NAZI GERMANY

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Nazi Germany, 1929-1945

A LEVEL HISTORY

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Nazi Germany, 1929-1945

Important terms

Learning Objectives

GleichschaltungGreat Depression Enabling Act Dictatorship Lebensborn Autarky

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:1- Discuss the events leading to Nazi Germany and Hitler’s consolidation of power; 2- Analyse the effectivity of Hitler’s economic policies; 3- Assess the impact of Nazi policies on women, the young and minorities; and evaluate the German way of life under the Nazis. 4- Provide a definition of totalitarism.

Nazi Germany, 1929-1945

Module Content

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and HindenburgB- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives) C- Hitler's character, ideologies and style of government as Führer D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss F- Key Nazi leaders, Himmler and the suppression of dissent, Goebbels' attempts to shape thoughts and attitudes G- German Labour Front and the ‘Strength through Joy’ H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities I- Significance of Nuremberg Laws

Nazi Germany, 1929-1945

Content Overview

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg

The Nazi Party became popular in Germany after the 25-Point Programme. This appealed to all walks of life including businessmen, nationalists, middle class and people in the countryside. Unlike the Communists, who appealed to the working class, the Nazi Party showed openness to all classes.

Watch the video documentary: Hitler Becomes the German Chancellor

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg

Lebensraum, or the expansion of living space for Germans.

Unification of all German-speaking nations and the abolition of the Treaty of Versailles.

A single leader, or Führer, instead of a democracy.

Stronger central government and ownership of newspapers.

The belief that the Aryan race was superior to all others, Social Darwinism.

Public industries, like electricity and water, should be owned by the state.

The belief of danger from the Communists and Jews.

Autarky, or the idea that Germany should be economically self-sufficient.

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg

Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933 ?

The Nazis and world economic depression

The world depression transformed the prospects of the Nazi party. In Germany, they were wage cuts, short-time working, unemployment, homelessness, and poverty on a scale never seen before. The established parties what is that made up the Weimar coalitions, such as the Social Democrats, took the blame. In desperation, voters changed supports to the parties, that had been the most critical of the Weimar coalitions, the Communists and the Nazis. The breakthrough points for the Nazis came in the general election of September 1930. Unemployment stood at more than 2 million and the Nazis pulled over 6,000,000 votes, making them the second largest party in the Reichstag next to the social Democrats. The Communists, with more than 4.5 million votes where the third largest party. Over the next 18 months, the economy continued to deteriorate and the Nazis used every opportunity to attack the coalition government and criticize its inability to provide effective solutions. The Nazi propaganda machine, led by Josef Goebbels, was now working at full capacity as the Party message was spread by thousands of posters, pamphlets, and broadsheets, while those already faithful to the Party were invited to attend torch-lit parades and mass rallies. The Nazis were the masters of spectacle and pageantry, and seemed to offer hopes of a brighter future. They were also masters of modern technology. During the 1932 presidential election, when Hitler stood against Hinderburg, the Nazi leader was flown by airplane from one speaking venue to the next, so that he was able to visit up to five cities on the same day.

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg

Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933 ?

The Nazis and world economic depression

The economic depression also boosted the fortunes of the Communist Party, who argued that the roots of the problem was the capitalist system. This played in to the hands of the Nazis, who posed as the strong defenders of the existing order. Communists were portrayed as scheming revolutionaries in league with the Jewish community, and their meetings were regularly disrupted by bands of violence, SA men. Wealthy industrialists begin contributing to the Nazi party in order to prevent the communists from taking power.

To sum up - Due to their antisemitic and anticommunist rhetoric, the Nazis gained more popularity among the Gerrman people. They particularly blamed the Jews for the economic depression. Compared to the Communists, the Nazis had a greater audience and support. They were supported by wealthy businessmen, the middle class, nationalists and industrialists.

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg

Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933 ?

HITLER’S CHANCELLORSHIP

In 1932, President Hindenburg discharged Chancellor Brüning for his inability to stabilise the chaotic German government. Franz von Papen replaced him for 6 months followed by Schleicher who lasted for 2 months. With Nazi dominance in the Reichstag, Hindenburg and Papen came up with a plan in 1933. They offered Hitler vice chancellorship but were rejected. Instead, Hitler demanded to be chancellor and Hindenburg agreed thinking that he could control Hitler and the Reichstag.

In April 1932, Hindenburg beat Hitler in the presidential election with 53% of the votes.

By January 1933, Hitler was appointed as chancellor of Germany. Many believed that he rose to power due to the following reasons:• he was a persuasive speaker; • due to the Great Depression, Germans lost confidence in the democratic system; • the SS intimidated Nazi enemies; • Hitler gained financial support from industrialists.

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg

Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933 ?

HITLER’S CHANCELLORSHIP

IFranz von Papen became the chancellor of Germany through the support of General von Schleicher. As a member of the German aristocracy, Papen had a small political following. In July 1932, when the Nazis won more seats in the Reichstag (230 seats or 37.3% of votes), Papen attempted to seek their support. However, Hitler refused. He was replaced by Kurt von Schleicher as chancellor of Germany between December 1932 and January 1933. He attempted to control the Nazis by offering Hitler chancellorship, but Schleicher would take over defence. Similar to his response to Papen, Hitler refused. Out of frustration with Schleicher, President Hindenburg asked his chancellor to resign.

A- Rise of the Nazis and establishment of an authoritarian state: impact of the Great Depression and roles of Bruning, Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg

Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933 ?

HITLER’S CHANCELLORSHIP

On 30 January 1933, a new government was formed with Hindenburg as president, Hitler as chancellor and Papen as vice-chancellor. One of Hitler’s moves as chancellor was the rapid expansion of the state police or Gestapo.

Schleicher in 1932

Von Papen in 1933

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

Otherwise known as Nazification, the Gleichschaltung was the process of Nazi consolidation of power between 1933 and 1934. Beginning on 7 April 1933, through the issuance of the Act for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, the Nazis legalised the removal of non-Aryan descendents in the civil service. This also affected judges who did not share the same views as the Nazis. By April 1934, the People’s Court was created which replaced the Supreme Court.

The Nazification of the German state and society abolished the sense of democracy created by the Weimar Republic. The system was replaced by totalitarian control, suppression, intimidation, elimination and propaganda.

The policies employed by Hitler and the Nazis covered German politics, economy, foreign affairs and culture.

