis believed this because under the Kaiser, Germany was strong and successful. The Weimar republic was not dealing with the hyperinflation crisis well, so the thought of returning to a system like the Kiser appealed to many. 1. The government must provide jobs for everyone and everyone must work – the Nazis believed in this because they felt that everybody should contribute to the economic growth of Germany. It would appeal to all of the people who were unemployed at the time due to hyperinflation. It would badly effect those who chose not to work. 3. The Treaty of Versailles should be destroyed – Nazis believed that Versailles was too harsh. They did not accept defeat in WW1 and felt that they were betrayed by the November criminals. This would appeal to members of the Army, but threatened the current government, because they were the people who signed the treaty. The Sturm-Abteilung were the Nazi party’s private army. They were mostly ex-Freikorps and their role was to protect Nazi speakers, but in reality they made violence themselves by attacking rival left wing groups. Hitler was the Nazi party’s undisputed leader. He had a dominating presence, and craved power. He would not be tied down by policy; he wanted to gain power then use it as necessary at that time. He was an incredibly persuasive public speaker and told people what they wanted to hear.

2. The Munich Putsch A governmental coup staged by the Nazis to overthrow the Weimar republic. • 8th November 1923 • Kahr, the leader of Bavaria was addressing 3000 businessmen at a beer hall in Munich • Hitler and Goering arrived with 600 storm troopers • General Ludendorff was a great German war hero who said he supported Hitler • Around Munich, the storm troopers took control of government buildings • 9th November 1923 • Von Kahr escaped during the night and told the army of Hitler’s plans for revolution • Hitler and his 2,000 supporters began their march through Munich streets, but were met by armed police • Hitler was wounded and 16 Nazis were killed • Hitler and Ludendorff were taken to prison • The Trial – February 1924 • Hitler used the trial as a stage on which to speak about his beliefs. • The trial lasted 24 days and he was a media sensation. • Landsberg Prison • Hitler was made very comfortable in jail, and was allowed unlimited visitors • He wrote his book, Mein Kampf, and completely reorganised the Nazi party Long term success, Short term failure Forced Nazis into public eye Made Hitler famous and gave him a chance to speak publically Got support of army Badly Organised Showed how powerless Nazis were Hitler was tricked by Ludendorff and Von Kahr Hitler imprisoned

3. Winning over the Working Classes Increased anti-Semitic propaganda, as this seemed to appeal. Held public meetings for members to train in public speaking. If topics of discussion were popular, they would be repeated. Cultivated support of wealthy businessmen promising them that if Nazis came to power, trade unions and communism would be destroyed. They then financed his campaigns. Reduced the number of SA Set up networks of local parties, and merged with other right wing parties before taking them over Josef Goebbels put in charge of propaganda – they felt that the best way to get the support of the masses was to appeal to feelings rather than by argument. They waged a propaganda campaign including posters, leaflets, radio, film and rallies. Set up Hitler Youth, attracting young people to join the party Changes to the Nazis After the Munich Putsch, Hitler reorganised the party, and decided that the only way to win votes was by legal means. On the 27th February 1925 in the Munich Beer Hall,. Hitler officially re-launched the Party. The Swastika was in red black and white, representing eternity in the colours of the German flag under the Kaiser. Winning over the Middle Classes Promised strong leadership that Weimar had failed to deliver.

4. Why was hitler offered the job of Chancellor in 1933? There are reasons why Hitler was chosen because of what the Nazis had done, as well as other events which helped his on his way to chancellor. Other Events: The Depression After Stresemann built Germany on American loans, when Wall Street crashed in 1929, American loans were recalled, and the German economy collapsed. Businesses could not sell their goods, and so had to sack workers. Unemployment soared, and the Nazi promise of solving unemployment gathered much support. Over half of all 16-30 year olds in 1933 were unemployed and 40% of factory workers were unemployed by 1932. This gave Nazis more support. In 1933, when unemployment had reached 4,804,000, the Nazis had 43.9% of the vote in the Reichstag, 288 seats. Fear of Communism Nazi party was anti-communist , which appealed to wealthy businessmen and industrialists who feared that a communist government would take over their businesses. Weak opposition In the Reichstag, the Nazis must have a majority vote to pass a law. All that the other parties had to do was agree in order to stop the Nazis passing a law, but they would not do this, so the Nazis were able to. Political Deal Nazi Actions: Propaganda Nazi propaganda appealed to the prejudice that already existed amongst German people. Hitler used the Jews as a scapegoat for the loss of WW1, and because many people wanted someone else to blame, this increased his support. The Nazis understood what the depression had done to people, and their propaganda played on this. Promises Hitler promised to defeat communism, solve unemployment and get Germany to be as strong as it was with the Kaiser. Many people were struggling in the depression, and these promises of strong leadership were exactly what they wanted to hear. He also promised to turn back the treaty of Versailles, which appealed to all Nationalists and the believers of the Stab in the Back theory. There was a different promise for every sector of society; for farmers, better prices, for the rich, economic stability, and for the poor they promised jobs. Organisation Many Nazis had fought in WW1, meaning that they were highly organised and valued teamwork. They had skilled leaders at every level. Leadership Hitler was glorified into a superman, and the idea of having a strong leader again like the Kaiser appealed to almost all Germans. Hitler would fly around Germany giving speeches to raise his profile, and also used radio to spread the message of the Nazis.

