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how did the nazis take control in northeim? - Coggle Diagram
how did the nazis take control in northeim?
tackling unemployment
many northeimers had voted pro nazi due to the effects of the great depression
in june 1933 there was more than 500 registered unemployed
in july the nazis used money from central government to set the unemployed to work
in july four 450 people were employed by the council to repair roads and tidy up woods and forests around town
the moat around the old town was drained and transformed into a ring of swan pond and parks
a book of honour was started which listed the names of businesses that had taken on unemployed workers
on the 24th of july ernst girmann announced at a press conference that the nazis had eliminated unemployment in northeim
the truth behind ernst's claims was somewhat different
most of the money used to pay for the new jobs had been allocated to the town by the weimar government before the nazi party had come to power it had just taken longer and then expected to be transferred
socialists and communists who had been dismissed from their jobs could not register as unemployed and was therefore excluded from this scheme
their jobs were subsequently given to nazis
new work schemes regardless of their skills or previous occupations
however if they did not join the schemes they got no unemployment benefit
taking over the council
before the first council meeting nazi arranged for one social democrat to be arrested by local police and put in prison 'for spreading reports of anit-government nature'
as a prisoner he was barred from being a councillor and had to resign
removed other political competition in the local council through bullying
moved location of first council meeting from town hall to ballroom of local hotel
decorated with swastikas and images of hitler
ballroom filled with large numbers of SA and SS men
nazi sat at large table, centre stage and socialist leaders where placed at the side of hall on a considerably smaller table
socialist leaders was told he was unable to speak at council meeting
socialist councillors left the hall in protest - spat on by nazi officers as they left
however controlling the council did not give nazis control of individual
co-ordination/gleichschaltung
in northeim there was a large range of 50+ clubs and organisations which nazis wished to remove or take over
used the argument that now there was a nazi majority in reichstag all other organisations should have the same
sports clubs were co-ordinated - gym club, football clubs and swimming clubs were merged into one nazi-led sports club run by hermann denzler, head of SA in northeim
immediately declared new focus on military training
local choirs and singing groups including those for working class, middle class and upper class were to elect nazi leadership
working class choir run by socialists dissolved - new classless 'mixed choral singing club' was created in 1933
same happened to town bands, trade unions, the red cross, museum society town library and later schools, churches and youth groups were taken under nazi control
due to co-ordination opposition of any kind became almost impossible
persecuting jews
within northeim the population of jews was estimated to be around 100
on the 1st of april 1933 nazis announced a boycott of jewish businesses
SA men were posted outside businesses and nazis ran newspapers telling people to boycott these stores
newspapers included a clip-out coupon listing jewish businesses for people to carry at all times
socialists within northeim went out of their way to continue shopping at jewish run businesses
however this was a minority group and most northeimers isolated the jewish population
many jews who had previously been part of many organisations in northeim quietly resigned in order to avoid the hatred of nazis
many gave false reasons such as pressure of work
terror
nazis convinced population of northeim that the violence used to control council/political opponents was also what anyone stepped out of line could expect
houses throughout northeim were searched for guns and ammunition
homes were subsequently ransacked and 22 were arrested, 7 of which were later taken to the local concentration camp - moringen
many other residents of northeim were arrested for minor offences such as insulting SA officers or 'spreading false rumours' about nazi party
remoured to be five gestapo informers in town
'be careful what you say' was the message passed on by residents of northiem
propoganda
intense round of meetings and marches would begin in march with a ceremonial burning of the weimar flag and a raising of the nazi banner
torch light parade of 3000 northeimers ended in a public park followed with a speech delivered by ernst girmann
april 20 - adolf hitler's birthday became a celebration day with the mandatory parade speeches and singing.
may 26th - book burning day northeimers purged their own book collections bringing band works to be burned publicly in the marketplace
within six months there were hundreds of events including theatre presentations, concerts, films and military manouvers
if you miss these events you could not avoid reading about them as they were written that along with all the avenues in nazi controlled newspapers
the nazis started their own newspaper and nazi supporters were told to cancel subscriptions to other newspapers
local businesses sold swatstikas, organised protests and speeches, created patriotic window displays and gave preferential treatment towards nazis
these newspapers quickly realised that if they were not to go bankrupt they needed to print through pro nazi news