Nazi Germany Gleichschaltung

 Nazification Completely coordinate German society along Nazi lines Initially, parallel institutions followed Gradual erosion and replacements of non-Nazi bodies Social, economic, political, cultural, religious, military, Nazification Bring into line

3  Federal autonomous power, anathema to Nazis Landtage abolished 1934 Provinces subordinated to centre, to Hitler Nazi Reich governors answer to centre Centralising the State

Trade Unions (Labour representation) Trade unions hostile to Nazism Great Depression reduced their influence Nazi declaration: International Labour Day, 1 st May nd May 1933: Occupation of trade union offices by SS + SA Arrest of labour leaders DAF (Nazi) to represent interests of labour Workers controlled not represented Controlling the workers

 Coordination of the powerful, delayed: Risk of alienation Junkers, big business, industrialists, army, churches Their support legitimises Hitler’s rule Lower ranks and SA leaders determined to extend revolution = internal party conflict Result: 1934 June: ‘Night of the Long Knives’ The Brownhouse, Munich The Elite

 Gleichschaltung:  Nazification of German legal system (Judiciary) Undermines liberal, formal legal theory Law to reflect popular feeling of national community Interpreted by Party Expressed as ‘The will of the Fuhrer’ Judges: loyal Party members Legal training includes Nazi doctrine 1941: Gurtner’s death (minister of Justice) Judiciary under SS control Bending the law

 Social control and indoctrination:  1933, Joseph Goebbels establishes: Ministry for People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda MPEP controls: ‘Reich Chamber of Culture’ RCC oversees; Fine arts, literature, music, press, theatre, radio, films Nazis: anti-intellectual, anti modernist Jewish writers, composers: outlawed Book burning, 2,500 books prohibited Promotion of propaganda: martial and anti-Semitic themes: Aryan art, volkish (Wagner) music, rustic (wholesome)

‘The Eternal Jew’. ‘The Poison Mushroom’ ‘People without Space’  Architecture: Visible 1000 year Reich Fuhrer’s involvement: Berlin, Nuremberg  Nazi controlled press: 1933 = 2.5% 1944 = 82%, others closely monitered Journalists accountable to state Subsidised radios, X6m sets Hitler broadcast speeches, 1933 = 50 Anti-Semitism

Education / indoctrination Subjects most affected: History: Nordic, Nazi, Aryan, martial Science: Nazi race theory Literature: anti-Semitic  Teachers: Tested for ideological soundness Promote and defend National Socialism Membership of Nazi Teachers Association

Emphasis: Ideological conformity Enforce spirit of National Socialism Repress free thinking, academic, intellectual pursuit Abolition of ‘Jewish’ physics:  Leads to decline in research  Loss of atomic race  Oppenheimer (Jewish) Manhattan Project Nazi appointment of Principals and Rectors Nazi approved lecturers only Universities

Adolf Hitler, 1933: ‘When an opponent declares I will not come over to your side, I calmly say, your child belongs to us already… What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.’  Elite schools (boys’ schools): 21 Napola’s - National Political Educational Institutions 10 Adolf Hitler schools Youth Policies

Nazi Youth Movements Participation: 1933 = 100, = 9,100,000+ BoysGirls (10 – 14) ‘Deutsches Jungvolk’(10 – 14) Jungmadelbund (14 – 18) ‘Hitler Jugend’(14 – 18) Bund Deutscher Madel Emphasis: Physical, para-military, politicalProper roles taught Extreme racist and nationalist