Hitler's Germany Glossary Terms

Anschluss

Anschluss was the reuniting of all German people and the take over or annexation of Austria. Hitler wanted all German people to be united under his rule so he made an Anschluss with Austria to take back the Rhineland. By 1937, rapid German rearmament helped Germany take Austria because it was rich in raw materials and labor. It supplied Germany with magnesium and the products of the iron, textile and machine industries. It had gold and foreign currency reserves, many unemployed skilled workers and hundreds of idle factories, and large potential hydroelectric resources. The Anschluss was part of the 4 year plans where Hitler wants to impose the Treaty of Versailles and start the rearmament and take back the land they lost and reunite and the German people. Herman Göring was also the leader of the military that lead an army into Austria to form the Anschluss.

Reich Church

When Hitler first came to power he seemed to point to future good relations with the churches and the Nazi government. This was false though and he made promises like that to calm the people while Hitler steadily gained more power. In the Nazi idea of Volksgemeinschaft the Nazis planned that Christianity would die away, even while the Catholic and Protestant churches were willing to co-operate with the regime, at least initially. In July 1933 the 28 regional Protestant churches were merged to form one centralized Reich Church under the leadership of Reich Bishop Muller. The Reich Church was the Nazis way to spread more of the Nazi ideals and worship the Fuhrer. In the churches on the altar there was nothing but a copy of Mein Kampf and a sword to the left of that. Also in the Reich Church all religious objects were removed and they made demands to stop the printing and selling of the Bible in Germany. This also relates to the Nazi idea of Kinder, Kirche, and Kuche. At first it seems contradicting for Hitler to be promoting the church and women involvement, but he meant his Reich Church which would just promote Nazi ideology. Then later in 1935 the Reich Church was placed under the control of a minister of church affairs. The German Christians (DC) was also created to spread Nazi racial beliefs and the worship of the Fuhrer in the Reich Church. The Reich Church was all in Hitler's attempt to erase Christianity in Germany and control society. He was unsuccessful in this though because there was no significant decline in church membership between 1933 and 1939 and it increased during the war.

Rome-Berlin Axis/ Pact of Steel

As stated in class, once Italy invaded Ethiopia, the course of history changed for the worse. At the beginning of Nazi Germany, Italy was afraid of German expansion. Therefore Britain, France, and Italy created the STRESS'S FRONT to protect their boarders against German expansion. However, Italy became greedy and ventured into Africa to take over countries. After 1935, Mussolini became increasingly more involved with Hitler and his influence in expansion. In October 1936, on the 25th and 26th, Mussolini and Hitler signed a treaty with protocols which created the Rome-Berlin Axis. For Italy, this treaty gave support in case of her war. It also helped end the treat of German Expansion, and it would end their political isolation. For Germany, this meant that their south boundary was protected. Therefore, Germany could focus on other issues and expand in different territories. This could lead into different events like the MUNICH PACT where Germany would annex parts of Czechoslovak. Because Germany had Italy's support, Germany had more opportunities to expand Germany's LEBENSRAUM. Eventually on May 22, 1939, Germany and Italy would finalize their agreement with the Pact of Steel. This finalized their treaty and they would focus together on dominating its neighbors.

Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, was a night of coordinated attacks against Jewish communities and shops in response to the assassination of the German Diplomat Ernst vom Rath. Herschel Grynzpan, a polish Jew, attacked the diplomat due to the increasing oppression the German people have been placing on the Jews through the Nuremberg Laws. Hitler, furious, ordered Heinrich Himmler to begin a week of destruction against the Jews. This week was started on Nov. 10th of 1938 with the Night of Broken Glass. On this night the SS, SA, and the NSDAP party members all joined together in riots and committed a series of Pogroms coordinated attacks) against the Jews. They smashed Jewish shops, burned Jewish synagogues, and burned Jewish homes. Dozens were killed and thousands were incarcerated.

