Germany 1933-1945
• Life in Nazi Germany:
• Nazi totalitarian control
• The creation of the police state
• Propaganda
• The Nazi youth movements
• Schools and education
• Women
• Churches
• Nazi economic policy
• Nazi Jewish policy
• The Home Front
• Opposition to Hitler
• Reasons why Germany lost the War
, Germany 1933-1945 - Life in Nazi Germany
Nazi totalitarian control
• Cultural
◦Festivals took place when Hitler visited.
◦National status, sense of belonging/togetherness.
◦Food was rationed (eg butter, cream).
◦Jews were victimised.
• Intellectual
◦Books w/ anti-Nazi ideas were burnt.
◦German papers censored bad publicity (sugar coating) - only foreign news told of bad
Nazi news.
◦Hitler remilitarised army, reintroduced conscription + marched into Rhineland (overturned
Treaty).
◦Built submarines/planes + trained bombers in secret in Russia/Spain.
◦Hitler convinced the people that war would make Germany great.
◦University students deserted their professors.
◦Propaganda.
• Economic
◦Hitler decreased unemployment (2 million unemployed by 1936).
◦Work camps set up for young men (seemed to enjoy it, included singing).
◦Hitler made people believe work could be enjoyable.
◦Small businesses failed.
• Social
◦Some people taken by Nazis to be “re-educated”.
◦Concentration camps set up to punish people who opposed Nazi ideas.
‣ Gestapo carried out these arrests.
◦People turned each other in to the Gestapo -> hostile environment, public mistrust.
◦Jews victimised/humiliated.
◦People forced to join the Nazi party to ensure jobs/pensions.
The creation of the police state
• The SS
◦Black uniform + silver badge (distinguish them from other uniformed Nazis).
◦1933-35: Himmler dismissed 60 000 members for being homosexuals/alcoholics/“morally
corrupt”.
◦Under Himmler, SS grew to 100 000s.
◦Could arrest anyone they wanted + detain/execute them w/o trial.
◦Responsible for identifying/arresting political prisoners.
• The Gestapo
◦Could search anyone’s home.
◦Appointed local block wardens to watch neighbours + report suspicious activity.
◦By 1942, Gestapo had ~30 000 officers.
◦Heavily relied on ordinary people (at least 1/2 of all investigations came about b/c of
information provided by ordinary people).
• Life in Nazi Germany:
• Nazi totalitarian control
• The creation of the police state
• Propaganda
• The Nazi youth movements
• Schools and education
• Women
• Churches
• Nazi economic policy
• Nazi Jewish policy
• The Home Front
• Opposition to Hitler
• Reasons why Germany lost the War
, Germany 1933-1945 - Life in Nazi Germany
Nazi totalitarian control
• Cultural
◦Festivals took place when Hitler visited.
◦National status, sense of belonging/togetherness.
◦Food was rationed (eg butter, cream).
◦Jews were victimised.
• Intellectual
◦Books w/ anti-Nazi ideas were burnt.
◦German papers censored bad publicity (sugar coating) - only foreign news told of bad
Nazi news.
◦Hitler remilitarised army, reintroduced conscription + marched into Rhineland (overturned
Treaty).
◦Built submarines/planes + trained bombers in secret in Russia/Spain.
◦Hitler convinced the people that war would make Germany great.
◦University students deserted their professors.
◦Propaganda.
• Economic
◦Hitler decreased unemployment (2 million unemployed by 1936).
◦Work camps set up for young men (seemed to enjoy it, included singing).
◦Hitler made people believe work could be enjoyable.
◦Small businesses failed.
• Social
◦Some people taken by Nazis to be “re-educated”.
◦Concentration camps set up to punish people who opposed Nazi ideas.
‣ Gestapo carried out these arrests.
◦People turned each other in to the Gestapo -> hostile environment, public mistrust.
◦Jews victimised/humiliated.
◦People forced to join the Nazi party to ensure jobs/pensions.
The creation of the police state
• The SS
◦Black uniform + silver badge (distinguish them from other uniformed Nazis).
◦1933-35: Himmler dismissed 60 000 members for being homosexuals/alcoholics/“morally
corrupt”.
◦Under Himmler, SS grew to 100 000s.
◦Could arrest anyone they wanted + detain/execute them w/o trial.
◦Responsible for identifying/arresting political prisoners.
• The Gestapo
◦Could search anyone’s home.
◦Appointed local block wardens to watch neighbours + report suspicious activity.
◦By 1942, Gestapo had ~30 000 officers.
◦Heavily relied on ordinary people (at least 1/2 of all investigations came about b/c of
information provided by ordinary people).