5. The Political Deal Nazis are successful in July 1932, winning 37% of vote Hitler demanded to be chancellor, but President von Hindenburg refused, instead making Franz von Papen, the head of the Catholic Centre Party chancellor. Papen did not have support of Reichstag and so in December 1933, General von Schleicher persuaded Hindenburg to remove Papen, becoming chancellor himself. Schleicher also failed to get support of Reichstag. Papen wanted revenge, and so made a deal with Hitler; Hitler would be chancellor and Papen would be vice chancellor. Papen thought he could control Hitler, and Hindenburg agreed, and made Hitler chancellor in January 1933. The Reichstag Fire • 27th February 1933, the Reichstag was set alight. • Young Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was found at the scene with matches in his pocket. • He was arrested, held and interrogated by Nazi officers, confessed to the crime and was later tried and executed.

6. The Reichstag Fire - an alternative explanation The Nazi party may have organised the fire themselves. Catching a known communist red handed would give Hitler the perfect opportunity to restrict civil liberties and ban other parties, for fear of a communist revolution. The law and the fire created an atmosphere of absolute panic in Germany – they felt they ere under attack from an invisible enemy. The Nazis promised to restore order and they polled 44% in the March 1933 elections. Some Historians blame the Weimar constitution for this, because if Article 48 had not have existed, the law would have had to go through the Reichstag and would not have been passed. • What were the results of the Reichstag fire??? • Nazis immediately announced that communists were trying to take control of Germany. • They persuaded Hindenburg to use Article 48 of the Weimar constitution to introduce “The law for the protection of the people and the state”. It allowed Nazis to arrest any political opponents without reason. • 4000 German communists were arrested and put into concentration camps having committed no crime.

7. 83% 46% 53% 60% Hitler needed to get over two thirds of the vote in order to pass the enabling act. He did this by…. The Enabling Act • In March election, Nazis poll 222 of 647 seats • Hitler persuades Nationalists to support him, getting 340 out of the 647 seats • Emergency powers used to make communism illegal, reduces number of seats, Hitler’s percentage of the Reichstag increases. • Almost all of centre party supported Hitler, and the enabling Act was passed 444 votes to 94. The Weimar Constitution had effectively voted themselves out of existence – Hitler could rule without the Reichstag.

8. After Hitler became chancellor in January 1933, and had the enabling act passed on 23rd March, he still had many difficult decisions to make. One of these was to choose between his loyal SA and the national army of Germany. The Night of the Long Knives Support the SA: Rohm was an old friend of Hitler SA had helped him in the Munich Putsch 1923, and in fights against communists Committed Nazis Over 2,500,00 – much larger than the army Abandon SA: Beginning to get out of hand – interfering with running the country and law courts Disapproved of some Nazi leaders Hitler would have to go along with their demands if he used them to control the army Hitler did not agree with their working class aims and anti capitalist policies • Support Army: • Well trained and disciplined • Only organisation which had the power to remove Hitler • Support of big businesses and conservatives • Efficient army was needed to reclaim land lost at Versailles • Don’t support the army: • Small – 100,00 men • Loyalty unknown • Some Generals disliked Hitler and Nazis On 29th and 30th June 1934, the SS (German Army) were ordered by Hitler to arrest and kill members and leaders of the SA – 400 men were killed. Hitler thought that Rohm, leader of the SA, was planning a coup, and he was shot. The SS was then led by Heinrich Himmler, and it became a hugely powerful influence in Germany. This David Low cartoon from 3 July 1934 shows Hitler (with a smoking gun) and Goering (shown as Thor, the God of War) glowering at - not the traditional Nazi salute - but terrified SA men with their hands up. Some SA men already lie dead on the ground. The caption reads: 'They salute with both hands now'.    Low was fiercely anti-Nazi, and portrays Hitler as a brazen murderer keeping his men in check by naked fear. Goebbels is shown as Hitler's poodle.