Reichstag Fire / Decree for the Protect. of People & State

One week before the voting for the Reichstag was set to take place, the Reichstag building burst into flames. According to the Nazis, a Communist by the name of Marianus van der Lubbe was caught at the scene with matches and fire starters. Hitler used this to his advantage. He said that this was a Communist plot to take over the government and eventually the country. In order to combat this takeover, Hitler went to President Hindenburg and asked him to make a special law so that Hitler could fight back against the Communists. Since Hindenburg had the ability to make emergency decrees, Hitler was able to persuade him to make this law without the consent of the Reichstag. The Law for the Protection of the People and State banned Communists and Socialists from taking part in the election campaign. Thousands of Communists were sent to prison, their newspapers were shut down, and the SA were beating up their supporters. Nazis ended up gaining just under half of the votes for the Reichstag due to the lack of Communist and Socialist support. Now that Hitler and the Nazis had the majority in the Reichstag, he was able to persuade them to agree to the Enabling Act, which allowed Hitler to make laws without asking the Reichstag first. The term Gleichschaltung described how Hitler was moving Germany closer to a totalitarian state, and the Reichstag fire was his opportunity to gain power. This term is connected to Hitler because it was a very important step in bringing Hitler to power. The Reichstag fire gave Hitler the opportunity to make the Communists look like the bad guys. With the Law for the Protection of the People and State, Hitler and the Nazis were able to gain a majority in the Reichstag. This term connects with the Enabling Act and with Gleichschaltung. It connects with the Enabling Act because, with the Law for the Protection of the People and State, the Nazis had gained the majority in the Reichstag, so Hitler was able to pass the Enabling Act. It connects to Gleichschaltung because, gaining the majority of the Reichstag and passing the Enabling Act moved Germany one step closer to becoming a totalitarian state.

Night of the Long Knives / Rohm, Ernst

The Night of the Long Knives was a coordinated set of assassinations ordered by Hitler, carried out by his SS force against his SA force. The SA force was a radical wing of the Nazi party that wanted true social revolution. The leader of this organization, Ernst Rohm, was able and prepared to carry out this revolution through force without the support of the rest of the party. The SA were seen as "thugs" in government and had become an embarrassment to Hitler. More than being just involved in politics, Rohm wanted the SA to be merged with the army. The army would not allow this and Hitler did not want it. On the night of June 30th 1934, Rohm and other SA elites--plus other enemies of Hitler including Gregor Strasser and Kurt von Schleicher-- were killed by the SS force (Schutzstaffel or "brown shirts"). The army was impressed with Hitler's swift action and gave their support to Hitler when he merged the offices of Chancellor and President after President von Hindenburg died.

Concordat

A concordat is an agreement between the Catholic Church and a government. A concordat was made in July 1933 between Hitler's Nazi government and the Catholic Church in order to get the Church out of the government in return for Hitler's promise to then keep the government out of Church affairs. The government would allow the Church to continue their freedom to worship God as well as teach their religion in their schools. The Church agreed to this because they had approved of Hitler's Enabling Act of 1933 that allowed him to make laws for the next four without the consent of the Reichstag as well as his actions to get rid of the Communists, whom the Catholics strongly disliked because of their ideas which conflicted with those of the Church. Hitler, however, soon made multiple organizations, such as the Working Group of Catholic Germans, to influence the Church with Nazi ideas. The Nazis also discredited many religious officials to weakened their position in the Nation. Hitler said he believed in incorporating religious, Christian traditional values back into Germany. He preached how important church values were in his Kinder, Kuche, Kirche ideas for women. However, the church he was really preaching for was the his new Reich Church made in 1936, which followed Hitler's teachings from his Mein Kampf.

Göring Hermann

Born a native to Germany, Hermann Göring was a leader of the Nazi party. He played a large role in setting up the Nazi police state in Germany and was also in charge of creating concentration camps for the "corrective treatment" of individuals. It was in these concentration camps that many of Hitler's political opponents were placed to stop the spread of their ideals through the German people (1933). In the early stages of the Nazi parties coming to power, he was placed in charge of the German SA (Hitler's stormtroopers). In 1934, along with Göring being in charge of the SA, he was also placed in charge of the Gestapo, or the secret police. It was his Gestapo that carried out what is known as the "Night of the Long Knives". On this night, 85 members of opposing parties were assassinated, quieting any further conflicting views of the other German parties. Göring and Hitler rose to power in 1935, once in full power, Hitler gave Göring leadership of the German air force because of his previous experience as not only a WWI air force pilot along but also as a commercial pilot after the war.

