National and Local Government
Hitler's main aim was to get people to follow him. He would achieve this mainly through propaganda – which was very successful, but for some of the time, some people continued to refuse Nazi ideas. They would be forced to accept them. Germany became a police state – which meant that the police had the power to do whatever they wanted – based up on the idea that they were doing something ‘good to the country'. Hitler developed several organisations to help enforce his terror.
The SS
The SS or Schutzstaffel were set up in 1925 as part of the SA. They were led by Henrich Himmler and were completely loyal to Hitler and would carry out any order. They were regarded as perfect examples of Aryan men.
The SS were eventually divided into three main sections…
- The SD or Sicherheitdienst were responsible for state security – meaning that their task was to deal with any enemies of the Nazis.
- The Waffen SS were units who fought alongside the army.
- The Death's Head Units took control of the concentration camps.
The Gestapo
The Gestapo (Gehemie Staatspolizei) were Hitler's secret police. Under the administration of the SS the role of the Gestapo was to investigate and combat “all tendencies dangerous to the State”. The Gestapo spies affected the lives of many people living in Nazi Germany, including leader of the Confessing Church , Dietrich Bonhoeffer , who was murdered by the Gestapo in 1945. This was the problem faced by any churchman who tried to oppose the Nazis. Anything they wrote or said would be noted by the Gestapo.
The Gestapo could arrest anyone and send them to concentration camps without the need of a trial. They used informers to uncover any attempts to organise opposition. The Gestapo ended up becoming under SS control after Himmler's deputy, Richard Heydrich became head of the Gestapo in 1936.
The Courts
Since the SD and the Gestapo had the power to stick people in concentration camps without a trial, the courts could do very little to protect Germans. However, this was not the role of the courts. Jewish and female judges were forced to leave their jobs (both for reasons mentioned later) and were replaced with Nazi supporters. Very unfairly, any opponents of the Nazis would still be punished even if the did (rarely) manage to get a trial. By 1939, the courts had sentenced over 500 people to death and sent many others to the concentration camps.
Work in Nazi Germany
Unemployment was a key problem in Nazi Germany after the huge economic depression of the 30's. The high unemployment that was caused by the depression is one of the main reasons for the Nazis coming to power. Hitler's promise to provide ‘bread and work' for the German people was a promise which really got the public engaged with Hitler and his ideas – he gave some hope after years of misery.
Reich Labour Service
The Reich Labour Service was set up for school leavers and unskilled workers – the Nazis realised that if they were going to win support, they would have to provide jobs and improve living standards as a whole.
The German Labour Front
The German Labour Front was set up to replace trade unions. The Nazis put the concept of ‘ Volksgemeinschaft ' – this was the idea of everyone working together for the good of the country. The German Labour Front had complete control over all industrial workers – configuring their hours or work and pay. Robert Lay was head of the German Labour Front and was big on giving Germans enjoyment through the work that they did – usually by rewarding during their non-working hours.
Schönheit der Arbeit (SdA)
SdA or ‘ Beauty of Labour ' was a branch of the German Labour Front. Its job was to improve condition in the work place. All sounded good, but the Germans were made to work much harder for the Nazis. Wages did not increase nearly as much as hours did.
Autarky
Another of Hitler's aims was to establish autarky – to make Germany self-sufficient. This meant that Germany should operate by itself, using its own resources rather than relying on imports, especially raw materials. Hitler realised that German wouldn't be able to rely on imports once the war had begun, and because he wanted to build up the German forces, large amounts of raw materials would be needed. To add to Germany 's production of raw materials, Hitler would have to invade and capture Lebensraum (living space).
Leisure Time
The KdF
The KdF (Kraft durch Freunde or strength through joy) was set up as part of the German Labour Front to provide workers with activities for then they weren't working. The workers were encouraged to work harder in that the KdF may reward them for their hard work – those who worked the hardest would be rewarded with a cruise on the KdF ship.
