The Nazis used different methods to control the German population. The SS became the main means of terrorising and intimidating Germans into obedience. The SS had almost unlimited power to arrest and imprison people without trial, search houses or confiscate property. The SS had undercover agents in every town to snoop on political suspects and potential troublemakers. The SS also ran the concentration camps. As well as allowing the Nazi leadership to work ‘outside the law’ the Gestapo, together with the SS worked legally to enforce Hitler’s will. Opponents of the Nazi government were placed in ‘protective custody’ to stop them becoming involved in plots to attack the regime. This meant internment in concentration camps, the first of which was opened at Dachau in Munich in March of 1933. The Gestapo also tapped telephones, intercepted mail and spied on people. They had a network of informers throughout Germany. The Nazis also set up ‘Peoples courts’ and appointed Nazi judges. Early concentration camps were temporary prisons set up by the SS in disused factories and warehouses. Opponents of the Nazi regime were taken there for questioning, torture, hard labour and ‘re-education’. The Nazis didn’t really have that much control over the German society, as they relied more on the regime informers, and there weren’t many Gestapo.
The Nazis were racists, as they believed that the Germans were a master race. They called them the Herrenvolk or Aryans. Jews made up only 1% of the population of Germany in 1933. However, they played an important part in German life. Over 17% of bankers, 16% of lawyers and 10% of doctors and dentists were Jews. Despite the fact that ¼ of Jews in Berlin were receiving help from charity, they were considered to be rich, as they owned most of the department stores. Soon after coming to power, the Nazis urged Germans to boycott Jewish shops. As a result of the 1935 Nuremberg Laws, marriage or sexual intercourse between Jews and non-Jews was forbidden. Jews also lost the right to German citizenship. On 9 November 1938 a night of violence against the Jews of Germany erupted. Shops and synagogues were ransacked or destroyed while thousands of people were killed or injured. The event was known as Kristallnacht after the broken glass that littered the streets. Other than Jews the Nazis also persecuted gay people and the disabled.
School subjects were altered to support Nazi ideas. In history, pupils were taught about how the Nazi party saved Germany. In biology they were taught that the Germans were the master race because of the size of their skulls compared to other races. Another way of indoctrinating young people was through the Hitler Youth Movement. This organisation was set up to train young people for future military service and to ensure they remained loyal. Education was strictly controlled in Nazi Germany. At a very young age children were taught to become Nazis. They were not educated to think for themselves or to question what they learnt. Textbooks were re-written to include Nazi ideas. One-sided education like this is called Indoctrination. PE was a vital part of the school timetable and the number of lessons each week was increased. It was important to have fit and healthy young people. They were also strongly encouraged to join the Hitler Youth movement and after 1935 it became compulsory. Young people were attached to the HJ by the smart uniforms and the marching through the streets and towns where they lived. They took part in the various sporting activities and the older members were taught to use rifles.
Propaganda played a big part in tightening Hitler’s grip on Germany. It was used to convince the German people that all the Nazis did was right and good. The nazi propaganda chief was Dr. Josef Goebbels. He was so successful that by 1938 most Germans idolised Hitler. Yet, six years earlier only one German in three had voted for the NSDAP. In cinemas propaganda was used to carry the Nazi message. Hitler was portrayed as a God-like figure although Goebbels tried to make sure that his propaganda films were more entertaining than political. He also used the media to whip up support for the Nazis and to incite hatred towards their enemies. He took over most of the newspapers, put controls on what journalists could write and set up a press agency to tell newspapers what the news should be. Anti-Nazi newspapers were banned. I think that the Nazis did have complete control of what people thought, as they had no escape from all the advertising that was going on around them.
The aspects of Nazi Germany that were totalitarian were their instruments of repression, and their propaganda. This is because in both these areas, the people had no say, and had no control of the situation. They were being controlled, so those aspects were total.
