Nazi Dictatorship, 1933-1939 (Edexcel GCSE History)

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  • True or False?

    Hitler became Chancellor of Germany on 30th January 1932.

    False.

    Hitler became Chancellor of Germany on 30th January 1933.

  • When was the Reichstag Fire?

    The Reichstag Fire was on 27th February 1933. The fire destroyed the Reichstag building.

  • Who was accused of starting the Reichstag Fire?

    The person accused of starting the Reichstag Fire was a Dutch communist named Marinus van der Lubbe. He was arrested at the scene and later executed.

  • Name three ways that the Reichstag Fire affected the Communist Party (KPD).

    The Reichstag Fire resulted in:

    • The arrests of around 4,000 communists

    • Communist newspapers being shut down

    • The SA used using violence and intimidation towards political opponents like the KPD

  • Did the Reichstag Fire increase or decrease the Nazi Party's amount of seats in the March 1933 election?

    Increase.

    The Nazi Party increased their seats to 288 in the March 1933 election, giving them a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag.

  • What was the purpose of the Enabling Act?

    The purpose of the Enabling Act was to give Hitler's cabinet the power to pass laws without the approval of the Reichstag.

  • True or False?

    The Enabling Act was only passed once in 1933.

    False.

    The Enabling Act was renewed again in 1937.

  • Define Länder.

    Länder were the name of a local government in Germany. Hitler replaced 18 länders with governors loyal to the Nazi Party in January 1933.

  • What organisation replaced trade unions in May 1933?

    The organisation that replaced trade unions in May 1933 was the German Labour Front (DAF).

  • True or False?

    By June 1934, Hitler was concerned about opposition from within the Nazi Party.

    True.

    Hitler had eliminated most opponents from outside the Nazi Party. By June 1934, he turned his attention to opponents within the Nazi Party, especially the SA.

  • Which political rival did Hitler remove in the Night of the Long Knives?

    The political rival that Hitler removed in the Night of the Long Knives was Ernst Röhm. Röhm and around 400 SA members were arrested and later shot.

  • When did President Hindenburg die?

    President Hindenburg died on 2nd August 1934. He was 86 years old.

  • Define Führer.

    Führer is a German term meaning "leader" or "guide". Hitler used this word to mean the combination of the roles of president and chancellor to become the absolute leader of Germany.

  • Who became the leader of the SS in 1929?

    The leader of the SS in 1929 was Heinrich Himmler.

  • How many members did the SS have by 1939?

    The SS had 290,000 members by 1939.

  • Define the SD.

    The SD was the intelligence agency of the Nazi Party, responsible for gathering information on enemies and opponents.

  • Did the number of members of the SD increase or decrease from 1932 to 1939?

    Increase.

    In 1932, the SD had 33 members. This increased to 4,000 in 1939.

  • Define the Gestapo.

    The Gestapo was the secret police of Nazi Germany. They were infamous for their role in arresting, interrogating and imprisoning political opponents.

  • True or False?

    The Gestapo wore distinctive uniforms for easy identification.

    False.

    The Gestapo wore plain clothes to blend into public life. The government relied on the fear of the Gestapo's presence to reduce opposition.

  • What were concentration camps used for?

    Concentration camps were used to imprison opponents of the Nazi regime, including minority groups, political opponents and other 'undesirables'.

  • What year was the Dachau concentration camp opened?

    The Dachau concentration camp was opened in 1933.

  • True or False?

    Judges were dismissed if they did not join the German Lawyers Front.

    False.

    Judges were dismissed if they did not join the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law. Lawyers joined the German Lawyers Front.

  • Did the Nazi's control of the legal system increase or decrease the number of political opponents executed?

    Increase.

    Between 1930 and 1932, only eight people were executed. From 1934 and 1939, this increased to 534 people.

  • Who did Christians see as their authority figure in Nazi Germany?

    Christians saw God as their authority figure. This threatened the authority of Hitler as the leader of Germany.

  • Name the three key arguments for keeping Christianity in Nazi Germany.

    The three key arguments for keeping Christianity in Nazi Germany were:

    • Many Christians had voted for Hitler during important elections

    • They shared similar beliefs on the importance of family

    • If the Nazis could control the churches, they could control the population

  • Was the Catholic Church more or less of a threat to Hitler than the Protestant Church?

    More.

    Catholics' first allegiance was to the Pope. They supported the Catholic Centre Party rather than the Nazi Party. Catholics also had their own schools.

  • Define the Concordat.

    The Concordat is a written agreement between the state and the Catholic Church. In July 1933, a concordat was signed between the Pope and Hitler. It allowed Catholics to worship freely if Catholic priests swore loyalty to the Nazi regime.

  • In what year was it clear that the Concordat had failed?

    It was clear that the Concordat had failed by 1937. The Pope released a statement known as ‘With Burning Anxiety’, which criticised the Nazi regime.

  • True or False?

    Around 400 Catholic priests were sent to concentration camps.

    True.

    Around 400 Catholic priests were sent to concentration camps as part of Hitler's persecution of Catholics.

  • What actions did the Nazis take against Catholic institutions?

    The Nazis closed down Catholic schools and banned Catholic youth groups like the Catholic Youth League. They also shut down monasteries.

  • Define the Reich Church.

    The Reich Church was a unified Protestant Church established under Ludwig Müller's leadership. The 2,000 churches displayed Nazi symbols and excluded Jewish people from baptism.

  • Who was Martin Niemöller?

    Martin Niemöller was a Protestant pastor. He resisted Nazi intervention and set up the Pastors’ Emergency League (PEL).

  • Define the Confessional Church.