9. What kind of Germany did the Nazis want? • The ‘people’s community’; a German population unified by mind, body and spirit. • People would stop thinking of themselves as individuals but instead would think of themselves as part of a greater German community. • Rights that an individual has, such as freedom of thought would be considered less important than loyalty to the German nation. Aims... • The Volk – all unified in one German nation. Achieved by: • removing all other party loyalties. Organisations like church, political parties or even swimming clubs and choirs would be abolished or taken over by Nazis. • Family and friendship would be less important that the Volk. People would be expected and encouraged to inform Nazis of anybody who was not sufficiently loyal to the German Volk. • Free speech abolished – there was no room for opposition to the Nazis. Volksgemeinschaft • 2. A strong Germany. Achieved by: • Strong leadership • Destroying the humiliating treaty of Versailles • Making Germany a great military power with strong armed forces • Restoring economy from depression by making industry powerful • WAR is necessary for all 4 to come together. • 3. A racially pure Germany . Hitler believed that Aryans were superior to other races, and that Germany’s problems were caused by Germany being run by non-racially pure Germans. Achieved by: • Getting rid of minorities such as Jews by removing them from positions of power • Pure German women would be expected to produce as many racially pure children as possible. They could not marry men of other races.

10. How did the Nazis run Germany? A DICTATORSHIP No democracy; it was the weakness of the democratic Weimar republic that had caused disaster for Germany. Germany needed a dictator who knew what was best for the country, and made decisions for everyone else. Everyone would obey these as they were in the people’s interests. A ONE PARTY STATE Nazis would be the only political party. Every state, every committee, every organisation, every club would be led by Nazi members. ECONOMIC SUCCESS All Germans would be employed and would have food. They would help people to save money to buy their own cars, have holidays and entertainment for loyal Germans. A POLICE STATE If there was opposition, the SS and the police would have absolute power to arrest, punish and execute enemies of the state who did not follow instructions, and Hitler, or who did not submit to the demands for total loyalty. A PROPAGANDA STATE Nazis believed that if they controlled what people saw, heard and read, they could win hearts and minds. Goebbels had already shown that Nazi election campaigns of the 1930s were successful and these were based around propaganda.

11. Anything which sets out to make people think in a certain way about something; a deliberately one sided version of events. Propaganda Nazi Germany’s master of propaganda was Josef Goebbels , named the ‘Minister for Propaganda and Enlightenment’. The entire German media was controlled by him. The propaganda set out to make the new German government appear glorious and successful. It was designed to: - Make Germany look more united under Nazi leadership - Show racial purity was important in building a strong Germany Cinema – special films carrying Nazi message were made for the young, and news reels and documentaries with a Nazi slant were played before and after films. Newspapers – only allowed to print stories which were pro-Nazi and were given strict instructions form the party on what to write. Newspapers which did not support the Nazis were closed – 1,500 closed by 1934. Books – anything written by Jews or authors opposed to the Nazi party were banned. In1933 students were encouraged to burn huge piles of banned books from libraries. Radio – Gobbles took control of all local radio stations and used them to send out Nazi messages. Cheap radio sets were produced so that every German could afford one, named the “people’s receivers”. No foreign stations could be picked up, so the only view of the world was the Nazi one. Loudspeaker pillars were set up all over Germany in streets and public squares so people could hear it wherever they went. Music – had to be German composers like Wagner, Beethoven and Mozart. German folk music and marching music were encouraged. Jazz, black American, and Jewish music were banned. Nuremberg Rallies They brought colour, excitement and national pride to people’s lives, but also achieved two very important things; 1. Gave the impression that Nazism was POPULAR 2. Gave the impression of ORDER People felt that everyone else was a Nazi, convincing others of the Nazi message. The rallies were an example of ‘MOB PSYCHOLOGY’, when people are simply swept along by a feeling of belonging to act in ways that they would not usually. Nazis promised Germans an end to instability of the 1920s and early 1930s. The rallies made it look like the Nazis had delivered order to German.

12. The 1936 Berlin Olympics. Hitler used this as a propaganda exercise to show how organised and successful the Nazis were in restoring Nazis to greatness. Huge amounts of money were spent on state of the art facilities to prove how much Germany had recovered under the Nazis. Propaganda cont. Hitler also wanted to prove that the Aryan race were superior to all others. To his delight, Germany finished top of the medals table (thanks to show jumping and shooting). However, Jesse Owens the black American athlete broke 11 world records and won 4 gold medals. Hitler refused to shake his hand, and Owens said, “It’s not like I went there to shake his hand anyway”. Hitler was successful in making Germany look powerful, as all visitors were in awe at the impressive buildings and organisation. However, the idea of Aryan superiority was questioned after the success of Jesse Owens. Schools in Nazi Germany • Educational Aims • Winning the hearts and minds of German children in order to create a thousand year Reich • Indoctrinating young people with Nazi ideas so that they would comply, and the Nazis would rule forever. Teachers were forced to join the German Teachers League, and any teachers who refused were dismissed. They were instructed and trained to put the Nazi message across in all lessons • Children are ideal targets for indoctrination because; • All children had to go to school, and so it was a perfect place4 for the indoctrination to take place. • Children believed all that they were told by adults, especially teachers. Girls were taught domestic science, child care and cookery in preparation for their roles as wives and mothers. Boys were taught history, race science, eugenics (the science of breeding) and lots of sport. This was to prepare them for being soldiers. The Nazi message was incorporated into history, teaching about the failures of the weak democratic Weimar republic, and how Hitler saved Germany.