Remilitirization of the Rhineland

Definition: In March of 1936, Hitler sent German troops into the Rhineland, even though it has been demilitarized since 1919. This act was in direct violation of the Treaty of Locarno and Treaty of Versailles. Hitler noticed a weakness in the League of Nations, they didn't enforce any of the rules on Germany, so he took action without any repercussions. Britain convinced France not to do anything about it. Historical Context: Hitler invaded the Rhineland because of its abundance in resources. He also was encouraged by the many successes he had before the remilitarization, such as the non aggression pact with Poland, so the probability of the invasion working out was very high. Hitler also tested the League's sternness regarding the rules, and the remilitarization showed that the League will appease Germany from most of its actions.

Gleichschaltung

Gleichschaltung is the Nazi Term for a totalitarian society where the Nazi Party had complete control over the German Government and Economy around 1933-1937, during Hitler's great influence of power. In German the word means "coordination," or "making the same" which was another confusing term that Hitler placed upon his people which made his ideas sound encouraging, and non debatable that they were beneficial for the German Society. Gleichschaltung discouraged individualism by enhancing public programs and forcing the public to follow specific doctrines to encourage the leadership of the fuhrer, Hitler, and enforced such by using an strict and powerful police force, such as the Gestapo. Hitler Youth is an example of Gleichschaltung because of the way it forced young Germans to follow and practise the ideology and expectation of Hitler. Hitler was able to virtually raise a new generation of Germans who were brainwashed to the single power of Hitler. Hitler took a big step in dictatorship by killing off major influences who were a threat to him having ultimate power- and thus reaching this "Gleichschaltung" society that he was aiming for. These murders occurred over the Night of the Long Knives- and successfully deleted these members of society from any sort of power thus giving Hitler total control. When it comes down to it- anything enforcing a law or doctrine upon the people of Germany, or giving Hitler/the Nazi party more power, has to do with Gleichschaltung and its establishment of totalitarianism.

Himmler, Heinrich

Heinrich Himmler, (born October 7, 1900, Munich, Germany—died May 23, 1945, Lüneburg, Germany), was one of the prominent politicians and military leaders for the Nazi Party, and eventually came to be the second most powerful man in the Third Reich behind Adolf Hitler. He was an early member of the party after WWI, participating in the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, then was elected as a party deputy in the Reichstag in 1925. He then became leader of the SS in 1930, and soon after became head of all German police units outside of Prussia. This then led to him leading the construction of the first concentration camp at Dachau in 1933. In 1934, he was appointed assistant chief of the Gestapo, and eventually masterminds and leads the purge that eliminated the SA as a power in the Nazi Party on June 30th of that year. He was a military leader in WWII, leading the charge of the SS as stormtroopers, the first time anyone had seen this type of unit in history, and they were very effective. Himmler is responsible for a lot of deeds regarding the Nazi party's rise to power, and a lot of deaths along the way. Many see him as the mastermind behind the Holocaust, and the claim is strong considering his right-hand man, Reinhard Heydrich, led the Wannasee Conference that was the final planning stage for the beginning of the Holocaust and Final Solution to rid the world of Jews, Gypsies, cripples, homosexuals, mentally disabled persons, etc.

German Labor Front (DAF)

Not to be confused with the National Labor Service (RAD), which was created to tackle the massive unemployment in Germany at the time, the German Labor Front (DAF) was created as a substitution for the workers' labor unions in Germany that were abolished under Hitler's rule, prohibiting workers' strikes. Its purpose under Dr. Ley, a former chemist, was to control the working aspect of people's lives, or, in other words, to aid the government in controlling businesses, in a similar manner to that of the gestapo that helped enforce the Nazi laws under Hitler, except in this case concerning all of the economic aspects rather than the criminal. This further enforced the socialist ideologies Hitler had in mind because it grouped all workers and employers, regardless of their social or economic status, into one association which, ideally, would work to apply the National Socialist ideas of the Nazis in the workplace, as they all worked together to compromise for better social security programs and working conditions. The creation of the DAF helped Hitler gain support from the working class as they were guaranteed a job and benefitted from the wages that were sufficient enough to keep them satisfited.

