History Essay Plan- Nazis in Power
Sarah Anne Cairns
CONSENT AND POPULARITY
Votes
KU- 1932 FREE ELECTION (12 million votes) 33% of votes NOT a majority
KU- 1933 LAST SEMI FREE ELECTION (KPD (17 million votes) 44% of votes.
Persuaded other parties to give him power.
A-Nazis DID have support as they had 17m votes in 1933, were popular. Many
supported Nazi policies and voted for them.
A- Ian Kershaw “For almost a decade after 1933… of the German people”
Economy
KU- Unemployment fell - from 1 million to zero in 1939. Hitler created jobs – forced
people to build bridges etc, built 1500 miles of autobahn, after 1935 built ships and
planes= rearmament.
A- Even people who didn’t vote Nazis pleased to get jobs after Weimar misery.
Some Germans willing to accept low wage & long hours- first time things were
looking up since Weimar. Re armament expanded army 50000 then to 1m – cut
unemployment. Made Nazis look popular.
KU- Strength through Joy movement- encouraged work. Schemes – Paid holidays,
people’s Car, and other.
A- KDF popular- supported Nazis because of incentives, new approach to rewarding
loyalty.
A- David Welch- believes regime won over w/c through programs such as KDF.
Law & Order
KU- One party authoritarian gov – stopped violence in streets. Many thankful for
return of strong gov. Trade Unions strictly controlled by German labour front. SS &
Gestapo controlled Law and Order.
A- Many people had been frightened by violence/chaos of Weimar gov. Nazis created
disciplined society. Many willing to sacrifice right for a strong gov, believed
Germany was now a better place to live. Obedient and disciplined society.
Youth
KU- Boys- HJ= activities, uniforms, ages 5-12 yrs but up to 18yrs.
KU- Girls- BDM= emphasis 3 K`s, First Aid, Activities.
A- Popular with children- by 1936 6 million volunteered, clearly shows support. Get
respect from older people and uniforms.
A- Popular with adults- disciplined youth, knew where children were, safe.
Foreign Policy
KU-Hitler ignored Treaty of Versailles- ended reparations, withdrew League of
Nations etc. All of which had been banned by T of V. Hitler ignored hated diktat.
A- All Germans hated T of V. Restoring German pride- making Germany a strong
nation again.
A- In eyes of Germans- Germany was becoming great again.
TERROR AND FORCE
No Majority
KU-July 1932 13.7 million votes.
KU- Nov 1932 12 million votes, 33% of votes (CORRUPT as two elections in 1 yr)
KU- March 1933 election – 17m votes, 44% of votes
A- More people disliked Nazis than liked them. Hitler never won election. 1933
election rigged eg KPD banned. More than half of pop not voting Nazis
A- It was clear some force would be necessary to ensure cooperation German people.
Totalitarian State
KU- Hitler passed enabling act- enabled him to become sole ruler of Germany.
Introduced 24th March 1933
KU- Nazis established totalitarian state that was hard to resist – banned political
parties 2nd may 1933, trade unions 14th July 1933 and censored media (critical of
Nazis shut down)
A- Almost impossible for negative info to get into public domain
KU- SS, GESTAPO & CAMPS- track down and eliminate opposition. Ensured few
opposed Nazis. RE-EDUCATION CAMPS- symbol of terror, get rid of undesirables.
A-Germans terrified- inform on friends and neighbours. Fear of camps so great.
A- Peukert= Nazis kept control over Germany because the w/c too afraid to take on
Gestapo and SS (Historiography)
Nazification
KU- opponents sacked from jobs, teachers who would not support Nazis sacked.
Forced to join national socialist teacher’s league.
KU- Teachers expected only teach Nazi views such as eugenics. All institutions ran
by gov now pro Nazi, posed no threat to gov.
A- Teachers now had to teach Nazi curriculum, young only heard positive messages
A- Many people kept quiet rather than risk losing job, their co operation allowed
Nazis to stay in power.
Women
KU- over half of voters were women, but Nazis oppressed women, allowed no
influence in society.
KU- women sacked, marriage loans, encouraged to produce children, forbidden to
marry non Aryan men, nearly ¼ million forcibly sterilised.
A- Women reduced to roles as mothers and wives, punished, no ambition. Nazi
regime silenced half of population.
Youth
KU- Distortion of education= Re banned, increased PE, eugenic studies.
KU- Minorities= Jews segregated, Jewish schools built, excluded all together.
KU- Forced compliance of youth= HJ & BDM compulsory.
A- Fun at first, but became endless political lectures, girls became resentful.
BRAINWASHING of children. Controlled young strictly, allowing Nazis to stay in
power.
Religion
KU- Hitler controlled churches- important in maintenance of Nazi authority. Religion
posed a real threat to Nazism.
KU- Catholic Churches- 1933 concordat- church did not upset regime= no harm.
KU- Protestant Churches- amalgamate, Nazi Reich Church. Taught Hitler new
Messiah. Bible replaced by Mein Kampf
A- Not even churches safe- pastors etc arrested and sent to camps. Their alternative
views too dangerous, Nazis stayed in power as no religious figures to speak out.
Anti Semitism
KU-Hitler made no secret of anti semitic beliefs “the personification of the devil…”.
Not just Jews persecuted= gypsies, Jehovah witnesses, homosexuals.
KU- Stage 1 Petty Harassment of Jews- low level intimidation and violence eg
yellow park benches, synagogues vandalised.
A- Some Germans approved of Nazi actions against undesirables.
KU- Stage 2 the Nuremburg Law 1935- marriages between Jews & Aryans illegal,
Jews no longer German citizens.
A- Germans felt discrimination could be tolerated as no violence towards Jews.
KU- Stage 3 Kristallnacht 1938- over 7500 Jewish shops destroyed, 91 Jews killed,
20,000 sent to camps.
A- Nazis managed to cover up attacks by censorship etc, but by now most Germans
appalled at treatment of minorities- but so scared of camps did not speak up.
Propaganda
KU- Mediums of propaganda- newspapers, cinema, radio, rallies and much more.
KU- 1) Broadcasting social benefit of the Nazi rule- Nazis would display benefits
of Nazi rule, positive messages eg KDF benefits
KU- 2) Promoting the Fuhrer cult- building Hitler up to a god like figure. Linking
loyalty to Hitler rather than the state. Success publicised.
KU- 3) the dominance of the Aryan race- superior nature of German people.
Anyone different labelled “asocial”. Inferiority of Jews and undesirables created.
Caring for the viewed as weakness.
A- There is no evidence propaganda completely changed the minds of German people.
Research shows that Germans who were not prejudice did not become prejudice due
to propaganda.
A- Propaganda publicised the benefits of the Nazi gov- making people feel grateful.
A- Impact on young whose minds easily shaped.
A- David Welch – argues propaganda was largely successful- at least to the extent
that it tended to limit opposition to the regime.