Higher History Germany: The Nazis in Power

1. Higher HistoryGermany: The Nazis in Power Why were the Nazis able to maintain power between 1933-9?

2. We are learning to… Explain why the Nazis were able to stay in power between 1933 and 1939 I can… Build up notes on the topic Plan a 20 mark essay Pass a 20 mark timed essay

4. Introduction • In January 1933 Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany and set about dismantling democracy • Historians debate the reasons whythe Nazis were able to stay in power – did people enjoy living in Nazi Germany or were people coerced into obedience? • It is your job to decide this – but also to judge which factors were more important than others in the Nazis staying in power

5. Background (need for intro) • In January 1933, the Nazis were the biggest party in the Reichstag(196 seats) although they still had never won a majority of the seats • Ageing President Paul Hindenburg offered Hitler the job of Chancellor which he accepted • Hindenburg was convinced by Right Wing politicians to appoint Hitler but also did it because he felt he could keep an eye on him if he had a position of power • On 27th February 1933 the Reichstag building went on fire and it was blamed on a young Dutch Communist • The subsequent events allowed Hitler to take supreme power in Germany and rule as a dictator; the democratic Weimar years were over

6. The arguments for the Nazis maintaining power‘The Factors’ • Establishment of a Totalitarian State • Fear and State Terrorism • Propaganda • Economic Policies • Social Policies You should aim to cover 4 of these in your essay; but you must know all of them in case it is the isolated factor.

7. Establishment of a Totalitarian State: Knowledge The establishment of a totalitarian state • After the Reichstag Fire on 27th February 1933 (apparently started by) the Communist party, Hitler used his position as chancellor to persuade the President to pass Article 48 – The Emergency Decree, removing all civil liberties (rights) from the German people. • The SA Brownshirts and SS ‘protective squadron’ acted as a ‘temporary’ police auxiliary, arresting Communists, Socialists and Trade Union officials so that Hitler could call a new election and win a majority in the Reichstag • With the Communists and Socialists ‘missing’ from the Reichstag, Hitler passed the Enabling Act on 24th March 1933 which gave him power to pass laws without Presidential authorisation, effectively allowing Hitler to rule as sole dictator.

10. Establishment of a Totalitarian State : Analysis Analysis (basic) • This helped the Nazis maintain power as the Reichstag Fire and Enabling Act were very important in giving Hitler the power he needed to pass laws to get rid of opposition groups and political parties and was the first step in achieving a one-party state Analysis (+) • However, even with the SPD arrested or ‘missing’ and Communists banned, Hitler still did not win a majority vote in the March 1933 election (43.9%) showing that there was still a lot of opposition in Germany that Hitler would need to take strong action against to stay in power

11. Establishment of a Totalitarian State: Knowledge The crushing of opposition • On 2nd May 1933, Trade Unions were banned. The Reich Labour Front led by Robert Ley was set up to ‘protect the Rights of Workers’ and strikes became illegal. • Trade Union leaders who may have potentially led uprisings or opposition groups were swiftly arrested and interned at the new concentration camp Dachau, near Munich. • On the 22nd June 1933 the Socialist party was banned. The Communists had already been banned after the Reichstag Fire and most of the other parties broke up, the last being the Catholic centre party. • On the 14th July 1933, a new law was passed declaring the Nazi party to be the only legal party in Germany.

12. Establishment of a Totalitarian State : Analysis Analysis (basic) • This helped the Nazis maintain power because Hitler had successfully established a one-party dictatorship in Germany where the only legal party were the Nazis and German people no longer had civil rights, helping him maintain power Analysis (+) • However, wages were low and working conditions were very poor in the Reich Labour Front so it was likely that Hitler would face opposition from working men in Germany which showed the Nazis there would have to be ‘incentives’ or rewards for peoples’ obedience

13. Establishment of a Totalitarian State : Practice Paragraph TS: Hitler wasted no time in establishing a totalitarian state in Germany in 1933. K: The Reichstag Fire – when/ who? Convincing Hindenburg to pass Emergency Decree K: SA/SS Removal of opposition, Enabling Act: A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because A: However… K: Removal of Trade Unions K: Removal of political parties/ achievement of one party state A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because A: However…

14. Fear and State Terror: Knowledge Why were people so fearful of the Nazis? • The SS ‘Schutzstaffel’ was the state’s internal security service and led by Heinrich Himmler, their job was to root out any opposition to the Fuhrer. The disciplined force wore black uniforms and lightning flashes on their collar – they were violent, ruthless and feared by all. • The Gestapo were the secret police of the Nazi Government. They read mail, opened letters and listened at doors and appeared to be watching and listening everywhere. Many officers worked undercover. • The most feared institution of the Nazi state was the concentration camps. Dachau (Munich) and Sachsenhausen (Berlin) were supposed to be ‘re-education’ camps which housed enemies of the state and most Germans would do anything to avoid ending up in one.