Kraft durch Freude (Strength Through Joy)

Since the Nazi Party had control over every aspect of the lives of its' citizens, they also had to control their citizens' leisure time. The organization Kraft durch Freude (KDF), also known as Strength through Joy, was designed in order to provide activities for the German people. The KDF was run by Robert Ley, the leader of the German Labour Party. There were many different programs as a part of the KDF. Cruises were among the most common, where people could travel to destinations, including the Canary Islands. There were also all-exclusive vacations to Italy and Switzerland. Even though there were many options for travel, Nazi members were always given first priority. The KDF was also responsible in the Volkswagen scheme, where Hitler would provide a Volkswagen beetle to a worker. However, the cost was a scheme, since the car cost an equivalent of thirty five weeks of wages, not including the cost of food and other necessities. The scheme stated, according to Brooman, "Workers paid 5 marks a week until 750 marks were in the bank; then they would be given an order number entitling them to a car as soon as it was made" (18). This was an unrealistic goal, and it was impossible for a German worker to obtain a car. The KDF also organized sports matches and trips to musical events, including the opera. The KDF can been seen simply as another way of Hitler's all-power and controlling government rule. His goal was to control every single aspect of their lives. Once Hitler has this power, he would become an autocratic dictator. The KDF could be considered a deterrent to the economic situation of Germany. As people were spending their marks towards leisure, rather than saving them for their future. The Volkswagen scheme also contributed to economic failure in the future for the same reasons.

Stresa Front

Stresa front was an agreement signed before World War One on April 14, 1935 in the city of Stresa in Italy by Britain, France, and Italy. The goal of the treaty was to make sure that Austria had remained independent because there was fear of what Hitler would do in the future and also make sure there that there would be no further change of the agreements in the treaty of versailles by Hitler. At the time Hitler had started to ignore payments and following the the rules that were set about his mitlary. Many of the major powers had believed that there would be futhor conflicts with Germany and any agreed to the treaty, but only a few months after this agreement was signed, Italy decided to launched invasion of Abyssinia. This had caused anger in the other the treaty members but Britain and france chose not to do anything instead isolated Italy from Britain and France. Many Historians agree that the treaty was a failure because of the vague terms and this treaty had also led to the Abyssinia conflict, which some historians believed that was what really started the World War Two because Hitler had realized that Britain and France would do nothing because they were afraid of another war. This had allowed Hitler to start to expand territory and start to create his ideal economy

Loyalty Oath

The Loyalty Oath was actually divided into separate oaths for certain groups of people. For example, the loyalty oath for public officials was much different from the loyalty oath for soldiers. The Loyalty Oath for Public Officials: "I swear: I shall be loyal and obedient to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of the German Reich and people, respect the laws, and fulfill my official duties conscientiously, so help me God." The Loyalty Oath for Soldiers of the Armed Forces: 'I swear by God this sacred oath: I will render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and will be ready as a brave soldier to risk my life at any time for this oath.' These oaths were pledged to Hitler personally. They were not pledged to the German state or constitution. In September 1934, at the annual Nuremberg Rally, Hitler proclaimed "The German form of life is definitely determined for the next thousand years. The Age of Nerves of the nineteenth century has found its close with us. There will be no revolution in Germany for the next thousand years."

The Enabling Act of 1933

The Enabling Act of 1933(Ermächtigungsgesetz bie 1933) was an amendment added to the Weimar Constitution by the Reichstag on March 23, 1933. The Enabling Act essentially allowed Adolf Hitler to make decisions without any Reichstag involvement. The Enabling Act consisted of five articles. The first article grants the Reich government(or Fuhrer) the power to bypass the constitutional process when making and enacting laws. Article Two allows laws created by the Reich government to deviate from the constitution, so long as laws made do not affect the powers of the President. Article Three states the date upon which laws made by the Reich government will be put into effect-- twenty-four hours after the public is informed of the new law's existence via the Reich Gazette. The fourth article renders the Reichstag powerless in matters of foreign affairs. The final article states the expiration date of the Enabling Act: April 1, 1937. The Enabling Act of 1933 was designed by Hitler to further eliminate opposition in the Reichstag by bypassing it altogether. The KPD had already been effectively eradicated from government by the Reichstag Fire/ Decree for the Protection of People. The Enabling Act was primarily an attempt to prevent the SPD from obstructing Hitler's agenda. By granting power to a single individual, the Enabling Act essentially invalidated the constitutional and otherwise- democratic processes of Germany's government. The Act was signed in the Kroll Opera House following one of Hitler's dramatic speeches. Nazi troops were present during the signing in case any of the legislators proved uncooperative. The Enabling Act was renewed in 1937 and 1941 with minimal modification

