Opposition to Hitler

Opposition from Jewish people

Jewish opposition Underground resistance: attacked German troops, and blew up bridges, etc. Camps: At Treblinka, prisoners with stolen weapons attacked the SS staff. Most of the rebels were shot, though several dozen prisoners escaped. At Auschwitz, four Jewish women successfully blew up the gas ovens – all four were executed. Ghettos: The inhabitants of the Warsaw ghetto rose up in rebellion when news leaked out that the Nazis planned to deport them all to the Treblinka extermination camp.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising As German forces entered the Warsaw ghetto in April 1943 to destroy it, the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB) pelted German tanks with hand grenades. Numbers Heavy machine guns Sub-machine guns Rifles Germans 2,100 13 135 1358 Jews 1,200 2 17

Rebellions in Auschwitz

Escapes from Auschwitz 800 prisoners escaped from Auschwitz. 400 of these prisoners were recaptured and executed. Many of these prisoners were hanged and the other prisoners were made to watch. If someone did escape 10 people from the prisoners block, were starved to death. Or the family of the escapee were sent to Auschwitz.

Revolt in the Gas Chambers On October 7, 1944, the Jewish Sonderkommandos (those who were put to work in the gas chambers and crematoria) of Auschwitz staged an uprising. They attacked the SS with makeshift weapons: stones, axes, hammers, other work tools and homemade grenades. They caught the SS guards by surprise, overpowered them and blew up the Crematorium IV, using explosives smuggled in from a weapons factory by female inmates. One of the SS guards was thrown into the ovens. 600 prisoners escaped, but were all soon captured and, along with an additional group who helped in the revolt, were executed

Rebelled and would not talk. Rosa Robota, a 23-year-old Polish Jew imprisoned at Auschwitz, helped lead the only revolt in the infamous camp's history. Rosa took part in perhaps the most dramatic of these uprisings, when she and fellow female slave laborers at a munitions plant smuggled explosive powder into the camp. On Oct. 7, 1944, prisoners used the powder to blow up a gas chamber and kill several Nazi guards. Rosa and her female coconspirators endured weeks of torture by the Nazis, but never divulged the names of dozens of their male and female . Rosa and the others were publicly hanged on January 6th,1945.

Opposition from Young People

Opposition from Young people The Swing movement met to dance and listen to forbidden jazz music, and welcomed Jews in their clubs.

Opposition from Young people A group of young people who disagreed with the Hitler youth. The Edelweiss Pirates, or Navajos, helped deserters and refugees during the war. Some made raids on military depots, or sabotaged war production.

Edelweiss- What happened? The Nazi response to the group was harsh. Individuals identified by the Gestapo were often rounded up, and released with their heads shaved to shame them. In some cases, young people were sent to concentration camps or prison

Edelweiss- What happened? On October 25, 1944, Heinrich Himmler ordered a crackdown on the group. In November of that year, a group of thirteen people, were publicly hanged in Cologne.

The White Rose Group-Who? This was a non violent student resistance group. The group thought that young people, had the power to overthrow Hitler. The group became known for an anonymous leaflet campaign, lasting from June 1942 until February 1943. The campaign called for active opposition to Hitler.

The White Rose Group- What happened? The six core members of the group were arrested by the Gestapo, after a student saw them throwing leaflets from a window. There was a trial lasting a few hours, and they were and they were executed by beheading in 1943 the same day.

Who was killed? Sophie Scholl (21) was a primary school teacher, and Hans Scholl (24), were brother and sister. Hans was forced to be a medic with the German army. He saw Jewish people being murdered. In the pamphlets it told of atrocities. Both were executed by the guillotine. Their parents were arrested and put in prison as was their sister Inge (25).

Opposition from Communists

Opposition from Communists By 1935 the Gestapo had managed to find many Communists, and there were mass trials. Although some small Communist cells continued. A famous cell ‘Red Orchestral’ manages to from 1938-42 to transmit information to Moscow. All the members were eventually caught and tortured.

Opposition from Conservatives The Kreisau circle was created. A group of conservative elites formed after the military defeats in 1942-43. It was a group of officers, aristocrats, academics, and churchmen who met at the Kreisau estate of Helmut Von Moltke. This group discussed for a new Germany, after Hitler. Some were supporters of the Stauffenberg plot in 1944.

Opposition from the church

Opposition from religious people The Catholic Church was even less willing to face up to Hitler. This was partly because the Nazis had reached a deal with the Pope (the Concordat). One exception was Cardinal Galen, who delivered a powerful sermon against the Nazi euthanasia programme in 1941.

What happened? The sermon sent a shockwave through the Nazi leadership all the way up to Hitler. He ordered the arrest of three parish priests who had distributed Cardinal Galen’s sermon, and then had them beheaded. However, Hitler left Galen unharmed.

Martin Niemoller He was a WW1 hero, he had been u boat commander who won awards for bravery. He was a protestant Minister and during the 1930’s he criticised Hitler, and created his own confessional church. He and hundreds of others was put into concentration camps. He was sentenced to death, but survived.

Opposition from the army

Opposition from the military He ordered the arrest of three parish priests who had distributed Cardinal Galen’s sermon, and then had them beheaded. However, Hitler left Galen unharmed. On 20 July 1944, Colonel von Stauffenberg, leader of the plotters, attended a meeting at Hitler’s headquarters. Present were 24 officers and Hitler himself. Not long after the start of the meeting, Stauffenberg made his excuses and left, leaving behind a briefcase containing a bomb. Minutes later, the bomb exploded.

Did Hitler die? Stauffenberg flew to Berlin and announced that Hitler was dead, and that the army generals were taking over. Within hours, the plotters had been rounded up by the Gestapo. They were given a short trial, and then shot.

Overall….. Jewish people Young people Communists Religious people Military