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extent and effectiveness of opposition - Coggle Diagram
extent and effectiveness of opposition
political resistance
parties on the left
SPD + KPD
stiffest resistence to hitler
fesred unions would rise benesth them
general strike to baffle the nazi takeover in 1933
left didnt pose a serious threat to the Nazi regiem
SPD
January 1933
unprepared for Nazi tekeover
committed to working within the frameworks of the legal state
wasn't equipped to organise rsistensce against the Nazis + didnt respect the law
campaigned openly for the election campaign in March 1933
suffered SA violence
SPD depities bravely faught against the enabling act in the Reichstag
Nazis began to crush the SPD
end of 1933 - thousands of SPD actavists were murdered or placed into custody
many fled to exile
Ernest Schumacher
established small cells of supporters from Prague
some city based
Berlin Red Patrol
Propaganda pamphelets smuggled accross the boarder from Czechoslovachia
constant fear of exposure
priority was to survive and be prepared for future collapes of the reigeme, not mount serious challange
KPD
background in revolutionary politics
KPD was much more prepared than the SPD when engaging in underground activity
devastated by the wave of depression upon communists
first party to be banned and Ernest Thalmann was arrested
10% of KPD membership arrested in 1933
underground networks established in german industrial centres
revolutionare unions
Berlin and Hamberg
broken up by Guestabo
secret communit activite still undertaken
communication restricted to word of mouth
priority was to survive as the party technically didnt exist and there was no serious challange to the reigeme
Resistance against workers
before 1933
German working class = most unionised workforce in Europe
SPD
largest unions in Europe
constantly opposed by the Nazis
after 1933
union resistence crumbled
after Nazis came to power trade unions were absorbed by the DAF (German Labour Front)
Nazi propaganda emphasized the inportance of national as opposed to class solidarity
strikes
very risky
Sept 1935 = 37 strikes
Rhineland
Silesia
wurttemberg
1937
250 strikes
reaction to poor working conditions and low wages
more strike action in 1935 - 36
discontent over food prices
25,000 participants of strikes
4000 went to prison
ways to express disatistication
absenteeism
against the pressure of long hours
concern over the high amount
1938
new labour regulations introduced
evere penalties for slackers
1938
114 workers arrestec in Gleiswitz for absenteeism and slow working
deliberate damage
sabotage made a criminal offence
increase numbers of prosecutions
resistence by churches
christian churches
only organistaion who retained an altenative ideology
retained some otrganisational autonomy
very powerful position
influence of the pastor of priest was at least as importants as that of the nazi party
well aware that if they got into conflict with the nazis they would loose
needed to protect their organisation
some conflicts they were not prepared to compromise
protestants and catholics found it necissary to draw a line under Nazi efforts to force them into conformity
protestant church
nazis attempted to coordinate the Protestant church into the
Volksgameinschaft
pastors Emergency League in 1934
developement into a confessional church
led by members who weren't part of the Nazi Party but were highly educated
refused to become part of a coordinated Reich Church because:
they were trying to protect the indepence of the protestant church from the nazi reigeme
resisting the attempt to impose the Aryan Paragraph on the church. this involved purging any pastor who has converted from judaeism
Aryan Paragraph - those who were not of aryan birth had to be dismissed of their jobs (applied to pastors in the evangelican church
trying to defend the orthodox Lutheran Theology - based purley on the bible
struggle between the confessional church and the nazi regieme
pastors spoke against a nazified christ
churches refused to display the swastika
2 pastors arrested ld to mass demonstrations
dissenting pastors had their sallary stopped + banned from teaching in schools
end of 1937 - 700 pastors arrested
werent silenced
didnt form opposition
indevidual pastors spoke out but the church as awjole remained silent
Roman Catholic
stronger position to retain its independence
moe united
more centralisedm
more of a tradition of independence from the state
privelages granted to the Catholic Curch in the Concordat of 1933 came under attack
1937
pope issued the papal ancylical 'with buring grief' against a background of mounting pressure against the catholic church in Germany
document smuggled into germany and secretly printed and handed out and read from the pulpiy in March 1937
open conflict with the reigeme
harges against priests for 'abuse of the pulpit' = regular occurance
many priests opposed the aspects of the nazis regime's religious policies
resistance by young people
Hitler youth channeled young people and their rebelliousness into approved activities
mid 1930s growing sign of discontent
membership of HJ was compulsory in 1936
in the late 1930's many young people opted out
growing regimentation in youth groups
if they didnt opt out they may hum tunes which had been banned
considered a great threat
some formed gangs with few having political intentions
great threat
euten gangs
old communist strongholds in Leipzig in late 1930's