Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945 Revision Notes

Initial Consolidation of Nazi Power (1933-1934)

Upon Hitler's appointment as Chancellor in January 1933, the Nazis swiftly moved to establish a dictatorship. The Reichstag Fire Decree (February 1933) suspended civil liberties, allowing for the arrest of political opponents. The Enabling Act (March 1933) granted Hitler legislative powers, bypassing the Reichstag. Trade unions were abolished, and political parties banned, leaving the Nazi Party as the sole legal party. The Night of the Long Knives (June 1934) eliminated Ernst Röhm and other SA leaders, solidifying Hitler's control over the party and military. This period saw the establishment of the Gestapo and the first concentration camps for political prisoners, marking the end of German democracy.

Everyday Life under Nazi Rule

For many 'Aryan' Germans, life under the Nazis appeared stable, especially after the economic hardship of the Weimar Republic. Propaganda promoted a vision of national unity, traditional values, and a strong economy. Job creation schemes, such as rearmament and public works (e.g., autobahns), reduced unemployment. The 'Strength Through Joy' (KdF) programme offered leisure activities and holidays. Education was Nazified, with curricula promoting racial ideology and physical fitness, and youth organisations like the Hitler Youth became compulsory. Women were encouraged to embrace traditional roles as mothers and homemakers, with policies designed to increase birth rates among 'racially pure' Germans. However, this stability came at the expense of political freedom and was built on the systematic persecution of minorities.

Escalation of Racial Policy: Anti-Semitism (1933-1938)

Nazi racial policy, primarily targeting Jewish people, began with boycotts of Jewish businesses and professionals in 1933. The Civil Service Law of 1933 excluded Jews and political opponents from public service. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were a crucial step, revoking Jewish citizenship and forbidding marriage and sexual relations between Jews and 'Aryans'. This legally formalised their status as second-class citizens. By 1938, Jewish doctors and lawyers were barred from treating or representing 'Aryans', and Jewish property had to be registered. Jewish children were increasingly segregated in schools. This period demonstrates a gradual, but relentless, tightening of discriminatory measures aimed at isolating and impoverishing the Jewish community.

Kristallnacht and Worsening Persecution

Kristallnacht, or 'The Night of Broken Glass', occurred on 9-10 November 1938. It was a nationwide pogrom orchestrated by the Nazi regime, ostensibly in response to the assassination of a German diplomat by a Jewish teenager in Paris. Across Germany and Austria, synagogues were burned, thousands of Jewish businesses and homes were destroyed, and over 90 Jews were murdered. Around 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps like Buchenwald and Dachau. Kristallnacht marked a brutal shift from legal discrimination to open, widespread state-sponsored violence against Jews, making it clear that their lives and property were no longer safe and signaling a more aggressive phase of Nazi racial policy. This event shocked the international community and highlighted the extreme danger faced by Jewish people in Germany.