Four Years Plan

The Four-Year Plan was designed to prepare Germany's economy and military for war in four years. The plan was put into effect in September of 1936. This plan increased Hitler's control over German industry as well as Germany imports and exports. It was created to run alongside Schacht's plan, which was created to lower the unemployment rate. Schacht's plan did however have a few flaws. His plan led to inflation and the neglect of payments pertaining to foreign trade. Hitler responded to this crisis by creating the Four Years Plan and instating Herman Göring to lead the plan. This plan was both a success and a failure because it set the country in the right direction but it failed because it fell short of the set figures for raw materials. This meant that Germany only produced a fraction of what they were supposed to and led to Germany not being fully battle ready for a long term war in 1939. Some historians, such as B H. Klein and A. Milward argued that Germany was not preparing to fight a long term war but to instead fight a series of smaller conflicts in Eastern Europe to gain more raw materials. This was were the style of warfare, known as the Blitzkrieg (lightning warfare) started. It consisted of the german military showing up very quickly with a lot of force to win battles. The soldiers that participated in these lightning fast attacks were the lethal and quick Schutzstaffel. with the Four Years plan and the Blitzkrieg Hitler hoped to be able to fight a long term war with a sufficient amount of material to keep his promise of Lebensraum for the Aryan people of Germany.

Gestapo

The Gestapo are a secret police branch that Hitler used during his rule. The Gestapo were initially a government funded police force for the people. However when Hitler came to power, Herman Goering became the number two in Nazi Command and became Interior Minister of Prussia, thus giving him command of the Gestapo, or what became the largest police force in Germany. The first Commander of the Gestapo was Rudolf Diels. Adolf Hitler later merged the Gestapo with all other police forces in Germany in 1936. This moved the police force into the SS and Heinrich Himmler was appointed control. The Gestapo were used by Hitler as a secret service kind of agency. Hitler used the Gestapo to eliminate opposition and spy on whoever he felt was against the Nazi rule. The Gestapo was mostly used to monitor and prosecute any who opposed Nazi rule.

Hitler Youth / Bund deutscher Madchen

The Hitler Youth were Hitlers ideals to continue when his time is over. A camp meant for the youth of Germany. The time of 1934 would be the rise of the Hitler Youth Camps, boys starting from six would end heir time in the Hitler Youth Program when they reached the age of eighteen. Hitler would expect them to be fit intellegent young men ready to fight for their counrty. While Women would only go from the age of ten to the age of eighteen. This was a part of Hitlers four year plan to have complete control of Germany; including these childrens mothers. These girls would soon follow the the three k's of Women to live by (Kinder, Kuche, Kirche). To be the best of their people was what Hitlers aimed to gained and for his aryan race to continue to be as perfect as he believed. Boys would start 6-10; The Pimpfen (THe Little Fellows) 10-14; The Jungvolk (The Young Folk) 14-18; The Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) Girls would start 10-14; The Jungmadel (Young Girls) 14-18; THe BUnd Deustashe Madchen (German Girls League)

Ministry for Public Enlightenment & Propaganda / Goebbels

The Ministry for Public Enlightenment & Propaganda was established by Hitler and his Nazi Party on March 13, 1933. The aim of this Ministry was to control the German mass media and be able to convey the Nazi message and ideology through different forms of propaganda such as music, films, radio, books, schools, and the press. In order to make the Ministry successful, Hitler decided to appoint Joseph Goebbels as the head of this department. Once in power of the Ministry, Goebbels decided to dissolve all the independent broadcasting corporations and replace these stations with a "Reich station". With this, Goebbels believed that he would be able to achieve a Nazi "national revolution". As the Reich station was created, Goebbels created the "Volksempfänger" (People's Receiver) which was a cheap radio that would allow even the poorest people to buy it. Overall, the Ministry for Public Enlightenment & Propaganda and the appointment of Joseph Goebbels as it's head was a huge success for Hitler and his Nazi Party since it allowed them to convey their message to every corner of the country and create a nationalized Nazi Germany. The creation of the Ministry for Public Enlightenment & Propaganda is a great example of the whole concept of Gleichschaltung since it helped Hitler and the Nazis achieve full control and authority of the German mass media and all public aspects of the German way of life. Through the Ministry, the Nazis were easily able to convey their ideologies such as Lebensraum and their Anti-Semitic views.

