To what extent did the Nazis rely on terror to maintain control in the years 1933 to
1939?
Although terror played a vital role in maintaining Nazi control between 1933 to 1939 in
order to create the terror state, it was used inconsistently and escalated over time to
target political and racial enemies of the regime. As the regime consolidated its power
after Hitler ascended to the Chancellorship in January 1933, its methods evolved; in the
years 1933-34, there was an emphasis placed on political consolidation, with
propaganda used to secure early mass loyalty, while terror and repression intensified
later in response to the perceived need for racial and ideological purification and
preparation for war. Propaganda remained a constant tool of the regime in cultivating
the ‘Hiter Myth’ and idea of ‘One people, one nation, one Fuhrer’ to rally around, whilst
also creating the idealised Volksgemeinschaft that justified exclusion and violence.
Legal reforms were also exploited to radicalise the economic and social persecution of
the regime’s enemies while giving repression a mask of constitutional legitimacy.
Ultimately, Nazi control was not based on terror alone, but on a calculated interplay
between selective violence, ideological conditioning and a coordinated judicial system
which worked in tandem at different times and simultaneously to create the polycratic,
feudal and chaotic Nazi terror state.
Terror was vital for crushing opposition, but it was not consistently applied across
society - instead, it escalated and shifted in purpose, reflecting the regime’s changing
priorities from political suppression to racial purification. From 1933 onwards, the
concentration camp system developed, with the first one set up being Dachau in 1933,
and these camps punished political prisoners, with 225,000 being arrested for political
reasons in 1935. Early terror targeted political opponents and threats to the regime’s
stability in order to create a one-party state; by the 2nd of May 1933, the SA had seized
control of all trade unions in Germany, and by July 1933, all other political parties apart
from the Nazis had been banned. The police state became more coordinated as the
period progressed and gleichschaltung became more efficient. This can be seen in the
merging of the leadership of the Nazi’s terror organs; in 1936, Himmler, who had been
SS leader since 1929, was also made the Chief of German police, and the SD’s role
was also elevated to radicalise and Nazify police practice. While an overlap in
responsibilities caused by these mergers led to some internal conflict and jostling for
power, Heydrich created the Inspectors of the Security Police and SD in order to
oversee all units and encourage cooperation. The Gestapo was also an extremely
important tool in cultivating an atmosphere and culture of self-surveillance across
Germany. Although there were only 20,000 officers across the country, the Gestapo was
highly effective due to its reputation for being ‘omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent’
according to historian Mallman, and its reliance on denunciations from the public
© Humanities Unlocked. | AQA A-Level History 2025 | For personal use only. Redistribution is prohibited.
1939?
Although terror played a vital role in maintaining Nazi control between 1933 to 1939 in
order to create the terror state, it was used inconsistently and escalated over time to
target political and racial enemies of the regime. As the regime consolidated its power
after Hitler ascended to the Chancellorship in January 1933, its methods evolved; in the
years 1933-34, there was an emphasis placed on political consolidation, with
propaganda used to secure early mass loyalty, while terror and repression intensified
later in response to the perceived need for racial and ideological purification and
preparation for war. Propaganda remained a constant tool of the regime in cultivating
the ‘Hiter Myth’ and idea of ‘One people, one nation, one Fuhrer’ to rally around, whilst
also creating the idealised Volksgemeinschaft that justified exclusion and violence.
Legal reforms were also exploited to radicalise the economic and social persecution of
the regime’s enemies while giving repression a mask of constitutional legitimacy.
Ultimately, Nazi control was not based on terror alone, but on a calculated interplay
between selective violence, ideological conditioning and a coordinated judicial system
which worked in tandem at different times and simultaneously to create the polycratic,
feudal and chaotic Nazi terror state.
Terror was vital for crushing opposition, but it was not consistently applied across
society - instead, it escalated and shifted in purpose, reflecting the regime’s changing
priorities from political suppression to racial purification. From 1933 onwards, the
concentration camp system developed, with the first one set up being Dachau in 1933,
and these camps punished political prisoners, with 225,000 being arrested for political
reasons in 1935. Early terror targeted political opponents and threats to the regime’s
stability in order to create a one-party state; by the 2nd of May 1933, the SA had seized
control of all trade unions in Germany, and by July 1933, all other political parties apart
from the Nazis had been banned. The police state became more coordinated as the
period progressed and gleichschaltung became more efficient. This can be seen in the
merging of the leadership of the Nazi’s terror organs; in 1936, Himmler, who had been
SS leader since 1929, was also made the Chief of German police, and the SD’s role
was also elevated to radicalise and Nazify police practice. While an overlap in
responsibilities caused by these mergers led to some internal conflict and jostling for
power, Heydrich created the Inspectors of the Security Police and SD in order to
oversee all units and encourage cooperation. The Gestapo was also an extremely
important tool in cultivating an atmosphere and culture of self-surveillance across
Germany. Although there were only 20,000 officers across the country, the Gestapo was
highly effective due to its reputation for being ‘omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent’
according to historian Mallman, and its reliance on denunciations from the public
© Humanities Unlocked. | AQA A-Level History 2025 | For personal use only. Redistribution is prohibited.
