The Kiel Mutiny



Development of dictatorship: Germany, 1918–45Revision GuidePart 1: Exam questionsPaper 1, Group B (25 marks in total)Focus: change over time…Ordering the dates (3 marks)Explanation one effect (4 marks)Change over time (why did?) (8 marks)Use the source and own knowledge to explain why…(10 marks)3 marksPut 5 events in the correct order4 marksAn effect is a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause. In this question you are to write 1 PEE paragraph and explain how it effected the country8 marksIn this question you are to write 2 or more PEEL paragraphs about change over time. You will also need to write a conclusion that will have a reasoned judgement about change10 marksIn this question you must combine quotes from the source with your own knowledge to explain why an event took place or a change happened. You should aim to write at least two PEEL paragraphs and to get top marks you must make a link between the factors.Question (a)3 marks1 mark2 marks3 marksI give 2 events in orderI give 3 events in orderI give 4/5 events in orderQuestion (b)4 marks1-2 marks3-4 marksI have made simple POINTS in my answer to explain a consequenceI have made a clear PEE paragraph about the effect. The evidence will show the 5W’s clearly and the explanation of the key features.Question (c)8 marks1-2 marks3-5 marks6-8 marksI have made a simple explanation of cause of an eventI have made 2 clear PEE paragraph about change. The evidence will show the 5W’s clearly and the explanation of why things have changed.I have made 2 or more PEEL paragraph about change. The evidence will show the 5W’s clearly and the explanation of why things have changed and linking these paragraphs together.Question (d)10 marks1-2 marks3-5 marks6-8 marks8-10I have given a simple answer using the source or my own knowledgeI have supported an explanation by using source and own knowledgeI have developed an explanation of one or more changes supporting it precisely with knowledge and quotes from the sourceI have developed explanation of two changes and shown a clear link or comparison between the changesPart 2: ContentDevelopment of dictatorship: Germany, 1918–45The establishment of the Weimar Republic and its early problems The recovery of Germany, 1924-29The rise of Hitler and the Nazis Life in Nazi Germany Germany during the Second World WarThe German Revolution of 1918. The strengths and weaknesses of the new Constitution. Reactions to the Treaty of Versailles. The Spartacist uprising and the Kapp Putsch. French occupation of the Ruhr. Causes and effects of hyperinflation. The work of Stresemann. Rentenmark, Dawes and Young Plan, US loans and the recovery of the German economy. Successes abroad – League of Nations, Locarno Treaties and Kellogg-Briand Pact.Hitler and the German Workers’ Party. Changes to the party 1920-22. Causes, events and results of Munich Putsch, 1923. Reorganisation of the Party 1924-28. Impact of Wall Street Crash. Nazi methods to win support. Goebbels and propaganda and the work of the SA. Events of 1932 to January 1933 including the role of von Papen, von Schleicher and von Hindenburg. Setting up the Nazi dictatorship through the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, Night of the Long Knives, the police state, censorship and propaganda. Nazi policies towards women, the young, the Churches and the Jews. Policies to reduce unemployment. The Labour Service, the Labour Front and Strength Through Joy. Nazi policies towards the Jews including ghettos, death squads and the Final Solution. The changing role of women, ‘total war’, rationing and the effects of allied bombing. The growth of opposition to Hitler including the Edelweiss Pirates, the White Rose Group and the Stauffenberg Plot. Defeat and Hitler’s death.Development of dictatorship: Germany, 1918–45The establishment of the Weimar Republic and its early problems The German Revolution of 1918. The strengths and weaknesses of the new Constitution. Reactions to the Treaty of Versailles. The Spartacist uprising and the Kapp Putsch. French occupation of the Ruhr. Causes and effects of hyperinflation.The German Revolution of 1918The Kiel MutinyOn 3 November at the main German naval base in Kiel frustrated German sailors?mutinied?instead of following orders to attack the British Royal Navy. The sailor’s mutiny sparked rebellions all over Germany and in a matter of days led to the collapse of the German government which forced the ruling monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm II, to?abdicate?on 9 November. Following his abdication Friedrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) became?Chancellor(the equivalent of Prime Minister in Britain) and took power over Germany.After World War One, Germany became?democratic.All adult Germans were able to vote and the system of?proportional representation?meant a wide range of views were given a voice in Parliament. There was also an elected President instead of the?Kaiser.The strengths and weaknesses of the new ConstitutionThe Republic was meant to be a representative democracy that looked after the interests of all Germans. But there was a problem – many Germans did not like the idea of democracy, and the?constitution?contained two major flaws.StrengthsA genuine democracy?- Elections for parliament and president took place every four years and all Germans over 20 could vote.378142527559000The power of the?Reichstag?- The Reichstag appointed the government and made all laws. This was very different from its powers before the war under the?Kaiser.A Bill of Rights?