Control and opposition Part two Political and youth opposition

Aims of the lesson By the end of the lesson you will Understand why the Nazis faced little political opposition and how they dealt with it Describe the main features of anti-Nazi youth movements and to evaluate their effectiveness and the reasons for their failure

Political opposition When Hitler came to power the opposition was divided One party state – all other parties banned State governments abolished and replaced by a Nazi Gaulieter Concentration camps for those who opposed Nazis

Communists and Socialists Communists and SPD forced underground – leaders put in prison Others fled abroad – communists to Moscow, socialists to Paris Most activists gave up the chase and decided to wait for the Nazi government to fall

Conservative opposition Many conservatives accepted Nazi rule as a better alternative to the communists Most conservatives went along with Nazi policies Only when the war started to go wrong in 1943 did they start to turn against Hitler

Youth opposition Nazis targeted young people – had to join HJ or BDM Curriculum was tightly controlled at school Teenage years a natural time to rebel against authority Many young people tried to take on the Nazis and all failed

Hitler Youth and the war War in 1939 caused problems in the Hitler Youth – leaders sent to war Teenagers put in charge – caused problems Many refused to obey orders from their peers This type of opposition was common towards then end of the war

Swing Youth Nazis banned jazz music and controlled what young people could do and wear Many middle class youths rebelled against this and started to play jazz music and wear banned clothes Nazis clamped down on them – sent to concentration camps Sent out a powerful message

Edelweiss Pirates Groups of youths who beat up Hitler Youth members and sheltered army deserters Killed the head of the Gestapo in Cologne A small group but caused havoc Most of its members had been hung by the end of the war

White Rose Movement Based at Munich Uni Led by Hans and Sophie Scholl Distributed leaflets publicising atrocities committed in Poland and Russia 1943 the Scholls and the other leaders were caught and executed