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Notes on Hitler's Opposition - All Areas
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Notes on the opposition to the Nazi regime, from 1933 to 1945. Extensive analysis and historiography included.
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Hitler – Opposition to the Nazi RegimeNotes
General:
Whilst it is accepted that there was resistance, it is difficult to quantify how much.
It is not clear how much support for the regime was genuine or based on fear.
Opposition to Nazism was poorly organised and did not have any central
coordination.
The diverse range of groups involved meant that they would not cooperate to remove
Hitler from power.
A lot of opposition to Hitler’s regime was also very issue based, and not part of a
broader rebellion against the regime – Example CHURCHES (Opposed against
euthanasia but did not condemn the Nazi regime in general)
Various laws ensured that only a complete revolution or coup d'état would be able to
remove Hitler from power.
Opposition from the Army
General:
The Army had played a major role in undermining the Weimar government, thus
paving the way for Nazism.
Many senior military figures came to back Hitler’s actions in rebuilding German
strength, including rearmament and conscription
Night of the Long Knives:
SA, which was disliked by the army, was ended
Army took an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler
Despite their hopes for rearmament, many senior military figures began to worry about
Hitler’s power, especially as his actions seemed likely to provoke a war.
The Czechoslovakia crisis brought these issues to a head
Army Chief of Staff General Ludwig Beck
Spoke at a meeting of army generals against plans to invade Czechoslovakia, so Hitler
forced him to resign.
Worked with a group of military figures (led by General Hans Oster) who favoured a
coup to remove Hitler from power.
Plans for the coup were accelerated with the Czechoslovakia crisis
BUT Britain and France gave in to Hitler’s demands at the 1938 Munich Conference,
so there was not much support for a revolt now (they needed a failure)
Many blamed Chamberlain for being sympathetic to Hitler
The Abwehr
The Abwehr was led by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, who along with General Beck had
opposed Germany’s actions in Czechoslovakia.
Canaris was opposed to Hitler’s persecution of religious groups.
He is believed to have passed information to UK and US spies (although a
Nationalist)
, Canaris also helped Jews to leave Germany, often by giving them fake papers
claiming they were Abwehr agents.
He was executed in 1945
Other officers helped too but not always because of sympathy for the Jews, as they
often took bribes
Some people have claimed that the Abwehr’s main ‘success’ in undermining Nazism
was because they were poorly run
HISTORIOGRAPHY:
Walter Goerlitz claims that the Abwehr was the “real centre of military opposition to
Hitler”
Allan Dulles says that, at best, 5% of Abwehr officers opposed the regime, meaning
95% gave them their support.
Asassination Plots during the War
Colonel Rudolf von Gersdorff who in March 1943 failed after Hitler turned up late at
an event.
A bomb – organised by the Kreisau Circle - was set off at Hitler’s Eastern Front
headquarters, on 20 July 1944 however Hitler survived.
7000 people were arrested and almost 5000 were killed as a result of the failed
endeavour.
Historiography/Opinions:
Mary Fulbrook: At first the German elite shared common aims with the Nazis. This
only began to break down as the regime became more radical in the late 1930s
Detlev Peukert: Political structure from 1933 was an alliance of entrepreneurs and
members of the political elite (especially the army). This largely remained the case
throughout Nazi rule.
Omer Bartov: The army did give support to Hitler as many soldiers had previously
been in the Nazi Youth. However, many army leaders genuinely shared Hitler’s
ideology.
Opposition from the Churches:
General
The churches presented the Nazis with a serious dilemma.
The Nazis wanted to build a Germany with their ideology at the heart of it, and they
did not want organised groups that could oppose them.
They were wary of provoking public anger and resentment by attacking the churches.
Many felt that churches were more concerned with protecting their own positions than
opposing Nazism in general.
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