1C.++Totalitarianism-+aim+and+extent

Greater German Realm 


 * //Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer// **
 * //"One People, one Realm, one Leader"// **

1871 → 1943: German Realm (Deutsches Reich) 1943: Greater German Realm (Großdeutsches Reich)

Nazism:

- totalitarian Fascist ideology and policies espoused and practiced by Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Worker's Party from 1920-1945 - extreme nationalism which called for the unification of all German-speaking peoples into a single empire - economy envisioned for the state was a form of corporative state socialism - preached the need for hard work, sacrifice, and service to the state - Gestapo, or secret police, arrested anyone suspected of opposing Nazi rule - used the press, schools, and even churches to glorify their goals - violent campaigns against Jews, sending many to concentration, or prison camps - increased the German military, a step that violated the Versailles Treaty

Totalitarianism: - a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible

__**Main characteristics:**__ - an all-encompassing **propaganda** campaign - **state-controlled** mass media - a **single party/leader** that is often marked by personality cultism - **control** over the economy - regulation and **restriction of speech** - mass **surveillance** - widespread use of **terror (FEAR AND TERROR!)** - **ideologically** driven state - youth, professional, cultural and sports groups supplement the **party’s political control**


 * Totalitarianism** is a form of government in which all resources are monopolized by the state in an effort to penetrate and control all aspects of public and private life, through the state's use of propaganda, terror and technology. Totalitarian ideologies reject the existing society as corrupt, immoral, and beyond reform, project an alternative society in which these wrongs are to be redressed, and provide plans and programs for realizing the alternative order. These ideologies, supported by propaganda campaigns, demand total conformity on the part of the people.


 * Totalitarian** forms of organization enforce this demand for conformity. Totalitarian societies are hierarchies dominated by one political party and usually by a single leader. The party penetrates the entire country through regional, provincial, local and "primary" (party-cell) organization. Youth, professional, cultural, and sports groups supplement the party's political control. A paramilitary secret police ensures compliance. Information and ideas are effectively organized through the control of television, radio, the press, and education at all levels.

The aim is evident, it is about creating a society in which all aspects of life- social, economic, religious and political- are completely controlled, directed and determined by the leader and his party. No rival ideas, organizations, value systems or views are permitted. Totalitarianism is aided by the use of modern technology to monitor, record, track, film and in every way oversee the activities of its citizens<-- secret police, **censorship, propaganda.** The ability to acquire power is one thing but the real challenge is to hold on to it for a long period of time. A party of a group which has acquitted power must move very quickly and effectively to consolidate their power by addressing the circumstances that brought them to **power** and eliminating possible challenges from either individuals or groups. Attracting support is also an effective method of power consolidation in that it minimizes opposition (and the opposition remaining is treated differently, more harshly, **repression** of opposition) by turning many citizens into supporters. This can be achieved by carrying out **promises** made during electoral campaigns or revolutionary periods: lowering unemployment, bringing superiority back to Germany, economic growth and stability, etc and instituting policies that will attract favorable support from key sectors that suppor**t nationalism, rearmament, industrial expansion**, territorial acquisition, new welfare and social programs. All these methods were carried out by Hitler and Nazi Party very intensely in a short period of time.

RESULT: SINGLE PARTY STATE IN TOTAL CONTROL: **single-party states emerge in period of conflict** (because extremist views are then very popular) and crisis- the single party often takes power from the existing government in a violent way. This means that substantial pockets of opposition may remain or will develop when the leader seeks to implement his policies. In order for the new regime to consolidate and retain power it must be prepared to take firm steps to identify and **eliminate all sources of opposition**. These opponents will be found both outside and inside the new ruling party. Potential sources of opposition must first be identified and then **eliminated by forceful threats** and intimidation. These opponents will be found outside and inside the leader's organization or party. Total control and censorship basically allowed an easier control over the population. Indoctrination of children and great use of propaganda lead to citizens controlling citizens system, the secret police was responsible for less then 20% monitoring, 80% of information came from neighbors, friends of the ones arrested.

Fascism ← intended to create a dictatorial state - militarism - nationalism - anti-communism - paramilitary forces - middle-way between capitalism and communism, corporatism media type="youtube" key="uLaB8m67Yo4" height="315" width="420" Video: a quick summary of life in Nazi Germany

Paramilitary Organizations Nazism made use of paramilitary organizations to maintain control within the party, and to squelch opposition to the party. Violence and terror fostered compliance. Among these organizations were the:

- S.A. (Sturmabteilung): Stormtroopers (also known as "brown-shirts") were the Nazi paramilitary arm under Ernst Rîhm. It was active in the battle for the streets against other German political parties. - S.D. (Sicherheitsdiest): the Security Service under Reinhard Heydrich. - S.S. (Schutzstaffel): Defense Corps, was an elite guard unit formed out of the S.A. It was under the command of Heinrich Himmler. - Gestapo (Geheime Staatpolizeil): the Secret State Police, which was formed in 1933. - Nazism also placed an emphasis on sports and paramilitary activities for youth, the massive use of propaganda (controlled by Joseph Goebbels) to glorify the state, and the submission of all decisions to the supreme leader Adolf Hitler.