13. The Hitler Youth The Nazis believed that in the past, German society was perfect, leading to traditionalist ideas. Gender roles very important; girls were wives and mothers, boys were brave soldiers. By 1933, the Hitler Youth had taken over scouts and church youth groups. After 1935, membership was compulsory. Boys and girls were kept separate in the Hitler youth, and girls became a part of the League of German maidens. They were split in preparation for their different roles in society. Girls were encouraged to wear traditional clothes and hairstyles. German boys read Der Sturmer, indoctrinating them with the Volksgemeinschaft message and encouraging them to adopt Nazi ideology; chariot racing to encourage aggression, physical strength, teamwork and a competitive nature; carrying ‘dead’ comrades at festivals re-enacting Medieval burial ceremonies in order to encourage traditionalist attitudes and preparation for their becoming soldiers.

14. Women in Nazi Germany KINDER – children; expand the German empire by having racially pure children. KIRCHE – church; a powerful tool to convey the Nazis message that women have a duty to God to do these things. KUCHE – kitchen; being a housewife, cooking and cleaning and looking after the husband. Women were so important to the Nazis because they needed children. In 1900, 2 million German babies were born; in 1930 this had fallen to 1 million. If Germany wanted to be a great power, the Aryan women needed to have children to expand the racially pure empire. • Successful? • 800,000 new brides given special loans because they promised not to take up jobs • 1936 there were 30% more births than in 1933 • Duty year must be served when women were 18 as their service was required in armament factories in preparation for war. • Employment of women increased, but wages only two thirds that of a man’s. • The Nazis encouraged women to comply by; • The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage in 1933 – couples given 1000 marks in 1933, and were allowed to keep 250 marks for every child. • The Honour Cross for the German mother- gold for 8 children, silver for 6 children, bronze for 4 children • Lebensborn programme allowed selected unmarried women to ‘donate a baby to the fuehrer’ by becoming pregnant to racially pure SS men. • Sacking women in government controlled jobs – 15% of teachers, all doctors and civil servants were sacked.

15. Church in Nazi Germany Hitler’s opinion: “God is dead, and we have killed him”. Hitler was inconsistent about religion; sometimes he used Christian language, sometimes he spoke disparagingly about Christianity. Hitler was heavily influenced by German philosopher Nietzsche, who argued that Christianity only existed to make men weak. The qualities most highly regarded by Christianity, charity, mercy and selflessness, were “slave like”. Hitler was interested in making people stronger and didn’t want these qualities in his new German nation. The Nazi approach to Church… When the Nazis first came to power, they thought that they were powerful enough to directly challenge the church Nazis agreed a CONCORDAT with the catholic church; Nazis would stay out of religion if the church stayed out of politics How it changed… As Nazis became more established, their decisions became braver. In 1938, Catholic priests were banned from teaching lessons. In 1939, all church schools were closed. However, a vast majority of Germans still described themselves as Christians. The Reichskirche was never very popular, and was only attended out of duty.

16. Opposition from Christians • Paul Schneider • Pastor in a small town • Criticised Nazis, especially Goebbels • In 1934 he was arrested and warned not to make speeches hostile towards the Nazis • He ignored these warnings, and in 1937 he was sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp • He smuggled out letters warning that the church should not compromise with the Nazis. • He refused to take his cap off when Nazi flags were hoisted and was put on the rack and whipped. He was tortured and strung up by the arms for hours at a time • He still refused to sign a promise not to preach. He prayed aloud and was kept in the camp for 2 years. • In 1938 he was sent to a concentration camp, and although Hitler ordered his death before the war ended, he survived. • Cardinal Galen • Galen publicly attacked Nazi policies as early as 1924 • In 1941 he revealed that Nazis were secretly killing mentally and physically handicapped people. • Galen lead a campaign to ensure that Hitler called a halt to this euthanasia programme. • The Nazi party did not want to make him a martyr, so no action was taken against him. • Three catholic priests were executed for distributing copies of Galen’s sermons to soldiers. Some Nazis urged Goebbels to hang Galen, but he felt that this would only turn people against the Nazi party. Jehovah’s Witnesses Germany’s 30,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses believed that they should live by their religion and not by the government. Most of them ended up in concentration camps, and one third of them died.

