Nazi Fact Sheet
‘Nazification’ of government, police and the courts The country was divided into 42 Gaus, each with a Nazi Gauleiter with the power to make laws. Each street and block of flats had a Blockleiter who reported ‘grumblers’ to the police; the Nazis successfully encouraged the idea of Volksgemeinschaft (national community). German people enthusiastically reported troublemakers to the Gestapo. April 1934: ‘People’s Courts’ were set up with Nazi judges who gave the ‘right’ verdict. The police were put under the control of Himmler.
Removal of opposition 2 May 1933: trade unions were banned. 14 July 1933: political parties except the Nazis were banned. 1933: Concordat with the Pope — agreed to leave the Catholic Church alone if it stayed out of politics. 30 June 1934: Night of the Long Knives August 1934: Hindenburg died, Hitler declared himself Führer; the army swore an oath of allegiance.
Night of the Long Knives, 30 June 1934 1 million SA were an embarrassment now that Hitler was in power. Rohm, the SA leader, wanted a Socialist revolution; Hitler’s rich backers wanted a Fascist state. Rohm wanted control of the army; the generals wanted rid of him — Hitler chose the army. Codeword ‘Hummingbird’ — Hitler ordered the SS to kill more than 400 SA men.
The advantages of being a Nazi Nazi Party members got the best jobs, best houses and special privileges. Businessmen joined the Nazi Party to get government orders. Benefits under KdF (‘strength through joy’) such as picnics, theatre trips, holidays; youth groups such as the HJ (Hitler Youth) and BDM (for young women) Life did get better under the Nazis for loyal Germans — jobs, no crime, feeling of unity and direction.
Terror April 1933: Hitler set up the Gestapo (State Secret Police) under Heydrich to repress opposition. 200,000 SS (under Himmler) by 1935; they hunted down opponents and ran the concentration camps. Concentration camps for opponents, Jews, Communists, gypsies, homosexuals,
Removal of opposition 2 May 1933: trade unions were banned. 14 July 1933: political parties except the Nazis were banned. 1933: Concordat with the Pope — agreed to leave the Catholic Church alone if it stayed out of politics. 30 June 1934: Night of the Long Knives August 1934: Hindenburg died, Hitler declared himself Führer; the army swore an oath of allegiance.
Night of the Long Knives, 30 June 1934 1 million SA were an embarrassment now that Hitler was in power. Rohm, the SA leader, wanted a Socialist revolution; Hitler’s rich backers wanted a Fascist state. Rohm wanted control of the army; the generals wanted rid of him — Hitler chose the army. Codeword ‘Hummingbird’ — Hitler ordered the SS to kill more than 400 SA men.
The advantages of being a Nazi Nazi Party members got the best jobs, best houses and special privileges. Businessmen joined the Nazi Party to get government orders. Benefits under KdF (‘strength through joy’) such as picnics, theatre trips, holidays; youth groups such as the HJ (Hitler Youth) and BDM (for young women) Life did get better under the Nazis for loyal Germans — jobs, no crime, feeling of unity and direction.
Terror April 1933: Hitler set up the Gestapo (State Secret Police) under Heydrich to repress opposition. 200,000 SS (under Himmler) by 1935; they hunted down opponents and ran the concentration camps. Concentration camps for opponents, Jews, Communists, gypsies, homosexuals,