I. Single leader: Nazi Germany under the leadership of Hitler soon became a dictatorship. A dictatorship requires one person and one party to be in control of a nation and a climate of fear - this was provided by Himmler's SS. Personal freedom disappeared in Nazi Germany.When Hitler was appointed chancellor on January 30th 1933, it was at the head of a coalition government. It was very clear in his mind that it would not remain this way for long. By the end of March 1933, he had acquired much greater powers than the former leading politicians of the Weimar Republic could ever have foreseen when they supported his appointment as chancellor. The death of President Hindenburg in August 1934, allowed him to combine both chancellor's and president's positions into one when Hitler became the Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor.

II. Secret police: The Nazi Police State was to ensure that everybody did as they were told - or paid the price. The Nazi Police were controlled by Heinrich Himmler and his feared secret police - the Gestapo - did as it pleased in Nazi Germany. Children’s loyalty could be developed with a policy of indoctrination via education and the Hitler Youth movement. Time and planning spent in these areas would bring a suitable reward for Hitler.

III. Fear and terror: Those arrested by either the police or the Gestapo had less than three minutes to pack clothing and say their goodbyes. Once arrested, they were sent to the nearest police cell. Those in custody were told to sign Form D-11; this was an "Order For Protective Custody". By signing this, you agreed to go to prison. Those who did not sign it were beaten until they did or officers simply forged their signature. Once a D-11 was signed, you were sent to a concentration camp. How long you stayed here depended on the authorities. The usual rule of thumb was whether it was felt that you had learned your lesson (even if there had not been one to learn) and would behave in an acceptable manner once outside of prison.The concentration camps were deliberately barbaric. Before 1939, deaths in them occurred but they were not common. The idea was that anybody who had been in one, once released, would ‘advertise’ the fact that they were not places where people wanted to go. This was another way of ensuring that people kept their ideas to themselves. IV. Propaganda: Propaganda within Nazi Germany was taken to a new and frequently perverse level. Hitler was very aware of the value of good propaganda and he appointed Joseph Goebbels as head of propaganda. Propaganda is the art of persuasion - persuading others that your 'side of the story' is correct. Propaganda might take the form of persuading others that your military might is too great to be challenged; that your political might within a nation is too great or popular to challenge etc. In Nazi Germany, Dr Joseph Goebbels was in charge of propaganda. Goebbels official title was Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. V. Censorship: Censorship was rampant throughout Nazi Germany. Censorship ensured that Germans could only see what the Nazi hierarchy wanted people to see, hear what they wanted them to hear and read only what the Nazis deemed acceptable. The Nazi police dealt with anyone who went outside of these boundaries. Censorship dominated the lives of the ordinary citizen in Nazi Germany. Newspapers, radio, books - censored information was published, while revolutionary, liberal "illegal" texts were i.e. burned.

VI. Education: The Hitler Youth was a logical extension of Hitler's belief that the future of Nazi Germany was its children. The Hitler Youth was seen as being as important to a child as school was. In the early years of the Nazi government, Hitler had made it clear as to what he expected German children to be like:"The weak must be chiselled away. I want young men and women who can suffer pain. A young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp's steel."Nazi education schemes part fitted in with this but Hitler wanted to occupy the minds of the young in Nazi Germany even more. VII. Economy: The Minister of the Economy was Hjalmar Schacht. He introduced his "New Plan". This plan intended to reduce imports, reduce unemployment, channel government spending into a wide range of industries and make trade agreements with other nations. Hermann Goering also wanted Germany to become self-sufficient in all industries so that as a nation she could survive a war.

media type="youtube" key="A7m6b1cyRyo" height="315" width="420"

People will vote for or join a political party that they believe will increase their wealth, power, and prestige. One of the most important reasons why the Nazi Party gained in popularity in the late 1920s was because of the economic chaos in Germany after the Wall St Crash of 1929. The Nazis realised that if they were to gain and keep mass support from the German people, they would have to tackle these serious issues:
 * Unemployment – this had risen to over 6 million by 1932
 * Inflation and hyperinflation – Germany had faced devastating hyperinflation in 1923 when $1 = 4,200,000,000,000 marks
 * Self-sufficiency (autarky) - Germany relied on overseas trade for vital raw materials and food supplies. Part of the reason Germany had lost the Great War was because it hadn’t been able to maintain these supplies. Hitler hoped to make Germany self-sufficient.

__Nazi economic policies:__
 * On 2nd May, 1933, Adolf Hitler ordered the Sturm Abteilung (SA) to arrest Germany's trade union leaders. Robert Ley formed the Labour Front (DAF), the only union organization allowed in the Third Reich.
 * A pay freeze was introduced in 1933 and this was enforced by the Labour Front. Wages were now decided by the Labour Front and compulsory deductions made for income tax, and for its Strength through Joy programme. The Labour Front issued work-books that recorded the worker's employment record and no one could be employed without one.

Sources used: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhitler.htm http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERnazigermany.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/propaganda_in_nazi_germany.htm http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/gcse/germany/education.htm#.TyJYOeOXTpM http://hsc.csu.edu.au/modern_history/national_studies/germany/2429/page64.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/nazidictatorship.htm

Sources used: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhitler.htm http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERnazigermany.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/propaganda_in_nazi_germany.htm http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/gcse/germany/education.htm#.TyJYOeOXTpM http://hsc.csu.edu.au/modern_history/national_studies/germany/2429/page64.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/nazidictatorship.htm