UNIT 4 TERROR STATE
The terror state meant that Germans were ruled by fear and violence- with no legal protection. Under the
Fuhrerprinzip Hitler was a ‘man of destiny’ whose role was go interpret and implement the will of the
people. Therefore, Hitlers word was law. German citizens were no longer considered equal under the law
and they lost the legal rights and freedoms enshrined in the Weimar constitution. The Nazis introduced
new courts, laws and police forces alongside the existing systems which were expected to adapt and bend
to Hitlers will. The Nazi police state, while small was largely effective. In some towns having civilians report
57% of crimes, while the gestapo observed only 0.5%. this meant that while the threat of the police state
was relatively minor, the psychological threat was vastly exaggerated in many people’s minds leading them
to self-survey and conform.
The SS- took over various police agencies, main organisation that arrested political opponents and ran
concentration camps. Membership was based on perceptions of racial purity, discipline and absolute
obedience to the Fuhrer. Neutralised the SA and was under the command of Himmler (who also controlled
the SD and Gestapo). Powers increased post NOTLK to main party organisation in identification and arrests
of political prisoners. 1936, controlled Third Reich police system and camps. Instrument of Hitler and Party.
Strict, disciplined, racially pure, brutalised, obedient. The SS were presented as an instrument to protect
the majority from the corrupting minority. HOWEVER, the duality between the SS and SD led to tension
and aggression between the two- as their roles were not defined (also confusing due to constitution-
Himmler could have threatened Hitler). In 1929, there were only 280 members, but by the 1939 240,000
Security: All responsibilities of policing and intelligence expand as occupied lands spread. The job of
internal security became much greater and SS officers were granted the authority to crush
opposition.
Military: The Waffen SS increased from 3 divisions in 1939 to 35 in 1945, which developed into a
‘second army’; committed, brutal and militarily highly rated. By 1944, the Waffen SS was so
powerful it rivalled the position of the German army,
Economy: The SS became responsible for the creation of the ‘New Order’ in the occupied lands of
eastern Europe. Such a scheme provided opportunities for plunder and economic exploitation on a
massive scale, which members of the SS exploited In full. By the end of the war, the SS had created
a massive commercial of over 150 firms, which exploited slave labour to extract raw materials and
to manufacture textiles, armaments and household goods.
Ideology and race; The racial policy of extermination and resettlement was pursued with vigour and the
system of concentration camps was widely established and run by the SS Death’s Head units. The various
‘inferior’ races were even used for their economic value such as slave labour.
The SD- offshoot of the SS, from 1931 were the internal security service of NSDAP. Investigated claims of
NSDAP infiltration by enemies. Heydrich. Post 1933, intelligence gathering and public opinion - ‘no’ in
plebiscites. Not professional officers but committed Nazis. Led by Heyrich, small organisation that had the
responsibility of monitoring public opinion. By 1939, the SD had 50,000 officers, a sign of how important its
role was considered to be, and also of how successful Heydrich had been in establishing his own base of
power. The similarities between the gestapo and the SD lead to overlap and confusion between the two
organisations + staffed not by professional police officers buy by amateurs who were committed Nazis this
means that they were less diligent and equipped
Gestapo- secret police whose role was the elimination of pollical opposition. Small number of professional
agents, mostly office based. Relied on a network of informers and Nazi party activists who reported on
their neighbours. Created an atmosphere of psychological fear and self-surveillance. People believed
(wrongly) that there were gestapo agents everywhere. 1933, nationwide. Reputation of all seeing/knowing
and mass infiltration. Office-based, no field agents. 67% information gestapo had was from civilians The
manpower of the Gestapo was limited to 40,000 agents at its peak for the whole of Germany. For example,
in 1939, there were only 20,000 agents. Large cities such as Frankfurt or Hamburg, with about half a million
people, were policed by just about 40-50 agents. However information was often just gossip which
generated enormous paperwork for limited return- they could not investigate properly, so resorted to
arbitrary arrests and torture. Their operations became more random, dependent upon decisions of
, individual officers. This created opportunities for opposition and non-conformist behaviour. In fact,
authorities became increasingly concerned about these denunciations for personal motives
Concentration camps- prisons where inmates forced to work. Dachau the first permanent camp in 1933,
although there were also around 70 temporary camps. SS controlled by 1934. Originally used to host
political opponents e.g. KPD, Socialists, Unionists made up ¼ of prisoner figures in 1934 - for ‘re-education’
using torture and brutality. Post 1936, there was a shift in focus towards housing ‘undesirables’. From
1934- run by SD.