- This guaranteed every German citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law. WeaknessesProportional representation?- Each party got the same percentage of seats in parliament as the percentage of votes it received in an election. This meant there were lots of small parties in Parliament making it difficult to pass laws and led to weak and often short-lived governments.Article 48?- This gave the president the power to act without parliament’s approval in an emergency. However, it did not clearly define what an 'emergency' was, so the power was overused, which weakened Germans’ confidence in democracy.Reactions to the Treaty of VersaillesThe?Weimar Republic?was created at a time of confusion and chaos after Germany had lost World War One. People were starving, the?Kaiser?had fled and the new Republic got off to a troubled start for two reasons:Many Germans hated the government for signing the?armistice?in November 1918 - they called them the?November criminals. The defeat in the war came as a huge surprise to the German people, and many ordinary German soldiers, which led to a theory that the brave German army had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by the politicians.In early 1919 the victorious?Allies?met to discuss how to punish Germany and on 28 June 1919 the new German government was forced to sign a peace settlement called the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty punished Germany militarily, territorially and financially. Many Germans felt their country had received a very harsh deal in the?treaty?and resented the government for agreeing to its conditions. However, German government had been given an ultimatum – sign within five days or risk invasion.0381000 Blame?- Germany was forced to accept the blame for starting the war under article 231 of the treaty, known as the War Guilt Clause.Reparations?- This was the name given to the money Germany had to pay for the damage suffered by Britain and France during the war. In 1922 the amount to be paid was set at ?6.6 billion.Armed Forces?- Germany’s army and navy were significantly reduced in size and its air force abolished. This meant that a maximum of 100,000 troops were allowed in the army and conscription (compulsory service) and tanks were banned. Germany’s navy was reduced to 15,000 personnel, allowed only 6 battleships and no submarines.Territory?- Germany lost land on all sides of its borders as well as its overseas colonies (other countries under Germany’s control). In Europe:Alsace-Lorraine went back to France.Eupen-Malmedy was recognised as Belgian.France also took the coal from the Saar region, which became a?League of Nations?protectorate for 15 years. Eventually the?Ruhr?would also be occupied by the French.Some Upper Silesia went to the newly formed Czechoslovakia, and some to Poland – both of which Germany had to recognise as independent countries. Posen was given to Poland, as was Danzig and area nearby so they would have access to the sea – the ‘Polish corridor’. East Prussia essentially was cut off from the rest of Germany by Poland in the middle.The Rhineland was demilitarised – this would provide France with an extra ‘buffer zone’ of protection.The agreements that had been made when Russia left the war in 1917 under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk were overturned. Land that Germany would have taken from Russia now became the independent Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Some land also went to Poland.‘Anchlu?’ – Anschluss – the union of Germany and Austria – was forbidden.The Spartacist uprising and the Kapp PutschThe?Weimar Republic's?unpopularity meant it faced violent?uprisings?from both sides of the?political spectrum?during 1919 and 1920.The threat from the Left: The Spartacist UprisingDuring 5 – 12 January 1919, 50,000 members of the post-World War One Communist Party, known as the?Spartacists, rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.The government was saved when, through the army, it armed bands of ex-soldiers, known as the Freikorps, who defeated the Spartacist rebels.In the aftermath, communist workers' councils seized power all over Germany, and a Communist People's Government took power in Bavaria.Liebknecht and Luxemburg were killed by the Freikorps after being arrested on the 15th. Luxemburg’s body was dumped in a canal.By May 1919 the Freikorps had crushed all of these uprisings.The threat from the Right: The Kapp PutschIn crushing the communists the Freikorps had saved the government, but the terms of the?Treaty of Versailles?meant Germany’s army had to be significantly reduced and the Freikorps had to be disbanded.During 13 - 17 March 1920, as a reaction to this, the right-wing?nationalist, Dr Wolfgang Kapp led a Freikorps takeover in Berlin.The regular army refused to attack the Freikorps; Kapp was only defeated when the workers of Berlin went on strike and refused to cooperate with him.Other violenceNationalist terrorists assassinated 356 government politicians, including Walter Rathenau (June 1922), the foreign minister, and Matthias Erzberger who had been finance minister. Judges in their trials, many of whom preferred the?Kaiser's?government, consistently gave these terrorists light sentences, or let them go free.French occupation of the RuhrIn November 1922 Germany was unable to make its reparations payment as scheduled. The first reparations payment had taken all she could afford to pay.In response, France and Belgium sent troops