History GCSE Revision

Reichstag Fire
Date: 27th February 1993
how Hitler used it to his advantage: The Nazis blamed the Communists for the blaze thus weakening their election campaign
what was 'Protection of the people of the state': it allowed government to suspend many civil rights
Enabling Act
Why? allowed the government to introduce laws without the Reichstag's approval for 4 years
How? needed support of 2/3 of the Reichstag. Since Communists leaders in jail, Hitler only needed support from the Centre Party, to get this he promised to protect the rights of the Catholic church

Gleichschaltung

• April 1933 ~ Jews & Politicial opponents removed from jobs in the civil service & legal profession
• May 1933 ~ all trade unions outlawed & replaced with DAF
• July 1993 ~ Germany became a one-party-state
• January 1934 ~ introduced Law for the Reconstruction of the State. Abolished all of Germany's state governments - except Prussia which was run by Herman Goring

Ernst Rohm

• threatened Hitler's position
• commander of the SA
• believed Hitlers takeover would lead to a revolution
• SA would replace the army

Army

• Rohms plans worried the army
• Hitler feard the army - the only group that could overthrow him
• Hitler needed the army - some of its leaders supported him

Night of the Long Knives

• 30th June 1934
• anyone suspecting of threatening group was killed
• Rohm, von Schleicher and von Kahr were killed
• nearly 200 people killed

Fuhrer

• Hindenburg died on the 2nd August 1934
• day earlier new law: combing posts of president & chancellor
• Hitler now president & chancellor
• Army swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler

Volksgemeinschaft

• Leading Nazis
• Provincial Leaders
• Regional Leaders
• Cell Leaders
• Local Leaders

headed by Dr Joseph Gobbels

• journalists approved by nazis
• radios that only broadcast nazi stations
• editors law
• nazi publisher
• propaganda mininstry briefings
• loud speakers
• radio stations

Censorship of the press, cinema, theatre, music & literature. In May 1933, 20,000 books were burned symbolically in Berlin.

(i) Success

• helped reinforce existing beliefs
• germany's culture was damaged

(ii) Failure

• didnt get people to accept new ideas

For the Nazi's a woman's role was centred around "Children Church and Cooking".

• un-married mothers sent to homes were racially pure ** men could impregnate them
• divorce ending childless marriages easier
• abortion & contraception made harder
• women forced from the workplace
• The Mother's Cross
• additional welfare benefits & lower tax rates
• couple - 1000 marks & 25% written off everytime there was a child

(i) Success

• birth rates increased in 1939
• numbers of professional women went down

(ii) Failure

• birth rate still lower than in Golden Twenties
• jobs increased b/c drive for rearmament and autarky took off

At School:

• dismissed Jewish & unreliable teachers
• teachers joined NSLB (by 1939 97% of teachers were in)
• importance of History, Geography, Biology & P.E
• special schools to teach the future leaders; Castles of Order
• prepared boys for military & girls for motherhood

Free Time:
age 6-10 cubs
age 10-14 Young German Folk Young Girls
age 14-18 Hitler Youth League of German Girls
age 18-21 Faith & Beauty

(i) Success

• promoted military regime
• use of propaganda

(ii) Failure

• quality of education suffered
• minorty avoided joining the youth movements
• rebel groups; Edelweiss Pirates & Swing Youth