How did the Nazis keep control of the people between 1934 and 1945?

Learning objective – to be able to explain how the Nazis were able to suppress opposition between 1934 and I can describe some of the ways how the Nazis were able to keep control of the German people. Grade D I can explain how the Nazis kept control of the German people using features of the Nazi state. Grade B I can explain and assess the impact of how the Nazis were able to keep control of the German people. Grade A

Starter – This is a photograph of Toht from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Write five words to describe what impressions he gives.

How would the Nazis run Germany? Dictatorship One-party state Economic success Police state Propaganda state Expansionist

How did the Nazis keep control of the people? HitlerSSGestapo Concentration Camps Police and the courts Informers

What was Hitler’s role in running Germany? Hitler was the dictator of Germany and he was central to the vision of the Nazi Party. He set the vision but did not run the country on a day to day basis. He gave his ministers what he wanted and allowed them to work towards those objectives using whatever methods they wished. He became increasingly lazy and did very little paperwork and took even fewer decisions.

How did the SS enforce the will of the Nazis? SS – the Schutz Staffel – meant ‘protection squad’. They wore a black uniform and had extremely high physical standards, making them an elite force in the Nazi state. Led by Heinrich Himmler, they had unlimited power in terrorising the people in obedience. They used their powers of arrests without warrants, searching and confiscating property to intimidate and strike without warning. They also ran the concentration and death camps.

How did the Gestapo enforce the will of the Nazis? The state secret police after 1936, the Gestapo were known to strike whenever they wanted and had unlimited power of arresting and detaining people suspected of being against the Nazis. This power made them feared the most by Nazi opposition although as a body, they were quite small in number.

How were concentration camps used the Nazis? Originally, concentration camps were temporary prisons used to incarcerate opponents to the Nazi state. Later on, they became a permanent feature of the Nazi state used a way of pooling opposition to be used for hard labour. This pool of hard labour was used by over 150 German companies who wanted cheap slave labour to make all kinds of goods, including weapons.

What was the role of the police and the courts in the Nazi state? The Nazis just took over the police and the courts rather than get rid of them or radically reforming the system. The police were under the command of the SS and part of the informant network. The judges in the courts had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and the number of capital crimes rose from 3 to 46 under the Nazis.

How were informants used in the Nazi state? The Nazis built up a strong system of informers who kept them informed of what was going on in everyone’s daily life. Each town was divided into small block and the Block Warden would keep watch on any actions deemed anti- Nazi – which included those who did not give the ‘Heil Hitler salute’. They would write regular reports to the Nazi Party on their observations.

Main tasks Use the worksheet to guide through the continuum task which will help you consider the significance of each area of the Nazi state that was involved in suppressing opposition and controlling the people. Remember to explain each decision using the evidence from the text book and this presentation.

Subheading – My Brain Draw an outline of your brain. Fill your drawn brain with all the things you have learnt in this lesson. This can be in the form of key words, drawings, bullet points, lists – anything you like so long as it summarises your learning and that others can understand it. Plenary – My Brain