into Germany’s main industrial area, the?Ruhr?Valley. Their aim was to confiscate industrial goods as reparations payments as they didn’t believe Germany was unable to pay the second instalment. They occupied coal mines, railways, steel works and factories – all things that were important to Germany’s economy.The German government ordered workers to follow a policy of ‘passive resistance’ – refusing to work or co-operate with the foreign troops and in return the government continued to pay their wages.The French responded firmly – in the Krupp steel works, workers refusing to take orders were shot at. Other people were expelled from the Ruhr region altogether. Overall, 132 were killed and approximately 150,000 expelled from the area.The immediate consequences of the occupation were not good for the Weimar government – they had to print more money to pay the French, and workers in the region, and this led to hyperinflation. A general strike (when all the workers in the country stopped work) was called, and political instability was rife.359092511049000Causes and effects of hyperinflationGermany was already suffering from high levels of inflation due to the effects of the war and the increasing government debt.‘Passive resistance’ meant that whilst the workers were on strike fewer industrial goods were being produced, which weakened the economy still further.In order to pay the striking workers the government simply printed more money. This flood of money led to hyperinflation as the more money was printed, the more prices rose.Prices ran out of control, for example a loaf of bread, which cost 250 marks in January 1923, had risen to 200,000 million marks in November 1923.Hyperinflation winnersHyperinflation losersBorrowers, such as businessmen, landowners and those with mortgages, found they were able to pay back their loans easily with worthless money.People on wages were relatively safe, because they renegotiated their wages every day. However, even their wages eventually failed to keep up with prices.Farmers coped well, since their products remained in demand and they received more money for them as prices spiralled.People on fixed incomes, like students, pensioners or the sick, found their incomes did not keep up with prices.People with savings and those who had lent money, for example to the government, were the most badly hit as their money became worthless.By autumn 1923 it cost more to print a note than the note was worth.During the crisis, workers were often paid twice per day because prices rose so fast their wages were virtually worthless by lunchtime.Development of dictatorship: Germany, 1918–45The recovery of Germany, 1924-29The work of Stresemann. Rentenmark, Dawes and Young Plan, US loans and the recovery of the German economy. Successes abroad – League of Nations, Locarno Treaties and Kellogg-Briand Pact.The work of Stresemann -Rentenmark, Dawes and Young Plan, US loans and the recovery of the German economyGustav Stresemann and economic recoveryIn 1923, the?Weimar Republic?was on the?verge of collapse socially and economically.?But surprisingly, this crisis was followed by a period of relative stability and success. The period 1924-1929 was a time when the Weimar economy recovered and cultural life in Germany flourished.This dramatic turnabout happened in large part because of the role played by Gustav Stresemann who became?Chancellor?in August 1923 during the?hyperinflation?crisis. This was a time when prices in Germany went up quicker than people could spend their money and the German currency lost its value. Stresemann was Chancellor for only three months but continued to serve as Foreign Minister, rebuilding and restoring Germany’s international status until his death in October 1929, ironically just weeks before the?Wall Street Crash?that would end Weimar’s period of greater prosperity and stability.The end of hyperinflationStresemann’s single greatest achievement as Chancellor was to end hyperinflation. He did this?in just three months?by:47193203937000Calling off the ‘passive resistance’ of German workers in the?Ruhr. This helped Germany’s economy because goods were back in production and the Government could stop printing money to pay striking workers.left-4762500Promising to begin?reparations payments again. This persuaded France and Belgium to end the occupation of the Ruhr by 1925.Introducing a new currency called the Rentenmark. This stabilised prices as only a limited number were printed meaning money rose in value. This helped to restore confidence in the German economy both internally and internationally.Reducing the amount of money the government spent (700,000 government employees lost their jobs) so that its budget?deficit?reduced.The Dawes PlanThe Young PlanDateProposed April 1924, agreed September 1924Proposed August 1929, agreed January 1930Amount of reparations to be paidStayed the same overall (50 billion Marks) but Germany only had to pay 1 billion Marks per year for the first 5 years and 2.5 billion per year after thatReduced the total amount by 20 per cent. Germany was to pay 2 billion Marks per year, two thirds of which could be postponed each year if necessaryAmount of time over which they would be paidIndefinite59 years, with payments to end in 1988Loans made available to GermanyGermany was loaned 800 million Marks from the USAUS banks would continue to loan Germany money, coordinated by J P Morgan, one of the world’s leading bankersSigns of recoverySigns of continued weaknessBy 1928 industrial production levels were higher