Molotov-Ribbentrop (Non-Aggression) Pact

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, also known as the Non-Aggression Pact was a Pact that was secured between the Soviet Union and Hitler. On August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Non-Aggression Pact which stated that neither of them would take military action on one another for 10 years. The pact also contained a secret agreement in which the Soviets and the Germans agreed on how they would later be dividing up Eastern Europe. Stalin thought that this was a good way to keep his nation on peaceful terms with Germany, while having time to build up the Soviet military. Hitler used the pact to his advantage by making sure that Germany was able to invade Poland unopposed. However, the Non-Aggression Pact fell apart in June of 1941, when the Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union. When the Non-Aggression Pact was put into place, it was one of the effects of the Enabling act that was put in place in 1933. When it was passed, it would effectively mean the end of democracy in Germany and establish the legal dictatorship of Adolf Hitler. Anschluss- The term means the annexation of the First Republic of Austria by Nazi Germany, which was proclaimed by Hitler from the balcony of the city hall in Linz on March 13, 1938 after his troops had invaded Austria on March 12th. This was Hitler's first act of aggression against an independent sovereign nation and it was the start of the events that ultimately led to World War II.

Munich Pact

The Munich Pact was a settlement that permitted Germany's annexation of Czechoslovakia along the country's border inhabited by German speakers. Hitler was attempting to achieve his idea of Lebensraum. Leading up to this pact, by 1935, the Sudeten German Party founded by Konrad Henlein was the second largest political party in Czechoslovakia. Shortly after the Anschluss of Austria and Germany, Henlein met with Hitler in Berlin in March of 1938, where he was instructed to raise demands unacceptable to the Czechoslovak government. Held in Munich, the major European powers of Germany represented by Hitler, France represented by Edouard Daladier , Great Britain represented by Neville Chamberlain, and Italy represented by Benito Mussolini were there, and although the agreement affected the Czech, they were not represented. This is considered a failed act of appeasement toward Germany. Signed on September 30, 1938 this pact was to discuss the future of the Sudetenland (specific place for German speakers) in the face of ethnic demands made by Hitler. This was part of Hitler's idea of one unified Germany with the ultimate race of German speakers by expanding his borders and the unification of all those countries and territories that were involved with the expansion of the German borders.

National Labor Service (RAD)

The National Labor service was the first act that Hitler made when he got into the office. The organization gave jobs to men in the publics works. A major part of this project was building new roads like the autobahn. The men lived in camps and had to wear military uniforms and they got paid pocket wages, but the food that they got was free. The National Labor Service was part of Hitler's Four Year Plans to help turn around Germany. It was part of the four year plan because this was one of the ways that Germany was trying to decrease the unemployment rate in Germany.

Nuremburg Laws

The Nuremberg Laws consisted of two laws made against Jews in 1935. The first of these laws, the Reich Citizenship Act, took away the right for Jews to have German citizenship. The second of the laws, Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour, forbade Jews from marrying other non-Jews. Hitler enacted these laws because he had a very strong hatred for Jewish people given that anti-semitism was the central policy of the Nazis' Volksgemeinschaft. He believed that they were the reason for Germany's defeat in World War I. He also believed that the Jewish businessmen were plotting to take over the world. Due to the fact that the Jewish people were inferior to the Aryan race, he felt that they should not be allowed to mix together. Hitler and his gestapo found many ways to make life for the Jews difficult. The Nuremberg Laws were just the beginning of a long life of discrimination by the Nazi Government. Kristallnacht, night of the broken glass, was a Nazi retaliation to a Jewish boy killing a Nazi officer. Over 100 Jews were killed and thousands were left homeless after the Nazis destroyed their homes and synagogues.

SS (Schutzstaffel)

The SS (Schutzstaffel) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. It started started in the early 20s. The SS was the private military for the Nazis during their rule. The SS was used by Hitler to fight against the community before Hitler was put in power and was also allowed used as the secret police during the Nazi rule. The SA was the precursor to the SS. SA was what really helped Hitler come to power with in the parties. The SS was used to put fare in the other parties and into the people of Germany. Hitler has direct control of the SS as the leader of the Nazis. The SS was also had control over the Gestapo in Germany. The Gestapos where the police in Germany the reported to the SS which allowed for them to find people in Germany that was against Hitler and also find people that did not fit into the "Aryan" race mold to Hitler.

