How Successful Was the Nazi Regime in Dealing with Opposition?
How successful was the Nazi regime in dealing with opposition? Explain your answer.
The Nazi regime dealt with opposition through a combination of persuasion and force. Nazi propaganda was so effective at portraying Hitler and the Nazi ideals in a positive light that many German people believed Hitler was a good leader and genuinely supported him. Others were too intimidated by potential consequences if they spoke against the regime that they did nothing. However, there were some who openly opposed Hitler and had to be dealt with.
As Hitler came to power his biggest opponents were political ones and were the first opposition group that Hitler began to deal with. After the Enabling Law he banned all other political parties. The communists had already been banned after the Reichstag Fire and many opposition leaders had been thrown into concentration camps. Hitler also stopped freedom of speech and used effective methods of propaganda to promote his own ideology ahead of any other. Trade unions were also banned at this time, limiting the political power of workers in Germany. The Nazis dealt very effectively with their political opponents, by the end of the summer of 1933, the Nazis had wiped out any organisations where their opponents were strong and there was very little political resistance after 1933.
After removing his political opponents, Hitler created a Nazi Police State with a culture of fear that effectively dealt with opposition by intimidating people to such an extent that they would not act against the regime. Hitler’s police state worked on the rule that if you said nothing, no harm, could come to you. The Nazi secret police, the Gestapo, were greatly feared. In addition, general propaganda and particularly the indoctrination of children in schools and the Hitler Youth movement, encouraged people to inform on their neighbours and even their family. Individuals and groups who did speak or act against the regime were dealt with harshly
The Nazi regime dealt with opposition through a combination of persuasion and force. Nazi propaganda was so effective at portraying Hitler and the Nazi ideals in a positive light that many German people believed Hitler was a good leader and genuinely supported him. Others were too intimidated by potential consequences if they spoke against the regime that they did nothing. However, there were some who openly opposed Hitler and had to be dealt with.
As Hitler came to power his biggest opponents were political ones and were the first opposition group that Hitler began to deal with. After the Enabling Law he banned all other political parties. The communists had already been banned after the Reichstag Fire and many opposition leaders had been thrown into concentration camps. Hitler also stopped freedom of speech and used effective methods of propaganda to promote his own ideology ahead of any other. Trade unions were also banned at this time, limiting the political power of workers in Germany. The Nazis dealt very effectively with their political opponents, by the end of the summer of 1933, the Nazis had wiped out any organisations where their opponents were strong and there was very little political resistance after 1933.
After removing his political opponents, Hitler created a Nazi Police State with a culture of fear that effectively dealt with opposition by intimidating people to such an extent that they would not act against the regime. Hitler’s police state worked on the rule that if you said nothing, no harm, could come to you. The Nazi secret police, the Gestapo, were greatly feared. In addition, general propaganda and particularly the indoctrination of children in schools and the Hitler Youth movement, encouraged people to inform on their neighbours and even their family. Individuals and groups who did speak or act against the regime were dealt with harshly