Opposition to the Nazi regime
THE NAZI REGIME Religious opposition
At first, the Church agreed not to interfere with
the regime as long as the Nazis didn’t interfere
in religion. However, Hitler interfered and the
pope claimed Nazism as anti-Cristian
Many churchmen spoke against Nazis:
How did the Nazi’s control the
- Pastor Niemöler spent 8 years in a
German people?
concentration camp for forming a rival
church to the Nazi Reich Church.
Used a combination of fear and propaganda. - Bishop Galen spoke against euthanasia,
Fear: sterilisation and the camps
The SS (led by Heinrich Himmler) had the power to arrest, Youth opposition
interrogate, search and confiscate. They were responsible for Some rejected Hitler Youth and its influence:
running concentration camps and implementing racial policies. ‘Swing movement’ – condemned because they
The Gestapo (under control of SS). They were feared by the people were interested in British and American music
as they had powers and worked in secret. Spied on phone calls and and dance (banned jazz). They also accepted
had huge information network that made it unsafe to express anti- Jews.
Nazi views. Edelweiss Pirates – working class teens who
Concentration camps were created as soon as Hitler came to acted against Hitler Youth. During the war, they
power. ‘Enemies’ (political opposition, gypsies, undesirables, spread anti-Nazi propaganda. In 1994, they
tramps) were sent there. They were run by SS Death’s Head Unit. attacked the Gestapo. Twelve pirates were
They were harsh with many deaths from beatings and torture and hung in Nov. 1944. However, they had no
slave labour. During final solution, the camps were used for the intentions to overthrow the government.
extermination of Jews. The White Rose Group – against anti-Semitism.
Courts and judges had to take an oath of loyalty to Hitler. Jewish The leaders – Hans and Sophie Scholl were
judges /lawyer were sacked. Informers were used to spy (Hitler executed in 1943 for acting against the regime.
Youth). Accused were always declared guilty and allowed no The army
defence. Capital offences were increased (anti-Nazi jokes & foreign General Beck’s plans to overthrow Hitler (1930s)
radio were punishable by death) stopped when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia
Propaganda: After the defeat at Stalingrad, senior army
To rule as a successful dictator, Hitler would also need to make officers planned to assassinate Hitler but failed.
people want to be part of the nation and comply with Hitler’s (1944) There were 5000 executions.
decisions. This would stop anarchy and rebellion. Why so little opposition?
Josef Goebbels – Hitler’s second in command – was a propaganda Fear –people were terrified of the gestapo.
genius. He was obsessed with creating Hitler’s image and People didn’t want to be troubled so they went
brainwashing the country. along with the Nazis
Radio was used to spread Nazi ideas – Hitler’s speeches, censored No proper opposition –any opponents were
news and Nazi music would be played at all times. The people’s illegal and weren’t organized enough
radio was developed to be cheap enough for even the poor. It Propaganda – people were bombarded with
blocked international radio. support
Posters were Goebbels’s speciality. Thousands of messages (anti- Nazis were legal – people felt there was nothing
Semitism, conscription) were displayed through simple words and they could do
images so that even the uneducated could understand Ignorant – people didn’t know what was
Newspapers were taken over and Anti Nazi papers banned. People happening due to censorship.
were encouraged to buy Nazi newspapers.
Films were made to keep people entertained. Love stories, Note:
comedies, adventure or political (anti-Semitism / anti- In the Berlin Olympics (1936), Hitler
communism) took the opportunity to show the
Culture and festival meant control of music (German classical). superiority of the Aryan race. There
Theatre had to be about German history or Nazi drama. Many were Nazi symbols everywhere and
books were banned for being too foreign or having Jewish authors.athletes were trained. However,
The books were burnt in book burnings. Many Nazi events Jesse Owens, a black runner from
included festivals, marches and holidays (Munich Putsch holiday; U.S. won the most gold medals –
, Typical question
Which was more important to controlling the German people – fear or propaganda?
