This document contains detailed notes on Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. The notes provide a firm base for any History essay on the conditions in Nazi Germany. The notes are arranged in by factor: Religion, Minorities, Women, Education and the Economy
● Protestants- Easy for Hitler to deal with as was essentially lots of different churches and
not one body led by a single person like the Catholics. Split in two: 1. The ‘German
Christians’ - Led by Ludwig Muller. Those who supported Hitler and the idea anyone
with jewish backgrounds should be removed from the church. 2.The ‘Confessing
Christians’ - did not support Hitler. Led by Martin Niemoller who was sent to a
concentration camp for 7 years as were many other Confessing Christians.
● Catholics- Hitler signed the Concordat with the Pope in 1933 whereby the Pope gave
Hitler his support provided that Hitler completely left the Catholic church alone, left open
Catholic schools and churches. The Pope most likely signed this as the Catholic church
and the Nazis had common hatred for Communism/
● Reich Church- 1936 Hitler created the Reich Church - the national church of Germany
which was controlled by the Nazis and was therefore was a Nazi Propaganda machine
where instead of the cross its symbol was the swastika and instead of the bible it had
Mein Kampf. Only invited Nazis were allowed to give sermons in Reich Churches.
● Anti-Semitism- Cumulative radicalisation to instil hatred for Jews in Germany society:
1933 the jews were removed from the civil service and there was a one day boycott
(April 1st) on Jewish owned business. 1935 Nuremburg Laws meant that a union
between Germans and Jews was no longer allowed. On top of this, Jews were banned
from the Army, many were deported & the press and universities were prohibited to
Jews. Anti semitism continued within the war: following the occupation of Poland in 1939
there were localised killings of Jews by Einzatzgruppen force. In 1941 Hitler decided
upon the ‘Final Solution’- to kill the 11 million Jews in Europe.
● Homosexuals- Homosexuals were seen as ’undesirables’ as they failed to meet the Nazi
ideals to create Aryan offspring. Therefore, they were persecuted, with 15,000
homosexual adults sent to concentration camps. Some homosexuals were castrated in
an attempt to kill of the sexuality and as punishment for having this sexuality
● The Disabled - Huge propaganda campaign against mentally and physically disabled
Germans as they did not resemble the pure aryan race. Therefore they were simply
viewed as a burden on society, as they could not serve the Reich and drained resources
from the state. In July 1933, a law was passed allowing for the forced sterilisation of
Germans would would have ‘inferior’ children. This made 350,000 people infertile. On
top of this, 70,000 Germans were killed through the 1939-41 Euthanasia programme.
Moreover, after invading Poland thousands of ill Poles in hospitals were murdered.
● Jehovah's Witnesses- They did not swear an oath of allegiance to Hitler as had their
allegiance in God. Being pacifists they refused to serve in the German army. The ones
who did not renounce their faith were sent to concentration camps and became
identifiable by a purple triangle.
● Gypsies- 220,000 from across Europe were murdered at the hands of the Nazis.
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