Hitler and The Nazis Vocab
Storm Troopers [SA]
SA = Sturmabteilung, also Brownshirts. Paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, disempowered after the Night of Long Knives. Acted as Hitler's protection/ body guards during speeches and rallies, also used to disrupt meetings of opposing parties and intimidate Romani and Slavic Jews.
Schutzstaffel (SS)
Similar to the SA, the SS was created in 1923 in order to provide security for party meetings in Munich. Himmler led the SS starting in 1929. It was used as part of the Final Solution, the plan for the Holocaust.
Nuremberg Laws
At the annual party rally held in Nuremberg in 1935, the Nazis announced new laws which institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology. The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of "German or related blood."
Aktion T4
Deliberate plan leading to action of mercy killings, went on for roughly a year and was later shut down, but Hitler continued it in secret. September 1939 - August 1941
Franz von Papen:
Developments • Little Reichstag support and government formed from outside the Reichstag. • Tried to gain Nazi support by lifting ban on SA (June 1932) - violence grew. • Relied on presidential decrees and ended democratic government in Prussia. • Nazis became largest party (37.3% of the vote) in July 1932; with communists, held over half the Reichstag seats. • Nazis won 33.1% of the vote and communists 16.9% in November 1932; von Papen resigned.
Reichstag Fire
February 27, 1933, a fire occurred which allowed Hitler to blame the communists and ask Hindenburg to issue an emergency decree "For the Protection of People and State", known as the Reichstag Fire Decree.
Joseph Goebbels
German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. Supported the extermination of Jews. He instigated the burning of the books. During the end of the war in 1945, he gave lots of speeches regarding total war and he killed himself the day after Hitler along with his six children. He was appointed chancellor in Hitler's will.
Heinrich Himmler
Himmler became the head of the SS in 1929 and head of all German political police outside Prussia in 1933. He helped to organize the night of the long knives and too over the Gestapo in 1936. In December 1940, he established the Waffen SS. During the war, the SS Death's Head units were put in charge of concentration camps. Himmler took over the Abwehr (the military intelligence organization), however his attempts to seek peace with the allies led to his arrest. He committed suicide at the end of the war.
Night of Long Knives:
Hundreds of leaders of the SA were killed by the SS. Hitler feared Rohm was a threat to his leadership.
Aryans
In Nazi terminology, the "Master Race". This term is used to describe features from the Nordic/Anglo-Saxon racial heritage, which the Nazis claimed was superior to any other.
Revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event. Though the word revisionism is sometimes used in a negative way, constant revision of history is part of the normal scholarly process of writing history.Revisionist historians of World War II, notably Charles A. Beard, said the U.S. was partly to blame because it pressed the Japanese too hard in 1940-41 and rejected compromises.[29] British historian A. J. P. Taylor ignited a firestorm when he argued that Hitler was a rather ordinary diplomat and did not deliberately set out to cause a war.
Reichskonkordat
July 23, 1933- Churches could serve as a catalyst for the resistance movement, promised not to interfere with each other. This was a treaty between the Holy See and Germany negotiated during its transition into Nazi Germany.
Enabling Act
Reichstag passes legislative authority to the executive branch Lawmaking powers now reside with the Cabinet and the President Treaties with foreign powers do not require legislative ratification. New laws go into force the day after their publication
Herman Göring
1893-1946. WWI ace, he was Hitler's Minister of the Interior of Prussia and later commander of the Luftwaffe.
XI Olympiad
1936 Summer Olympics were held in Berlin, Germany. Hitler saw the Games as an opportunity to promote his government and ideals of racial supremacy. He didn't want Jews and Blacks to compete, but he relented to the other countries. He only added one token competitor, Helene Mayer who had a Jewish father.
Brownshirts
50,000 SA members deputized after Reichstag fire. SA arrests thousands of communists and other Nazi political opponents under the orders of the Reichstag Fire Decree. Arrests overload the prisons and leads to "wild camps".
"The Big Lie"
A propaganda technique. The expression was coined by Adolf Hitler, when he dictated his 1925 book Mein Kampf, about the use of a lie so "colossal" that no one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously."
Beer Hall Putsch
A putsch is an attempt to overthrow the state. The Beer Hall Putsch occurred on 8 November 1923, in Munich. Hitler, along with about 20 other Nazi party officers, attempted to form a new government with the support of Gustav von Kahr, the Staatskomissar (state commissioner, given dictatorial powers by the Weimar Gov't in times of crisis). The Nazis were confronted by police, who killed several party members. Hitler fled and was arrested two days later.
Nuremberg Rallies
A series of rallies held in 1923, 1927, and 1929 and annually from 1933 through 1938 in Nuremberg (in Bavaria). These rallies were primarily propaganda events, carefully staged to reinforce party enthusiasm and to showcase the power of National Socialism to the rest of Germany and the world.