16. State Terrorism: Analysis Analysis (basic) • This helped the Nazis maintain powerbecause people in Germany were living in fear of the violence and brutality of the government and would therefore obey and accept Nazi rule in order to avoid the consequences of being sent to be ‘re-educated’ Analysis (+) • However, it must be acknowledged that sections of German society were happy to see ‘undesirables’ like Communists removed from society & punished and the fact that around 160,000 Germans acted as informants for the Gestapo shows that there was a willingness to cooperate

17. Historian’s views – extra analysis/ evaluation Some historians such as Peukertargue that Nazis kept control over Germany because the working class were too afraid to take on the Gestapo and SS. However, other historians such as Gallatelyargue that the willingness of German people to turn on one another created a self-regulating society ensuring the Gestapo could control a numerically superior target with little or no difficulty

18. Practice Paragraph: State Terror TS: The Nazis quickly established a Police state where citizens lived in constant fear. K: SS – leader/ who were they/ what did they do K: Gestapo K: Concentration Camps (put each new group/ institution in a new knowledge point) A: How did this help the Nazis stay in power? A+: However… Incorporate historian’s views for extra marks!

19. 3. Propaganda: Knowledge Propaganda As propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels’ job was to rid Germany of its old class divisions and create a sense of ‘national community’ (volksgemeinschaft) Propaganda during the Nazi reign came in three main forms (and was usually posters/ cinema) • Promoting the benefits of living in Nazi Germany – how lucky people were for what Hitler gave them i.e. The Peoples’ Car • Promoting Nazi beliefs/ persecuting minorities – Jews, the disabled • Enforcing the Fuhrer Cult – showing Hitler as a God and the ‘Father’ of Germany and showing the strength of Nazi Germany

20. ‘The Eternal Jew’Poster & Film

21. ‘The Triumph of the Will’Film showcasing the 1934 Nuremberg Rally

22. 1936 Olympic Games BerlinTurned into a huge propaganda event

23. Posters publicised Hitler’s successes

26. Propaganda: Analysis Analysis (basic) • This helped the Nazis maintain power because people were bombarded with Nazi messages, helping promote the positives that Hitler brought to Germany and gaining loyalty from the German people • This helped the Nazis maintain power because Historians believe that propaganda was most effective amongst young people and they enthusiastically embraced the idea of the ‘thousand year Reich’ and gave Hitler their support

27. Propaganda: Analysis Analysis (+) • However, more recent research has suggested that propaganda was not able to change peoples’ minds about minority groups but instead built on existing prejudices, so it only made people more prejudiced rather than created prejudice • However, many Germans were quite aware they were being bombarded with Nazi propaganda and actually intentionally avoided it, such as showing up at the cinema 45 minutes late to avoid the propaganda films

28. Practice Paragraph: Propaganda TS: The Nazis used propaganda to extend their control of German people. K: Who was in charge of propaganda? What did he try to create? What did he use? K: What forms did propaganda take – 3 types. Examples? Films, radio etc A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because… A+: However… A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because… A+: However…

29. 4. Economic Policies The Nazis won support from the German people for seemingly addressing the economic weaknesses experienced under Weimar. In 1933 had stood at over 6 million. By 1936 it was 1 million. By 1939 it was 0.The Nazis achieved this through; • The Creation of the German Labour Front (DAF) which put every fit man into work – building bridges, town halls, municipal swimming pools. Hours were long and wages were low, worker discontent was evident (addressed through KDF), • Exciting new projects were announced which created jobs and gained support for Hitler; the building of the Autobahn (motorway system) and the building of the new Olympic Stadium in Berlin which could hold 100,000 people • Women were encouraged to leave the workforce to concentrate on motherhood and Jews were excluded from Civil Service jobs and the army after the Nuremberg Laws of 1935; this created many jobs for ‘Aryans’ • Many jobs were created in 1935 Hitler announced rearmament; the army increased in size, planes and tanks were built, conscription was reintroduced. The Army swelled to 500,000 in 1935 and was 1million by 1939

33. Economic Policies: Analysis Analysis (basic) • This helped the Nazis maintain power because they received a great deal of support and praise for providing jobs and a regular income for working men after the economic misery of the Weimar years, even if working conditions were difficult. This gained Hitler the support of the working class. • This helped the Nazis maintain power because they won praise and loyalty from the German people for their large scale building projects and foreign policy decisions; German people believed the new motorways, rebuilding of the armed forces and the hosting of the 1936 Olympics were going some way to restoring German pride