than those of 1913 (before World War One)But… agricultural production did not recover to its pre-war levelsBetween 1925 and 1929 exports (sending goods or services abroad) rose by 40 per centBut… it spent more on imports than it earned from exports, so Germany was losing money every yearHourly wages rose every year from 1924 to 1929 and by 10 per cent in 1928 aloneBut… unemployment did not fall below 1.3 million and in 1929 increased to 1.9 millionIG Farben, a German chemical manufacturing company, became the largest industrial company in EuropeBut… German industry became dependent upon loans from the USAGenerous pension, health and unemployment insurance schemes were introduced from 1927But…The government ended up spending more than it received in taxes and so continued to run deficits from 1925 onwards Successes abroad – League of Nations, Locarno Treaties and Kellogg-Briand Pact33623258064500Locarno Treaties 1925.?In October 1925 Germany, France and Belgium agreed to respect their post-Versailles borders, whilst Germany agreed with Poland and Czechoslovakia to settle any border disputes peacefully. Germany had previously complained bitterly about their loss of territory.League of Nations 1926.?When the?League of Nations?was set up as part of the Versailles agreement Germany was initially excluded. By signing the Locarno Treaties Germany showed that it was accepting the Versailles settlement and so a year later was accepted as a permanent member of the Council of League, making it one of the most powerful countries in the League.Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928.?Germany was one of 62 countries that signed up to this agreement, which committed its?signatories to settling disputes between them peacefully.These developments meant that Germany was accepted into the emerging ‘international community’ that sought to work together during the 1920s to avoid another destructive war. It also helped Germany’s internal wounds to heal – the government was seen to be taking decisive action to make life better for people and right some of the wrongs that the Treaty of Versailles had caused. This led to greater political stability and less extremism. This ethos of collaboration and peaceful cooperation only lasted, however, until the onset of the Great Depression following the?Wall Street Crash of October 1929.Development of dictatorship: Germany, 1918–45The rise of Hitler and the Nazis Hitler and the German Workers’ Party. Changes to the party 1920-22. Causes, events and results of Munich Putsch, 1923. Reorganisation of the Party 1924-28. Impact of Wall Street Crash. Nazi methods to win support. Goebbels and propaganda and the work of the SA. Events of 1932 to January 1933 including the role of von Papen, von Schleicher and von Hindenburg. The German Workers' Party and the start of the Nazis3067050825500With World War One over, Hitler returned to Munich and set on a path that eventually led him to become the leader of the Nazi party.1919 – Hitler joined the German Worker’s Party (DAP), a right-wing group led by Anton Drexler.1920 – Hitler became the Party’s leading public speaker and propagandist.1920 – The group changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) – or Nazis for short.1921 – Hitler was elected Party Chairman and leader of the Nazis.Changes to the party 1920-22In the 1920s, the Nazis tried to appeal to a lot of different members of society. The 25-Point Programme had policies that were:430530015748000Socialist:farmers should be given their landpensions should improvepublic industries such as electricity and water should be owned by the stateNationalist:all German-speaking people should be united in one countrythe Treaty of Versailles should be abolishedthere should be special laws for foreignersRacist: Jews should not be German citizens.Immigration?should be stopped. Fascist:focused on creating a strong central governmentgovernment control of the newspapersCauses, events and results of Munich Putsch, 1923Reorganisation of the Party 1924-28. Impact of Wall Street Crash340995033972500Party reorganisationThe decision to pursue power through?democratic?methods meant the party needed a national structure to attract members, develop polices and campaign. Hitler put this in place during 1925 and 1926The impact of the Depression on GermanyIn October 1929 the?Wall Street Crash?on the US stock exchange brought about a global economic depression. In Europe, Germany was worst affected because American banks called in all of their foreign loans at very short notice. These loans, agreed under the?Dawes Plan?in 1924, had been the basis for Germany’s economic recovery from the disaster of?hyperinflation. The loans funded German industry and helped to pay?reparations. Without these loans German industry collapsed and a depression began:The most obvious consequence of this collapse was a huge rise in unemployment. Over the winter of 1929-30 the number of unemployed rose from 1.4 million to over 2 million. By the time Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933 one in three Germans were unemployed, with the figure hitting 6.1 million. Industrial production had also more than halved over the same period.The impact of unemploymentThe rise in unemployment significantly raised government expenditure on unemployment insurance and other benefits.Germans began to lose faith in democracy and looked to extreme parties on the both the Left (the communists) and the Right (the Nazis) for quick and simple solutions.Nazi methods to win support: