Totalitarian State

Nazis in PowerPart 2: Terror and Force

Enabling Act - Background• Introduced by Hitler on

24th March 1933.• Gave Hitler the power

to rule Germany on his own for four years, but ruled as Fuhrer for 12 years.

• Hitler was now able to begin the destruction of the Democratic ideals established by the Weimar Republic.

Totalitarian State = Government control of

EVERYTHING• Every aspect of life – e.g.

employment, education, youth and leisure – was controlled and regulated by the State.

• It was said that the only time when a totalitarian state is not in control of an individual is when that person is asleep

We will look at:1. Trade Unions

2. Political parties

3. Censorship

4. Gestapo, SS and Camps

5. Nazification

1. Trade Unions

• 2nd May 1933 – all trade unions dissolved.

• Workers’ and employers’ groups were absorbed into the Nazi Labour Front – easily controlled by government

1. Trade Unions - Trade Unions - AnalysisAnalysis

• Workers no longer had any rights in Germany, allowing the government far more control of the workforce

• This removed any opposition from TU groups, allowing the Nazis to maintain power

2. Political Parties

• 14th July 1933 – Hitler banned all political parties apart from the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party.

• This signified creation of a one party state so no free elections, free protest or political meetings allowed

2. Political Parties - Analysis

• With no more elections or political parties, people had no real alternative to the Nazi government

• Without freedom of speech, the right to meet in groups etc it was very hard for any effective opposition to be organised, allowing the Nazis to maintain power

3. Censorship• Newspapers critical of the

Nazis were closed down.• Nazis supplied Germans with

cheap radios so everyone could hear the Fuhrer.

• Nazi propaganda shown in cinemas

• Speakers were put up on street corners so no one could avoid Nazi propaganda.

• State radio messages from the Fuhrer were compulsory work stopped to listen to them

3. Censorship - Analysis3. Censorship - Analysis• Due to censorship people

heard only good things about the Nazi government so many believed the Nazi propaganda messages

• It was almost impossible for negative information about the Nazis to make its way into the public domain

• Many people were brainwashed by radio broadcasts, newspapers etc and this allowed the Nazis allowed the Nazis to maintain powerto maintain power

4. SS, Gestapo & Camps• Originally formed as a personal bodyguard for the

Fuhrer, the SSSS became the most important police agency in the Reich.

• The leader of the SS was Heinrich Himmler.• Main function was to track down and eliminate all

opponents of the Reich, used torture and terror, had its own courts.

• Had its own secret police to spy on Germans called the Gestapo.

• Had a wide range of informants, most Germans afraid to be openly critical of Hitler.

• Particularly effective in persecuting the Jews and Communists.

• They ensured that few people dared to oppose the Nazi government

Re-education Camps• Became the symbol of terror of the Third

Reich.• The first camps were established in 1933 at

Dachau and Belsen, with the intention of reforming opponents of the regime so that they could be rehabilitated into the new Reich.

• At first, the camps housed mainly criminals and Communists.

• Later filled with political, religious and social groups who displeased Hitler: Socialists, Democrats, Jehovah’s Witnesses, clergy, academics, homosexuals, gypsies, trade union officials etc.

4. SS, Gestapo. SS, Gestapo & Camps - & Camps - AnalysisAnalysis

• German people were petrified of the Gestapo and SS and therefore didn’t dare to criticise the Fuhrer or the Nazi government

• Many people went a step further and tried to win favour of the government by ‘informing’ on friends, neighbours and colleagues

• This effectively meant the Government completely controlled what was said/ done in Germany

• People’s fear of camps was so great that most felt it was easier to keep quiet rather than risk being ‘re-educated’ therefore they did not speak out against the Nazis, allowing them to stay in powerallowing them to stay in power

5. Nazification• Opponents of the Nazi regime sacked from

jobs (police, courts, civil service)• Teachers who would not support the Nazis

sacked – teachers had to sign up to National Socialist Teachers’ League

• Teachers were expected to teach only Nazi views and new topics such as eugenics (race studies)

• Meant that all government run institutions were now pro-Nazi and posed no threat

5. Nazification - Analysis5. Nazification - Analysis• All opponents of the Nazi regime were sacked

from jobs, arrested or sent to camps meaning that organisations like the courts were now pro-Nazi

• Teachers now had to teach the Nazi curriculum and therefore young people only heard positive messages about the government

• Many people kept quiet rather than risk losing their job, and their cooperation allowed the allowed the Nazis to maintain their powerNazis to maintain their power

Nazis in Power Essay Planwe will now add today’s information on to the plan for this

essay

TOTALITARIANISMKU: Nazis established a totalitarian government

that was hard to resist (banned political parties, TUs, censored press, radio, cinema)

Gestapo/SS took over police – used informers, arrested ‘undesirables’ – Nazi judges always found them guilty, camps such as Belsen used

A: No way to legally protest in Germany – no elections,meetings, strikes etc – people had no voice

KU: Nazification: non-Nazis sacked from police, courts, civil service – teachers had to join Nazi League of Teachers

KU: Nazis controlled news/ radio – TRUE PICTURE of terror was hidden

A: Many Germans kept quiet because opinions were punished and obedience was necessary to keep your job

Terror/ Force