How did the Nazi government control Germany in the 1930s? Starter: What can you remember from last lesson? How did the Reichstag fire benefit Hitler? What did the Enabling Act do? List three things Hitler did immediately after the Enabling Act was passed. What was the Night of the Long Knives? Who died in 1934 allowing Hitler the chance to create the office of ‘Fuhrer’ In this lesson, we will: Describe how the SS, SD and Gestapo helped control Germany Assess the value of a primary source.

What was the police state? The state that Hitler created after 1933 is known as a police state. This means the Nazi’s used the police to control what people did and said. Anyone who did or said anything to harm the state were punished. The police state kept the Nazis in control. The main organisations used by Hitler to control Germany were the SS, the SD and the Gestapo. They also used concentration camps to imprison any enemies of the state. Hitler also controlled the legal system – this meant his enemies had no chance of success if false charges could be brought against them and the courts were controlled by the Nazis.

Joseph Goebbels -Minister of Propaganda Rudolf Hess -Deputy Fuhrer of Germany Heinrich Himmler -Head of the SS -Coordinator of concentration camps Herman Goring -Prussian Interior Minister -Founder of Gestapo Reinhard Heydrich -Head of the SD -Head of Gestapo

What was the SS? Run by Heinrich Himmler (right) In 1932 they were given distinct black uniforms and the lighting bolt logo to distinguish them from the SA. In the 1930s, the SS acted as the Nazi police force. They were 100% loyal to Hitler and Himmler. It was the SS who warned Hitler about Rohm in 1934 and executed hundreds of political enemies during the Night of Long Knives. The SS arrested enemies of the state and had them executed at concentration camps. They led the campaign to rid the Jews from Germany – in 1938, they arrested 300,000 Jews and send them to concentration camps. Himmler was very careful about who joined the SS. He wanted only the pure Germans who were expected to marry “racially pure” wives and breed strong soldiers of the future.

What was the Gestapo? Non-uniformed secret police, set up in 1933 by Hermann Goerring. Goerring handed control of the Gestapo over to Himmler in 1934 who gave it to Heydrich. By 1936 Hitler had created a unified police force so the SS, SD and Gestapo worked together. Aim was to identify anyone who was a threat. They spied on people, tapped phones and used a network of undercover agents to identify suspects. Had the power to torture to gain confessions. In 1939, 160,000 people were arrested without trial and many were never seen again. People simply disappeared. Main weapon was fear – Germans were scared of them because anyone could be a gestapo agent. Fear was more powerful than the men themselves – there were only 30,000 Gestapo to police 80 million people.

What was the SD? The SD (Security Force) was originally formed in 1931 by Heinrich Himmler (head of the SS) as a security force to monitor its opponents. They were led by Reinhard Heydrich (head of the Bavarian police and former Freikorps volunteer) The SD used a network of officers and spies to collect information on anyone who was opposed to the Nazi Party or German government both at home and abroad. Records were held at the Nazi Party headquarters in Munich, not at any official government building.

What is “Gestapo death list” in reference to? Source A: Cartoon drawn by David Low, 1942. The book says “Gestapo Death List”. The city below is Berlin. All targets What is “Gestapo death list” in reference to? Who do the black figures represent? How are they being portrayed? (What does this mean?) Is Low’s interpretation of this reliable as evidence of how Hitler controlled Germany? Explain how.

“Gestapo death list” is being held by Heinrich Himmler “Gestapo death list” is being held by Heinrich Himmler. This valuable as it is accurate – Himmler had been handed control of the Gestapo by Goering. The Gestapo gathered intelligence on potential enemies of the state and gave the information to the SS. The black uniforms and hats mean these men are SS officers. They are holding clubs and whips suggesting they were violent. This is valuable as it is true – the SS acted as the Nazi police force. They arrested enemies and executed them e.g. during the Night of the Long Knives enemies like Rohm and Von Kahr were shot without trial. Low is suggesting that Germany is being watched and controlled by dark forces (represented by Himmler and the officers of the SS) Valuable as true – Hitler did build a tripartite system of the SS, SD and Gestapo to run a police state in Germany after 1934. It was led by Himmler and Heydrich.