Goebbels and propaganda and the work of the SAThe role and impact of the SAIn 1921 Hitler assembled a large group of unemployed young men and former soldiers, known as the Storm Troopers (Sturmabteilung) or SA, as the Nazi Party’s private army:They gained the nickname ‘Brownshirts’, after their brown shirted uniforms.Their role was to protect party meetings, march in Nazi rallies and intimidate political opponents by breaking up their meetings.Many of the SA men were former soldiers. Some were upset with the way they had been treated after World War One and saw the government as the ‘November Criminals’.After the failure of the Munich Putsch, the SA was reorganised.It began to be used to intimidate voters into voting for the Nazi Party.However, the Nazi Party was not the only organisation to have a?paramilitary?group. The communists also had similar elements.By 1932 the SA had 400,000 members. This number swelled to an estimated two million by the time Hitler came to power in 1933, largely due to unemployed men joining up during the?Great Depression.PropagandaMein KampfWhile in jail Hitler wrote a book called?Mein Kampf?(My Struggle), which was an autobiography-cum-manifesto, laying out his political beliefs and ambitions. Many of the ideas contained in the books directly informed Nazi policy after 1933 under the Third Reich, including:The belief that the Jews were an inferior race to the German?Aryans, and also represented a threat to the German state.The need to destroy the?parliamentary system?of government and replace it with that of a single, strong dictator.Germany’s requirement for Lebensraum, or living space, to house its growing population. This required Germany to expand to the East into Poland and Russia.Developing techniquesJosef Goebbels – the Berlin?Gauleiter?at this time – was clever because he experimented with new techniques and methods to share the Nazis’ message. Posters started to show Hitler as a strong leader, speeches were arranged in public places and rallies were held to capture people’s enthusiasm.The Bamberg Conference, 1926Hitler called a special Nazi Party conference on 14 February 1926 at Bamberg in southern Germany in response to tension between the northern and southern sections of the party. During his time in jail disagreements had grown between the two sections:the northern section, led by a man named Gregor Strasser, was keen to emphasise the?socialist?elements of the 25-Point Programme to attract support from the workersthe southern section more interested in the?nationalist?and?racist?policies in order to attract support from the middle classes and farmersThe results of the conference were:Hitler insisted that policies which could be painted as?communist, such as taking land from rich noblemen, would not be pursued.However, the conference did reaffirm the 25-Point Programme, with its socialist ideas, as the party’s policy platform.In addition, Hitler established the Fuhrerprinzip, or ‘Leader Principle’, the idea that the party’s leader was in absolute control and all members must follow his directions. No?dissent?from this was expected or tolerated.Reasons for limited support for the Nazi Party, 1924–280-381000Joseph GoebellsDespite all of this development of the party, by 1928 the Nazis were still on the fringes of politics in Weimar Germany for several reasons:Gustav Stresemann’s economic policies had helped Germany a lot. After 1923, the introduction of a new currency and the?Dawes Plan?had helped to turn Weimar’s economy around and Germans began to feel more?prosperous.As a result of this, Germany was also more politically stable. Germans voted for moderate parties who supported the Republic, rather than more extreme parties like the Nazis who wanted to abolish it.At a time of stability, scaremongering and playing on people’s fears was less likely to work. The Nazis’ messages about the dangers posed by Jews and the need to abolish democracy largely fell on deaf ears.Hitler was jailed and then banned from speaking in public until 1927 after the?Munich Putsch. This prevented the party from campaigning effectively.The Nazi Party was under constant pressure from the Weimar authorities following the Munich Putsch. Several times it was banned nationally or in certain parts of Germany.Nevertheless, the party was developing effective propaganda techniques under its Berlin Gauleiter, Joseph Goebbels, which would enable it to capitalise on the economic disaster that was to strike Germany from 1929 onwards.Events of 1932 to January 1933 including the role of von Papen, von Schleicher and von HindenburgThe chain of events that led to Hitler’s appointment as?Chancelloron 30 January 1933 is a complicated one.Chancellors in this period were normally weak because?proportional representation?made it hard for political parties to gain a majority of seats meaning the Chancellor found it difficult to control the?Reichstag. By 1932 President Hindenburg had to use Article 48 to pass almost every law.It was against this backdrop that the events of 1932 ad 1933 unfolded.Major events leading to Hitler becoming Chancellor1932April?– Presidential election. Hitler came second to Hindenburg, who won 53 per cent of the vote to Hitler’s 36.8 per cent.May?– Brüning resigned as Chancellor. Hindenburg appointed Franz Von Papen, a conservative, as his replacement.July?– Reichstag elections. The Nazis became the largest party with 230 seats. Hitler demanded to be made Chancellor but Papen remained.November?