(left) Hitler and (right) Hindenburg in Potsdam, 21 march 1933

British cartoon, "The temporary Triangle", Punch Magazine, 8 february 1933

“The Temporary Triangle,” by Bernard Partridge, is a political cartoon created when Germany was known as the German Reich (also known as Nazi Germany). This cartoon is about Hitler’s appointment as chancellor of Germany in 1933. The cartoon shows how Hitler’s rise to power was heavily influenced by other individuals, rather than Hitler himself.

“The Temporary Triangle” shows how his position as Chancellor was mostly reliant on President Hindenburg and Vice Chancellor Von Papen. By observing how Hitler sits on the shoulders of Hindenburg and Von Papen, it seems as though Hindenburg and Von Papen are in control of the direction that Hitler is going, as they are the ones navigating the way. Their facial expressions look uncomfortable, as if the weight of Hitler is too heavy to carry. This ties back to the idea that what is given can be taken away. Hitler’s position in the government is only possible with the support of Hindenburg and Von Papen. However, it is also shown that Hitler is grabbing the heads of both individuals. This action seems to reflect that Hitler holds a power superior to that of both Hindenburg and Von Papen.

https://rrsuh.medium.com/an-analysis-on-the-temporary-triangle-by-bernard-partridge-7fee6a912e66

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

THE REICHSTAG FIRE

On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building in Berlin was set on fire. Hitler, who had been sworn in as chancellor of Germany four weeks before the arson, and his government pointed to the Dutch council communist, Marinus van der Lubbe, as the main culprit. Van der Lubbe admitted to arson and was sentenced to death. Other suspects were released due to lack of evidence. Many historians believed that the fire was a Nazi plot and that van der Lubbe served as their pawn.

In addition to van der Lubbe, three Bulgarians were arrested: Georgi Dimitrov, Vasil Tanev and Blagoy Popov. Communist Party leader Ernst Torgler was also accused of conspiracy. The following day, Hitler urged President Hindenburg to issue a decree which suspended civilian liberties, particularly leaders and members of the Communist Party.

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

Days prior to the fire, the headquarters of the Communist Party in Berlin was raided and they were accused of hiding seditious materials, including documents of an armed revolution.

THE REICHSTAG FIRE

4,000 people were arrested by the SA.

81 Communist deputies who were elected by the German people were detained after the fire incident.

On 5 March, the Nazis won 288 seats in the Reichstag, but it was still insufficient to form the majority. Hitler then joined with the nationalists to dominate the house.

Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch council communist

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

THE GENERAL ELECTION OF MARCH 1933

On 5 March 1933, Hitler called for the Reichstag general election. Not as expected, the Nazis won only 43.9% of the vote, which was still short of a majority. The SA began to storm headquarters and attack non-Nazi party officials in Königsberg, Wuppertal, Cologne, Braunschweig and Chemnitz. On 23 March 1933, the newly elected Reichstag met. However, due to the earlier passage of the Enabling Act, delegates from the Communist Party did not attend. To further ensure success, Goering, Hitler’s Minister of Interior, removed senior police officers and replaced them with Nazi people, which later became known as the Gestapo. The recruited members of the Sturmabteilung, commonly known as the SA, reached 50,000 members.

Moreover, Goering led the arrest of KPD leaders in Berlin with accusations of overthrowing the government. As a result, KPD candidates were also arrested. The SA intimidated election meetings of the left-wing. In addition, some candidates were assassinated.

VocabularyEnact (to): promulguer Inabling: activation

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

THE ENABLING ACT

While all Communist deputies had been arrested and other non-Nazi political parties were intimidated by Hitler’s SA, the Enabling Act was passed by a two-thirds margin.

Passage of the Enabling Act

The Enabling Act granted Hitler the following: It gave Hitler and his Cabinet absolute power to enact laws without both the Reichstag and Reichsrat legislative bodies. He ruled by decree, setting aside the Weimar Constitution. He used Christianity to assure Germans that the Nazi government would not interfere with religious life. Among his critics were members of the Centre Party, a Catholic-sponsored party in the Reichstag. While negotiating a concordat with the Catholic Church, Hitler stressed that he only wanted to eliminate political Catholicism but not its religious role.

On 23 March 1933, the entrance of the Kroll Opera House was lined with SS and SA men to ensure the passage of the bill through intimidation. The Enabling Act was passed with 444 votes to 94 for the Social Democrats.

VocabularyEnact (to): promulguer Inabling: activation

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

THE ENABLING ACT

Hitler personally negotiated with the Centre Party leaders to support the passage of this act, ensuring that their rights, functions and freedom would be left in peace.

Before 1945, the Enabling Act was renewed twice.

Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the Reich

Artikel 3 (in German) Die von der Reichsregierung beschlossenen Reichsgesetze werden vom Reichskanzler ausgefertigt und im Reichsgesetzblatt verkündet. Sie treten, soweit sie nichts anderes bestimmen, mit dem auf die Verkündung folgenden Tage in Kraft. Die Artikel 68 bis 77 der Reichsverfassung finden auf die von der Reichsregierung beschlossenen Gesetze keine Anwendung.

Article 3 (in English) Laws enacted by the Reich government shall be issued by the Chancellor and announced in the Reich Gazette. They shall take effect on the day following the announcement, unless they prescribe a different date. Articles 68 to 77 of the Constitution do not apply to laws enacted by the Reich government

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

TRADE UNIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES

On 5 July 1919, the General German Trade Union Federation or Allgemeiner Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund (ADGB) was founded. The confederation founded in Nuremberg was an amalgamation of 52 German trade unions. Such unions were responsible for organising general counter strikes. Initially, free trade unions were supporters of the socialist labour movement. They had the largest number of members compared to Christian and liberal unions. By the time the Nazis seized power, trade unions claimed political neutrality. Before the Nazi storming of the trade union headquarters, Hilter called for a National Labour Day, also called May Day.

In March 1933, two days after May Day, trade unions were banned. Union leaders were sent to prison, their money was confiscated, and the right to strike was abolished. In order to avoid resistance from the working class, the German Labour Front became the only existing union. Three weeks after the creation of the DAF, labour trustees were appointed. The abolition of trade unions in 1933 was supported by German business leaders and conservative politicians. They believed that giving so much power to the workers may ignite a socialist revolution.