Polish Corridor
A strip of land between the German territories of Pomerania and East Prussia, awarded to Poland by the Treaty of Versailles (1919) to afford access to the Baltic Sea. After years of friction over control of the area, Germany invaded Poland (1939) and quickly captured the Polish Corridor, triggering World War II and ending the Corridor's existence as a distinct geographical entity.
Gestapo
Abbreviation of Geheime Staatspolizei, or "Secret State Police". Founded by Hermann Göring. Utilized plain clothed police, which were secret informants intended to stop people from speaking negatively against the government.
Kristallnacht
Also known as the Night of Broken Glass. It was a pogrom (a series of coordinated deadly attacks) against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria on 9-10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and non-Jewish civilians. Broken glass littered the ground from all the shop and synagogue windows.
Wehrmacht
Regular army (made up of Prussian officers who had an oath to service); the distrusted the SA.
Concentration Camps (eg. Dachau):
Dachau opens on March 22, 1933 decide to concentrate all enemies in one place distinct from later extermination camps ALTHOUGH, Dachau is used as both a concentration and extermination camp. "you are being taken into custody to protect the state from you" During the 1930s, mostly political prisoners were put in concentration camps During WWII large numbers of Jews, Soviet POWs, Poles, Roma ( Gypsies), Leftists/Communists, Homosexuals, People with disabilities, Jehovah's witnesses (refused to take personal loyalty oaths like Hitler insisted on). Arbeit macht frei = "work makes you free" = phrase above each concentration camp site
Der Fuhrer
Literally "The Leader" aka Hitler. Also refers to the concept of Fuhrerprinzip, which puts the Fuhrer's word above any written law, and instructs any subordinates to work towards this end.
"Kraft durch Freude"
Means strength through joy in German. A large state-operated leisure organization in Nazi Germany. It was a part of the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF). There were cruises and tourist activities offered to the masses, and it was a tool to promote the Nazi party.
September 1, 1939: Beginning of WWII:
Opening shots of World War II and Invasion of Poland: At 4:45am Central European Time, under cover of darkness, the German WW1-era battleship Schleswig-Holstein quietly slips her moorings at her wharf in Danzig harbor, drifts into the center of the channel, and commences firing on the fortress Westerplatte, a Polish army installation at the mouth of the port ofDanzig, Poland. Simultaneously, shock-troops of the German Wehrmacht begin crossing the border into Poland. The Reichstag passes a statement stating that Adolf Hitler's second-in-command Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring should be appointed as Hitler's successor as Führer should Hitler die during the War. Rudolf Hess is to be appointed in Göring's place should anything befall Göring. Norway, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland declare their neutrality.
Structuralist arguments
Opposite of intentionalist arguments. (Structuralist or functionalist historians view Hitler as a weak dictator, and focus on the chaotic structure and institutions of the Third Reich2. However, the differences between the two arguments are best understood by examining what each interpretation considers Hitler's role in implementing the 'Final Solution')
Reichstag
The Weimar Republic's elected parliament. After Hitler's appointment to Chancellor and the passing of the Enabling Act, it rarely met and never passed legislation again.
plebiscite
is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, or a law.
"Mercy killings" ; "Life unworthy of life"
The euthanasia of people who were considered burdens on the people: Elderly, Mentally disabled, Physically disabled, etc...
"Protective Custody":
The power to imprison people without judicial review; To protect the state from you (not to protect you or your rights). "you are being taken into custody to protect the state from you"
Reichstag Fire Decree
The power to search, arrest, and censor "until further notice", the Nazis were able to remove opponents before elections took place.
Gleichschaltung
The systematic elimination of non-Nazi organizations that could potentially influence the people, such as political parties or trade unions. This term refers to a co-ordination process whereby all German institutions were to conform to Nazi ideals.
Third Reich
This term describes the German state (literally empire) in the years 1933-1945. It was known as the 'Third Reich' because Germany had known two former empires. The Holy Roman Empire (962-1806) was referred to as the First Reich and the German Empire, which was established by Kaiser Wilhelm I in 1871 and lasted until 1918, was known as the Second Reich.
Swastika
This term refers to an ancient religious symbol in the form of a cross with the arms bent at right angles. It had been used by right-wing groups in Austria and was associated with Aryanism even before Hitler chose to adopt it. It became the best-known symbol of the Nazi party and was used on flags, armbands, and badges.
Intentionalist arguments
Was there a master plan on the part of Adolf Hitler to launch the Holocaust? Intentionalists argue there was such a plan. Did the initiative for the Holocaust come from above with orders from Adolf Hitler or from below within the ranks of the German bureaucracy? Although neither side disputes the reality of the Holocaust, nor is there serious dispute over the premise that Hitler (as supreme leader) was personally responsible for encouraging the anti-Semitism that allowed the Holocaust to take place, intentionalists argue the initiative came from above.