The courts and justice system- in 1933 judges and lawyers were mostly conservative but remained
independent of Nazis control. The Nazis brought the justice system under control through the front of
Germany law in April 1933 (established that those in legal profession must do what the Nazis wanted)
Nazi special courts 1933- and People’s Court 1934. These functioned alongside the existing courts but dealt
with political crimes, 3 Nazi judges 2 professional judges- with no juries. The death penalty was used
increasingly in the Third Reich with over 140 executions in 1939. The terms ‘people’s court’ and ‘popular
justice’ portrayed repression and persecution as something that reflected the will of the people. They did
not introduce a new constitution or legal system after 1933, instead they introduced some new laws to
deal with political offences and forces the existing justice system to adapt and bend to their will
OPPOSITION
Some groups attempted to resist nazi attempts to coordinate the ‘volksgemeinshaft’ but overall opposition
was relatively minor. ARMY- only group that could overthrow the Nazis with a military coup- obeyed and
followed Hitlers orders, the LEFT- failed to launch strikes due to its bitter divisions (KPD attacking ‘social
fascists’, the unionised workers were constantly attacked and repression- but also rewarded and benefitted
in some aspects to the regime. The Christian churches- retained an alternative ideology independent of the
regime. They also had some organisational autonomy which was powerful as the influence of pastors and
priests in the community meant they were as important as Nazis. However, they did compromise as they
knew in a conflict, they would be the losers.
PROPAGANDA
- AIMED TO CONTROL ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ENSURING RESISTENCE WAS SILENCED
- PROMULGATING ONLY POSITIVE IMAGES OF THE REGIME AND ITS LEADER TO ENCOURAGE LOYALTY
- MOBILISING PEOPLE TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE AIMS AND POLICIES OF THE REGIME
METHODS
- REGIME CONTROLLED PRESS THROUGH OWNERSHIP OF NEWSPAPERS AND CENSORSHIP OF
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED NEWSPAPERS
- RADIOBROADCASTS GAVE THE NAZIS A MEANS OF DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THE GERMAN PEOPLE.
CHEAP RADIOS MADE AVAILABLE- BY 1937 70% OF HOUSEHOLDS OWNED ONE, AND HITLERS MESSAGE
INVADED HOMES CONSTANTLY
- POSTERS WERE WIDELY DISPLAYED IN PUBLIC PLACES AND BUSINESSES
- FILMS WERE CLOSELY VETTED AND MANY BANNED, THOSE THAT WERE APPROVED HAD TO CARRY
POLITICAL MESSAGES. HAD NEWS COVERAGE/ OR SCAPEGOATING VIDEOS AT THE BEGINNING TO ENSURE
PEOPLE OBEYED THE MESSAGE (HAD TO ATTEND THE BEGINNING)
- PARADES SUCH AS THE NUREMBURG RALLIES WERE DESIGNED TO HAVE MAXIMUM IMPACT. E.G. NIGHT
PARADES WITH FLAMING TORCHES, SONG SINGING AND CHOREOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED TO THE IMAGE OF
STRENGTH AND ORDER.
Nazi propaganda was all-pervasive of German society.
- Most Germans believed the Hitler myth and Nazi economic/foreign success.
- Evidence from the gestapo suggests Nazi rule was popular but there was some scepticism. However, they
were most popular with young people. Party activists insinuated themselves into every aspect of public daily
life. To deny people the space to think and act for themselves.