On 14 July 1933, political parties were banned. Hitler and the Nazis began to create a single-party state. Following the passage of the Enabling Act, Hilter removed political oppositions one by one. Under the Gleichschaltung or coordination, the Law Against the Founding of New Parties and Law Concerning the Reconstruction of the Reich were passed. Aside from making the NSDAP the only legal political party in Germany, the federal republic was also turned into a centralised state. Under the law, founding of a new political party was punishable by up to three years imprisonment.

“The National Socialist German Workers Party constitutes the only political party in Germany.”

B- Gleichschaltung, 1933-34, the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, abolition of political parties and trade unions and impact of opposition purges (Night of the Long Knives)

How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933-4?

THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES, 30 JUNE 1934

C- Hitler's character, ideologies and style of government as Führer

ADOLF HITLER

Adolf Hitler was born on 20 April 1889 in Austria-Hungary. He fought in WWI and was awarded an Iron Cross for bravery. After Germany’s defeat in WWI, Hitler entered politics and joined the German Workers’ Party (DAP) in Munich in 1919. Come 1920, he was in charge of the party’s propaganda, for which he showed talent, and devoted himself to improving his position within the party. The German Worker’s Party was then renamed the National-sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP or the Nazi).

Conditions were ideal for the development of a party like the Nazis as resentment after losing the war was high and the peace terms contributing to German economic woes spread discontent. Hitler found the party ineffective and committed to nationalist and socialist ideas but this divided its leadership. Because of his talent for propaganda, he leveraged his importance by threatening to resign to increase his power within the party. Within two years, the party had grown to around 55,000 members, with 15,000 as part of the militia - SA, Stormtroopers and Brownshirts.

As the leader, Hitler set out to create a mass movement using mystique and power to foster loyalty to him. He used constant propaganda through the party newspaper, the Völkischer Beobachter, to achieve this. Hitler was a charismatic and dynamic leader able to attract a devoted cadre, including Johann Dietrich Eckart, Alfred Rosenberg, Rudolf Hess, Hermann Göring and Julius Streicher.

When President Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, Hitler declared himself the Führer, president, chancellor, and head of the German Army. He imposed the following: The German Army took a personal oath of allegiance not to Germany but to Hitler. He neutralised any sources of opposition within the military. The cult of Führer worship continued to grow because of Hitler’s propagandist Goebbels. Hitler gained absolute power over Germany.

C- Hitler's character, ideologies and style of government as Führer

ADOLF HITLER

As the Führer, he set up the Third Reich and promised the German people relief from their struggles.

The Reich Government has enacted the following law, which is hereby promulgated. Section 1. The office of Reich President will be combined with that of Reich Chancellor. The existing authority of the Reich President will consequently be transferred to the Führer and Reich Chancellor, Adolf Hitler. He will select his deputy. Section 2. This law is effective as of the time of the death of Reich President von Hindenburg.

Members of the regular German Army swear the oath of allegiance to the Führer Adolf Hitler.

D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo

Following the suspension of civilian liberties, Hitler and the Nazis used legal terror to intimidate and suppress opponents. The party created the SA, Gestapo and the SS to proliferate fear and establish a terror state.

SA or Sturmabteilung

The storm division was assembled by Hitler in 1921, although it was called the Gymnastic and Sports Division of the party and was mostly composed of unemployed men and former soldiers.

The German term Sturmabteilung literally means ‘assault division’. Commonly known as the Brownshirts or Storm Troopers, Hitler founded a paramilitary group for the Nazi Party. It served as the Nazi Party’s private army whose role was to protect party meetings and rallies from hecklers.

Battalions of Nazi street fighters salute Adolf Hitler during an SA parade through Dortmund. Germany, 1933.

D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo

Following the suspension of civilian liberties, Hitler and the Nazis used legal terror to intimidate and suppress opponents. The party created the SA, Gestapo and the SS to proliferate fear and establish a terror state.

SA or Sturmabteilung

The SA was known for its violent intimidation of leftists and Jews during the Nazi regime. This independent army was led by Ernst Röhm, a known anti-capitalist and supporter of Hitler during the initial years. Röhm and Hitler were first acquainted in 1923 during the Beer Hall Putsch. The collapse of the Freikorps, a right-wing nationalist group in the early years of the Weimar Republic, led many of its former members to join the SA.

From left to right, Hitler, Göring, Goebbels and Hess

By 1933, members of the SA swelled to 2 million. This growth was felt as a threat by Nazi leaders, including Hitler. On 30 June 1934, Hitler, Göring, Goebbels and Hess architected a purging of SA leaders and members. This event became known as the Night of the Long Knives.

The SS took over total control of the SA role in 1938. After the purging of its leaders, the SA did not regain its position in the Nazi Party.

D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo

Following the suspension of civilian liberties, Hitler and the Nazis used legal terror to intimidate and suppress opponents. The party created the SA, Gestapo and the SS to proliferate fear and establish a terror state.

SS or Schutzstaffel

In April 1925, Hitler established the Schutzstaffel (SS; ‘Protective Echelon’), an elite corps of the Nazi party answerable only to the Führer. It was a paramilitary division of Hitler’s Brownshirts. In 1931, a special division was created under the SS, the Sicherheitsdienst (SD). Its main task was to serve as a special intelligence agency for the SS. They were tasked with ensuring the safety of Hitler and other top Nazi officials. It was headed by Reinhard Heydrich, Himmler’s right-hand man. By 1934, the SS secured Nazi Germany from internal and external enemies.

In March 1933, Hitler declared the opening of the first Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany. It was intended as a prison camp for the Nazis’ political adversaries and was operated by the SS. Known as SS-VT (Verfügungstruppen), its members were trained military men who agreed to four-year compulsory terms of service. They were housed in military barracks and were at the disposal of Hitler.

SS Totenkopfverbände (TV) or the ‘Death’s Head Unit’ was so named due to its insignia, a Totenkopf (skull). It signified their faithfulness to Hitler until death. Their main task was to operate Hitler’s concentration camps.

SS leader, Himmler inspecting a Soviet prisoner of war, 1941

D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo

Following the suspension of civilian liberties, Hitler and the Nazis used legal terror to intimidate and suppress opponents. The party created the SA, Gestapo and the SS to proliferate fear and establish a terror state.

Gestapo or Geheime Staatspolizei

On 10 February 1936, under Himmler, the Gestapo Law was passed, which placed them above the law. The law included this paragraph, "Neither the instructions nor the affairs of the Gestapo will be open to review by the administrative courts."