" The Triumph of the Will"
a 1935 propaganda film directed, produced, edited and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl. It chronicles the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, which was attended by more than 700,000 Nazi supporters.
Appeasement
in a political context is a diplomatic policy of making political or material concessions to an enemy power in order to avoid conflict. The term is most often applied to the foreign policy of the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain towards Nazi Germany between 1937 and 1939.
Neville Chamberlain
a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the German-populated Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany. However when Adolf Hitler continued his aggression by invading Poland, Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, and Chamberlain led Britain through the first eight months of World War II. Chamberlain resigned the premiership on 10 May 1940 after the Allies were forced to retreat from Norway, as he believed a government supported by all parties was essential, and the Labour and Liberal parties would not join a government headed by him.
Autobahn:
a German, Austrian, or Swiss expressway or superhighway
Volksgemeinschaft
a German-language expression meaning "people's community".This expression originally became popular during World War I as Germans rallied in support of the war, and it appealed to the idea of breaking down elitism and uniting people across class divides to achieve a national purpose.At first it was used in both democratic and populist politics in Germany, but later it was adopted by the Nazis and became associated solely with them.
Collective Punishment
a form of retaliation whereby a suspected perpetrator's family members, friends, acquaintances, sect, neighbours or entire ethnic group is targeted. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions. In times of war and armed conflict, collective punishment has resulted in atrocities, and is a violation of the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions.
Holocaust
a genocide in which approximately six million Jews were killed by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. An additional five million non-Jewish victims of Nazi mass murders are included by some historians bringing the total to approximately eleven million. Killings took place throughout Nazi Germany and German-occupied territories
Eduard Benes
a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938 and again from 1940 to 1948. He was known as a skilled diplomat.
Munich Agreement
a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country's borders mainly inhabited by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation "Sudetenland" was coined. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe, excluding the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Today, it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Germany. The agreement was signed by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
Revanchism
a term used since the 1870s to describe a political manifestation of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country, often following a war or social movement.
Lebensraum
additional territory considered by a nation, especially Nazi Germany, to be necessary for national survival or for the expansion of trade. any additional space needed in order to act, function, etc. Extra living space for the german people.
National Socialist German Workers Party (a/k/a NSDAP, "Nazis")
i.e. Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. This is the full name of the Nazi Party. Members were called 'Nazis' in the same way that the socialists were known as 'Sozis'. Nazi came from the NA of National and ZI of sozialistische.
Rome-Berlin Axis ( "Pact of Steel")
known formally as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy, was originally intended to be a tripartite military alliance between Japan,Italy, and Germany. However, Japan wanted the focus of the pact to be aimed at the Soviet Union, while Italy and Germany wanted it aimed at Britain and France.The Pact consisted of two parts: the first section was an open declaration of continuing trust and cooperation between Germany and Italy while the second, a "Secret Supplementary Protocol"[2] encouraged a union of policies concerning the military and economy.
Hitler-Stalin Non-Aggression Pact/Molotov-Von Ribbentrop Agreement:
named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, officially the Treaty of Non-aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,[a] and also known as the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact or Nazi-Soviet Pact, was a non-aggression pact signed between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939. The pact remained in force until the German government broke it by invading the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941.
scapegoat
someone who is blamed for mistakes and troubles. Jews were scapegoated by Germans.
Sudetenland
the German name (used in English in the first half of the 20th century) to refer to those northern, southwest, and western areas of Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by German speakers
Holocaust Denial
the act of denying the genocide of Jews in the Holocaust during World War II. Holocaust denial includes any of the following claims: that Nazi Germany's Final Solution policy aimed only at deporting Jews from the Reich, and included no policy to exterminate Jews; that Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas chambers to mass murder Jews; and that the actual number of Jews killed was significantly (typically an order of magnitude) lower than the historically accepted figure of 5 to 6 million
Mein Kampf
the autobiography (1925-27) of Adolf Hitler, setting forth his political philosophy and his plan for German conquest.
Irredentism
the nationalist belief that a territory belonging to another country should be annexed for ethnic or historical reasons
Gauleiter
the party leader of a regional branch of the Nazi party or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau. Gauleiter was the second highest Nazi Party paramilitary rank, subordinate only to the higher rank Reichsleiter and to the position of Führer. During World War II, the rank of Gauleiter was obtained only by direct appointment from Adolf Hitler.
Anschluss
the term used to refer to the joining together of Austria and Germany. Hitler carried this out in 1938 to create the greater German Reich (state).
Hitler Youth
the youth organization of the Nazi Party in Germany from 1933 until 1945. It was the sole official youth organization in Germany and was partially a paramilitary organization. The members were boys between 14 and 18.
Leni Riefenstahl
was a German film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer, actress and dancer widely known for directing the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will. Riefenstahl's prominence in the Third Reich, along with her personal association with Adolf Hitler, destroyed her film career following Germany's defeat in World War II, after which she was arrested but released without any charges.
