Opposition and resistance LO: How effectively did the Nazis deal with the people who opposed them?
Why so little opposition? 1. FEAR! risk of arrest, torture, death for criticising Hitler/ Nazis 2. NAZI SUCCESSES -economic recovery -return to order and traditional values -successful foreign policy 3. ECONOMIC FEAR -If I speak out I’ll lose my job -better to “keep my head down” 4. PROPAGANDA -all news, TV and films were controlled -most people only heard “good” news
GroupReason for opposing? What actions, if any, did they take? How did Nazis deal with them? Roman Catholic Churchmen Archbishop Galen Protestant Churchmen Pastor Martin Niemoller Dietrich Bonhoffer Army officers – inc. Claus von Stauffenburg
GroupReason for opposing? What actions, if any, did they take? How did Nazis deal with them? “Swing” Youth Edelweiss Pirate gangs White Rose Group
GroupReason for opposing? What actions, if any, did they take? How did Nazis deal with them? Communists (KPD) Socialists / Social Democrats (SPD)
Video resources (Youth Opposition video – 8:30) =PL6C76657C79103DA1http:// =PL6C76657C79103DA1 (12m) L6C76657C79103DA1http:// L6C76657C79103DA1 (11m) Opposition to the Nazis Part 1 & Part 2 (Youtube; MrGreen1066) (Valkyrie trailer 2-3 mins)
Word association game Quick fire exchange of related words about Nazi Germany… … but you cannot say “Nazi” or “Hitler” “Nazi”, “Hitler”, an unrelated word, or an overly long pause and you lose…
Size of opposition Between the Nazis arrested 500,000 Germans for active resistance / opposition We don’t know exact figures but probably over 100,000 were killed KEY POINT: Even in late 1930s not all Germans supported Hitler!!
When the Nazis came for the Communists I was silent. I was not a Communist. When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats [Socialists] I was silent. I was not a Social Democrat. When the Nazis came for the Trade Unionists I was silent. I was not a Trade Unionist. When the Nazis came for the Jews I was silent. I wasn’t a Jew. When the Nazis came for me there was no one left to protest. – Martin Niemoller