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How far was social control by the Nazis responsible for Hitler's success in maintaining his rule over Germany?

Note: To tackle this question, you have to address the given factor in the question - i.e. Social Control as means Hitler used to control Germany - before introducing other factors which Hitler had used to exert control over Germany.

Under SOCIAL CONTROL:

Education
- Hitler exerted his social control through education. All aspects of education were tightly controlled by the Nazis, from teachers to curriculum. Boys and girls were made to do different programmes of lessons. All lessons and training were geared towards promoting loyalty to Hitler and the Nazi State, and to subjugate inferior races such as the Jews.

Children and Youth
- Hitler and the Nazi wanted people to follow them willingly and to absolutely believe in Nazi propaganda. To ensure this, the Nazis tried to control childrens’ lives from the moment they were born. Mothers were told to influence their children with toys that reflected their future – either as soldiers or mothers. Even colouring books had pictures of Hitler playing with little children and rhymes that stressed how children should love the Fuhrer. Youths were made to join youth organizations which had programmes aimed at developing loyalty to Hitler and the Nazi Party.

Churches
- Hitler also controlled churches which transmitted Nazi propaganda / ideas.


Other Factors

Use of propaganda
- Nazis made careful use of propaganda to maintain their hold on the German people. From simple repetitions of the slogan ‘work and bread’ and using wordslike ‘we’ and our’, to total media control and tight censorship, the Nazis were able to make people worship Hitler blindly and believe the lies they were exposed to. These measures ensured Hitler’s paramount control of Germany.

Use of fear and intimidation
- Hitler practised violent suppression and persecution to garner support and quelled criticisms and opposition.
- The use of intimidation and violence was achieved by his armies, the SA and the SS, his secret police (Gestapo), which were used to terrorise everyone into supporting him.
- Hitler also used law courts and unfair trials to remove anyone who opposed him.
- Hitler’s extensive network of spies made many Germans live in fear, as one would never know if his/her neighbours or colleagues, family or friends were Nazi informants paid to betray them.
- Examples of such uses of fear and intimidation are the arrests during the Night of the Broken Glass, Crystal Night, arrest of Pastor Martin Niemoller, and the Jewish Holocaust.
- This fear of being sent to concentration camps, being killed or arrested compelled the German people to obey the Nazi regime.

Economic Control
- Hitler’s Four-Year Plan for the economy emphasised on rearmament and industrialisation. He was able to reduce unemployment caused by the Great Depression.
- Hitler also banned trade unions which were a possible source of opposition to Nazi control. Instead, everyone was made to join the German Labour Front (DAF), the Nazi version of a trade union. DAF was able to educate all Germans at work in support of the national Socialist state and to indoctrinate them with the national Socialist State mentality.
- DAF also organized various programmes to improve working conditions, like Beauty or Labour, Strength through Joy. Such programmes were aimed at making people spend as much time as possible in large Nazi-organised groups. All these measures ensured Hitler had full control of Germany.

There are others factors you can include. Also, you should learn reorganised these factors - either under long-term/short-terms impacts or the category of Social/Political/Economic/Military - so that your answers would be more concised and effective.

Nazi Soviet Pact

Downloaded from www.SchoolHistory.co.uk

BACKGROUND
- Stalin had been very worried about German threats to the Soviet Union since Hitler came to power in 1933
- Hitler had openly stated that he wanted Soviet land for his Lebensraum
Stalin tried to create alliances with Britain and France but to no avail
- In 1934 Stalin took the USSR into the League of Nations as a guarantee against German aggression.

The League Of Nations
- Stalin gained no satisfaction from the League. Instead he saw failures
- Abyssinia
- Spanish Civil War
- German rearmament

Britain and France

Britain:
Some welcomed a strong Germany as a force to fight Communism.
Communism was seen as a bigger threat than Hitler

France:
Stalin signed a pact with France in 1935
He did not trust the French to keep to it- especially after Rhineland

The Munich Agreement
- This agreement made Stalin even more wary.
- Stalin was not consulted about the agreement
- Stalin concluded that Britain and France were powerless to stop Hitler
Or that they were happy for Hitler to take over Eastern Europe and the USSR

The Next Moves
Despite misgivings Stalin was still prepared to talk to Britain and France about an alliance.
The three countries met in March 1939.
Chamberlain was reluctant to commit Britain.
Stalin believed that Britain and France made things worse by guaranteeing to defend Poland if it were attacked.
Chamberlain saw the guarantee as a warning to Hitler; Stalin saw it as support for a potential enemy.

A Twist in the tale!
Negotiations continued between Britain, France and the USSR throughout Spring and Summer 1939. Stalin, however, was also getting visits from Nazi foreign minister Ribbentrop to discuss a Nazi-Soviet pact.