The terror state meant that Germans were ruled by fear and violence- with no legal protection. Under the
Fuhrerprinzip Hitler was a ‘man of destiny’ whose role was go interpret and implement the will of the
people. Therefore, Hitlers word was law. German citizens were no longer considered equal under the law
and they lost the legal rights and freedoms enshrined in the Weimar constitution. The Nazis introduced
new courts, laws and police forces alongside the existing systems which were expected to adapt and bend
to Hitlers will. The Nazi police state, while small was largely effective. In some towns having civilians report
57% of crimes, while the gestapo observed only 0.5%. this meant that while the threat of the police state
was relatively minor, the psychological threat was vastly exaggerated in many people’s minds leading them
to self-survey and conform.
The SS- took over various police agencies, main organisation that arrested political opponents and ran
concentration camps. Membership was based on perceptions of racial purity, discipline and absolute
obedience to the Fuhrer. Neutralised the SA and was under the command of Himmler (who also controlled
the SD and Gestapo). Powers increased post NOTLK to main party organisation in identification and arrests
of political prisoners. 1936, controlled Third Reich police system and camps. Instrument of Hitler and Party.
Strict, disciplined, racially pure, brutalised, obedient. The SS were presented as an instrument to protect
the majority from the corrupting minority. HOWEVER, the duality between the SS and SD led to tension
and aggression between the two- as their roles were not defined (also confusing due to constitution-
Himmler could have threatened Hitler). In 1929, there were only 280 members, but by the 1939 240,000
Security: All responsibilities of policing and intelligence expand as occupied lands spread. The job of
internal security became much greater and SS officers were granted the authority to crush
opposition.
Military: The Waffen SS increased from 3 divisions in 1939 to 35 in 1945, which developed into a
‘second army’; committed, brutal and militarily highly rated. By 1944, the Waffen SS was so
powerful it rivalled the position of the German army,
Economy: The SS became responsible for the creation of the ‘New Order’ in the occupied lands of
eastern Europe. Such a scheme provided opportunities for plunder and economic exploitation on a
massive scale, which members of the SS exploited In full. By the end of the war, the SS had created
a massive commercial of over 150 firms, which exploited slave labour to extract raw materials and
to manufacture textiles, armaments and household goods.
Ideology and race; The racial policy of extermination and resettlement was pursued with vigour and the
system of concentration camps was widely established and run by the SS Death’s Head units. The various
‘inferior’ races were even used for their economic value such as slave labour.
The SD- offshoot of the SS, from 1931 were the internal security service of NSDAP. Investigated claims of
NSDAP infiltration by enemies. Heydrich. Post 1933, intelligence gathering and public opinion - ‘no’ in
plebiscites. Not professional officers but committed Nazis. Led by Heyrich, small organisation that had the
responsibility of monitoring public opinion. By 1939, the SD had 50,000 officers, a sign of how important its
role was considered to be, and also of how successful Heydrich had been in establishing his own base of
power. The similarities between the gestapo and the SD lead to overlap and confusion between the two
organisations + staffed not by professional police officers buy by amateurs who were committed Nazis this
means that they were less diligent and equipped
Gestapo- secret police whose role was the elimination of pollical opposition. Small number of professional
agents, mostly office based. Relied on a network of informers and Nazi party activists who reported on
their neighbours. Created an atmosphere of psychological fear and self-surveillance. People believed
(wrongly) that there were gestapo agents everywhere. 1933, nationwide. Reputation of all seeing/knowing
and mass infiltration. Office-based, no field agents. 67% information gestapo had was from civilians The
manpower of the Gestapo was limited to 40,000 agents at its peak for the whole of Germany. For example,
in 1939, there were only 20,000 agents. Large cities such as Frankfurt or Hamburg, with about half a million
people, were policed by just about 40-50 agents. However information was often just gossip which
generated enormous paperwork for limited return- they could not investigate properly, so resorted to
arbitrary arrests and torture. Their operations became more random, dependent upon decisions of
, individual officers. This created opportunities for opposition and non-conformist behaviour. In fact,
authorities became increasingly concerned about these denunciations for personal motives
Concentration camps- prisons where inmates forced to work. Dachau the first permanent camp in 1933,
although there were also around 70 temporary camps. SS controlled by 1934. Originally used to host
political opponents e.g. KPD, Socialists, Unionists made up ¼ of prisoner figures in 1934 - for ‘re-education’
using torture and brutality. Post 1936, there was a shift in focus towards housing ‘undesirables’. From
1934- run by SD.
