A2 Test Nazi Germany 1933-39
1. Which politician convinced President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor in January 1933?
Franz von Papen persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor because he thought that Hitler could be controlled by conservatives in the cabinet including himself as Vice Chancellor.
2. Which political party agreed to support Hitler and vote in favour of the Enabling Act?
The Centre Party agreed to support the Nazis because they were scared that if they refused the Nazis would lose patience with the constitutional process and take power by force and plunge the country into a civil war. they also hoped that supporting the Nazis would gain the Nazis gratitude and possibly help them in the near future.
3. What did the Nazis mean when they spoke of Gleichschaltung?
The word translates as coordination. The Nazis used this word to describe the process whereby they tried to bring all of Germany’s institutions under the control of the Nazi party and thereby secure Nazi power.
4. Name two groups in German society that the Nazis moved harshly against?
The Nazis moved harshly against Communists and socialists as they saw these groups as dangerous and a threat to their hold on power. Likewise they moved against the Jews again because they saw this group as dangerous and a threat to the integrity of the German race.
5. Name two groups in German society that the Nazis moved softly against?
The Nazis moved gently against the army and the Catholic Church softly. This was because they considered the Army too powerful to alienate and the Catholic church was too influential amongst millions of Germans, particularly in the south of Germany.
6. What were Himmler’s motives in persuading Hitler to move against Rohm and the SA?
Himmler wanted institutional independence for his SS from Rohm’s SA. Likewise he no longer wished to be subordinate to Rohm in the Nazi hierarchy.
7. What is the traditionalist view of Hitler as dictator?
The traditionalist view is that Hitler was a strong dictator dominating and controlling a highly efficient and organised regime.
8. How do Mommsen and Kershaw differ in their interpretations of chaos in the Nazi government?
Both men accept that the system of nazi government was chaotic. The biggest difference is their respective analysis of how this chaos affected Hitler’s position as dictator. Mommsen , as a revisionist, argues that the chaos indicates that Hitler was a weak dictator whilst Kershaw, as a consensus historian argues that the chaos actually indicates that Hitler was a strong dictator.
9. Where did the Nazis build their first concentration camp?
At Dachau , not far from Munich.
10. What was the function of the DAF?
The DAF was the German Labour front. This was the Nazi trade union that replaced all independent trade unions. Its main function was to organise and discipline the workforce as well as take care of its welfare.
11. What is the revisionist view of the role of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany?
Although not detracting from their coercive and terrorising activities revisionists also stress that element of cooperation and support that the Gestapo enjoyed from parts of the German population.
12. What were lebensborn?
These were set up by the SS. They were in effect baby farms whose function was to enable Aryan women to breed with SS men and therefore produce racially pure babies and help increase the size of the population.
13. Who replaced Schacht as economics supremo in 1936?
Herman Goering. His more radical proposals to massively increase rearmament and move towards a war economy quicker was more in keeping with Hitler’s wishes and therefore secured in his rise to pre-eminence.
14. Why did the Nazis wish to pursue a policy of autarky?
Hitler was convinced that one of the reasons that Germany had lost the First World War was the fact that Germany had been too reliant on imports to maintain its war effort. The British blockade of German ports had forced Germany’s economic collapse. Hitler was determined that in a future war Germany would be self sufficient and would therefore be able to wage war indefinitely.
15. What was the function of the Reich Chamber of Culture?
Its function was to try and ensure that German culture was purified of any Jewish or non German elements and that it reflected the Nazi idea of what German culture should be. By controlling membership of various chambers the Nazis were able to censor and prohibit who could participate in German cultural life.
16. What was the volksgemeinschaft.
This was the racial community. This was the Nazi concept that all Germans belonged to a community of the race shorn of any divisions of class or political affiliation. All Germans, rich or poor would be united as one, all comrades of the same blood, all working together for the betterment of the race.
17. What was the function of the BdM?
This was the League of German Girls. It was the female equivalent of the Hitler youth. Its role was to prepare girls for their place in the volksgemeinschaft as mothers. Emphasis on sport and fitness along with political indoctrination also played an important part.
18. Which group within German society was said to have given most support to the Nazis?
Although it is hard to state categorically who supported the Nazis many historians believe that a lot of support came from the middle class (Mittelstand), protestants and males.
19. Who was Pastor Niemoeller?
He was a Protestant churchman who spoke out against the Nazis. He was eventually arrested and placed in a concentration camp.
20. What was the T4 Project?
This was a secret programme in which the Nazis murdered mentally and physically handicapped children who were considered unproductive. The programme was extended to adults and poison gas was used for the first time to take life.
21. Give three reasons why the autobahn were built?
Firstly, the construction of the autobahn provided plenty of jobs and helped to reduce unemployment as well as leading to a boom in the road building and associated industries. The programme also had propaganda value as a demonstration of the dynamism and genius of the Nazi government and the German people. The autobahns it was hoped would greatly increase trade and help the economy and lastly it was envisaged that the autobahns that went to the borders of Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium and Holland would have military advantages for the quick transport of troops.
22. Who was Albert Speer?
He was Hitler’s favourite architect who was commissioned to design many of the grand public buildings that Hitler wished to construct as well as helping in the designs of the future Germania which was to be built over Berlin. During the war he increased his power taking over responsibility for directing the German economy.
23. The nazi government has been described as polycratic. What does this mean?
Polycratic is the term used to describe the nature of Nazi government whereby there were a variety of bodies and institutions who often had vague, similar and often overlapping remits that led to confusion and competition between them.
24. What, according to the Nazis, were a-socials?
This was the term the Nazis used to describe those Germans who did not participate fully as members of the volksgemeinschaft, maybe they showed insufficient enthusiasm for taking part in Nazi organised events or clubs. Maybe they were seen as odd and not fitting in.
25. On what issue did Cardinal Galen successfully and publicly criticise the Nazis about?
He criticised in his sermons the Nazi policy of compulsory euthanasia. This forced the Nazis to temporarily suspend the programme. Due to his influence and position the Nazis felt unable to move against Galen. This was one of the rare examples of successful protest against the Nazi regime after 1933.