THE NAZI REGIME Religious opposition
At first, the Church agreed not to interfere with
the regime as long as the Nazis didn’t interfere
in religion. However, Hitler interfered and the
pope claimed Nazism as anti-Cristian
Many churchmen spoke against Nazis:
How did the Nazi’s control the
- Pastor Niemöler spent 8 years in a
German people?
concentration camp for forming a rival
church to the Nazi Reich Church.
Used a combination of fear and propaganda. - Bishop Galen spoke against euthanasia,
Fear: sterilisation and the camps
The SS (led by Heinrich Himmler) had the power to arrest, Youth opposition
interrogate, search and confiscate. They were responsible for Some rejected Hitler Youth and its influence:
running concentration camps and implementing racial policies. ‘Swing movement’ – condemned because they
The Gestapo (under control of SS). They were feared by the people were interested in British and American music
as they had powers and worked in secret. Spied on phone calls and and dance (banned jazz). They also accepted
had huge information network that made it unsafe to express anti- Jews.
Nazi views. Edelweiss Pirates – working class teens who
Concentration camps were created as soon as Hitler came to acted against Hitler Youth. During the war, they
power. ‘Enemies’ (political opposition, gypsies, undesirables, spread anti-Nazi propaganda. In 1994, they
tramps) were sent there. They were run by SS Death’s Head Unit. attacked the Gestapo. Twelve pirates were
They were harsh with many deaths from beatings and torture and hung in Nov. 1944. However, they had no
slave labour. During final solution, the camps were used for the intentions to overthrow the government.
extermination of Jews. The White Rose Group – against anti-Semitism.
Courts and judges had to take an oath of loyalty to Hitler. Jewish The leaders – Hans and Sophie Scholl were
judges /lawyer were sacked. Informers were used to spy (Hitler executed in 1943 for acting against the regime.
Youth). Accused were always declared guilty and allowed no The army
defence. Capital offences were increased (anti-Nazi jokes & foreign General Beck’s plans to overthrow Hitler (1930s)
radio were punishable by death) stopped when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia
Propaganda: After the defeat at Stalingrad, senior army
To rule as a successful dictator, Hitler would also need to make officers planned to assassinate Hitler but failed.
people want to be part of the nation and comply with Hitler’s (1944) There were 5000 executions.
decisions. This would stop anarchy and rebellion. Why so little opposition?
Josef Goebbels – Hitler’s second in command – was a propaganda Fear –people were terrified of the gestapo.
genius. He was obsessed with creating Hitler’s image and People didn’t want to be troubled so they went
brainwashing the country. along with the Nazis
Radio was used to spread Nazi ideas – Hitler’s speeches, censored No proper opposition –any opponents were
news and Nazi music would be played at all times. The people’s illegal and weren’t organized enough
radio was developed to be cheap enough for even the poor. It Propaganda – people were bombarded with
blocked international radio. support
Posters were Goebbels’s speciality. Thousands of messages (anti- Nazis were legal – people felt there was nothing
Semitism, conscription) were displayed through simple words and they could do
images so that even the uneducated could understand Ignorant – people didn’t know what was
Newspapers were taken over and Anti Nazi papers banned. People happening due to censorship.
were encouraged to buy Nazi newspapers.
Films were made to keep people entertained. Love stories, Note:
comedies, adventure or political (anti-Semitism / anti- In the Berlin Olympics (1936), Hitler
communism) took the opportunity to show the
Culture and festival meant control of music (German classical). superiority of the Aryan race. There
Theatre had to be about German history or Nazi drama. Many were Nazi symbols everywhere and
books were banned for being too foreign or having Jewish authors.athletes were trained. However,
The books were burnt in book burnings. Many Nazi events Jesse Owens, a black runner from
included festivals, marches and holidays (Munich Putsch holiday; U.S. won the most gold medals –
, Typical question
Which was more important to controlling the German people – fear or propaganda?
