Higher History-Maintenance of power by the Nazis

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Introduction

  • Once Nazis gained power in 1933, Hitler aimed to establish country that reflects Nazi beliefs and ideology
  • Process known as gleichschultung or co ordination
  • By 1929, Nazis extended control over every corner of German life, Nazi Totalatarian state formed
  • Before power, Hitler promised to create a 'national community' of interests, now had to put this into practice
  • Used 'carrot and stick' approach to control Germany
  • For most life good, opponents suffered
  • Propaganda-Nazis controlled press and made use of radio, cinema
  • Control of youth (Hitler Youth, Leage of German maidens)
  • Fear and Terror (** and Gestapo)
  • Crushing of opposition (Hitler's deals with the church)
  • Success of Nazi policies (Unemployment reduction, persecution of Jews)
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Propaganda

  • Joseph Gobbells in charge of propaganda, aimed to get rid of Germany's old class religion and ethnic division, create sense of 'national community'
  • Films, theatres, newspapers, radios, galleries subjected to German cencorship so Germans only exposed to what Nazis wanted.
  • Bad press never published, i.b, Germans not in doubt of power
  • Propaganda used in leaflets, newspapers, radio, speeches so Germans bombarded with Nazi messages, ideas
  • Nazis clever with prop use, eg cinema before film in era of cinema popular with even lower classes
  • Nazi ideas conveyed to widespread, large amount of people
  • Hitler portrayed above all party politking and figure for national focus and loyalty, i.c, Germans never in question of position in Germany
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Control over young people

  • Children important since believed to be future of regime
  • to influence, schools indocrinated German children using new textbooks, emphasising beliefs
  • History, Bio and language rewritten to mix subject and party beliefs 
  • History taught Weimar betrayed Germany
  • Bio taught race to teach children idea of master race
  • Maths had questions relating to nazi idea
  • Result=children brainwashed into acceptance of Reich, grew up and passed on these ideas
  • Teachers encouraged to join Nationalist Socialist Teacher's alliance, won over by Nazis, passed on ideas to impressionable pupils
  • Nazi Youth Policy, aimed to turn boys to soldiers, girls to sumissive housewife and mothers
  • National organisations, German Young People, boys aged 10, grad at 14 to Hitler Youth-camping, fishing
  • Fun organisation-boys prepped for war or additional conflict
  • Girls-league of young girls (10) then League of German Maidens (14)
  • Put emphasis on Kinder, Kurche, Kuche-instilled importance of motherhood, being a good housewife-what Hitler wanted of women
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Use of Fear and Terror

  • ** and Gestapo used to implement Hitlers Terror State, all opposition ruthelessly broken up
  • Political opponents sent to concentration camps, ** ran camps
  • ** to be feared, used to ensure obediance and aceptance of Nazi rule
  • Concentration camps greatly feared, Germans would do all to avoid
  • Gestapo would spy on people, read emails to ensure no bad words about Hitler/Nazis, encourage people to 'snitch' on community, incriminate themselves
  • Political opponents brutually removed
  • Youths who did not want to join Hitler Youth repressed
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Crushing of opposition

  • Most of Germany Christian, Hitler didnt want to attack established instititutions
  • Signed concordat with pope to keep out of politics in 1933
  • under concordat catholic church had religious freedom and righ to run own affairs without state interference
  • to appease protestants, he appointed new Reich Bishop, reorganised Protestant faith into 28 churches
  • 4th April 1933, Ludwig Muller appointed National Bishop to lead all German Protestants in German Christian Church
  • New church equally dominated by Nazi beliefs as by religious teachings, important bc, brainwashed Germans into believing Nazi ideology best, what country needed
  • Despite bravery of speaking out, Protestant Church lost all ability to defend themselves against state by 1937-no way of fighting against Nazi beliefs/ideology being preached about
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Success of Nazi policies

  • Dr Hjalmar Schact directed economic matters, spent money of pulic work schemes, unemployment decreased, stimualated German economy-workers more money to spend, buisnesses recovered
  • Money to pay wages printed, did not lead to inflation like Weimar
  • Immediately sacked for reprint of money but theory of economic danger proven wrong
  • Hitler kept tight wages, banned trade unions, instead, Nazi Labour Front and other incentives for hard work
  • People saw Hitler, Nazi party as great leader who had decreased unemployment rates, achieve economic miracle. 
  • To avoid criticism, KdF intro subsidised holidays/activities, Volskwagan people car
  • Nazis wanted to look good and prove they could turn Germany round for better
  • Mein Kamp, Hitler blamed Jews for problems of Germany, through propaganada and indocrination, convinced Germans to think the same
  • Terror period against them began
  • Anti Jewish laws, boycott of Jewish buisnesses, marriage between Germans, Jews stopped
  • Hitler convinced Germans Jews were problem-Germans in favour of Nazi policies, saw persecution of Jews as successful, achievement, J lost jobs to G, policies successful, popular
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