The courts and justice system- in 1933 judges and lawyers were mostly conservative but remained
independent of Nazis control. The Nazis brought the justice system under control through the front of
Germany law in April 1933 (established that those in legal profession must do what the Nazis wanted)
Nazi special courts 1933- and People’s Court 1934. These functioned alongside the existing courts but dealt
with political crimes, 3 Nazi judges 2 professional judges- with no juries. The death penalty was used
increasingly in the Third Reich with over 140 executions in 1939. The terms ‘people’s court’ and ‘popular
justice’ portrayed repression and persecution as something that reflected the will of the people. They did
not introduce a new constitution or legal system after 1933, instead they introduced some new laws to
deal with political offences and forces the existing justice system to adapt and bend to their will
OPPOSITION
Some groups attempted to resist nazi attempts to coordinate the ‘volksgemeinshaft’ but overall opposition
was relatively minor. ARMY- only group that could overthrow the Nazis with a military coup- obeyed and
followed Hitlers orders, the LEFT- failed to launch strikes due to its bitter divisions (KPD attacking ‘social
fascists’, the unionised workers were constantly attacked and repression- but also rewarded and benefitted
in some aspects to the regime. The Christian churches- retained an alternative ideology independent of the
regime. They also had some organisational autonomy which was powerful as the influence of pastors and
priests in the community meant they were as important as Nazis. However, they did compromise as they
knew in a conflict, they would be the losers.
PROPAGANDA
- AIMED TO CONTROL ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ENSURING RESISTENCE WAS SILENCED
- PROMULGATING ONLY POSITIVE IMAGES OF THE REGIME AND ITS LEADER TO ENCOURAGE LOYALTY
- MOBILISING PEOPLE TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE AIMS AND POLICIES OF THE REGIME
METHODS
- REGIME CONTROLLED PRESS THROUGH OWNERSHIP OF NEWSPAPERS AND CENSORSHIP OF
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED NEWSPAPERS
- RADIOBROADCASTS GAVE THE NAZIS A MEANS OF DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THE GERMAN PEOPLE.
CHEAP RADIOS MADE AVAILABLE- BY 1937 70% OF HOUSEHOLDS OWNED ONE, AND HITLERS MESSAGE
INVADED HOMES CONSTANTLY
- POSTERS WERE WIDELY DISPLAYED IN PUBLIC PLACES AND BUSINESSES
- FILMS WERE CLOSELY VETTED AND MANY BANNED, THOSE THAT WERE APPROVED HAD TO CARRY
POLITICAL MESSAGES. HAD NEWS COVERAGE/ OR SCAPEGOATING VIDEOS AT THE BEGINNING TO ENSURE
PEOPLE OBEYED THE MESSAGE (HAD TO ATTEND THE BEGINNING)
- PARADES SUCH AS THE NUREMBURG RALLIES WERE DESIGNED TO HAVE MAXIMUM IMPACT. E.G. NIGHT
PARADES WITH FLAMING TORCHES, SONG SINGING AND CHOREOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED TO THE IMAGE OF
STRENGTH AND ORDER.
Nazi propaganda was all-pervasive of German society.
- Most Germans believed the Hitler myth and Nazi economic/foreign success.
- Evidence from the gestapo suggests Nazi rule was popular but there was some scepticism. However, they
were most popular with young people. Party activists insinuated themselves into every aspect of public daily
life. To deny people the space to think and act for themselves.
