Nazi Dictatorship 1933-39
- Created by: evecrowley17
- Created on: 04-04-18 17:42
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- Nazi Dictatorship 1933-9
- role of Hitler
- character
- charismatic + dynamic image cultivated by propaganda
- indolent (slept in, pet projects, loathed paperwork + committees)
- leadership
- lacked decisiveness
- decline of cabinet gov for informal conversation decisions
- 'charismatic domination'
- Fuhrer power
- in theory unlimited
- merged offices for chancellor + president
- constitutional/ practical issues
- dependent on subordinates to enact policies
- in theory unlimited
- character
- economic recovery
- Schacht's economic policy
- adopted deficit financing (revival of public investment + increase in state spending to stimulate demand and raise income)
- banking and control of capital
- state increased control
- lower interest rates
- reschedule authorities' debts
- assistance for farming + small businesses
- financial benefits e.g. tariffs + subsidies from Reich Food Estate
- Reich Entailed Farm Law (more security of land)
- state investment in public works
- voluntary Labour Service
- 1935 RAD (Reich Labour Service; 6m before conscription service)
- expenditure spread among rearmament, construction, + transportation
- directed towards reforestation, land reclamation, motorisation (autobahns), + building in first 3y
- results
- triple investment + 70% increase in gov expenditure 1933-6
- growth in jobs (1936 1.6m unemployed from 6m 1932)
- coincided w natural upturn in business cycle
- Hitler avoided detailed policies from offset
- balance of payments problems
- worried increased demand= inflation + trade deficit (due to imports>exports as lack of demand)
- political implications
- Schacht's New Plan 1934
- gov control of economy to limit imports
- bilateral trade treaties (save foreign exchange + extend influence)
- regulated Reichsmark
- mefo bills (system of deferred payment by gov to arms firms; disguised gov spending)
- created jobs + GNP grown 40% 1933-6
- but structural issues
- worried increased demand= inflation + trade deficit (due to imports>exports as lack of demand)
- Schacht's economic policy
- party and the state
- dualism
- Hitler's ambiguity caused competition (fuhrerprinzip)
- instinctive + vague declarations (interpreted)
- polycratic gov w overlapping ministries
- Hitler's ambiguity caused competition (fuhrerprinzip)
- propaganda showed organised totalitarian image
- 1934 Reconstruction of the Reich
- state instituions
- 1939 compulsory for civil service to join party
- Reich Chancellery (run by Lammers)
- co-ordinated gov + drew legislation
- hard w so many organisations
- gov ministries run by civil servants
- regional govs dissolved
- Courts
- judiciary system manipulated to oppress opposition
- judges + lawyers co-ordinated + forced to join Nazi Lawyer's Association
- few replaced
- legal authorities subordinate to **
- 1933 Special Courts (w/o jury)
- party institutions
- specialist organisations e.g. HJ, DAF wanted to uphold interest
- became more splintered
- gauleiters only reported to Hitler (preserved interests + resisted authorities)
- Untitled
- haphazard gov and law
- dualism
- German Army
- co-operation 1934-7
- believed NotLK removed radical SA + would benefit them
- political realism held Hitler back from involvement til 1938
- oath of loyalty (commitment + future resistance was treason)
- Blomberg + Fritsch support
- encouraged by
- expansion of rearmament
- conscription (army to 550,000)
- Saar + Rhineland success
- believed NotLK removed radical SA + would benefit them
- Blomberg-Fritsch crisis 1937-8
- alarmed by talk of war at Hossbach conference 1937
- forced resignation and replaced
- armed forces reorganised under Wehrmacht + Hitler added commander-in-chief + minister of war
- drastically reduce Army's power
- 1938-42 Nazi policies so successful ruined doubting officers plans
- opposition grew during decline of war
- co-operation 1934-7
- propaganda and censorship
- aims
- glorify regime
- spread ideology + censor unacceptable
- integrate population into Volksgemeinschaft
- radio and press
- broadcasting under Reich Radio Company
- 'creators of public opinion'
- 1937, 70% homes had a radio
- broadcast in public places
- dismissed 13% of staff on politcal + racial grounds
- 1933 4700+ regional newspapers
- publishing house bought 2/3
- merged into state-controlled DNB
- 1933 Editors' Law (editor's responsibility to meet requirements or consequences)
- 1944 party's official paper reached 1.7m
- broadcasting under Reich Radio Company
- culture
- greatly censored
- e.g. literature and visual arts
- propaganda tool to achieve indoctrination
- e.g. cinema + 'the Eternal Jew'
- greatly censored
- Berlin Olympics
- aimed to glorify regime + ideology w/o upset
- image of 'new Germany'
- promoted internationally through extensive media coverage e.g. radio, film, TV
- impressive facilities
- aimed to glorify regime + ideology w/o upset
- Nazi ritual
- strengthened identity w regime
- achieved through greeting, salute, uniforms, anthems etc.
- Nazi calender
- succeeded in cultivating 'Hitler myth' + strengthening regime (less so denouncing opponents e.g. church + creating distinct culture)
- underpinned other policies, less important than police state
- aims
- Four-Year Plan + industrial elites
- aims and objectives
- under Goring
- aimed to expand rearmament + autarky (self-sufficiency)
- regulate imports+ exports
- control labour force e.g. DAF
- increase raw materials + agricultural production
- avoid importing
- develop substitute products e.g. oil form coal
- Schacht suggested reducing arms expenditure to increase production of exportable goods
- 'guns or butter'
- leadership thought would cost rearmament
- effects of 4 Year Plan
- decline of Schacht (resigned + replaced w Funk but Goring in control)
- mixed success
- expanded production of key materials e.g. rubber
- short of targets
- imports reliance didn't increase
- still 1/3 of raw materials imported during war
- expanded production of key materials e.g. rubber
- influence of industrial elites
- limited demand for consumer goods
- big businesses extended influence + small lost out
- expansion of electro-chemical sector due to role in rearmament
- overtook Schacht + consumer goods
- Ruhr barons lost power whe refused to co-operate (nationalised)
- limited demand for consumer goods
- aims and objectives
- police state
- Gestapo
- secret state police (surveillance and repression)
- arrest + detain w/o trial
- omnipresent image (cultivated themselves + by the allies)
- limited impact?
- only 40,000 agents
- concentrated on outsiders/asocials?
- totalitarian police state?
- limited impact?
- somewhat relied on Kripo
- general law + order security
- ** and Himmler
- formed 1925 as Hitler's personal security (division of SA)
- 250 members; 1929 Himmler joined; 1933 52,000
- totally committed
- 1934 Night of the Long Knives
- became independent
- 1939 Reich Security Office (RSHA) overseen by Himmler/ Heydrich
- amalgamated police
- answered only to Hitler
- ** state
- oversaw security, military, economy (New Order), and ideology + race (camps)
- key power bloc in Third Reich
- main functions
- policing
- intelligence
- treatment of opposition
- Waffen ** paramilitary action
- overtook German Army
- could arrest anyone thought to be dangerous w/o question under Nacht und Nebel decree
- formed 1925 as Hitler's personal security (division of SA)
- key element in 'machine of terror'
- Gestapo
- role of Hitler
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