OPPOSITION IN NAZI GERMANY

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OPPOSITION IN NAZI GERMANY

It was difficult to judge the precise feeling of Germans towards Hitler, as opposition views were not recognised. Nazi propaganda gave the impression of mass support for Hitler’s regime, but the reality was more complex.

The Seduction and Supervision of a Nation

The Nazis controlled the German population through seduction (carrot) and supervision (stick). To a certain extent the Nazis were successful in seducing the German nation. Many aspects of Nazi rule were popular. In the early years the very fact that they were not the Communists gained them much support amongst the middle classes. The swift reduction in unemployment was a further source of popularity. Undoubtedly, Hitler was extremely popular with many Germans for much of his twelve years in power, The foreign policy achievements of the Nazis pleased many Germans. Even those who might be sceptical about other aspects of the Nazi regime often welcomed the strides Germany was making towards becoming a major world power once again. Goebbels was particularly keen to emphasise any policy successes and he skilfully created the ‘Hitler Myth’. It was only during the Second World War that opposition to the Nazis became apparent to the outside world.

However, as well as deriving support from perceived successes the Nazis also had a number of methods of controlling or ‘supervising’ people. The Decree for the Protection of People and State (28 February 1933) following the keichstag Fire allowed the Nazis to restrict the freedoms of individuals. The Malicious Practices Decree (March 1933) made it illegal to criticise the Government and this allowed for the growth of informants in Nazi Germany. In July 1933 the Law against the Formation of New Parties made it illegal to establish any political parties in opposition to the Nazis. If people were found guilty of indulging in activities that could weaken the Nazi Government they would swiftly find themselves being dealt with by the Nazi Police State. The threat of the concentration camps ensured that most kept any misgivings about the Nazi regime to themselves, or their closest friends and excited children and adults salute Hitler as he passes on a train. 1936

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family. Arrests occurred on a huge scale, for example, there were more arrests in Germany in 1933 than there were in twenty one years of fascist rule in Italy. Most people believed that the risks of voicing their concerns publicly about the regime far outweighed any likely advantages for themselves or their families.

A major problem for those who wanted to oppose the Nazis was knowing who to trust. Within resistance groups it was hard to know who you could rely upon and it was even more of a risk if you tried to work with outsiders.

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