On 26 April 1933, Hermann Göring created the Secret Police Office, commonly known as the Gestapo. The Gestapo was originally created to intimidate and silence Hitler’s political opponents in Berlin and nearby areas. Rudolf Diels became the first Gestapo chief. Diels was a member of the Prussian Ministry of the Interior and senior adviser of the police. Due to rivalry between Göring and another rising Nazi leader, Heinrich Himmler, the former decided to cede the Gestapo.

The Gestapo was given the right to arrest, interrogate and execute anybody without any legal procedure. The majority of Gestapo agents worked as spies, while a few were office personnel. Common Germans had no idea if a person was a member of the Gestapo, as they were plain-clothes agents. As a result, most people exercised self-censorship.

Image of Göring (right) and Himmler (left)

D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo

Following the suspension of civilian liberties, Hitler and the Nazis used legal terror to intimidate and suppress opponents. The party created the SA, Gestapo and the SS to proliferate fear and establish a terror state.

Gestapo or Geheime Staatspolizei

Prisoners arrested during the crackdown on leftists and other targeted groups exercise in the courtyard of the Alexanderplatz prison. Munich, Germany, April 10, 1933.

With great control over the police, Hitler ordered door-to-door arrests of political opponents. The SA and Gestapo agents arrested Socialists, Communists, trade union leaders and anyone who spoke out against the Nazis. Most were sent to concentration camps while others were murdered. By the summer of 1933, democracy was dead in Germany.

The Nazis established detention camps from old warehouses and abandoned buildings. Prisoners were exposed to harsh conditions, including torture and starvation.

D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo

Following the suspension of civilian liberties, Hitler and the Nazis used legal terror to intimidate and suppress opponents. The party created the SA, Gestapo and the SS to proliferate fear and establish a terror state.

People’s Courts

In response to his dissatisfaction at the Reichstag Fire trial, Hitler ordered the creation of the People’s Court or Volksgerichtshof in 1933. This special court worked outside the provisions of the constitution. It had jurisdiction over ‘political crimes’ including black marketeering, defeatism and treason against the Nazi regime. Such crimes were tried (show trials) in courts and punishable mostly by the death penalty. Significant cases heard in the People’s Courts were the conspirators behind Hitler’s assassination (July Plot) and youth activitists Sophie and Hans Scholl.

Between 1934 and 1945, the People’s Courts sent 10,980 people to prison and sentenced 5,179 to the death penalty. Only about 1,000 were acquitted. The majority were arrested again by the Gestapo and sent to camps.

Participants in the July 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler and members of the ‘Kreisau Circle’ resistance group on trial before the People's Court. Pictured are Dr. Franz Reisert, Dr. Theodor Haubach, Graf von Moltke, Theodor Steltzer and Dr. Eugen Gerstenmaier

D- Features of a Terror State, including machinery of terror, courts, SS, Gestapo

The Nazi police state

The fact that there were no significant revolts, or rebellions against Nazi rules, suggests that the methods of law enforcement and control must of been extremely effective. There was certainly no repeats of the putsches and uprisings. That plagued the early years of the Weimar Republic. There were occasional conspiracies and plots but only Reinhard Heydrich among the senior Nazis was assassinated and this act to place outside Germany. To ensure absolute obedience to nazi rule the favoured methods were persuasion and indoctrination, but there were always those who remained unresponsive. For such persistent opponents the Nazis relied upon force and terror.

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

After the Great Depression, the German economy struggled, which resulted in political discontent and unemployment. When Hitler assumed power, he employed several economic policies to make Germany self-sufficient, known as autarky.

Schacht’s New Plan

On 17 March 1933, banker Hjalmar Schacht was appointed President of the Reichsbank. With his contributions in overcoming the 1923 hyperinflation crisis, the appointment of Hitler as chancellor and funding of the Nazis, he was made Minister for Economics in 1934. Influenced by the economist John Maynard Keynes, and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, Schacht advised Hitler to expand public works.

REDUCTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT

PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMMES

REARMAMENT OF THE ARMY

ESTABLISHMENT OF AUTARKY

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

Schacht served as president of the Reichsbank from 1933 until 1939 and Minister of Economics between 1934 and 1937. In 1934, he introduced the New Plan to achieve economic autarky. In addition to construction programmes such as the Autobahnen (motorways), Schacht negotiated international trade agreements in several countries in southeastern Europe and South America. In order to address a currency deficit, he proposed the use of mefo bills or promissory notes as deferred payments. Moreover, foreign trade agreements particularly involving importation of raw materials were paid in Reichsmarks. In May 1935, he was appointed General Plenipotentiary for the War Economy and awarded an honorary membership of the NSDAP.

Hitler and Schacht in Berlin, 1934

In addition to Hitler, Schacht was also appointed as president of the Reichsbank by President Friedrich Ebert and Chancellor Gustav Stresemann.

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

Schacht began to lose Hitler’s favour during the 1935-36 economic crisis. Along with Price Commissioner Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, Schacht suggested to reduce military spending and government control of the economy. The idea was disliked by Hitler. As a result, Hermann Goering was appointed as Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan in October 1936. In November 1937, Schacht resigned as Minister of Economics and General Plenipotentiary.

Goering’s appointment created conflict with Schacht’s authority. Despite his resignation in 1937, Schacht remained as President of the Reichsbank until January 1939. In 1944, after Hitler’s assassination attempt, Schacht was one of the known Nazi supporters who was arrested and sent to concentration camps.

After the war, Schacht was tried at Nuremberg for conspiracy and crimes against peace. He was acquitted by British judges, but sentenced to 8 years hard labour in the West German denazification trial.

Schacht and Hitler (rightmost) in 1936

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

Goering’s Four Year Plan

Between 1936 and 1939, Hermann Goering took charge of the Nazi Party’s Four-Year Plan. In order to achieve Hitler’s aims of autarky and rearmament, Goering employed forced labour.

FOUR-YEAR PLAN

Readiness of the German armed forces and economy for war.

To increase agricultural production through government subsidies.

German self-sufficiency of major raw materials along with control of imports and exports.

In 1935, unemployment in Germany went down to 1 million from 6 million in 1933. This was achieved through the construction of the Autobahnen or motorways as organised by the RAD or the National Labour Service.

It included the building of schools, public establishments and hospitals. Over 80,000 men were given jobs for the construction of the Autobahnen. The Autobahn is a federal-controlled motorway system in Germany.

