HOW DID THE NAZIS CONTROL GERMANY?
Quite simply:
- Fear- a Nazi police state has constructed which made many ordinary Germans afraid to question authority
- Gain- many incentives were given to ordinary Germans to support the Nazi government
- Belief- Germans were bombarded with propaganda which strongly affected their views on policy and their government
Fear
The police state in Nazi Germany was largely based upon the work of two organizations in particular
The success of the Gestapo lay in creating a paranoia among the population that their actions and words were continually being monitored for evidence of anti-Nazi sentiment. In this way, the Gestapo coerced the German people into peer-policing, whereby ordinary citizens would gladly inform the authorities about suspicious activity of their neighbors or other members of the community out of a fear that any failure to do so would mean that they too were guilty of plotting against the Nazis.
The Gestapo were responsible for sending untermenschen and opponents of the Nazi regime to concentration camps, another important piece of control apparatus for the Nazi state. The camps were either work camps or death camps. Either way, the conditions inside the camps were so terrible that diseases caused by malnutrition or bacterial infection were common and punishments handed out by guards extremely harsh. These camps also provided a useful function (in terms of keeping Nazi control) by separating opponents (or would-be opponents) of the Nazi regime from the rest of German population.
Finally, these camps were ran by the S.S., a paramilitary organization under the command of Heinrich Himmler that effectively replaced the S.A. as Hitler's bodyguard and fulfilled a range of functions in Nazi Germany. Whereas the Waffen SS were elite combat troops in the Wehrmacht (Germany Army) the Allgemeine SS were responsible for issues within Germany, especially racial matters. It was the Allgemeine SS that were largely responsible for carrying out the holocaust.
- The Gestapo
- The S.S. (Schutzstaffel)
The success of the Gestapo lay in creating a paranoia among the population that their actions and words were continually being monitored for evidence of anti-Nazi sentiment. In this way, the Gestapo coerced the German people into peer-policing, whereby ordinary citizens would gladly inform the authorities about suspicious activity of their neighbors or other members of the community out of a fear that any failure to do so would mean that they too were guilty of plotting against the Nazis.
The Gestapo were responsible for sending untermenschen and opponents of the Nazi regime to concentration camps, another important piece of control apparatus for the Nazi state. The camps were either work camps or death camps. Either way, the conditions inside the camps were so terrible that diseases caused by malnutrition or bacterial infection were common and punishments handed out by guards extremely harsh. These camps also provided a useful function (in terms of keeping Nazi control) by separating opponents (or would-be opponents) of the Nazi regime from the rest of German population.
Finally, these camps were ran by the S.S., a paramilitary organization under the command of Heinrich Himmler that effectively replaced the S.A. as Hitler's bodyguard and fulfilled a range of functions in Nazi Germany. Whereas the Waffen SS were elite combat troops in the Wehrmacht (Germany Army) the Allgemeine SS were responsible for issues within Germany, especially racial matters. It was the Allgemeine SS that were largely responsible for carrying out the holocaust.
Gain
If fear 'disincentivized' (discouraged) German opposition to the Nazi state, gain 'incentivized' (encouraged) German support for Hitler and the Nazis. These incentives were usually of an economic nature but could also be tied to the idea of restoring German greatness. Therefore, some of these incentives relied on propaganda.
German economic policies were founded on the ideas of financing huge public work schemes and achieving 'autarky'. The public work schemes were intended to stimulate the German economy during the Great Depression and provide jobs to unemployed Germans. Although an unsustainable policy in the long-term (it created greater government debt and an import-export deficit as the Nazi government had to spend money on imported materials for the projects), the short-term economic benefits were considerable and won popular supports as Germans were able to share in this economic growth.
The idea of 'autarky' or self-sufficiency, although again costly, also played to the idea of restoring German greatness. Here Hitler pledged to build an '1000 year empire' or Third Reich and reunite the volk (German speaking people), following in the footsteps of Charlemagne, Frederick the Great, Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm. To achieve this, Hitler began rebuilding the German military (again a source of pride) and talked about creating lebensraum (living space) in Eastern Europe.
For many ordinary Germans, there lots of incentives to buy into Nazi ideals and policies. The Nazis were successful in convincing the population that they were much better off supporting the Nazi state than opposing it.
German economic policies were founded on the ideas of financing huge public work schemes and achieving 'autarky'. The public work schemes were intended to stimulate the German economy during the Great Depression and provide jobs to unemployed Germans. Although an unsustainable policy in the long-term (it created greater government debt and an import-export deficit as the Nazi government had to spend money on imported materials for the projects), the short-term economic benefits were considerable and won popular supports as Germans were able to share in this economic growth.
The idea of 'autarky' or self-sufficiency, although again costly, also played to the idea of restoring German greatness. Here Hitler pledged to build an '1000 year empire' or Third Reich and reunite the volk (German speaking people), following in the footsteps of Charlemagne, Frederick the Great, Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm. To achieve this, Hitler began rebuilding the German military (again a source of pride) and talked about creating lebensraum (living space) in Eastern Europe.
For many ordinary Germans, there lots of incentives to buy into Nazi ideals and policies. The Nazis were successful in convincing the population that they were much better off supporting the Nazi state than opposing it.
Belief
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Finally the Nazi propaganda machine played a huge role in instilling a zealous belief in Nazi policies. Again, the promise to build a Third Reich, unite the volk and create lebensraum as well as reverse the hated Treaty of Versailles- a diktat (dictated peace). By also continually referring to German's defeat in WWI and the Treaty of Versailles as part of the Dolschtoss myth (the belief that German Jews and communists stabbed their country in the back), Hitler was able to gain more support for his antisemitic agenda.
Hitler's propaganda chief, Josef Goebbels, was extremely adept at using different mediums- radio, posters, film- as well highly organized mass rallies to promote Nazi beliefs and policies. Children in schools were taught eugenics (race studies) so that they would be indoctrinated with Nazi pseudo-scientific ideas of racial hierarchy. There was also a push to return to traditional values, as expressed by rural groups such as the Wandervogel in the 1920's in response to what they saw as a new decadent and immoral culture that originated in German cities. When the Olympics were held in Berlin in 1936, the games were hijacked by the Nazis to demonstrate their belief in Aryan (White northern European) superiority. At the center of it was Hitler, who had a cult of personality built around him. Germans were persuaded to belief that he was their savior, the man who could alone restore Germany to its natural greatness. |
Summary
Through a combination of promising severe consequences for challenging Nazi authority, rewards for supporting the Nazi party and propaganda, the Nazis were able to construct a powerful totalitarian state that was effective in controlling the majority of German citizens. Without this control, it would not have been possible for the Nazis to implement their policies, particularly the ideas regarding foreign policy and race. However, it is important to note that not all Germans support the Nazis. Most of the individuals and groups who chose to bravely oppose the Nazis tended to be youth movements.