– Reichstag elections called by Von Papen to try to win a majority in parliament. Nazis lost 34 seats but remained the largest party with 196 seats.December?– Von Papen resigned. Hindenburg appointed Kurt Von Schleicher, an army general, as Chancellor. Von Schleicher tried to split the Nazis by asking a leading Nazi called Gregor Strasser to be his Vice Chancellor. Hitler forced Strasser to decline.1933January?– Von Papen and Hindenburg turned to Hitler, appointing him as Chancellor with Von Papen as Vice Chancellor. They believed they could control Hitler and get him to do what they wanted.Development of dictatorship: Germany, 1918–45Life in Nazi Germany Setting up the Nazi dictatorship through the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, Night of the Long Knives, the police state, censorship and propaganda. Nazi policies towards women, the young, the Churches and the Jews. Policies to reduce unemployment. The Labour Service, the Labour Front and Strength Through Joy.DateEventsHow this helped Hitler to gain power27 Feb - 5 Mar 1933Reichstag Fire and Reichstag election: on 27 March the Reichstag building was set on fire. A Dutch communist, van der Lubbe, was caught red-handed in the burning building. Days later in the election 44 per cent of the population voted for the Nazis, who won 288 seats in the Reichstag – still not an overall majority. Hitler had to join with the nationalists to form a majority.Hitler used the fire to persuade Hindenburg to pass an emergency law restricting personal liberty. This enabled him to imprison many communist leaders, which stopped them campaigning during the election. Although the Nazis the did not gain the overall majority that Hitler had hoped for in the Reichstag, it gave them enough seats - after Hitler had arrested all the communist deputies and the other parties had been intimidated by the SA - to pass the Enabling Act.23 Mar 1933The Enabling Act: with the communist deputies banned and the SA intimidating all the remaining non-Nazi deputies, the Reichstag voted by the required two-thirds majority to give Hitler the right to make laws without the Reichstag’s approval for four years.Arguably this was the critical event during this period. It gave Hitler absolute power to make laws, which enabled him to destroy all opposition to his rule. This removed the Reichstag as a source of opposition.7 Apr 1933Nazi officials were put in charge of all local government. ‘Alien elements’ (people from other countries) in the civil service, courts and education were removed from their positions.The Nazis got rid of any potential opposition in positions that could prove influential, eg judges. They also got rid of people they thought were ‘undesirables’ – like the Jews.2 May 1933Trade unions were banned. Instead, German workers were now expected to join the new German Labour Front (DAF).Trade unions could unite people to protest – therefore the Nazis had got rid of a potential form of opposition. They also destroyed a possible form of sympathy and support for their arch-enemies, the communists.14 Jul 1933Political parties were banned: only the Nazi party was allowed to exist.Banning political parties made Germany a one-party state and destroyed democracy in the country. This removed other parties as a source of opposition.Jan 1934All state governments were taken over.Hitler could centralise all policy and make sure different states listened to him and did as he wished. It encouraged even more nationalism in Germany. Possible dissent (disagreement) was lessened as the state governments couldn’t lead people as they had once done.30 Jun 1934Night of the Long Knives: Many members of the SA, including its leader Ernst R?hm, were demanding that the Nazi party carry out its socialist agenda and that the SA take over the army. Hitler could not afford to annoy businessmen or the army, so the SS (Hitler's personal bodyguards) murdered around 400 members of the SA, including R?hm, along with a number of Hitler's other opponents like the previous Chancellor, von Schleicher.This destroyed all opposition to Hitler within the Nazi Party and gave power to the brutal SS. It also showed the rest of the world what a tyrant Hitler was. This removed any internal Nazi Party opposition to Hitler.19 Aug 1934Hitler became Führer: when Hindenburg died, Hitler declared himself jointly president, chancellor and head of the army. Members of the armed forces had to swear a personal oath of allegiance not to Germany, but to Hitler.This formally made Hitler the absolute ruler of Germany. This neutralised any sources of opposition to Hitler within the army.The Police State148590000 Schutzstaffel (SS) -?led by Heinrich Himmler, the SS was the most important of these organisations and oversaw the others. Initially set up as Hitler’s personal bodyguard service, the SS was fanatically loyal to the Führer. It later set up concentration camps where ‘enemies of the state’ were sent.Gestapo -?this was the Nazis’ secret police force. Its job was to monitor the German population for signs of opposition or resistance to Nazi rule. It was greatly helped by ordinary German people informing on their fellow citizens.Sicherheitsdienst (SD) -?this was the intelligence gathering agency of the SS. It was responsible for the security of Hitler and other top Nazis and was led by Himmler’s right hand man, Reinhard Heydrich.Nazi policies towards the Catholic and Protestant ChurchesThere were approximately 45 million?Protestants?and 22 million?Catholic?Christians in Germany in 1933. Hitler saw Christianity as a threat and a potential