    The Confessional Church was a church group created in opposition to the Reich Church. It was created in 1934 and 6,000 churches joined.

  • Define propaganda.

    Propaganda is information of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view. The Nazi Party relied on propaganda for maintaining support and control of Germany.

  • Who was Joseph Goebbels?

    Joseph Goebbels was the Minister for People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda in Nazi Germany. He was responsible for controlling all aspects of German life. He spread Nazi ideology through media, sport, culture and the arts.

  • When did Joseph Goebbels become the Minister for People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda?

    Joseph Goebbels became the Minister for People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda in 1933. He had joined the Nazi Party in 1922.

  • How many Germans were reading the Der Völkischer Beobachte (The People’s Observer) by 1941?

    By 1941, 1.1 million people were reading the Der Völkischer Beobachte (The People’s Observer). One of the roles of the SS was to enforce this.

  • True or False?

    Television was the Nazi Party's most popular tool to communicate political messages

    False.

    Radio was vital to the Nazis. The Volksempfänger (The People’s Receiver) was introduced in 1933. It made up 75% of radio sales by 1934 because it was so cheap to purchase. It could not pick up foreign radio channels.

  • Define the Nuremberg Rallies.

    The Nuremberg Rallies were annual meetings held in Nuremberg, Germany, from 1933 to 1938. Hitler’s favourite architect, Albert Speer, designed the grounds for the rallies.

  • Did the Nazi rallies make Germany look stronger or weaker?

    Stronger.

    Hitler used rallies to advertise the strength of the German army. The rallies were held despite the military restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles.

  • Who directed the propaganda film Triumph of the Will, depicting the 1934 Nuremberg Rally?

    The person who directed the propaganda film Triumph of the Will was Leni Riefenstahl. She was one of the Nazis' favourite directors. She also directed the film Olympia which documents the events of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

  • How was the 1936 Berlin Olympics an important propaganda opportunity for Hitler and Goebbels?

    The 1936 Berlin Olympics was an important propaganda opportunity as Hitler could show the might of Nazi Germany. It was an international event, drawing the attention of hundreds of nations to Germany.

  • True or False?

    The Nazis built the largest stadium in the world for the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    True.

    The Berlin Olympic Stadium could hold up to 110,000 spectators.

  • What was the Reich Chamber of Culture?

    The Reich Chamber of Culture was responsible for ensuring that all aspects of culture and the arts in Nazi Germany aligned with Nazi beliefs and propaganda. It was established in 1933.

  • True or False?

    Artists who didn't join the Reich Chamber of Creative Art faced no punishment.

    False.

    Artists who didn't join the Reich Chamber of Creative Art were forbidden to teach, produce or sell art in Nazi Germany.

  • Define expressionist art.

    Expressionist art is a style of art which focuses on emotions and feelings instead of reality. The Nazis saw works by Picasso and Van Gogh as too modern. In 1936, over 12,000 paintings and sculptures were removed from galleries.

  • Did Nazi architecture focus on constructing small or large buildings?

    Large.

    Large buildings gave an impression of power and strength. Buildings were designed to be impressive but with a clear purpose.

  • Define the term censorship.

    Censorship is blocking certain information from the public. The Nazi Party censored music produced by Jewish composers.

  • True or False?

    The Nazi Party disliked jazz music.

    True.

    Jazz music was associated with black people. In addition, many jazz artists at the time were of Jewish origin.

  • When did students in Berlin burn books?

    Students in Berlin burnt books in May 1933. The students burnt 20,000 books by anti-Nazi authors. Joseph Goebbels delivered a speech encouraging the burning of books to an audience of 40,000.

  • Define a newsreel.

    A newsreel is a short film of news and current affairs, formerly made for showing as part of a programme in a cinema.

  • How many films did the Nazi Party produce?

    The Nazi Party produced 1,300 films. Films like Hitlerjunge Quex were used to spread political messages about the threat of communism.

  • Define the term conformity.

    Conformity is changing your attitudes or beliefs to fit in with a group. There was a high level of conformity towards Hitler and the Nazi regime after 1933.

  • True or False?

    The Nazi Party were popular before the Enabling Act.

    True.

    Hitler won 36% of the votes in the second 1932 presidential election. The Nazi Party won 38% of the votes in the July 1932 general election. This shows that they were popular in Germany.

  • How many people joined the Nazi Party between 1933 and 1939?

    Four million people joined the Nazi Party between 1933 and 1939.

  • How did trade unions continue to oppose the Nazi Party, despite being banned in 1933?

    Trade unions secretly existed. They encouraged workers to stay off work sick or damage factory machinery.

  • True or False?

    There was a religion created based on Nazi beliefs.

    True.

    The German Faith Movement aimed to turn Nazism into a religion.

  • In the 1939 census, how many Germans still considered themselves to be Catholic?

    The 1939 census showed that two million people still considered themselves to be Catholic. This was despite Hitler's persecution of Catholics.

  • Who was Cardinal Galen?

    Cardinal Galen was a Catholic clergyman who openly criticised the Nazi Party from 1934 onwards.

  • Name three Protestant priests who openly opposed the Nazi regime.

    Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Paul Schneider and Martin Niemöller are examples of Protestant priests who openly criticised the Nazis. Niemöller was the only one of the above examples to survive the Nazi regime.

  • True or False?

    The Edelweiss Pirates resented the military discipline of the Hitler Youth.

    True.

    The Edelweiss Pirates sought a sense of freedom similar to the youth in Britain and the USA.

  • Was the Swing Youth threatening or non-threatening to the Nazi regime?

    Non-threatening.

    The Swing Youth presented more cultural opposition rather than a genuine threat to the Nazi regime.