Flashcards
Terror
Cards in this deck (14)
- 1What is considered a 'police state'?Totalitarian state in which citizens are controlled or closely supervised by a political force- single party has complete control over mass communications, armed forces and economy- demands total support from the people
- 2Nazi Police force SSLed by Himmler- rewarded for its role in NOLK by being given status of an independent organisation within the Nazi party- 1933-34 Himmler gained control of all regional police forces- including that of Prussia - power consolidated on 17th June 1936 when Hitler issued a decree merging police and SS- made Himmler chief of German police
- 3Himmler vs FrickReich Ministry of interior was contested by its head Frick- insisted on Himmler's title being 'Reichsfuhrer SS and Chief of German Police within the Reich Ministry of Interior'- - therefore Himmler= responsible to Frick- but meaningless as Himmler being head of SS made him only answerable to Hitler- Aug 1943- Himmler took over ministry of interior
- 4Why 'Police State' is misleading in Nazi GermanyHitler and Himmler aimed to achieve a decree to remove police by 1936- instrument or enforcement of the law- by merging police w/SS- instrument of Fuhrer's authority- can act outside law- ensured police was controlled by him personally
- 5GestapoEven before 1936- Reichstag fire decree gave Gestapo great power-could take suspects into 'protective custody'- hold them indefinitely without right to trial or appeal
- 6Gestapo p2Gestapo became increasingly independent of the courts- eg torture- officially sanctioned by Hitler- If court aqcuitted someone they considered to be guilty or gave what they deemed too short a sentence- could rearrest immediately, hold them in custody or send to a concentration camp
- 7Preventative policingIncreased emphasis on this- imprisoning someone considered likely to commit a crime- police forces encouraged to see selves as fighting against enemies of state- Jews, Communists, Freemasons, Jehovas witnesses, homosexuals, gypsies and work shy
- 8Punishable offencesIncreasing no. activities became offences - penalty harshness also increased- death penalty for more crimes- after Reichstag Fire- included arson- Second decree announced same day as Reichstag fire- 'Against Treason to the German Nation and against Treasonable Activities'- enlarged treason- wider scope for arrests- Malicious Practices Act- 21st March 1933- banned critical or offensive remarks about state or its leaders- essentially no freedom of speech
- 9Gestapo- appearanceGestapo revelled in its reputation for utter ruthelessness- to hide structural and beuracratic weaknesses- insert statistic-but many Germans impressed w/ regimes apparent achievements- emphasized by propaganda eg ending unemployment and curbing inflation
- 10DenunciationsIn actuality- very few Gestapo members in relation to amount of Germans- depended on support of ordinary Germans with denunciations- so many of these regime became concerned abt Gestapo's increased workload/ Hitler was worried about national unity being undermined
- 11Persecution of the JewsGellately studied records on denunciations of Jews in lower Franconia- even before there were official race laws Nazi's/ non Nazis began to denounce people for 'race defilement', 'befriending Jews' and criticising anti- semitic policies- found total cases based on denunciations made up 70% of Gestapo's cases in lower Franconia- reactive
- 12Motivations of denouncersRichard Mann- studied Gestapo cases in Dusseldorf- only 25% of cases started with denunciation were motivated b y patriotism, loyalty to the regime or hatred of 'national enemies'- most had primarily selfish reasons eg annoyance with neighbour, business rivalry or family dispute- yet Mann argues the citizens awareness of what would happen to those denounced indicates a degree of support for the regime
- 13Foreign radio and denunciationsrich source of denunciations from- Goebbels propaganda campaign- encouragement of widespread radio ownership- many radio sets too weak to receive foreign station- most at some point listened to foreign radio to find out what was really going on- especially during WW2- listening to foreign radio became illegal on 1st Sept 1939
- 14More about the Gestapoin lower Franconia there were only 28 Gestapo officers and 22 were assigned to the town of Wurzburg- Reed Purvis writes that most towns of 10,000 never saw a Gestapo officer- Purvis refuted another myth that all Gestapo were fanatical Nazis- in Saarbrucken- only 10% SS and 50% Nazi party members- most police remained in their posts when the Nazi regime began but were able to be off the leash