This action resulted in an increase of fear amongst the public making people believe the true power of the S.A. and S.S. Further more encouraging them to 'keeping their heads down.' German workers feared losing their jobs if they did express opposition. The public were encouraged to report to the Nazis if they heard someone speak against them. This spread distrust around the community and people no longer knew who they could trust. The Gestapo reinforced this distrust making Germans feel that is they did not inform on each other, the secret police force would find them out anyway.
POLITICAL OPPONENTS
'Our 8000 prisoners included first of all the "politicals" (for example the Communist members of Reichstag), many of whom have been in concentration camps since 1933.' Concentration camps were widley used for prisoning anyone brave enough to criticise the Nazis beliefs including Jews, trade unionists, communists and even the general public.
Political parties had different ideas on how the country should be run therefore posing a threat towards the Nazis. Shortly after Hitler became Fuhrer, all political parties except the Nazis party were banned. This consolidated Hitler's position as it meant other parties cannot recieve higher votes than the Nazi party if other parties did not exist. Secret police forces and the Hitler's own elite force the S.S.
CHURCH LEADERS
In early stages of the Nazis regime, there was some form co-operation between the Nazis and the Churches. Hitler agreed to leave the Catholic Church alone and allowed it to keep control of its schools if the churched agreed to stay out of politics. With the Catholic Church dealt with, Hitler now moved on to Protestant Churches and he tried to make all Protestant Churches to come together to form the Reich Church. However, many Germans felt their loyalty were with the original churches rather than the state-approved Church. The church-goers of both beliefs either supported the Nazis or did little to show their distaste towards them.
Catholic Bishop Galen criticised the Nazis in the 1930s and in 1941, he led a protest against the Nazi policies of killing mentally ill and disabled people, forcing the Nazis to temporarily stop their actions. His support was so strong from the public that the Nazis decided that it was altogether too risky to get rid of him.
Protestant ministers were also against the Nazis. Pastor Martin Niemoller was one of the most important critics in 1930s, and with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he formed an alternative Protestant Church to the Reich Church. This resulted in Niemoller spending 1938-45 in concentration camp. Bonhoeffer preached against the Nazis until he was silenced by Gespato and instead became involved with members of the army's intelligience services who secretly opposed the Nazis regiments. He helped Jews escape from Germany and contacted Allied commanders what peace terms would be offered to Germany if Hitler was overthrown. However, in October 1942, he was arrested and hanged before the end of the war.
By exterminating the leaders of those who oppose the Nazis. They have in a way created a flock of sheep without a shepard. They would just stay where they are until the next shepard leads them on. The numbers of arrest and rising number of people killed by the Nazis also meant that people were petrified and some would even be relieved to be alive each day.
ARMY OFFICERS
A group of army officers were almost successful in removing Hitler in the bomb plot of July 1944. By this stage in the war, many people were sure that the war was lost and that Hitler was leading Germany into ruin. Count von Stauffenburg was one of these people and on 20 July 1944, he placed a bomb in Hitler's conference room. This bomb was aimed to kill Hitler, close down radio stations and round up the other leading Nazis and take over Germany. However, the whole procedure was badly planned and Hitler managed to escape alive. The Nazis took revenge and killed 5,000 to show others what would happen if this was to take place again.
This was effective to scaring off other people planning revolts although to others, it could encourage them to become ever more vigilant in the matter.
The Nazis were exceptionally ruthless when dealing with their opponents. This was to ensure that other people would be too scared to even attempt saying anything against the Nazis aloud. In this way, Germany would be a peaceful country where everyone worked together and no one would know what went on underneath. But the public knew the consequences of going against the Nazis...
"First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew
Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out
because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me - and there was no one left
to speak out for me."