Another very important reason for why I think Nazi Germany had little opposition was because of the ruthless Gestapo. The Gestapo enforced the Nazi regime basically by striking fear into the German people. It was the Gestapo who enforced all the Nazi regimes were enforce, such as people were listening to Nazi speeches on the radio, and who did spot checks at houses. The Gestapo could do whatever they wanted. They often sent people to concentration camps without trial and noting was done to stop them. This was because they were controlled by the same person who controlled the courts and the judges Heinrich Himmler. This allowed the Gestapo to get away with any crime. They had informers everywhere. People could have been sent to camps or beaten up by the Gestapo not jus for apposing Hitler or Nazi views, but for saying anything negative about the Nazi government in the slightest. This could result in them being sent to be “re-educated” in concentration camps. These concentration camps were terrible; although many German citizens at the time didn’t know about what went on there exactly. People were starved, used as hard labour or even killed at theses camps.
The Gestapo link in with the Nazi propaganda because they worked hand in hand in eliminating opposition towards the Nazi regime. Propaganda was used to create these Nazi views and encouraged people to think them. People who didn’t know what Germany was like before Hitler – the young, had no reason not to believe things were not right. However, if there for whatever doubted that things were not as great as they seemed under the persuasion of other, for example parents, then the fear of what might happen to them because of the Gestapo would prevent them from causing opposition towards the Nazi German government. When people would report anti-Nazi behaviour they would do it because the feel so much for the propaganda and then the Gestapo would take over from there with horrid consequences.
Another very important reason for why there was little opposition was because of fear again. However, this did not just generate from the Gestapo. This fear originated from peoples own superstitions. For example, people believed that there were a thousand Gestapo members than there actually was. This generated fear that people were in more danger of being punished than they actually were in. Therefore, people were far to scared to speak openly about whether they opposed the Nazi regime. This clearly links in with my reason for why the Gestapo were a significant reason for why there was little opposition to the Nazi government. Furthermore, the link between the fear of peoples own superstitions and the fear if the Gestapo can be explained by people spreading rumours about what will happen to people one the Gestapo had found out they had been speaking negatively abut Hitler. In some cases it was found that these rumours were started by the Gestapo members them elf. This was done in order to prevent opposition. There was always gossip of someone who knew someone, or someone who new someone who new someone and so one, who had disappeared after bad mouthing the Nazis. The Gestapo thrived on that fear. People, who believed that turning their neighbours, believed that if they didn’t do so then they were in the wring and feared the consequences. This links in with the propaganda. The propaganda forced people to believe they were doing the right thing by turning people into the Gestapo. The Gestapo caused fear of people of opposing the Nazi government by making them endure horrendous punishments, and this fear along with the propaganda encouraged people to spread rumours about the Gestapo all in the belief that they were doing the right thing.
In Conclusion I agree with the statement “The most important reason why there was little opposition towards the Nazi regime was its use of propaganda” but only to a certain extent. I think this because propaganda played a significant role in reducing the opposition because it encouraged people to really believe that what the Nazi’s were doing was the right thing and therefore there was no reason to oppose it. The propaganda caused millions to believe this. Therefore propaganda is a key element in reducing the opposition of the Nazi resume. Nevertheless, there were other reasons for why there was little opposition, which in my opinion play a much important role in reducing the opposition. This is the fear. The propaganda wasn’t enough to prevent everyone in Germany to believe and follow Hitler. But, the terror of what might happen to those who disagreed with the Nazi ways was enough to stop them from speaking up. Word of mouth also helped people become aware of these consequences, therefore all of these reasons are important and they are why I do not fully agree with the statement.