There were hundreds of other clergy who gave up their freedom and even their lives to speak out against the Nazi’s. In Dachau a special block was built for clergy who had spoken against the Reich. In it there were over 400 catholic priests and 40 protestant pastors held.
The greatest threat to Hitler was religion- a belief stronger than Nazism. Hitler tried to make a peace with the churches claiming that he was catholic on some occasions. Many Christians refused to accept Nazi ideas and some died for their beliefs. Others were prepared to accept Nazi ideas, especially when Hitler set up a Reich Church. The swastika and the cross were put side by side. This shows how they were finally at peace and had come to an agreement.
What Hitler was really trying to do was stop people thinking for their selves. If he controlled everything, then he could feed the people what he wanted and they would be brain washed into Nazi ideas. He could control the information that people used to make their own opinions, and they accepted him. Many German artists, musicians and scientists left the country rather than submit to Nazi ideas.
In 1933 Hitler told a colleague-
“Neither catholic nor protestant has any future left. At least not for the Germans….
Nothing will stop me stamping out Christianity in Germany, root and branch. One is either a Christian or a German. You can’t be both….
Do you really believe the masses will ever be Christian again? Nonsense. Never again. No one will listen to it again. But we can hasten the matters. The clergy will be made to dig their own graves. They will betray their God to us. They will betray anything for the sake of their miserable little jobs and incomes”
Helmet Thielicke once said in 1933-
“Hitler used Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the almighty and how the Christian beliefs would become pillars of the new state. He handed out deeply religious stories to the press, especially the church papers. It was reported, for example, the he showed he’s tattered Bible to some deaconesses and declared that he drew from the strength for his great work from the word of God”
These two speeches are very different. Hitler realised that he needed the churches on he’s side. But he also knew how easy it would be for him to get rid of them.
Some of the reasons why Hitler would get rid of the churches are:
- The Nazi’s saw the Churches as a threat. Hitler wanted total control and the Churches stood in the way of this.
- In 1933 most Germans were Christians, one third was Roman Catholic and two thirds were protestant. The protestant churches had the most members than any other organisation, even the Nazi’s.
- Religious beliefs were powerful. God believers were less likely to support Hitler. The church taught behaviour and attitude and this conflicted with the Nazi’s way of being violent.
- Church meetings spread anti Nazi ideas.
Some of the reasons why Hitler should keep the churches were:
- Nazi’s needed the churches. The church members voted for Hitler. Most of them were protestant. Protestant pastors were the most popular and successful Nazi election speakers. Hitler used them to spread Nazism.
- The churches and the Nazi’s had a common ground. They both believed in the importance of family life. The churches supported the Nazi’s beliefs on the military. In 1936 priests accompanied the troops into the Rhineland.
- The church was the local power base for the Nazi’s. If they built on it they would be stronger.
- Instead of destroying it the Nazi’s decided to use it in their power.
When Hitler came to power he didn’t start to provoke the churches. He only started to do this when he knew he could win. On the 23rd of March 1933 at a Reichstag speech, Hitler said
“Christianity was the unshakeable foundation of the moral life of our people”
In July 1933 the Catholic Church signed a concordat with Hitler. Hitler promised Catholics could carry on religious work but they had to leave catholic schools and youth groups alone. The pope also promised that the Vatican would stay out of politics.
Bishop Burger once said “The aims of the Reich government have long been the same as those of the Catholic Church”
Hitler united all protestant churches together into one Reich church under a pro-Nazi Reich Bishop, Muller. They were known as German Christians. They adopted Nazi style uniforms, salutes and marches. Their slogan was “The swastika on our breasts and the cross in our hearts.”
From this picture we can see how the churches were taken under the Nazi influence. This source is a picture of a Nazi alter. This is a primary piece of evidence. The source was produced in Nazi Germany. This source shows how the churches compromised with the Nazi’s. They missed together and made the German Christian. It shows how the people worshipped not only god, but Hitler too. Because they are praying to him. It’s like he is God. He’s put himself in a place where people go for answers and guidance when they need help. When they go there and see Nazi symbols there, they start to think that they are their answer. Your giving Hitler praise and worshiping him. It shows how Hitler had finally taken control of everything now. He even controlled they faith now. This source could be biased because it could be posed. This is not every alter in German it’s just one of the many. This picture makes the Nazi’s look very powerful but it could be posed and it may not have looked like this. The limitations of the source are that we don’t know when it was produced or who it was by. If it was by the Nazi’s then it could be biased.