The deed is done!
On 24 August 1939 Stalin made his decision and signed a pact with Germany. The world was shocked as two arch enemies promised not to attack each other. Privately they also agreed to divide Poland.

Why did Stalin sign the pact?
1. Stalin was not convinced that Britain and France would be strong and reliable allies against Hitler.
2. He also wanted large parts of eastern Poland.
3. He did not believe that Hitler would keep his word. He wanted time to build up his forces.

Why did Hitler hate Jews?

There have been many theories about why Hilter hated the Jews. Below is a link I thought I might be useful. However, like I have said earlier on, there isn't really one conclusive answer, so do read it with an open mind.

Why did Hitler hate Jews?

Here's another link, which contains a more simplistic and widely-accepted views about Hitler and Nazism. Note of caution: the red background does not make the page condusive for reading over a prolonged period.

The Holocaust FAQ

Was Stalin's persecution of his political enemies the most important factor that enable him to control the Soviet Union?

1. Stalin's exploit of the cult of Lenin.
2. Stalin's use of terror / His cunningness / Stalin's persecution of his political enemies

The Politburo was divided into two halves:
The Leftists (Zinoviev and Kamenev) wanted world revolution, and to abolish the NEP, but they hated Trotsky because they thought he was too ambitious.
The Rightists (Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky) wanted to continue the NEP until the USSR was stronger.

Stalin played one side against the other to take power:
First, he allied with Zinoviev and Kamenev to cover up Lenin’s Will and to get Trotsky dismissed (1925). Trotsky went into exile (1928).

Then, he advocated ‘Socialism in one country’ (he said that the USSR should first become strong, then try to bring world revolution) and allied with the Rightists to get Zinoviev and Kamenev dismissed (1927). Stalin put his supporters into the Politburo.

Finally, he argued that the NEP was uncommunist, and got Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky dismissed (1929).

Reference: http://www.johndclare.net/Russ9.htm

3. Unpopularity of Trotsky / Weakness of Trotsky

- Many in the party thought that Trotsky was too big-headed, and thus did not support him. Trotsky lacked supporters within the party as he was unpopular among the rest of the members.
- Secretary Stalin told him the wrong date for Lenin’s funeral, so he missed it – this made him more unpopular.
- Trotsky also wanted to try to cause a world revolution; many Russians feared that this would ruin Russia.
- Trotsky appeared less competent as he was only well-known for his achievements with the Red Army during the early revolution years and as a Commissar of War.

His unpopularity and lack of support within the party provided a stepping stone for Stalin to rise to power


Notes:
Compare and contrast Stalin and Trotsky
For a lot of extra detail, try the Wikipedia articles on the rise of Stalin, and Trotsky's fall from power.

Why did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War?

RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR

The Bolsheviks' enemies – called 'the 'Whites' – joined together to try to bring down the Revolution.
However, the disunity of the 'Whites, and the ruthlessness of the Bolsheviks ('the Reds') meant that the Revolution survived.

Reasons for
(a) the success of Bolsheviks in the Civil War OR
(b) the defeat of Whites in the Civil War

1. Whites is disunited
2. Brilliant Trotsky
3. Belief of communism
4. Implementation of War Communism

Click here for a possible answer

Reference: http://www.johndclare.net/ER3.htm

But why did the Russian Civil War broke out in the first place?

There were three reasons why Civil War broke out in Russia in 1918:

(1) The Bolsheviks (the Reds) had many enemies:
- the Social Revolutionaries (angry because Lenin had closed the Assembly);
- supporters of the Provisional Government;
- supporters of the Tsar;
- army officers (angry that had Lenin had made peace with Germany);
- nobles whose land had been given to the peasants.
These groups co-operated, forming 'the Whites' to try to bring down the Bolshevik government.

(2) the Czech Legion – Czech prisoners of war who mutinied, took control of the Siberian Railway, and attacked towards Moscow.

(3) Britain, America and France, angry that Russia had dropped out of the First World War, attacked the Bolsheviks. They were afraid because the Bolsheviks wanted to cause communist revolutions all over the world.

Click here for a possible answer

Reference: http://www.johndclare.net/ER2.htm

To what extent was Stalin's rule a disaster for the Soviet Union and its people?

"Stalin's rule was disastrous in certain aspects such as industrialisation, collectivisation, the purges and the culture and social aspects of Russia at this time, but in the course of the hardship endured by all, a new and better country was formed. Through the period of Stalin's dictatorship, it was not an ideal place to live, but his goals were substantially fulfilled for the model Russia."

Consider the question along the context set by the paragraph above, and see if you can make any good notes on it.