Nazi Control of Germany 1933-1945

Well-Oiled Machine or Chaotic System? Modern research suggests Hitler … Not hardworking Disliked paperwork & decision making Thought things would sort themselves out w/o intervention Officials competed w/ each other Rivalries and overlapping mandates meant inefficiencies, waste and squabbling Jumble of different gov’t departments getting in each other’s way

Modern research suggests Hitler …

Not hardworking

Disliked paperwork & decision making

Thought things would sort themselves out w/o intervention

Officials competed w/ each other

Rivalries and overlapping mandates meant inefficiencies, waste and squabbling

Jumble of different gov’t departments getting in each other’s way

Why was there so little opposition? Little opposition in 12 years of power In private Germans complained Some refused to give Nazi salute Anti-Nazi jokes & rude stories whispered Why? … Terror a/o support for regime? Terror: All main opponents killed, exiled, imprisoned Many Germans scared into submission Does this fully explain lack of opposition? Following is evidence suggesting many Germans supported regime

Little opposition in 12 years of power

In private Germans complained

Some refused to give Nazi salute

Anti-Nazi jokes & rude stories whispered

Why? … Terror a/o support for regime?

Terror:

All main opponents killed, exiled, imprisoned

Many Germans scared into submission

Does this fully explain lack of opposition?

Following is evidence suggesting many Germans supported regime

‘It’s all for the good of Germany’ Nazi Successes Many Germans admired Hitler Willing to tolerate terror & trade freedoms for work, strong gov’t & foreign policy successes Specifics: Economic recovery deeply appreciated Nazis brought back discipline, traditional values, and smacked down Communists 1933-38: Foreign policy success restored sense of (G) greatness Nazi methods seen as regrettable but necessary Eric Idle’s Always Look On The Bright Of Life

Many Germans admired Hitler

Willing to tolerate terror & trade freedoms for work, strong gov’t & foreign policy successes

Specifics:

Economic recovery deeply appreciated

Nazis brought back discipline, traditional values, and smacked down Communists

1933-38: Foreign policy success restored sense of (G) greatness

Nazi methods seen as regrettable but necessary

‘I don’t want to lose my job’ Economic Fears Workers feared losing jobs if they expressed opposition (G) worst hit by Great Depression Bosses also had to contribute to Nazis or risk losing gov’t contracts ‘ Keep your head down’ national obsession SS & SD (Gestapo) planted agents at cafés and on trains to listen, so silence was golden

Workers feared losing jobs if they expressed opposition

(G) worst hit by Great Depression

Bosses also had to contribute to Nazis or risk losing gov’t contracts

‘ Keep your head down’ national obsession

SS & SD (Gestapo) planted agents at cafés and on trains to listen, so silence was golden

‘Have you heard the good news?’ Propaganda Propaganda machine ubiquitous Germans heard very little of bad events If they did hear, it had pro-Nazi slant Particularly focused on building up Hitler Evidence suggests typical German held Hitler in high regard from 1930s to 1944!

Propaganda machine ubiquitous

Germans heard very little of bad events

If they did hear, it had pro-Nazi slant

Particularly focused on building up Hitler

Evidence suggests typical German held Hitler in high regard from 1930s to 1944!

July Bomb Plot 20 July 1944: Hitler assassination plot Many army officers knew war was lost Colonel count von Stauffenberg planted bomb near Hitler in conference room Plan: kill Hitler, secure radio stations, round up leading Nazis Failed on all counts Poorly planned & organized due to need for extreme secrecy Nazis killed 5000+ in reprisals Strangulation by piano wire most common

20 July 1944: Hitler assassination plot

Many army officers knew war was lost

Colonel count von Stauffenberg planted bomb near Hitler in conference room

Plan: kill Hitler, secure radio stations, round up leading Nazis

Failed on all counts

Poorly planned & organized due to need for extreme secrecy

Nazis killed 5000+ in reprisals

Strangulation by piano wire most common

How did the Nazis deal w/ churches? Relationship was complicated 1933: Concordat w/ Catholic Church (church kept schools, stayed out of politics) Reich Church founded as state church under Protestant Bishop Ludwig Muller German Faith Movement founded by Nazis (sun worship, celebration of German spirit) Many Germans still identified w/ own church Many churchgoers supported Hitler Or did little to oppose Hitler Simon & Garfunkle – The Sound of Silence

Relationship was complicated

1933: Concordat w/ Catholic Church (church kept schools, stayed out of politics)

Reich Church founded as state church under Protestant Bishop Ludwig Muller

German Faith Movement founded by Nazis (sun worship, celebration of German spirit)