17. Opposition to the Nazis - Youth • The White Rose • Lead by Munich students • Distributed leaflets attacking the Nazi slaughter of the Jews and Poles • Urged Germans to sabotage the war effort • In 1943, most leaders were captured and executed. • The Edelweiss Pirates • Working class girls and boys Wore an edelweiss flower as a symbol of their opposition • At weekends, they would go on hikes, camp, sing, meet other groups and hope to beat up Hitler Youth patrols. • ‘Roving dudes’ and ‘Navajos’ regarded themselves as Edelweiss Pirates • In Cologne, the Navajos sheltered army deserters and escapees from concentration camps, attacked Nazi officials and military targets. • A group of the Cologne Navajos killed the head of the Gestapo in their region, were caught and executed in November 1944. • The Swing Youth • Middle class youths who liked to listen to black jazz and band music • During the war, swing youth existed in most big cities, and members met in night clubs and cafes. • They wore English style clothes, girls wore makeup and Jews were accepted. • Their common greeting was ‘Heil Benny’ after the band leader Benny Goodman • Nazis were outraged at such behaviour, and as a punishment, one boy, Hasso Schutzendorff, in October 1942, was put into a concentration camp. His hair was cut off, he was beaten with an iron bar and forced to push trolleys full of Earth uphill for 2 weeks. • Soldiers • Nazi youth policy through the 30s was aimed at preparing young Germans for war, but, when war came, all of the best leaders from the Hitler Youth went away, leaving the organisation in the hands of teenagers • Members therefore got fed up with being policed and given orders by people barely older than themselves. • The Hitler Youth became less attractive, and young people turned away from it. Those who opposed it formed the other opposition groups.

18. Did the War increase Nazi opposition? • Dietrich Bonhoeffer • Early Opposition • Was a Christian, and from early 1930s, he preached and published his views against the Nazis. • In 1935, he campaigned against the Nuremberg Laws, but he failed to get even the supposed anti-Nazi confessional church to oppose with him. • In 1937, Gestapo closed his training college and banned him from teaching. • He joins the Abwehr • He joined the underground resistance with brother Klaus and brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi. They secretly gathered evidence of Nazi crimes • In 1935, he joined the Abwehr, the German Army counter-intelligence service, within which a small group was working to overthrow Hitler. He helped to devise ‘Operation 7’, the aim of which was to help a small number of Jews escape from Germany. This was successful, and the Jews escaped to Switzerland • Bonhoeffer became more involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. He made contact with the British government to ask if they would negotiate a peace deal with conspirators if they could overthrow Hitler. The British wanted unconditional surrender, and were not convinced that the group could succeed, and so no deal was made. • He is arrested • In October 1942, his name was revealed during the interrogation of a man arrested for currency smuggling • He was kept in solitary confinement in silence, fed on dry bread, denied clean clothes, blankets and soap. • Concentration Camp • In 1944, he was transferred to . He still preached the word of God in the camp. On the 8th April 1945 he was put on trial in Flossenberg concentration camp. The trial lasted 30 minutes, and he was hung at dawn the next day.

19. Did the War increase Nazi opposition? • The Army leaders tried to kill Hitler… • A1943, the war was going disastrously wrong for Hitler • A group worked closely with Bonhoeffer to topple Hitler • In 1944, opposition led by General Ludwig Beck and Civilian Conservative politician Dr Carl Goerdeler backed plans from Count Von Stauffenberg to assassinate Hitler The July 1944 Bomb Plot Why did Count Von Stauffenberg want to kill Hitler? In the 1930s he had been a Nazi supporter, and had welcomed the party because they were the only group who could destroy the communists He fought in France, Russia and North Africa. In 1942, he was seriously wounded, and lost his left eye, tight arm and two fingers from his left hand. The suffering of the army in Russia and the brutality of the SS pushed him to plot to kill Hitler. • The events of July 20th, 1944… • Count Stauffenberg attended the staff conference in Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair, beginning at 12.30pm. • He broke a capsule of acid which would eat through the wire detonator thus activating a firing pin. • He entered the map room, and put the bomb, hidden in a briefcase, against the leg of the table where Hitler would be looking at the maps. • Stauffenberg made an excuse to leave the room, saying that he must take a telephone report from Berlin. • At 12.42, the bomb exploded, and SS guards believed an air raid to be taking place. Stauffenberg bluffed his way out of the Wolf’s Lair and by 13.15 was on his way to Berlin on a plane. • The briefcase was moved to the other side of the table, so Hitler survived, with singed clothing, damage to his ear drums, and a cut to his hand. • At 16.00, Hitler was giving a talk to Mussolini about the explosion. At 18.45, there was a radio broadcast saying that there had been an attempt on Hitler’s life, but that it had failed and Hitler was still alive. • The Coup d'état which was planned to follow the assassination was badly planned, and was disastrous. The conspirators ordered Major Otto Remer to go to arrest Goebbels, the only senior Nazi officer in Berlin at the time. However, Remer was a dedicated Nazi, and after being promoted by Hitler to colonel, he was given the task of finding all of the conspirators. • The conspirators were rounded up, faced court Martial and were executed by firing squad.

