The Nazi Dictatorship

Propaganda

Purpose

Promote extremist views

Intimidation

Create support

Promote new initiatives ie. Nazi Youth

Present Hitler as a good leader

Twisting history

Influencing German behaviour/ opinions to believe in the party

Photographs

Hitler had a personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffman

Images were rehearsed and practiced to get maximum effect from his audience

Film

Goebbles was responsible for approving every film made in Germany

One thousand films were produced in the regime only one-sixth being used for propaganda

1940 three anti-semitic films were made

Films were probably more effective in keeping support for the regime than indoctrinating people with Nazism

The need for entertainment took priority

The Police State

The Gestapo

The all knowing totalitarian police state

Cultivated from Allie propaganda

Complete control

Ability to strike terror and horror

As well as it effectiveness

Limitations of policing

Limited manpower of 40,000 members for the whole country

Prompted by public informers between 50-80%

Most information was mere gossip which genetaed enormous amounts of paperwork with limited return

Culture

Anti-Semitism

Militarism and the glorification of war

Nationalism and the supremacy of the Aryan race

The cult of the Fuhrer and the power of absolution

Anti-modernism and the theme of 'Blood and Soil'

Neo-paganism and a rejection of traditional Christian values

The Economic Recovery

It was led by Hjalmar Schacht, president of the Reichbank

Banking and the control of the Capital

Intially the state took over the capital within the economy and fixed interest rates and reschedule the large scale debts of local authorities

Assistance of farmers and small business

Placed trariffs on imported goods to protect German farmers

More secrity of land ownership to small farmers through the Reich Entailed Farm Law

Allowances encouraging the rehiring of domestic servants

The allocation of grants to house repairs

Public Work

In June 1933 the 'Law to Reduce Unemployment' was passed

The voluntary labour force was aimed at 18-25 year olds also the Reich Labour Service (RAD) was established

After conscription was legalised all young men were required to serve 6 months in the RAD before joining the forces

Reforestation

Land reclamation

Motorisation

Building houses

Schacht's New Plan

In July 1934 Schacht was given dictatorial powers over the economy, which he used to introduced the 'New Plan' of September of 1934

This provided the government with complete control over all trade

Schatch's plans to help the economy to recover was proven and it was clear by mid-1936 that Germany was on the way to full economic stability

Unemployment had fallen to 1.5 million

Industrial production had increased by 60% since 1933

GNP had grown over the same period by 40%

The Four-Year Plan

The two main goals for Germany were

The Germany economy must be fit for war within four years

The German armed forces must be operational within four years

Hermann Goring was appointed in charge of making Germany autarky. In order to do this he had to:

Regulate imports and exports

Control the key sectors of the labour force

Increase production of raw materials so that they can reduce costs of importing goods into Germany

Develop substitute products for example oil (from coal) and artificial rubber

Increase agricultural produciton

Volksgemeinschaft

Industrial workers

Largest social group

Largest Nazi organisation

Fall in employment was down to the removal of women and jews and the conscription of men

DAF went form 5 million in 1933 to 22 million in 1939

Peasant and Small Farmers

Farm debts and mortages were written off plus they were given small interest plus a range of tax allownace

Small farms were bought together (collectivisation)

Landowners

German victories meant that they could acquire land cheaply

Mittlestand

Largest party to vote Nazi in the election

Money from jewish business was offered to low interest rate

The Law to Protect Retail Trade banned retail stores, many of which were jewish

They were being squeezed out due to an ageing workforce

Nazi Policy against 'outsiders'

AN outsider in Nazi Germany = person who did not conform or was not allowed to be apart of the Volksgemeinschaft of the Third Reich

The phrase 'gradualist' is used to describe the Nazi policy towards the jews - it was done bit by bit

Laws that were passed

1933

1935

1938

Jews excluded from the economy

Jews couldn't practice medicine

Jews weren't allowed in public areas

Jewish businesses closed

1939

Jewish curfew

Jews excluded from civil service

Jews lost citizenship

Jews couldn't marry