source of opposition to Nazism because it emphasised peace. The Nazis tried to control the Churches with policies and bargaining.Control of the ChurchesA state Reich Church under the leadership of the Nazi Bishop Ludwig Müller was established to unify the different branches of Protestantism. This enabled the Nazis to use a group called the ‘German Christians’ within the Reich Church to promote Nazi ideas.In 1933 Hitler agreed a?Concordat?with the Pope, which said that he would not interfere in the running of the Catholic Church if it stayed out of political matters. Hitler didn’t keep his side of the bargain, however, as the Nazis attempted to infiltrate the Church and spread their?propaganda.Censorship and propaganda The government department responsible for all of this was the Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda, headed by Dr Joseph Goebbels. It aimed to brainwash people into obeying the Nazis and idolising Hitler. Its methods included:Censorship of the press.?All newspapers were controlled by the government and could only print stories favourable to the Nazi regime.Control of radio broadcasts.?People's radios were sold very cheaply so that most Germans could afford one. All radio output was controlled by Goebbels’ ministry through the Reich Broadcasting Corporation.Mass rallies.?These public displays of support for Nazism involved music, speeches and demonstrations of German strength. The biggest one was held each year in August at Nuremberg.Use of sports events.?Berlin hosted the Olympics of 1936, which the Nazis used as an opportunity to showcase the success of the regime and to demonstrate the superiority of the?Aryan?race. The victories of the African-American athlete Jesse Owens for the USA infuriated the Nazi leadership.TypeGerman influenceArtThe Weimar period had seen a flourishing of German art, much of which was abstract. Hitler saw this modern art as ‘degenerate’ and over 6500 works of art were removed from display across Germany. Hitler encouraged ‘Aryan art’ instead, which showed the physical and military power of Germany and the Aryan race.ArchitectureHitler was very interested in architecture and believed it could be used to project the power of the Nazi regime. The most important architect of the period was Albert Speer, who redesigned Berlin, as well as designing the stadium in Nuremberg where annual rallies were held.LiteratureThe Nazis infamously organised mass book burnings in 1933, which saw mostly Jewish authors’ works ceremonially destroyed.TheatreWorks by certain playwrights were banned. Nazi-produced political plays and musicals were not very popular so the regime allowed classic plays by the likes of Shakespeare to be performed.FilmFilms were popular forms of entertainment but Goebbels saw them as a form of escapism for Germans. Directors such as Leni Riefenstahl created patriotic films such as Triumph of the Will (1935).MusicIn classical music, works by Jewish composers like Mendelssohn and Mahler were banned and the works of the German composer Wagner were promoted, gaining huge popularity.-17145038798500Nazi policies towards women Nazi policies towards youth2987749710200Policies to reduce unemployment1485905905500 He began a huge programme of public works, which included building hospitals, schools, and public buildings such as the 1936 Olympic Stadium. The construction of the?autobahns?created work for 80,000 men.Rearmament?was responsible for the bulk of economic growth between 1933 and 1938. Rearmament started almost as soon as Hitler came to power but was announced publicly in 1935. This created millions of jobs for German workers.The introduction of the National Labour Service (NLS) meant all young men spent six months in the NLS and were then?conscripted?into the army. They were no longer counted in the unemployment figures.Development of dictatorship: Germany, 1918–45Germany during the Second World WarNazi policies towards the Jews including ghettos, death squads and the Final Solution. The changing role of women, ‘total war’, rationing and the effects of allied bombing. The growth of opposition to Hitler including the Edelweiss Pirates, the White Rose Group and the Stauffenberg Plot. Defeat and Hitler’s death.The persecution of minoritiesHitler and the Nazis had firm views on race. They believed that certain groups were inferior and were a threat to the purity of the?Aryan?race. There were many groups who were targeted for persecution, including Slavs (Eastern Europeans),?gypsies, homosexuals and the disabled - but none more so than the Jews.-1382231083900Nazi racial beliefsThe Nazis’ racial philosophy taught that Aryans were the master race and that some races were ‘untermensch’ (sub-human). Many Nazi scientists at this time believed in?eugenics, the idea that people with disabilities or social problems were?degenerates?whose genes needed to be eliminated from the human bloodline. The Nazis pursued eugenics policies vigorously.Policy of persecutionSterilisation?- In order to keep the Aryan race pure, many groups were prevented from reproducing. The mentally and physically disabled, including the deaf, were sterilised, as were people with?hereditary?diseases.Euthanasia?- Between 1939 and 1941 over 100,000 physically and mentally disabled Germans were killed in secret, without the consent of their families. Victims were often gassed - a technique that was later used in the death camps of the Holocaust.Concentration camps?