Lebensraum

The easy definition is "living space", the idea is that German's need more living space and to do so they would take over countries to the east of Germany such as Poland and Russia. To accomplish this, they would use force if it was necessary. Along with the other ideas Hitler was pushing for such as the Aryan race and communism to be destroyed, another of Hitler's main ideas was for Germans to get more land than they had because German's needed more land to live and work in. This was not going to work overnight though, in order to someday accomplish this, Hitler started the Hitler Youth Movement. Hitler wanted the youth to be as devoted to their country as he was, and he wanted them to be ready for physical combat, so young boys were taught how to survive in the wilderness and also how to shoot a gun etc. while young girls were taught to be the traditional housewife. When Hitler wanted to expand, he would need many soldiers because that task would not come easily, so with trained soldiers that were devoted and experienced, he would be able to conquer both Poland and Russia and probably both. Germany was not planning to attack other countries quickly, what they were using was the Four Year Plan to achieve Lebensraum, and this plan was to gain raw materials by using the Blitzkrieg method of warfare by showing up quickly to battles with a lot of force to win and gain materials, to collect them, to thus become the strongest country allowing them to have more a chance to expand.

Party Organization

The organization of the Nazi government consisted of different levels of power. The top level was the Furher, or Hitler himself. All other levels and officials reported to Hitler. The next highest level was Reichsleitung; this level consisted of high ranking Nazi officials, or Reich leaders. The officials just below the Reichsleitung were called the Landesinspekteurs. The Landesinspekteurs were regional inspectors that were originally responsible for four regions. The next level was the Gauleiters. These officials were the district governors of Nazi Germany. The Kreisleiter was the next highest in rank, and they were basically the county governors. The Ortsgruppenleiter were next, and they were the local group leaders or what we would think of as a mayor today. The Zellenleiters were below the Ortsgruppenleiter, and they were the neighborhood leaders that looked after a few blocks in a city. Finally, there were the Blockwart which were the block leaders. They looked after a single block. As one can see, Hitler placed himself at the top of this pyramid of power in order to have complete control. This was all made possible when the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act which gave Hitler the power to make decisions without having to consult other people or groups for approval. Also, the Loyalty Oath secured Hitler position at the top of the pyramid because it forced the military to swear allegiance to him and him alone.

Kinder, Kuche, Kirche

The slogan Kinder, Kuche, and Kirche was the Nazi party's views on women's roles in german society. When the Nazi party took over the rights of women were totally changed. Women at the time supported the Nazi's because they promised traditional family values, little did they know that their rights would be taken away. The slogan itself means Children, Kitchen, And Church. This slogan was used to tell women where their place was in German society. The slogan led to programs like the government giving families a certain amount of money with each kid they had. This created the birth rate in germany to skyrocket and allowed the government to create a army of kids for the future. This slogan was also used to teach the girls their rightful place in the hitler youth programs. The programs taught girls how to cook, clean, and take care of family members. This idealistic development created women in germany to have not freedom inside or outside the home

Volksgemeinschaft

Volksgemeinschaft is the german word meaning "people's community" that speaks to the idea of breaking down elitism and uniting people across class divides toward a common purpose/goal. Following World War I, the citizens in Germany were suffering the harsh implications of the signed Treaty of Versailles and needed direction--someone to unite Germany and return it to its previous splendour. This is the chief reason why the Nazi party gained so much popularity following World War I. Hitler attempted to utilize the idea of Volksgemeinschaft during his rule and the term is very heavily associated with the Nazi regime. This unity among Germans of all classes can be found in all aspects of Hitler's domestic policy. Economically, Hitler made great headway toward a classless society be decreasing the unemployment for the majority of German citizens. However, this was at a cost to other members of society such as the Jews and the women who were previously employed. Where the Jewish citizens were concerned, Hitler utilized Volksgemeinschaft in order to unite German citizens against a common enemy--the Jew--in order to give culpability to the current situation that German citizens found themselves in (a Great Depression). Hitler also redirected the role of women in his society to be one solely for the purpose of Kinder, Kuche, Kirche. Women in society were rewarded for having more children and were united in the effort to provide Germany with strong and healthy aryan men. The youth of Germany were also united under the Fuhrer who was portrayed as a father figure in the propaganda in youth groups like the Hitler Youth. Everyone in the German society was included, and even people who spoke German were included in the idea of Volksgemeinschaft was executed by the Nazi party in the form of annexations of German-speaking countries (for example, the Anschluss). Hitler completed his idea of Volksgemeinschaft to a large extent during his rule.