Summary Answer to past paper question: ‘The Nazi police state was successful as it was built on a foundation of fear’

‘The Nazi police state was successful as it was built on a foundation of fear’
The Gestapo were non-uniformed secret police who spied on people, tapped phones and
used networks of informants to identify anyone who criticised or opposed the Nazi
government. They were terrifying as they were unidentifiable, forcing people into silence
out of fear. This made the Nazi government successful as it created an image of national
loyalty with little dissent.
Concentration camps were run by the SD and SS to house undesirables, minority groups and
political prisoners. The imprisonment of these people created Hitler’s dream of a ‘racially
pure’ Germany. The removal of political opponents solidified Hitler’s position and finally
crushed the threat of communism. Concentration camps were shrouded in mystery,
therefore creating fear.

The SS were originally Hitler’s personal bodyguards, which evolved into their role controlling
all the other police and security services. They acted brutally and were completely loyal to
Hitler, as shown through their role in the Night of the Long Knives. Their brutality created
fear of them and therefore compliance and loyalty towards Hitler and the Nazi government.