34. Economic Policies: Analysis Analysis (+) • However, the Nazis eradicated unemployment only on paper; official statistics did not count the many thousands of people in concentration camps or the women and Jews who were forced into unemployment • However, some historians have pointed out that the working class Germans remained suspicious of the Nazi regime and were not totally won over by full employment - strikes in Berlin in 1936 showed unrest towards the Nazis - and many secretly remained loyal to the Socialists or the Communists

35. Practice Paragraph: Economic Policies TS: Hitler’s economic policies helped win over the German working class. K: Describe the Nazi reductions in unemployment. Mention the DAF and what they did K: Building Projects – what did Hitler build which created jobs? Who was removed from the workforce? K: Rearmament – describe how Hitler created jobs through reversing the Treaty of Versailles A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because… A+: However… A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because… A+: However…

36. 5. Social Policies: Knowledge The Nazis created huge scale social programmes to win over the German people. There were schemes for; K: Boys – The Hitler Jugend (Youth) was created for boys. Boys attended weeknights and Saturdays and took part in competitive outdoor pursuits; sports, hiking, trench digging, marching. There were camping trips at weekends and poorer boys received a free uniform. K: Girls – Girls joined the League of German Maidens until 21. Girls learned childcare, first aid, dancing and sports. The organisation was strict; makeup and cutting your hair short was banned. K: Women – Women were encouraged to relish the role of wives and mothers. Women could join the National Socialist Women’s League. They carried out charity work and delivered classes for brides to be. Women were discouraged from wearing makeup, high heels, using birth control – there were medals for having babies (The Mother’s Cross) K: Workers – Strength Through Joy (KDF) was created to reward those in work and alleviate worker discontent. Workers were offered free holidays, concert tickets, cruises and even the chance to save for a KDF Wagen (Peoples Car)

38. 1st class, Gold Cross: eligible mothers with eight or more children[ • 2nd class, Silver Cross: eligible mothers with six or seven children[2 • 3rd class, Bronze Cross: eligible mothers with four or five children

40. Education : also relevant for social policies Education • The entire school curriculum was redesigned to reflect Nazi Ideology. • PE replaced RE; academic ability became less important than physical ability • Geography taught the need for ‘living space’ • Biology taught ‘eugenics’ or ‘race studies • History taught the ‘Stab in the Back’ • Jews were isolated in the class and eventually excluded from education completely

41. Social Policies: Analysis Analysis (basic) • This helped the Nazis maintain power becauseStrength through Joy was successful in winning over the working class in Germany as it provided small rewards – it certainly helped deflect criticism from the regime and helped the Nazis stay in power. • This helped the Nazis maintain power because most German young people were won over by the Hitler Youth, particularly the outdoor activities, youth camps and free uniforms for poorer children, and this gained the Nazis support from German Youths

42. Social Policies: Analysis Analysis (+) • However, not all children were brainwashed by the Youth movements as many joined opposition groups – The Edelweiss Pirates, The White Rose - and the Nazis had to take the step of making the youth movements compulsory in December 1936 • However, The Strength Through Joy movement also failed to deliver many of it’s promises – the Beetle (People’s Car) scheme and the KDF cruises were never fully developed and funds were diverted towards the military by 1938/39 rather than leisure

43. Practice Paragraph: Social Policies TS: Hitler’s social policies helped win the support and gratitude of German people. K: Hitler Youth – describe the groups and the activities young people took part in K: Strength Through Joy – describe the rewards hardworking Germans could receive K: Extra point – Women in Nazi Germany A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because… A+: However… A: This helped the Nazis maintain power because… A+: However…

44. Anti-Semitism (Treatment of the Jews) • The persecution of the Jewish minority in Germany was carried out gradually • In April 1933, there was a nationwide boycott of Jewish businesses • Soon after, Jews were sacked from the Civil Service and were forbidden from entering the professions (doctors, lawyers, teachers) • In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were introduced made Jewish discrimination legal – Jews lost their German Citizenship and marriage became Jews and Aryans illegal

48. In 1938, using the murder of a German diplomat as an excuse, the Nazi regime carried out it’s first nationwide attack on Jewish communities • Shops, synagogues and homes were smashed up and looted, 91 Jews were killed and many were taken to camps • It became known as Kristallnachtor the Night of Broken Glass • Watch the programme and take notes on the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynypuxgCbH4

49. Essay Questions • The Nazis in Power is an example of an isolated factor essay – this means the SQA will ask you whether the Nazis stayed in power because of a specific factor (one of the 5 we cover) • You must talk about the factor in the question BUT you do not need to agree it is the most important • Examples To what extent did the Nazi party stay in power after 1933 due to the establishment of a totalitarian state? How far can it be argued that The Nazis stayed in power 1933 - 39 due to the popularity of their policies ? ‘The Nazi’s maintenance of power was largely due to propaganda’. Discuss.

50. 2017 QuestionNazis in Power