20. Opposition to the Nazisandwhy didn’t it grow? Private Grumbling Talking to friends and family about complaints, eg. Complaining about unemployment in a private conversation. Publically declaring opposition by refusing to cooperate with Nazis eg. Pastor Gruber, who helped Jews to emigrate, and leader of the Army, General von Fritch, who argued against Hitler’s plans for war. Passive Resistance Underground resistance and open opposition People campaign against government, or deliberately disrupt policies. Eg. The Beautification Society in Northeim buying a hut in the forest rather than giving the Nazis their money. Nazis could not be voted out, and so the only other way of change was by killing and replacing Hitler. None succeeded, the 1944 bomb plot was one attempt. Attempted Coup d'etat Opposition didn't grow because... Germans were afraid – The SS and the Gestapo could destroy people’s lives if they did not comply. Nazis wanted hearts and minds, but as long as they obeyed and kept complaints private, they were tolerated. This ruling through fear ensured everyone kept grumbles quiet. Opposition was divided– the communists and social democrats did not trust each other, and so would not cooperate in resistance against the Nazis. The SDs met in small groups, and communists did nothing as they thought that Nazis would fall by themselves. The public were so preoccupied with their own views about how Germany should be run, complaints were only discussed as a matter of course. People were unaware – Censorship and propaganda meant that people could not receive reliable information. Some Nazi policies could be kept secret in this way. This meant that revolution because of outrage at policy was less likely, as German people had only Nazi perspective on events. People were pleased – The reversal of the Treaty of Versailles pleased many people, so for the sake of stability, people would tolerate something that they did not agree with. Nazis had kept some promises, and the economic stability that they brought was a far greater concern than most things for the German public in general. Quibbles were minor – In the German town of Northeim, there were complaints about the four sports clubs being merged into one, rather than about the persecution of the Jews. People were seemingly not concerned about the genocide, so Nazis didn’t have to worry about the growth of opposition. Unpopular policies were dropped – In 1940 their policy of euthanasia was dropped after the people of Germany discovered that disabled people were being murdered. Dropping unpopular policies meant that most people were kept ‘happy’, so there was less chance of opposition. There was no organised opposition – Hitler had destroyed all other parties and eradicated all opposition groups, making Germany a one party state, so no further action was needed to limit opposition. “We did vote for them after all” – Most people saw the Nazis as having the legal right to do whatever they wanted because they had been voted in. Most people therefore just accepted the Nazi policy, and didn’t create opposition.

21. Nazi Economy • The aims of the Nazi economy were: • To reduce unemployment, in 1933 it was 6 million • To build up the German armaments industry and rearm and enlarge the German army, navy and air force • To make Germany economically self sufficient so it could not be blockaded in times of war. • Problems faced… • Difficult to export goods as trade had collapsed in the Great depression • Germany was short of some essential raw materials • Germany could not afford to pay for many imports. • Economy under Dr Hjalmar Schacht, 1934-1937 – THE NEW PLAN • Imports were limited, how much and what materials were imported were carefully controlled • Trade agreements were made with countries. Hungary exchanged butter, vegetable oil, fodder and raw materials in return for industrial products. This supplied the raw materials Germany needed • Government spending channelled into a wide range of industries • Unemployment reduced by… • Ways of reducing unemployment: • DAF (Deutche Arbeitsfront) - this put all people to work, building schools, hospitals stadiums and autobahns. • RAD (Reich Labour Service) for all 18-25 year old men. They had to do 6 months of compulsory service. Work was hard physical labour like digging ditches and planting forests. • Conscription and rearmament from 1935 – this created thousands of factory jobs to produce weapons and ammunition. Military service also reduced numbers of unemployed. • Jews were dismissed and Germans took their jobs • Sending people to concentration camps (they were not included in unemployment statistics) The New Plan was successful; the economic crisis was solved between 1934-36. Hitler was able to rearm, and from 1933, the world economy was recovering anyway. Germany had become more dependent on imported raw materials though, not helping self sufficiency. Hitler wanted to be preparing for war in 1935, and therefore wanted to rearm more quickly. Schacht told Hitler that Germany could not afford to do this, and resigned in 1937.

22. Economy under Goering Hermann Goering took over the economy. His sole aim was preparation for war, and that meant making Germany completely self sufficient. Hitler did not want a situation like the British naval blockade in WW1, and so wanted an AUTARKY. This would mean that Germany had enough oil, steel, rubber and food necessary to function. To achieve Autarky: • Agriculture • Farmers had voted for the Nazis, and so Hitler wanted to make sure that they were rewarded; • Taxes for farmers were cut • Amount of land farmed was reduced to cut overproduction of food, and food prices rose, increasing farmer profits. • This meant that food had to be imported more often, not helping to achieve autarky. • Increased production of raw materials needed for rearmament like coal, iron ore, oil, metal and explosives. • Big businesses were persuaded to produce synthetic raw materials, like artificial rubber and textiles. The chemical company I G Farben tried to extract oil from coal. • Reduce imports • Tighten controls on wages and prices • Use forced labour if necessary • Build new industrial plants, like the Herman Goering Works, a huge mining and metal works. Did it work? No. The government poured billions of Reich marks into the 4 year plan, but by 1939, Germany still depended on foreign imports for one third of raw materials. Effects on people in Society