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

One of Hitler’s major points of appeal was his promise to revive the German economy by eliminating unemployment. In June 1933, just months after becoming the Führer, Hitler passed the Unemployment Relief Act, which established the National Labour Service or Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD). Along with reducing the effects of unemployment, RAD aimed to indoctrinate the German workforce into Nazi ideology and militarise it. At first it was voluntary but by 1935 participation was compulsory.

RAD Requirements

◻︎All men and women aged 18 to 25 ◻︎Complex training for six months ◻︎Use of military uniform ◻︎Receipt of pocket money but not wages ◻︎Live-in camps ◻︎Exposure to military and physical exercises.

By 1939, Hitler declared full employment of German workers but the statistics did not reflect Jews who were forced to give up their jobs to non-Jews and women whose jobs were given to men.

Germany Female members of the Reich Labor Service salute the flag of the RAD with the Hitler salute at the inauguration of the RAD-camp at Neubauerndorf Hierlshagen in Sprottebruch at Primkenau, 1936.

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

By 1933, the motorway system connected Hamburg, Frankfurt and Basel. About 3,000 kilometres of road was built in 1941. The project was used as propaganda for highlighting the Nazi’s technological advancement. Rearmament was initiated by Hitler, which created millions of jobs for the Germans. About 26 billion marks were spent by the Nazi government to produce battle tanks, aircraft and ships between 1933 and 1939. Moreover, this industry tripled the use of oil, steel and iron.

Nazi Germany’s Autobahn system was a four-lane divided motorway without intersections

From 1933-39, industrial and weapons companies gained 50% more income. In addition, the Nazis controlled 70% of all German production. Farmers benefitted greatly from Nazi policies due to an increase in agricultural prices and wages. Moreover, the Hereditary Farm Law passed in 1933 ensured land to farming families.

Image of Nazi rearmament

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

Despite the loss of freedom in many aspects of German life, conforming was necessary in order for them to have jobs and wages.

Agricultural prices rose by 50%

Big businesses wages rose by 50%

20% small businesses closed

Rules on opening and running small businesses were tightened. By 1937 monopolies owned 70% of production. Rearmament from 1935 boosted profits and managers saw their wages rise by 50% between 1933 and 1939.

As farmers brought large electoral support, they benefitted under the Nazis. By 1937, agricultural prices had increased by 20%, and wages rose more quickly than those in industry. And although farmers had greater security, they were also fixed to their land.

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

Reoccupation of the Rhineland

Under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, the Rhineland region was placed under Allied occupation. The German military was forbidden from all territory west of the Rhine. In 1925, the demilitarisation of the region was reasserted by the Locarno treaties. In June 1930, Stresemann negotiated the withdrawal of Allied soldiers in the Rhineland.

However, as part of Hitler’s rearmament programme, he ordered the invasion and remilitarisation of the Rhineland. In March 1936, Germany marched its troops into the Rhineland, a buffer state between France and Germany. This event signified Germany’s willingness and ability to pursue a policy of aggression as this act violated the Treaty of Versailles. Under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Germany was "forbidden to maintain or construct any fortification either on the Left bank of the Rhine or on the Right bank to the west of a line drawn fifty kilometres to the East of the Rhine". In the event that Germany violated this, it was to be regarded as an act of hostility. Hitler continued to march his troops into the Rhineland, to remilitarise and to fortify Germany’s border.

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

Anschluss

Part of Hitler’s foreign policy was to create a greater Germany by uniting all the German-speaking people. By 1938, Hitler had unified Germany and his native land, Austria, as signified by the coined event, Anschluss (Union).

After Germany’s annexation of Austria, Great Britain and France acknowledged this action but did nothing to oppose it. They did not see it as a threat as both countries were German-speaking. It made Germany stronger politically and economically as it expanded its territory and gained more resources.

E- Economic policies, Schacht’s New Plan, Goering’s Four Year Plan, public works, conscription and autarky, rearmament, reoccupation of Rhineland, the Anschluss

To sum up ● The economy of Nazi Germany was largely in the ends of private enterprise; most industries and financial services enjoyed a measure of independence. ●There was government regulation and intervention, especially in industries, connected to war production. The Nazi-controlled German Labour Front also took over responsibility for directing the workforce. ● Overall, Nazi control over the economy was far from complete.

F- Key Nazi leaders, Himmler and the suppression of dissent, Goebbels' attempts to shape thoughts and attitudes

Heinrich Himmler

Heinrich Himmler joined the Nazi Party in 1923. As a fervent Nazi loyalist and anti-Semite, he was appointed by Hitler as the new head of the SS in January 1929. Under his leadership, the group’s role and size expanded. Himmler established the Waffen-SS (originally the SS-VT) at the outset of the Second World War. Its members’ main task was to terrorise people from the different territories occupied by the Nazis. Moreover, they were also tasked with operating the concentration camps. Originally, its membership was limited to Germans to maintain Aryan supremacy. Due to the demands of the Third Reich’s operations, however, it opened its membership to foreign volunteers and conscripted men from Nazi-occupied territories.

Top: A portrait of Heinrich Himmler, the director of the SS. Bottom: image of Hitler and Himmler in 1940

F- Key Nazi leaders, Himmler and the suppression of dissent, Goebbels' attempts to shape thoughts and attitudes

As early as the Reichstag Fire, Himmler, who was then the police commissioner in Munich, played a significant role in rounding up dissidents such as the communists and trade unionists. In April 1933, Himmler was promoted to Commander of the Bavarian Political Police which gave him the authority over concentration camps, particularly Dachau. In 1935, Himmler created the Lebensborn programme to secure racial ‘purity’ of future SS soldiers. He anticipated that about 200 to 300 pure Aryan children would be born each year. Young boys will be trained as superior soldier, while young girls as superior wives.

Under the SS leadership of Himmler, the Waffen-SS (SS-VT) and SS-TV were established.

In addition to eliminating the SA under Ernst Röhm, Himmler had monopolised camps. When WWII broke out, the SS repression system and establishment of concentration and death camps expanded further. Many believed that without the SS, it would have been impossible for the Third Reich to survive until the end of WWII.

As overseer of the Nazi extermination programmes, Himmler was held responsible for the death of millions. By the end of the war, Himmler attempted to open peace talks with the Allies. After hearing about this, Hitler dismissed him from his posts and ordered his arrest. On 23 May 1945, while in British custody, Himmler committed suicide.

