Summary Cambridge A-Levels & IGCSE History notes- Germany, Chapter 2. Hitler's governing of Germany
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Hitler and Nazi Germany
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Cambridge A-Levels & IGCSE History notes- Germany, Chapter 1. Hitler's rise to power
Cambridge A-Levels & IGCSE History notes- Germany, Chapter 3. Hitler's economic policies
Cambridge A-Levels & IGCSE History notes- Germany, Chapter 4. Life in Hitler's Germany
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A2 History: Hitler’s Germany
Part 2- Hitler’s governing of Germany
The Nazi state
• Hitler’s Germany was a right-wing dictatorship led by a
single dominant Fuhrer- himself, with Nazism as the
official state ideology and the NSDAP as the only
political party
• ‘The will of the Fuhrer’
o Hitler had unlimited state power- his orders
were given and followed without discussion
o The key to power and influence in Nazi Germany hence comes from having access to
and support from Hitler, making his officials eager to please.
o However, in reality Hitler could not control every issue- decision making was thus
channelled through a Nazi elite and a multiplicity of conflicting and overlapping
organisations
The leadership of Adolf Hitler
• Hitler did not live up to his carefully manipulated propaganda image as a strong and efficient
leader
o He was a recluse, conducting state affairs away from Berlin from his own home
o He disliked bureaucratic procedures, paperwork, meetings, and administration
• He was an extremely eccentric administrator of a modern state
o He only began meeting government and party advisers at midday
o He would sign extremely important policy documents without giving them a 2nd look
o Ministers would try to charm him and carry out his ‘Fuhrer’s will’ whilst he relaxed
• He was hypocritical (in the health aspect)
o He constantly talked about the great benefits of physical fitness, but led a very
unhealthy lifestyle- he had very little exercise, and suffered from various stomach
disorders, and took different pills throughout his life in attempt to treat them
• Still, he held supreme power and was respected. Disputes amongst his subordinates were
often about who was most loyally carrying out the Fuhrer’s will
o These disputes strengthened Hitler’s own position because they allowed him to
‘divide and rule’ by playing off one group against another
• He was not greatly interested in social or economic policy, but on foreign policy and military
preparations Hitler played a decisive role on all major policy decisions
The dual state
• In the early years, Nazi Germany was a ‘dual state’, with representatives from:
i. The old conservative establishment
▪ Which sought to preserve independence & power
1
Notes compiled by: Chew Wen Min
, ii. A new leadership group drawn from the Nazi Party
▪ Whom demanded greater party control in all spheres of society
• This tension & conflict went on throughout the period 1933-1945 (from Nazi takeover of
power till the end of war), with the Nazi elite gradually getting the upper hand
• The dual state inevitably led to conflicts and greatly reduced administrative efficiency
a
Central government
• Government departments
o Individual government departments were led by single ministers in charge
o The minister in charge formulates the policy and presents it to Hitler for approval
o Most leading Nazi figures (Goebbels, Goering, Himmler, Ribbentrop) created their
own empires for personal gain and profit
• It was only after Feb 1938 that every government ministry was under the control of a Nazi,
not a member of the ‘old guard’
o It is only after this date that the power structure of the dual state shifted more
towards the Nazi Party
• Cabinet government gradually disappeared in Nazi Germany. As a collective group, the
cabinet did not co-ordinate policy or discuss major policy decisions
o Hitler preferred to deal with each cabinet minister separately
• Passing laws
o The only 2 requirements for a law to be passed were Hitler’s agreement & signature
o Reich Chancellery- A body directly under the control of Hitler that was responsible
for passing laws
▪ It acted as the chief administrative office of the Fuhrer, and was the major
power broker between each minister & Hitler
▪ It circulated draft legislation between ministers and ensured they all
followed the rules before laws were given approval- some ministers wanted
the laws to be enacted immediately without the others viewing it first. This
created an informal system called the ‘Fuhrer edicts’, where the law is
passed with a simple signature of Hitlers’ even without others’ approval
• More confusion of the system
o Hitler often allowed the setup of rival institutions and specialist agencies- it is
estimated there were 42 separate agencies with executive power to implement
policies
o Hitler was aware of the confusion, but consistently blocked initiatives to make the
governmental structure more efficient & co-ordinated
The political system in Nazi Germany was a complex maze of personal rivalries and
overlapping party & state institutions, resulting in chaos and confusion. It was a departure
from the previously well-oiled German government machine
o To Hitler, the more confusion the better- the infighting of the ministers will prevent
anyone from challenging his position as Fuhrer
In effort to secure his position, the failure to co-ordinate Nazi policy and objectives ironically
led to the downfall of the Reich which was meant to last for 1000 years.
2
Notes compiled by: Chew Wen Min
, Local government
• Before Hitler took office:
o Germany had a federal system- Each individual region government enjoying a great
deal of autonomy to enact legislation.
• After Hitler took office:
o Centralisation- Individual German states brought under central direction
o Confusion over authority at the local level:
1. Reich governor (Gauleiter)- A new post created to act as the representative
of central government in each Gau (district)
▪ Appointed by Hitler, they had wide-ranging powers to carry out Hitler’s
policies at the local level
2. Minister-President for each region- A post retained by Hitler, who was
responsible for local administration
3. Delegate of the NSDAP in The Municipality- New role added
o Without clear descriptions of differences between the Reich governor, Minister-
President and Delegate of the Municipality, conflicts often arose
▪ Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich (1934)- Subordinated both the
Reich governors and the Minister- Presidents to control the Reich
government
The role of the party
• Confusion over the power position of the party
o The Nazi’s rise to power was ain incomplete revolution- hence it had to rule
alongside the old elites
o It was never made fully clear legally who was superior/subordinate to the state
• Role of the party not clearly defined
o Hitler defined the role of the party to ‘support the government in every way’. The
party was a rubber stamp of Hitler’s views and had no legislative & debating role
o In practice, the main roles of the party were to:
i. Indoctrinate German society with Nazi ideas
ii. Increase its membership
• Late 1930’s- Approximately 25% of the adult population were
members
• Many joined to improve their job prospects & advance own interests
in the later years, so it became difficult to tell who had real loyalty
to the Fuhrer’s vision
3
Notes compiled by: Chew Wen Min
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