23. Did people benefit from Nazi rule? “As far as those things that can be measured are concerned, life improved. But it was those things that cannot be measured that got worse.” The life of most Germans genuinely improved under Nazi rule, and so the Nazis were popular. The people who were in the Volksgemeinschaft saw a real improvement in life; for those who weren’t, life got immeasurably worse. • Positives: Germanpride restored, particularly after Germany started to turn back the treaty of Versailles • Country was out of the depression, and people were more optimistic and self confident • More people had jobs, and so had a better standard of living than during the depression. People had houses, food, holidays etc. • Negatives no freedom to choose employment • No freedom of religion • Education system was ruined by Nazification • Control of leisure time activities • Arrest and murder of political opponents, homosexuals and racially undesirables. Effects on the Jewish population Anti Semitism had been common across Europe for centuries. In 1933, Jews made up less than 1% of the population of Germany, but a high percentage of affluent careers; 16% of lawyers, 17% of bankers and 10,000 doctors.

24. The Holocaust • Anti-Semitism was not invented by the Nazis, it had existed for centuries. Jews were victims of discrimination for 3 reasons: • Jews as Christ Killers – the Bible describes how Jewish leaders plotted with the Romans to kill Jesus. When Pontius Pilate offered the people the chance to free Jesus, Jewish leaders paid the crowd to shout for Barabbas. • Jews as Murderers – During the middle ages, Jews were accused of kidnapping children and sacrificing them to use their blood in prayer. Even though these stories were completely untrue, the idea of Blood Libel was widely believed. • Jews as money lenders – In the 16th century, Christians were forbidden by the church to be money lenders. Since they were barred from many professions, many Jews became money lenders, and were accused of charging excessive rates on loans. How did Nazis change anti-Semitism? Before the Nazis, anti-Semitism was a hatred of the Jewish religion. Jews who converted to Christianity and who were baptised were accepted a s Christians. Hitler’s anti-Semitism was racial. He believed a person was Jewish by blood. Hitler had used Darwin’s theory of evolution to develop his ideas. He argued that Aryans and white Europeans were superior to Jews and blacks, and by applying this to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, he became a “Social Darwinist”; it was natural for superior races, Aryans, to dominate inferior races, like Jews.

25. Hitler’s restrictions on the Jews – The Nuremberg Laws • September 1935: • The Reich Citizenship Law – deprived Jews of German citizenship. Nazi made Jews not citizens because in some way, this made the horrific discrimination and treatment of the Jews more justifiable and acceptable. Everything in the eyes of the law was now legitimate: they were not German citizens and so should not enjoy the freedoms. • The Law for the protection of German Blood and Honour - outlawed marriages and sexual relations between Jews and Germans. • Laws which restricted a normal childhood for Jewish children • April 1933: Aryan and Jewish Children not allowed to play with each other • November 1938: Jewish children no longer allowed to attend state schools • Laws which made it impossible for Jews to earn money • April 1933: Jewish teachers banned from teaching in state schools • April 1936: Jewish vets not allowed to practice • January 1939: Jewish nurses, chemists and dentists forbidden to work as such. October 1938: Jewish passports stamped with a letter ‘J’. • Laws which had serious effects on people’s lives • September 1935: Marriages between Jews and Aryans were declared invalid • March 1936: Jews not allowed to rebuild their synagogues • December 1938: Jews had to hand in their driving licenses to police. • September 1939: Jews had to stay in their homes after 8pm in winter and 9pm in summer. • Laws which were seen by Jews as minor nuisances • March 1938: Jews forbidden to hold allotments • November 1938: Jews not allowed to buy magazines or newspapers • September 1939: Jews had to hand in their radio sets.