Many Germans still identified w/ own church

Many churchgoers supported Hitler

Or did little to oppose Hitler

Important Exceptions Catholic Bishop Galen: 1930s: Criticized Nazis 1941: led protests against killing handicaps Too popular to silence Pastor Martin Niemoller: Formed alternative Protestant Church to Nazi’s Reich Church 1938-1945: In concentration camps Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Worked w/ Niemoller on Protestant Church 1937: Preached against Nazis ‘til Gestapo stopped him Helped Jews escape Germany Worked w/ Army intel agents opposed to Hitler 1942: Contacted Allies, asked for terms if Hitler was overthrown Arrested Oct 1942, hanged April 1945 One Voice – Barry Manilow

Catholic Bishop Galen:

1930s: Criticized Nazis

1941: led protests against killing handicaps

Too popular to silence

Pastor Martin Niemoller:

Formed alternative Protestant Church to Nazi’s Reich Church

1938-1945: In concentration camps

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

Worked w/ Niemoller on Protestant Church

1937: Preached against Nazis ‘til Gestapo stopped him

Helped Jews escape Germany

Worked w/ Army intel agents opposed to Hitler

1942: Contacted Allies, asked for terms if Hitler was overthrown

Arrested Oct 1942, hanged April 1945

Focus Task: How effectively did the Nazis deal with their opponents? In pairs complete your own copy of this table. Army Officers Church Leaders Political Opponents Trade Unionists Was the Nazi action effective? How the Nazis reacted to opponent Actions Reasons for opposing Nazis Opponent

In pairs complete your own copy of this table.

Fin

PSDs on Nazi Control The average worker is primarily interested in work and not in democracy. People who previously enthusiastically supported democracy showed no interest at all in politics. One must be clear about the fact that in the first instance men are fathers of families and have jobs, and that for them politics takes second place and even then only when they expect to get something out of it. A report by an Socialist activist in Ger many, February 1936 The writer was an opponent of the Nazi regime. Does that affect the value of this source as evidence? Explain your answer.

The average worker is primarily interested in work and not in democracy. People who previously enthusiastically supported democracy showed no interest at all in politics. One must be clear about the fact that in the first instance men are fathers of families and have jobs, and that for them politics takes second place and even then only when they expect to get something out of it.

A report by an Socialist activist in Ger many, February 1936

The writer was an opponent of the Nazi regime. Does that affect the value of this source as evidence? Explain your answer.

PSDs on Nazi Control November 1933 Millions of Germans are indeed won over by Hitler and the power and the glory are really his. I hear of some actions by the Communists … But what good do such pinpricks do? Less than none, because all Germany prefers Hitler to the Communists. April 1935 Frau Wilbrandt told us that people complain in Munich when Hitler or Goebbels appear on films but even she (an economist close to the Social Democrats) says: ‘Will there not be something even worse, if Hitler is overthrown, Bolshevism?’ (That fear keeps Hitler where he is again and again.) September 1937 On the festival of Yom Kippur the Jews did not attend class. Kufahl, the mathematician, had said to the reduced class: ‘today it’s just us.’ To me these words took on a quite horrible significance: to me it confirms the claims of the Nazis to express the true opinion of the German people. And I believe ever more strongly that Hitler really does embody the soul of the German people, that he really stands for Germany and that he will consequently keep his position. I have not only lost my Fatherland. Even if the government should change one day, my sense of belonging to Germany has gone. Extracts from the diaries of Victor Klemperer, A Jewish university lecturer in Germany.

November 1933

Millions of Germans are indeed won over by Hitler and the power and the glory are really his. I hear of some actions by the Communists … But what good do such pinpricks do? Less than none, because all Germany prefers Hitler to the Communists.

April 1935

Frau Wilbrandt told us that people complain in Munich when Hitler or Goebbels appear on films but even she (an economist close to the Social Democrats) says: ‘Will there not be something even worse, if Hitler is overthrown, Bolshevism?’ (That fear keeps Hitler where he is again and again.)

September 1937

On the festival of Yom Kippur the Jews did not attend class. Kufahl, the mathematician, had said to the reduced class: ‘today it’s just us.’ To me these words took on a quite horrible significance: to me it confirms the claims of the Nazis to express the true opinion of the German people. And I believe ever more strongly that Hitler really does embody the soul of the German people, that he really stands for Germany and that he will consequently keep his position. I have not only lost my Fatherland. Even if the government should change one day, my sense of belonging to Germany has gone.

Extracts from the diaries of Victor Klemperer, A Jewish university lecturer in Germany.

PSDs on Nazi Control Most postwar accounts have concentrated on the few German clerics who did behave bravely … But these were few. Most German church leaders were shamefully silent. As late as January 1945, the Catholic bishop of Wurzburg was urging his flock to fight on for the Fatherland, saying that ‘salvation lies in sacrifice’. British historian and journalist Charles Wheeler, writing in 1996.

Most postwar accounts have concentrated on the few German clerics who did behave bravely … But these were few. Most German church leaders were shamefully silent. As late as January 1945, the Catholic bishop of Wurzburg was urging his flock to fight on for the Fatherland, saying that ‘salvation lies in sacrifice’.

British historian and journalist Charles Wheeler, writing in 1996.