F- Key Nazi leaders, Himmler and the suppression of dissent, Goebbels' attempts to shape thoughts and attitudes

Joseph Goebbels and Nazi propaganda

The Third Reich’s Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda was established on 14 March 1933. Paul Joseph Goebbels was the Third Reich’s propaganda minister from 1933 to 1945. The ministry's main objective was to indoctrinate the German people into supporting the Nazi ideals of anti-semitism and Aryan supremacy. His eloquence and charisma made the ministry successful and gained it many supporters and followers. The ministry used mass media to promote Nazi ideals. Mass rallies, radio and cinema were effective tools in achieving their objectives.

Under the Third Reich, radios were mass-produced and sold cheaply. Broadcasts and stations were controlled by the Reich Broadcasting Corporation serving under Goebbels’ ministry. Speakers were also set up on streets in various German cities. Nazi ideals and updates on Hitler’s administration were the main focus of the radio broadcasts.

F- Key Nazi leaders, Himmler and the suppression of dissent, Goebbels' attempts to shape thoughts and attitudes

How did the nazis use culture and the mass media to control the people?

In 1933, Josef Goebbels was appointed Minister for Propaganda and Enlightenment. It was his job to persuade the German people of the benefits of Nazi rule. This was achieved by trying to ensure that everything that was seen or heard was consistent with Nazi policy and ideals. It would make the task of the Nazi leaders much easier if they were ruling over a nation that shared their thoughts and beliefs. Goebbels aimed to make every aspect of German culture and every form of communication dedicated to the task of producing loyal Nazis and followers of Adolf Hitler.

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F- Key Nazi leaders, Himmler and the suppression of dissent, Goebbels' attempts to shape thoughts and attitudes

How did the nazis use culture and the mass media to control the people?

F- Key Nazi leaders, Himmler and the suppression of dissent, Goebbels' attempts to shape thoughts and attitudes

Steered by Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propaganda was a success. The propaganda had three main themes: 1️⃣ The Führer cult which depicted Hitler as the saviour of Germans. 2️⃣ Volksgemeinschaft which gave the idea of one German community. 3️⃣ Portrayal of Jews as the source of Germany’s ills, often depicting them as sub-humans.

Moreover, Hitler was an extraordinary and passionate speaker. His speeches were broadcast by Goebbels across the country. Most propaganda took the form of slogans, policies and radio broadcasts.

Early Nazi propaganda poster

G- German Labour Front and the ‘Strength through Joy’

In order to control industrial workers, the Nazis established the German Labour Front (DAF), Strength Through Joy, and the Beauty of Labour. The German Labour Front (DAF) replaced trades unions, which Hitler had banned. The DAF was headed by Robert Ley who stated that the main aim of the DAF was ‘to create a true social and productive community’.

German Labour Front (DAF)

In theory, the DAF aimed to provide a common ground for workers and employees. Through the 12 trustees, wages and security of employment were set. Moreover, leisure activities for workers were also created through the Strength through Joy programme. It was a Nazi scheme that sought to incentivise workers in the rearmament industries into greater productivity by giving rewards for workers’ efforts including evening classes, trips to the theatre, picnics and holidays. The DAF was one of the largest Nazi organisations along with the Bank of German Labour. In 1939, the DAF claimed over 35,000 full-time employees. In theory, DAF membership was voluntary. However, non-members had a hard time looking for a job. Membership fees ranged from 15 pfennig to 3 Reichsmarks.

Unit of the DAF (Deutsche Arbeitsfront) marching with shovels at a rally in Nuremberg, in 1937

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Through Lebensborn, ‘pure’ German women were allowed to volunteer to have a baby with an Aryan SS.

During the Weimar Republic era in the 1920s, major improvements to the status of women in German society came about. They were granted equal voting rights, were accepted in professional jobs, and given the freedom to participate in leisure activities. However, Hitler and the Nazis had a clear path for German women. They considered the female sex as the key to securing a pure Aryan race, thus making the home the best place for wives and daughters. German women were expected to live by the Three Ks.

INDER (children) ÜCHE (kitchen) IRCHE (church)

Throughout the Third Reich, it was estimated that about 20,000 babies were born under this policy.

In 1933, the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave newlyweds a loan of 1,000 marks and allowed them to keep 250 marks for every child they produced.

Babies born under the Lebensborn policy

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

3rd class mothers were awarded a bronze medal for bearing 5 children.

Traditionally known as the Mother’s Cross Awards, Hitler decreed that children-rich German mothers should be awarded for their contribution to the future of the Aryan race. The following criteria applied:

6-7

2nd class mothers were awarded a silver medal for bearing 6 to 7 children.

8+

1️⃣ Both parents should be ‘pure-blooded’ Germans without any Jewish blood going back to the 4th generation of grandparents. 2️⃣ Mothers should be cleared of any criminal and moral offences. 3️⃣ Children should not be born with any hereditary or genetic disorders.

1st class mothers were awarded a gold medal for bearing 8 or more children.

Hitler's Mother's Cross Awards Bronze, Silver & Gold

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

During the post-WWI years, cosmetics, short hair, trousers and French fashion were adopted by German women. When the Nazis came to power, they believed that such fashion contributed to the moral degradation of German women, so they adopted the following policies:

1️⃣ French, American, and Jewish influences on clothing were prohibited. Only Aryan-designed and manufactured clothes were allowed in the Third Reich. 2️⃣ In May 1933, Adefa or Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutsch-arischer Fabrikanten der Bekleidungsindustrie, a clothing manufacturing association, was established to secure Aryanisation of fashion. 3️⃣ Aryan women were discouraged from using cosmetics and indulging in unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol, smoking and doing physical activities that impacted birth rates.

Image of German schoolgirls wearing traditional clothing

In terms of employment, German women were discouraged from working. The Law for Reduction of Employment was introduced, which gave women incentives to stay at home.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

When Hitler became Führer, all teachers were required to join the Nazi Teachers’ Association and follow the political and racial ideology of the Nazis. All lessons started with “Heil Hitler!”

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

WHow did young people react to the Nazi regime ?

The Nazis affected the lives of young people through two main channels: the education system and the youth movement. The Nazis were aware that if the Third Reich was going to last a thousand years then it was necessary to produce future generations of loyal Nazis. The combined impact of school and youth movement would ensure that young Germans emerged as adults fully familiar with and accepting of Nazi ideas. Nazi schools Before 1933, German schools were run by the local state governments. As soon as the Nazis came to power, however, all schools were placed under the control of the Ministry of Education in Berlin. This ensured uniformity across the country and allowed a number of further changes. To make sure that teachers could be relied upon to support the Nazi message, they were required to take a loyalty oath to Hitler and join the Nazi Teachers' League. Jewish teachers were sacked The curriculum was changed to take account of Nazi ideas. Biology and history lessons were particularly affected as textbooks had to be rewritten to reflect Nazi race theories and Germany's progress towards its destiny as the world's most powerful nation. Religious education was scrapped and much greater emphasis was placed on sport and physical education.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

WHow did young people react to the Nazi regime ?

