Nazi Germany 1933-39 Handout for June 2011 HTA Lecture at Sydney University

Some early views of Nazism

• Hitler the “all-powerful” dictator
• A terror state with an all-pervasive Gestapo
• Nazi totalitarian control
• The Nazi regime as the epitome of “typical German efficiency”
• Nazi aims clearly set, organised and systematically put into place

The results of later research

• Hitler the “hands-off” dictator
• The systematic erosion of legality
• Doubts about Nazi totalitarianism
• The chaos, confusion, duplication and inefficiency of the Nazi regime
• The increasing radicalisation of the Nazi regime due to its structural development

Main thrust of this lecture

• The party and state confusion
• The position of “Fuhrer”
• The development of SS-police power
• The issue of consensus
• The nature of the Nazi government

–         end of collective decision-making

–         making “laws”

–         internal rivalry

–         power outside the government

• A look at examination questions (if time)

The basis of “fuhrer power”

• Hans Frank (Head of Nazi Lawyers Association):

–         “constitutional law equals the legal formulation of the historic will of the Fuhrer”

• “charismatic authority now outweighed legal authority”
• Ernst Rudolf Huber (constitutional expert):

–         “laws are nothing other than the expression of communal order in which people live and which derives from the Fuhrer”

• The key word is “will”

In the lecture, I mentioned the film “Sophie Scholl: The Last Days” – highly recommened, especially for the trial scene.  I couldn’t find an English version of the trial scene but this is a link to the interrogation which is also instructive.

Assess the role of propaganda, terror and repression in the maintenance of Nazi power up to 1939.

• Text type: assess

–         Make a judgment about the role of each, do not simply describe what each involved

• Focus of question:

–         Role of each in maintaining Nazi power

–         Role of each in eliminating effective opposition

• Pitfalls:

–         Watch the time frame: 1933-39, ie consolidation period as well as the longer time frame

–         Difference between repression and terror?

–         Danger of a simple chronology – this happened, then this…

• A simple narrative account might give a maximum of only 15/ 25

–         Avoid saying: it was none of these things, it was all due to Nazi popularity

• This “ignoring the issue of the question” approach can get you 8/ 25

 

• Propaganda, terror and repression worked to complement each other in the maintenance of Nazi power

–         Propaganda played up the role of Hitler, the benefits of the regime and the futility of opposition

–         Repression operated to “coordinate” society and Nazify the country

–         Terror highlighted the results of defiance

• Result: the atomisation of society and hence the maintenance of Nazi power

- The role of propaganda:

–         Goebbels and the Fuhrer Myth (Kershaw)

–         The domestic benefits of Nazi rule

• Economic/ social/ youth/ women

–         Foreign policy successes – poll results

• Monopoly of the media and exclusion of alternative views

 

• The role of repression
• Its role during the Gleischaltung period:

–         from Reichstag Fire Decree to end of the Reichsraat

–         Rabbit breeders association (Evans)

• The more subtle, background style of repression

–         eg Gestapo surveillance

–         “doing the Gestapo’s work”

 

• Always in the background the reality of Nazi terror

–         Organs of terror

–         The price of defiance or opposition

–         Always in the public forum

• eg the opening of Dachau
• Harsh reality of Nazi terror

–         After the Reichstag Fire

–         30 June 1934

–         Kristelnacht

• Significance:

–         Who was affected?  Not many

–         The atomisation of society

Conclusion:

• Nazi power was maintained by a shrewd combination of propaganda, terror and repression.  In the knowledge that the regime enjoyed considerable support for its social, economic and foreign policies, effective Nazi propaganda worked to convince waverers of the benefits of Nazi rule.  During the Gleischaltung period, repression quickly removed possible sources of opposition and continued behind the scenes in the years to 1939.  However, the Nazis never hid their willingness to use terror to maintain their power.  This had the effect of cowing any potential opponents and in atomising the general population.  The result was the successful maintenance of Nazi power to 1939.