26. Kristallnacht • On 6th November 1938, a young German Jewish student, Hirsch Grynspan, who was studying in Paris, received news that his parents had been beaten up by Hitler’s Storm troopers. • He went to the German embassy and shot a high ranking German official, Ernst vom Rath. Three days later, he died in hospital. • Over the 2 nights of the 9th and 10th November 1938, Jewish synagogues and shops were burned and looted. • Altogether; 117 synagogues were destroyed; 7500 shops were looted; 91 Jews were killed. 20,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps ND THE Jewish community had to pay a fine of 1 billion marks for the murder of Vom Rath. The German government tried to present this event as the people of Germany venting anger at the murder of a German official. However, as the letter below makes clear, this was not the case. Kristallnacht was an example of a Pogrom. In Europe, these were state organised attacks against Jewish settlements. Kristallnacht was an example of the Nazi party’s systematic approach to dealing with the “Jewish problem”. Letter from SS Grupenfuhrer Heydrich to all state police on 10th November 1938, after the shooting of Vom Rath. Following the attempt on the life of Secretary of the Legation vom Rath in Paris, demonstrations against the Jews are to be expected in all parts of the Reich in the course of the coming night, November 9/10, 1938. The instructions below are to be applied in dealing with these events: a) Only such measures are to be taken as do not endanger German lives or property (i.e., synagogues are to be burned down only where there is no danger of fire in neighbouring buildings). b) Places of business and apartments belonging to Jews may be destroyed but not looted. The police is instructed to supervise the observance of this order and to arrest looters. c) In commercial streets particular care is to be taken that non-Jewish businesses are completely protected against damage. d) Foreign citizens – even if they are Jews – are not to be molested. 2. On the assumption that the guidelines are observed, the demonstrations are not to be prevented by the Police. There are rules (no looting, only German Jews); you cannot have rules for a spontaneous attack. This shows that Kristallnacht was not a natural uprising; it was a government organised Pogrom.

27. The Genesis of the Final Solution From 1933 Jews discriminated against by lots of anti-Semitic laws, combined with anti-Semitic propaganda. After invasion of Poland, Polish Jews put into ghettoes, followed in 1941 by German Jews. From September 1935, Nuremburg Laws denied Jews of their citizenship Kristallnacht – 9th 10th November 1938 The Final Solution – extermination camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka and Sobibor set up. Millions of Jews exterminated. Different methods of execution tried; carbon monoxide, shooting; gas proved to be most effective Ghettoes Nazi built ghettoes in the countries that they invaded; Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Lithuania. The ghettoes just held the Jews whilst Hitler decided what to do next; he had no real plan. There were awful conditions in the ghettoes; no light, no heat, and food was almost impossible to buy. Hundreds of thousands died from malnutrition. If you tried to leave you would be shot by SS guards patrolling the wall. Nazis sometimes used people in the ghettoes for labour; Chaim Rumkowski in the Lodz ghetto agreed to give Jews as workers, and these people would have been taken to a camp and worked to death. The SS & Einsatzgruppen The SS were originally Hitler’s personal body guards, and after the SA were destroyed at the Night of the Long Knives, the SS became more powerful. They were fiercely loyal to Hitler and had unlimited powers of search and arrest, terrorising ordinary Germans into obedience. It was the job of the SS to destroy any form of Nazi opposition. The Gestapo was a branch of the SS which formed to secret police. They would use informants to gather information on opponents to the Nazi regime. The SS were given control of the racial policy because it was hard and upsetting; the SS had been chosen as unemotional people who were loyal in all circumstances. The Einsatzgruppen were created by Heinrich Himmler. They were special task forces within the SS, under the control of Reinhard Heydrich. They became mobile killing units which liquidated all enemies of the Reich in newly occupied territory. The Einsatzgruppen murdered 1.4 million Jews between 1941 and the end of the war in 1945

28. The Wansee Conference • 20th January 1942 • Reinhard Heydrich chaired a meeting in Wannsee, just outside of Berlin • A list was drawn up of the 11 million Jews in Europe, and from now on, the extermination of Jews became a systematically organised operation. • Himmler was concerned that shooting women and children was having an effect on the SS officers, and it was decided that bullets were inefficient . It was here that the idea of death camps was created. Experiments in Death The Nazis had started to kill disabled people in the 1930s using overdoses as a method of ‘euthanasia’. At Chelmno, the Nazis experimented with gas vans; pipes from the exhaust were put into the back of the vans, where 30 Jews would be killed in 30 minutes. The carbon monoxide killing was slow, but Himmler was impressed with the bloodless efficiency and decided that Zyklon-B gas would be used as the method of killing at death camps. Death Camps Death Marches – by 1944, it was clear that the Nazis had lost, and the Russian armies were advancing Westward. In September 1944, Jews were moved out of the Polish camps to camps further West. In November 9144, Himmler ordered that the gassings stopped and all evidence of death camps be destroyed. As the Russians advanced, the decision was taken to abandon the camps, and walk the Jews on “death marches”. They were dumped in concentration camps in Germany which were now overcrowded. When Russian forces liberated Auschwitz in 1945, they found 2800 people who were too sick to join the death march. • Concentration camps had been used by the Nazis before the war for political opponents, but these were prison camps. • These then developed into labour camps, such as Auschwitz-Monowitz, where people would be used as slave labour. • After Wannsee, it was decided to set up death camps at Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkeneau. Birkeneau was half a mile away from Auschwitz one, and was where the gassings took place. • When Jews arrived at Auschwitz, Jews were taken off the cattle trains and put onto a platform known as the Judenramp. Doctors selected the fittest 10% for work, and the other 90% would be taken directly to the gas chambers and killed within 2 hours of arrival.