The Hitler Youth After school young people were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth. This organisation was established during the 1920s alongside a variety of other German youth groups, many of which were linked to political parties or the churches. Most of these other groups, including the boy scouts, were banned by the Nazis in the eighteen months following Hitler's appointment as Chancellor. Under the leadership of Baldur von Schirach, the Reich Youth Leader, the Hitler Youth was organised into separate sections for boys and girls and for different age groups. From 1936 membership became virtually compulsory, though as late as 1940 nearly a million young people had still not joined the Hitler Youth. For boys the experience of the Hitler Youth was designed to make them into good soldiers. They were taught basic military training and discipline which included drill, camp craft, map reading, cleaning and firing a rifle together with a host of activities to enhance fitness such as athletics, cross country running, camping, hiking and trekking. There was also political indoctrination with members having to learn about the evils of Jewry, the injustices of the peace settlement or the biography of Hitler's life. Girls, who at fourteen joined the League of German Maidens, were prepared for motherhood. Together with an emphasis on fitness, this involved the teaching of domestic skills such as cooking, sewing and managing a household budget.

In 1936, German boys and girls were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth Movement at the age of 10. By 1939, 90% of German boys aged 14 and over were members.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

The Hitler Youth

NATIONAL POLITICAL INSTITUTES OF EDUCATION (NAPOLAS)

Aside from the Hitler Youth Movement, the Nazis also established schools solely for training future Nazi leaders including Napolas, Adolf Hitler Schools and Order Castles.

On Hitler’s 44th birthday, the Prussian minister of education, Rust, established Napolas, a secondary school for the future Nazi elite. Boys aged 10 to 18 were given rigorous military and physical training for a future in the army, especially the Waffen-SS. Following the Napolas were Adolf Hitler Schools, which trained children for future posts in the Nazi government. Boys aged 14 to 18 were subjected to political indoctrination rather than academics.

Napola, Potsdam

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

THE ORDENSBURGEN OR ORDER CASTLES

Order Castles were named after the German Teutonic Knights during the Crusades. These establishments served as the highest residential schools for training the future Nazi elite. Attendees were called Ordensjunkers and were expected to be tough.

Each Ordensjunker was required to have six years of education in an Adolf Hitler School and 2 ½ years in the State Labour Service followed by four years of full-time employment. Given the requirements, entrants were in their mid-20s. Among the Order Castles were Crössinsee, which emphasised physical training, Vogelsang that specialised in skiing and mountaineering, Sonthofen for general physical training, and Marienburg for the final year of political education.

Image of Hitler visiting Vogelsang Finishing School

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Teenage rebels While many young Germans enjoyed the sporting and other leisure opportunities offered by the Hitler Youth, it was not to everyone's taste. One group of largely middle and upper middle class teenagers, members of the "Swing" movement, liked long hair, jazz music and dancing the jitterbug. The most important centres of the movement were in the cafés, clubs and dance bars of Hamburg and Berlin. While not overtly political, members of the Swing movement still offended the authorities by their appearance and clothes. The boys wore homburg hats, long English-style sports jackets, colourful scarves, Union Jack pins and carried umbrellas while the girls wore short skirts, make-up and nail varnish. Their loose morals, preference for English and American culture and tolerant attitude towards the Jews were further reasons why the Swing movement was objectionable to the Nazi regime. In 1941 over 300 members of the movement were arrested: identified leaders were sent to concentration camps while others were forced to have their hair cut or were sent back to school under close supervision. The Edelweiss Pirates were a group of working class adolescents aged between 14 and 17-the gap years between leaving school and military conscription. Rather than an organised movement they were a collection of teenage groups associated with various German towns and cities, such as "The Roving Dudes" from Essen or the "Navajos" from Cologne. What they all shared in common was a strong distaste for the strict regimentation and sexual segregation of the Hitler Youth. The Edelweiss Pirates believed in freedom of expression and collected in gangs at street corners, sang anti-Nazi songs, taunted members of the Hitler Youth and painted graffiti on walls and public buildings. They also organised hiking and camping trips. During the war their activities became more threatening to the Nazi government and included acts of sabotage, the sheltering of army deserters and the distribution of Allied war leaflets. After assassinating a Gestapo chief in Cologne in 1944, 12 of their ring leaders were publicly hanged. Other arrested members had their heads shaved or were sent to concentration camps.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

Despite being brought up Roman Catholic, Hitler rejected Christian beliefs. He particularly wrote in his Mein Kampf why Christianity should be rejected as a belief system. Thus, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, he established the Reich Church.

In his Mein Kampf, Hitler argued that Christianity had the following effects:

• The belief protected the weak and the low. • It was of Jewish origin and Germany would not bend and crawl to the cross of a foreign God. • The tenets of forgiving sins, resurrection and salvation were nonsense. • He rejected the idea of equality that protected the racially inferior, the ill and the disabled. • The idea of mercy was not German.

Despite his rejection of Christianity, Hitler signed a concordat with the Catholic Church in Germany on 30 July 1933, in which he guaranteed the protection of the Church provided that it didn’t interfere in politics. The concordat did not last long. The Catholic Church and other religious denominations did not escape Hitler and Goebbels’ Nazi propaganda. Priests were accused of immorality. Moreover, nuns and monks were charged with smuggling gold out of Germany. In response, Pope Pius XI questioned the acts of Hitler and the Nazi government’s actions against the Church, which was a direct violation of the concordat.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

Martin Niemoeller, a German Protestant leader, was arrested and charged with sedition for disobeying the Reich Bishop of the Reich Church. In addition, Dr. Karl Barth, a known German theologian, was dismissed from teaching at Bonn University because he refused to say “Heil Hitler” at the beginning of his class.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

During the years of the Third Reich, the Nazis persecuted a wide range of people including Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, prostitutes, drunkards, beggars, the aged, and the mentally handicapped. All these groups were considered incompatible with either Nazi ideas about a master race or ideas about the efficient operation of the Nazi state.