- Homosexuals, prostitutes, Jehovah's Witnesses, gypsies, alcoholics,?pacifists, beggars, hooligans and criminals were often rounded up and sent away to camps. During World War Two 85 per cent of Germany's gypsies died in these camps.The Nazis’ persecution of the JewsThe group most heavily targeted for persecution by the Nazis were the Jews of Germany. The outbreak of World War Two brought the horror of mass killings and the Final Solution, but the period 1933 saw a gradual increase in persecution, reaching a turning point during Kristallnacht in November 1938:1933Nazis organised a boycott of Jewish businesses.Books by Jewish authors were publicly burnt.Jewish civil servants, lawyers and teachers were sacked.Race science lessons were introduced, teaching that Jews were sub-human.1935The?Nuremberg Laws?formalised anti-Semitism into the Nazi state by:Stripping Jews of German?citizenship.Outlawing marriage and sexual relations between Jews and Germans.Taking away from Jews all civil and political rights.1938Jews could not be doctors.Jews had to add the name Israel (men) or Sarah (women) to their name.Jewish children were forbidden to go to school.Kristallnacht - 9 November. The SS organised attacks on Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues in retaliation for the assassination of the German ambassador to France by a Jew.1939Jews were forbidden to own a business, or even a radioBy the outbreak of World War Two in September 1939, the Jews were stateless, their employment options in Germany were severely restricted and they feared for their safety.Stayed the sameChangedMost women continued to enjoy reading as their main leisure activity, with romantic fiction being their preferred genreThere was a huge increase in the number of newspapers and magazines following the abolition of censorship, and many of these new publications were aimed specifically at womenBoth working and middle class women enjoyed attending tea dances, where they could meet young menIn urban areas young middle class women began to go out to dance alone, with the American dance known as the Charleston becoming particularly popular in BerlinWomen enjoyed needlework in the homeWomen were estimated to have made up around 75 per cent of cinema audiences during the 1920s. Films were cheap to watch, but only 2 per cent of small towns had a cinema so it was mainly urban women who benefitted from thisGymnastics was a popular sport amongst women. In 1914 88,000 German women were members of gymnastics associations and by 1930 this number had risen to 200,946Women began to take part in a greater range of sports, in particular athletics. In 1928 Hilde Krahwinkel won an Olympic gold medal in the 800m and in 1931 Cilly Aussem became the first German woman to win WimbledonThe growth of opposition to HitlerOpposition from the ChurchesProtestantismMany?Protestant?pastors, led by Martin Niem?ller, formed the?Confessional Church?in opposition to Hitler's Reich Church. Niem?ller was held in a concentration camp during the period 1937-1945 and a total of 800 clergy were sent to camps.Another Protestant pastor and member of the Confessional Church, Dietrich Bonh?ffer, was linked to the?1944 bomb plotand was executed.In 1937 Hitler restored the Protestant church’s independence in return for a guarantee that it would not interfere in politics, an agreement similar to his?Concordat?with the Pope.CatholicismDespite the Concordat, some?Catholic?priests opposed Hitler. In 1937, the Pope's message?'With Burning Concern'?attacked Hitler as 'a mad prophet with repulsive arrogance' and was read in every Catholic Church.The Catholic Archbishop of Munster,?von Galen, led a successful campaign to end euthanasia of mentally-disabled people.400 German Catholic priests were imprisoned in Dachau concentration camp by the regime.Opposition from the youngThe main youth opposition group was the?Edelweiss Pirates, based in the Rhineland. They reacted to the discipline of the Hitler Youth by daubing anti-Nazi slogans and singing pre-1933 folk songs. In 1942 over 700 of them were arrested and in 1944, the Pirates in Cologne killed the Gestapo chief, so the Nazis publicly hanged 12 of them.The?White Rose group?was formed by students at Munich University in 1943. They published anti-Nazi leaflets and marched through the city in protest at Nazi policies. Its leaders, brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl, were arrested to and sentenced to the guillotine.During the war, ‘Swing Youth’ and ‘Jazz Youth’ groups were formed. These were young people who rejected Nazi values, drank alcohol and danced to jazz. The Nazis rejected jazz music as?degenerate?and called it Negro music, using their racial ideas against this cultural development. These youths were closely monitored by the Gestapo, who regularly raided illegal jazz clubs.Other sources of opposition and resistancePerhaps the most widespread and persistent opposition to the Nazi regime came from ordinary German workers, often helped by communists, who posted anti-Nazi posters and graffiti, or organised strikes. In Dortmund the vast majority of men imprisoned in the city’s jail were industrial workers who went on strike over high food prices in 1935 and during the Berlin Olympics in 1936.In 1944, a group of army officers tried to assassinate Hitler. A bomb was planted by Colonel Stauffenberg at a meeting attended by Hitler. It exploded, but Hitler survived. In retaliation, Stauffenberg was shot the same day and 5,000 people were executed in the crackdown on opposition that followed. ................
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