The Nazis established total control over Germany between 1933-1945 through organizations like the SS and Gestapo, concentration camps, and propaganda. The SS was formed in 1925 to destroy opposition to Nazism and carry out racial policies. The Gestapo was feared as they could arrest citizens without trial. Concentration camps held political opponents, Jews, and others in brutal conditions. Through terror, propaganda, and economic successes, the Nazis eliminated opposition and maintained power over the German populace.

1. Nazi Control 1933-
1945
By: Felicitas Donato, Trinidad Torrendell, Eugenia Kenny
and Victoria Quiroga

2. The Nazi control
There was no opposition of any kind in Nazi Germany. The main aim was:
>To create a totalitarian state where there weren’t no rival parties and no political debate.
> Citizens must used all their energies serving the state and doing what the leader wanted.
> Nazis had a powerful organization and weapons that they used to control Germany and terrorized
Germans.

3. The SS
> In 1925 the SS was formed by loyal fanatics to Hitler. This organization was led by Heinrich
Himmler. The SS men were Aryans.
> They had the responsibilities of destroying every single opposition to Nazism and carrying out the
racial policies of the Nazis.
> 2 important sub-divisions were the “Death’s Head Units”, responsible for the concentration camps and
the “Waffen-SS”, special SS armoured regiments that fought alongside the regular army.
Quote: "I know there are some people in Germany who become sick when they see these black
uniforms, we understand the reason for this, and do not expect we shall be loved by all that number of
people; those who come to fear us in any way or at any time must have a bad conscience towards the
Fuhrer and the nation. For these persons we have established an organisation called the Security
Service."
~ From his treatise The Security Squadron as an Anti-Bolshevik Battle Organisation, 1936.

4. The Gestapo
> Was the force most feared by the German because the Gestapo agents could arrest the citizens on
suspicion and sent them to concentration camps without trial or even explanation.

5. The Police and The Courts
The police and the courts supported the Nazi dictatorship
The police:
The most important positions in the police forces were given to important Nazis. In this way, the police could use their own
rules.
The courts:
The courts were also formed by magistrates who were controlled by the Nazis. They never punished the Nazis who
committed crimes and the ones who opposed Nazism didn't receive a fair trial.
< Heinrich Himmler is appointed head
of the Munich police. From this
position he is able to begin using the
police to further the interests and
goals of the Nazi party. (1933)

6. The concentration camps
● As soon as Hitler became the ruler in 1933, the first concentration camps were created. At the
beginning factories and warehouses that were not used, became concentration camps.
● The concentration camps were controlled by the SS. The prisoners were forced to do hard work and
were given very little food. They were also beaten and later executed. Very few people could leave a
concentration camp alive.
● Not only the Jews were taken to concentration camps. Also Socialists, Communists, trade unionists,
churchmen.

7. Why was there little opposition?:
The Germans complained about the regime and its actions, others refused to give the Nazis salute and
sometimes they told rude stories about them. (Criticism was in private never in public)
The Germans did all that because they were afraid due to the fact that all the Nazis opponents had been
killed, exiled or put in prison. The rest had been scared into submission.
Death to lies
> This source shows that the only opposition the
Nazis had were the "Marxismus" (communism)

8. 'It's all for the good of Germany' s -
Nazi successes:
❖ The Germans admired and trusted Hitler. They were prepared to be ruled by terror and to
trade their rights in political freedom, free speech in return for work, foreign policy success and what
they thought was strong government.
❖ Economic recovery was deeply appreciated
❖ The Nazis were bringing some much needed discipline back to Germany by restoring traditional
values and clamping down on rowdy communist.
Between 1933 and 1938 Hitler succeed in foreign affairs made Germans felt that their country was a great
power again, after the humiliations of the first world war and the treaty of versailles. For many Germans,
the Dubious methods of the Nazis may have been regrettable but necessary for the greater good of the
country.

9. Economic Fears “I don't want to
lose my job”
The Nazi´s increaseed fear on german workers. “Your work could depend on silence” people feared that
if an agent from the SS or the SD heard about something bad from the regime they could lose their jobs.
Because of that people remained silent. Also workers suffered too much from the depression which
terrified workers of losing their jobs again. As regards people who control businesses they had to have
bare in mind that if they didn't contribute with the Nazi party found they took the risk of going bankrupt, so
they had to conformed.

10. Propaganda
Nazi´s used propaganda in a good way. They just said what was convenient, and sometimes they didn't
talk about some things. People just knew about good things about the regime even when lots of bad
things were happening. This was to keep Hitler with a good image.
(Germany newspaper from 1934, Source)