Himmler and the police state - Gestapo and informers, the camps. Opposition

Connector vympV8http:// vympV8 What is happening in the video

Outcomes To know the different roles of the security forces To interpret sources To see how the Nazi state has been viewed as popular/efficient

Heinrich Himmler Born in 1900, as a young man was sent by his father (the headmaster at his school) to spy on other pupils, his father called him “a born criminal” He joined the SS in 1925 and rose through its ranks (it had members) and as the SS became separated from the SA He also created the SD in 1931, and controlled the Gestapo By 1936 he was made Chief of German Police By 1939 all law enforcement was drawn under his control under the RSHA (Reich Security Office) and his deputy Heydrich

OrganisationRole SDGathered intelligence Kripo (police)Normal police- arrests and asocials GestapoLinked to Kripo, reputation for surveillance, repression, brutality, arrest and detain without trial SSStarted as Hitler’s personal bodyguard, policed camps, disciplined the opposition Waffen SSArmed SS members racially pure, fantatically loyal, committed to Nazi ideology, grew after 1938 Orpo Sipo Regular police Party security

Diagram from book Look at your source sheet –11K, 11L, 11.18, 11M

Power of SS Expanded as Germany did “state within a state ” Security Protect Hitler Root out enemies Camps SD reports Military Waffen SS Surpressing uprisings Economy V-weapons production Slave labour armaments Ideology and Race Started holocaust Run elite schools Racial genetics Create master race

Gestapo Traditionally seen as an all knowing totalitarian police state organisation Actaully this was a myth propagated by the Nazis and by Allied propaganda See source But –It only had agents –Some large cities ( people) had only agents –Much work was generated by informants, usually gossip, which made for a lot paperwork but little return

Polycratic (dualism)- There were many competing bodies, overlapping civil servants and Nazi organisations When a problem arose Hitler simply created a new organisation Would this make the state efficient or choatic?

Need to add opposition and camps

Where did power lie? An example of a question would be: –“The government of the Nazi state was chaotic and lacked coherence in the years 1933 to 1939” –How far do you agree with the view that the Nazi regime was strong and successful in the period ? –“Systematic extermination emerged as the Final Solution to the Jewish Question as a result of the chaotic nature of the Nazi state” –“The handling of the economy was poorly co- ordinated and this accounts for the weaknesses in German war production in the years ”

Feudalist Has been used to describe the dominance of the Nazi leaders at the top of the party These leaders, like Barons, owed their allegiance to the King (Hitler/Fuhrer) Can you think of any examples? Why would this support Hitler’s leadership?

Chaotic As there were many overlapping bodies it became unclear where responsibility lay The confusion was only allieved when Hitler intervened which he rarely did This stemmed from Hitler’s charismatic leadership- everyone relying on the leader with no clear power structure Therefore access to Hitler was the key to success with many leading Nazi’s visitng Hitler too keep influence with him

Activity AspectIntentionalistStructuralist Hitler’s Vision Hitler’s power Choatic nature of Third Reich The Holocaust WW2 Nature of Nazism

Source question in book “The government of the Nazi state was chaotic and lacked coherence in the years 1933 to 1939”How far do you agree with this opinion? Explain your answer using the evidence of sources V W and X and your knowledge of the issues relating to the controversy.

Review How powerful was the SS and the Gestapo?