NAZI CONTROL OF CHURCH AND STATE

NAZI CONTROL OF CHURCH AND STATE

4.1 Church State Relations

Nazism favours violence, strength, hatred and blind obedience to Hitler.

Catholic Church

Though born a Catholic Hitler was irreligious but did not want to alienate support

1933 Hitler made a Concordat with Catholic Church:

• Church would not interfere in politics
• State would not interfere in the Church

This won support at home and abroad and then Hitler reneged on his side of the bargain.

The ‘Church Secession Campaign’ tried to get people to leave.

Accusations of embezzlement and sexual misconduct were levelled against the clergy.

Parents discouraged from sending children to Catholic schools. Many closed.

Pius XI condemned Nazism.

During WW2, many priests were condemned for being opponents of Nazism. Some went to Concentration Camps and one was executed in Germany.

Lutheran Church

At first Hitler seemed no threat until support was established.

Nazism was seen by many as a protection against ‘godless Communism’.

The Reich Church was set up as an umbrella organisation. Then an attempt was made to introduce Racism and anti-Semitism into Lutheranism. 

Most left the Reich Church and set up the Confessional Church.

A leader of the Confessional Church was Pastor Niemoller who was freed from Dachau in 1945.

‘The German Faith Movement’

1934 set up by the Nazis to promote ‘positive Christianity’.

This had nothing to do with Christianity. It was called that to attract members.

It promoted the Aryan race and Nordic paganism.

Even though membership was a good career move, only 5% joined.

Hitler did not suppress the Churches in Germany for political reasons but in Poland many priests were executed and the Church was suppressed.

The Nazi religious policy failed.

4.2 Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust

A long tradition of anti-Semitism in Europe (killed Jesus).

The ‘superior’ Aryan race descended from Nordic tribes were to survive at the expense of Jews, homosexuals, handicapped, gypsies and others.

Hitler blamed Jews for Germany’s economic troubles and defeat in WW1.

Marx was a Jew.

In ‘Mein Kampf’ he threatened to kill them.

Limited Persecution

Until he had established his rule Hitler was restrained.

1933 a one day boycott of Jewish shops. Jews banned from the Civil Service.

1934 Jews banned from the professions

1935 Nuremberg Laws

• Mixed marriages banned
• Sexual relations outside marriage with Jews banned
• Jews could not have German female servants under 45.

1936 Olympic Games

Persecution eased off as Hitler tried to show a good image.

When the games were over Jews were forced out of the professions and forced to wear the Star of David.

Researchers were appointed to identify Jews and medical checks were sometimes given.

1938 Kristallnacht

An excuse was provided when a German embassy official had been shot in Paris by a Jew.

Jewish homes and businesses were attacked.

Goebbles blamed the Jews. 100 were killed and 20,000 arrested.

Many Jews, including Einstein, emigrated.

1940 Hitler’s Madagascar Plan was dropped because Britain had control of the sea there.

Einstatzgruppen

SS teams who followed German armies into Poland to round up Jews into ghettos and murder national leaders.

When they went into USSR they had orders to exterminate Jews and political leaders.

About 750,000 Jews in USSR were ‘resettled’ in pits.

Concentration Camps

1933 Dachau was the first. It was described as a ‘re-education’ camp for ‘ undesirables’

The Final Solution

1941 Hitler and other leaders had decided on extermination.

A high level meeting at Wansee outside Berlin decided that 11 million would be transported to death camps in Poland where it would be easier to keep it quiet.

Adolf Eichmann was put in charge.

Auchwitz, Belsen, Treblinka were in Poland.

Those unable to work were gassed immediately. The rest worked on poor rations until they too were gassed.

Zyklon B.

No written evidence that Hitler was responsible but plenty that he advocated extermination.

Collective Guilt

Most Germans were unaware of the Final Solution.

Anti-Semitism was strong and there was no opposition to anti-Semitic laws, but silence does not mean complicity. Intimidation was severe.

The Nazis did attempt to keep it quiet.

Many soldiers were obeying orders.

4.3 Resistance and Collaboration

Communist and Socialist Resistance in Germany.

‘The Red Orchestra’ was a group dedicated to having Russian style Communism.

It gave vital information to Moscow until 1942 until its leaders were executed.

Students

‘The White Rose’ leaflets criticising Nazis.

Leaders Hans and Sophie Scholl (brother and sister) executed after organising the first anti-Nazi demonstration in 1943.

The Churches

Largely compromised with Nazis to protect their institutions.

They also argued that they did not interfere in politics.

1938 Pius XI condemned the Nazis and did secretly give aid to Jewish organisations but how much did they know? Did they do enough?

It was left to individuals like Pastors Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (executed)

Conservatives

‘The Kreisau Circle’ a group of army officers, academics, aristocrats and churchmen wanted to stop Nazi killing but many were executed in 1944, including Helmut Von Molkte who owned the estate at Kreisau.

The Army

High command regarded Hitler as an upstart.

Chief of Staff, Ludwig Beck resigned in 1938 as a protest against Hitler’s march to war.

The July Plot of 1944 organised by General Claus von Stauffenberg. Hitler saved by the leg of a table.

Executed along with Beck and Rommel

The Maquis

Ambushed the enemy, gave intelligence and used sabotage.

Very brave. Around 50,000 mainly in the South of France.

Yugoslavia

Royalist Chetniks and communist Partisans both resisted.

They also fought amongst themselves.

Partisans won out with their leader becoming Marshal Tito

Denmark and Netherlands

Did the same as the Maquis and also saved thousands of Jews

Eastern Europe

Very effective at slowing the Germans until Winter.

Severe German reprisals against civilians who sheltered resistance fighters.

Collaboration

State collaboration Vichy France under Marshal Petain. Some believed in Nazism, others wanted to save their countries from destruction.

Quisling in Norway