The Master Race theory In Hitler's view the German people constituted a race, the Aryan race. He also believed that Aryans were naturally superior in terms of intelligence, physique, and work ethic. This would ensure, so Hitler thought, that eventually Germany would rule the world. To take account of setbacks such as Germany's defeat in the First World War or the economic crises of 1923 and 1930-3, Hitler argued that potential Aryan supremacy had been undermined by Jews intent on undermining the German state. To preserve the purity of the Aryan race, it was essential to maintain its separateness from other races and discourage contact between Germans and non-Germans.

The efficiency requirement Hitler also believed that Germany was overburdened with undesirables-people who refused to pull their weight, were work-shy, or preferred a life of anti-social behaviour such as alcohol or drug addiction. In addition, progress in medical science meant that many now survived disabling conditions and diseases. Hitler regarded all such people as a drain on the resources of the state. They contributed little yet cost vast amounts of money in terms of care and welfare. These resources could be better deployed supporting the fit and healthy.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

How did the Nazis separate the Jews from the Aryans? • To underline the need to draw a line between Aryans and the Jewish community, a boycott of Jewish shops and businesses was ordered in April 1933. • This was followed by anti-Jewish articles in the press together with "Jews not wanted" signs that were displayed in cafés and public places. • Jews were also purged from government employment. • In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws denied German citizenship to Jews and prohibited sexual contact between Jews and non-Jews. • In November 1938, on Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), Jews suffered attacks on their synagogues, shops, and private houses carried out by SA men posing as ordinary German citizens.

• After Kristallnacht, Jews were forbidden to own shops or engage in trade, forbidden to attend German schools, and banned from all public and private recreational venues such as theatres and concert halls. • In response to these measures, by the outbreak of war, 40 per cent of the 550 000 German Jews had left the country.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

How were the Gypsies treated? • In some ways the Gypsies were regarded as more offensive than the Jews as they violated both the racial and efficiency requirements. • Like the Jews they were subject to discrimination over citizenship and marriage. • Many were arrested without cause and sent to concentration camps. • In 1938, all Gypsies were required to register with the authorities.

What happened to the "Undesirables"? • Popular resentment against such people juvenile delinquents, tramps, the disabled, etc. -was increased by a propaganda campaign. • This was followed by a Sterilisation Law in July 1933 which authorised the sterilisation of people with certain, rather unspecific, illnesses. This measure was so loosely interpreted that nearly 700 000 persons were sterilised before the fall of the Nazi regime. • Many others were sent to concentration camps. • In 1939, the Nazis began killing the mentally ill in a secret euthanasia campaign. The victims included handicapped infants, children, and teenagers. Methods ranged from starvation to gas chambers. Following protests, especially from the Catholic Church, the campaign was brought to an end in 1941, but not before more than 70 000 people had lost their lives.

H- Policies toward women, young people and minorities

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

Sterilisation

Nazi scientists believed in eugenics in which people with disabilities were believed to be carriers of degenerative genes that should be eliminated in order to keep the next generation of Aryans pure. On 1 January 1934, the Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring came into effect, which decreed that any person who had hereditary diseases should undergo medical experiments and sterilisation.

Social outsiders were named ‘asocial’ and were accused of carrying defective genes. They were either subjected to sterilisation or persecution. Moreover, male homosexuality was also declared as a threat to the Aryan race, thus, homosexuals were persecuted. Tagged as Rhineland bastards, people who were born to German mothers and fathered by French-African soldiers from WWI were also sterilised.

Early in history, many believed that people could inherit mental illness and criminal tendencies. Adolf Hitler was among the supporters of this science, which sought to improve reproduction of the human species through selective mating of individuals free of undesirable characteristics. With his view to make the Aryan race superior, Hitler enforced forced sterilisation. With WWII ongoing, Josef Mengele, an SS doctor, oversaw the experiments conducted on adult and child twins at Auschwitz.

Among the experiments were using eyedrops to create blue eyes, surgeries without anaesthesia, and injection of prisoners with diseases, which earned him the name Angel of Death.

Image of Josef Mengele between two other Nazi officials

I- Significance of Nuremberg Laws

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

During the annual NSDAP Party rally in Nuremberg in 1935, the Nazis announced new laws to systematise the separation of Jews in Germany. This became known as the Nuremberg Laws. The slow pace of change in Germany frustrated the far-right of the party. Discriminations and laws against Jews were not having an immediate and complete effect. In particular the far-right wanted the following:

1️⃣ Prohibition of relationships between Aryans and Jews

2️⃣ Stop the pollution of Aryan blood with foreign types and races

3️⃣ Maintain citizenship and rights of residency for Germans and Aryans only

On 15 September 1935, the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour and the Reich Citizenship Law were passed. The former stopped marriages and sex between ‘Jews’ and ‘Germans’ and the employment of ‘German’ females under 45 in Jewish households.

I- Significance of Nuremberg Laws

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

Meanwhile, the latter stripped Jews of their German citizenship and introduced a new distinction between ‘Reich citizens’ and Jewish ‘nationals’. Certificates of Reich citizenship were in fact never introduced and all Germans, except Jews, were provisionally classed as Reich citizens until 1945.

The Nuremberg Laws did not define the Jewish people by religious affiliation, instead they were traced through their ancestors. As a result, many Germans who had not practised Judaism for a long time became victims of Nazi terror. Those who converted to other religions such as Christianity, but had Jewish grandparents, were also caught.

A chart explaining the pseudo-scientific racial categories established by the 1935 Nuremberg Laws.

White circles identify ancestors of ‘pure’ German blood, while black circles identify Jewish ancestry. Only those with four non-Jewish grandparents were considered true German

I- Significance of Nuremberg Laws

Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society ?

Initially, Jews were not allowed to participate in the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin, but when threatened with a boycott of the games, Hitler allowed athletes of other ethnicities from other countries to participate. However, persecution returned after the event. Below are additional significances and impacts of the Nuremberg Laws.

On 14 November, the laws were extended to other minorities who the Nazis deemed ‘racially suspect’. It included Roma and African-Germans.

Jewish businessman Oskar Danker and his girlfriend, a Christian woman, were forced to carry signs discouraging Jewish-German integration.

Economically, Jewish businesses were seized by non-Jewish Germans. Jewish doctors and lawyers were also banned from practice. Identity cards were always carried for checking. Jews were forbidden to display the Reich flag. They could not vote or work for any public office Jewish government officials were forced to retire in December 1935.