How Did the Nazis Deal with Opposition? | History for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

The Aspects of the Nazi Police State - Summary

• After securing oaths of loyalty from the SA and the army, Hitler aimed to transform Germany into a police state, eliminating any obstacles to creating his Third Reich.
• The SS, as dedicated Nazis, formed the core of Hitler’s police force, overseeing the Gestapo and SD. Their intimidating street presence and ability to bypass legal proceedings instilled fear in those considering resistance or opposition to Nazi policies.
• Behind the scenes, the SD gathered intelligence on enemies of the Nazi Party, providing information to the SS and other police groups on who to target.
• Among all police force components, the Gestapo were the most infamous and feared. People dreaded their late-night visits to suspected opponents and their ability to blend into public life while remaining unseen.
• The Nazis established concentration camps in 1933 to imprison all regime opponents. Reports of poor living conditions and violence leaked to the public, creating fear and ensuring compliance.
• Changes to the legal system drastically increased the conviction rate and executions for treason. With trial by jury removed, enemies of the state were at the mercy of pro-Nazi judges, who were influenced to declare them guilty.
• With the majority of the population being Catholic or Protestant, the Nazis were concerned about the ideas and beliefs taught in churches and Christian schools. Hitler could not allow religion to challenge his authority, so he made agreements with the Catholic Church and reformed the Protestant Church.

Role of the SS

• The SS was established in 1925 to serve as personal guards for Hitler.
• Members of the SS were required to be 'racially pure' and fiercely loyal to the NSDAP.
• Heinrich Himmler assumed leadership of the SS in 1929.
• The SS donned black uniforms for easy identification from the SA.
• Roles of the SS included protecting Hitler and other Nazi leaders, ensuring security at political gatherings, promoting the Nazi newspaper, Der Völkischer Beobachter, arranging marriages for 'racially pure' offspring, and overseeing various police forces like the SD and Gestapo.
• The SS was responsible for executing arrests and killings of SA members during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934.

Role of the SD

• The SD, established in 1931 under Heinrich Himmler, with Reinhard Heydrich assuming leadership
• Collecting intelligence on individuals opposing the Nazi Party, including Nazi members, leaders of other parties, minority groups like Jews and Freemasons, and government officials
• Compiling a list of SA members during the Night of the Long Knives
• Becoming the primary intelligence agency post-1934, continuing operations throughout the war

Role of the Gestapo

• Hermann Goering established the Gestapo with the aim to "investigate and combat all attempts to threaten the state." This was its primary purpose.
• By 1934, the Gestapo was under the leadership of Reinhard Heydrich, who played a significant role in its operations and strategies.
• Agents of the Gestapo operated in plain clothes to blend in with the general population, ensuring they could not be easily recognized or identified.
• The Gestapo had a diverse range of responsibilities, including tapping phones, conducting surveillance on political opponents, arresting individuals, questioning them, and resorting to torture in their investigations.
• In 1939, approximately 160,000 individuals were apprehended for political offenses, highlighting the scale of their activities.
• Individuals deemed threats to the state were often sent directly to concentration camps under the pretext of protective custody, without a fair trial or legal process.
• To instill fear and deter dissent, the Gestapo deliberately publicized information about the harsh conditions within concentration camps.
• The Gestapo heavily relied on information provided by the general public to target suspects. Surprisingly, only a small fraction (about 10%) of political crimes were actually uncovered by the Gestapo itself, with the majority (around 80%) being reported by ordinary citizens.
• In cities like Hamburg and Frankfurt, the number of Gestapo agents was relatively low (around 40-50), indicating that the regime depended on fear and intimidation to suppress opposition.

The Development of Concentration Camps

• Arrests primarily occurred for 'political crimes', which involved speaking out against the Nazi Party.
• Dachau, established in 1933, was the first concentration camp in Nazi Germany.
• Concentration camps were designed to confine various groups:
  • Minority groups like Jewish people and Jehovah's Witnesses.
  • 'Undesirables' such as homosexuals, prostitutes, and Romani.
  • Political opponents including journalists, writers, intellectuals, and Communists.
• During the Second World War, the focus shifted as concentration camps failed to decrease the number of 'undesirables' in Germany.
• Germany's expansion into Eastern Europe resulted in an increase in 'undesirables' under Nazi control.
• In 1942, Hitler and the Nazis devised the 'Final Solution', leading to the establishment of six extermination camps, with Auschwitz-Birkenau being the most infamous.

Controlling the Legal System

• Controlling the legal system enabled the Nazi Party to eliminate opposition, creating a facade of fairness and justice. However, the outcomes of cases were often predetermined and unfairly favored convictions.

Judges and Lawyers

• Judges and lawyers in Nazi Germany were mandated to prioritize the interests of the Nazi Party above all other considerations.
• They were required to join specific organizations: Judges had to join the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law, while lawyers had to be a part of the German Lawyers Front.
• Non-compliance led to severe consequences: Judges who did not join these organizations were dismissed from their positions.
• Starting from 1936, judges were compelled to wear the swastika, showcasing their allegiance to the Nazi regime.
• In the legal system, judges held significant power as they were solely responsible for deciding the outcomes of cases, without the involvement of a jury.

Law Courts

• The Nazis abolished trial by jury, giving judges sole authority in deciding case outcomes.
• The People's Court, designed for treason cases, featured judges loyal to the Nazis, with trials conducted in secrecy and without the right to appeal.
• This control over the legal system led to a significant increase in executions of political dissidents:
  • Between 1930 and 1932, only eight individuals were executed, but this number soared to 534 between 1934 and 1939.

Controlling Religion

The Concordat With the Catholic Church

• Germany had high levels of Christianity
  • Most of the country was either Protestant or Catholic
• Christianity was a threat to Hitler and the Nazi Party because the Christian Church held different beliefs from the Nazi Party

• However, Hitler was not sure what to do about the churches:

Should Hitler Destroy or Keep Christianity?

• Initially, Hitler sought cooperation from the Christian churches with the Nazi government.
• The Catholic and Protestant churches responded differently to Nazi interference.
• Catholics posed several challenges for Hitler:
  • They were loyal to the Pope.
  • They supported the Catholic Centre Party before the Enabling Act.
  • They had their own schools teaching beliefs different from those in Nazi schools.
• In July 1933, Hitler signed a Concordat with the Pope on behalf of the Catholic Church:
  • It allowed Catholics to worship freely and maintain Catholic schools.
  • In return, Catholic priests would not interfere in politics and would swear loyalty to the Nazi regime.
• Despite the Concordat, persecution of Catholics continued throughout the 1930s:
  • Around 400 priests were sent to Dachau concentration camp.
  • Catholic schools were controlled or closed, breaking the Concordat.
  • Youth groups like the Catholic Youth League were banned.
  • Monasteries were closed down.
• By 1937, the Concordat had failed:
  • The Pope issued a statement called "With Burning Anxiety," criticizing the Nazi regime.
  • The Pope referred to Hitler as a “mad prophet.”

The Protestant Reich Church

• Many Protestants in 1933 supported the Nazi Party due to the party's promise of safeguarding them from Communists who were perceived as anti-Christian.
• Ludwig Müller assumed the position of Reich Bishop in a consolidated Protestant Church known as the Reich Church. Approximately 2,000 individual churches united under this entity. The swastika was visibly exhibited in certain churches, and Jewish individuals were prohibited from receiving baptism within the Reich Church.
  • Approximately 2,000 individual churches aligned themselves with the Reich Church.
  • The swastika was prominently on display in specific churches.
  • Jewish individuals were forbidden from undergoing baptism in the Reich Church.
• Pastor Martin Niemöller opposed Nazi interference and founded the Pastors' Emergency League (PEL) to resist such interventions.
• In 1934, the Confessing Church was established, attracting the participation of around 6,000 churches.