HPAVC/HPAVC CD-ROM.iso/HOMEWORK.ZIP/HISAUSS.TXT

Text File | 1998-07-25 | 7KB | 89 lines

The Nazi regime set out to gain total control of Germany by focusing on three main areas, regulatory,
persuasive and intimidatory action. Regulatory measures indicates the legislative and structural changes
such as the Enabling Act, the Emergency decree and the changes to the education system. Persuasive
actions were the saturation of biased views that occurred through the media and the youth groups,
whereas intimidatory measures were the policing  of the Emergency Decree through a scare campaign.
These three elements created a vicious circle of control for the National Socialist. Regulations allowed
the use of propaganda, intimidatory measures allowed for the policing of the legislation, and propaganda
allowed them to retain support through indoctrination. Clearly, the NaziÆs aim of total control was very
close to the outcome achieved, because this totalitarian regime were able to remain in power.

Regulations introduced by the Nazi Party in the early part of 1933 were the catalyst to the transformation
of Germany to a nazified, centralised state. Firstly, the emergency powers introduced on the 28th
February allowed the NaziÆs to strip assemblies and individuals of their rights to privacy and to speak
freely. Secondly, the Enabling Act transferred the budgetary and legislative powers of the Reichstag over
to the cabinet. These two measures, were, in effect, an open invitation for the National Socialists, to rule
as they pleased, without any opposition for four years, and to do this legally. Essentially, these two
legislative measures spelt the destruction of the Weimar Republic and the transformation of Germany to
a dictatorship. Clearly, this proved to be true, when Hitler utilise these laws to systematically abolish the
other parties, and replace the cabinet ministers with Nazi representatives. These measures enabled Hitler
to abolish the power of the State Governments and opposition parties therefore centralising the control of
Germany to the cabinet, and achieving total control.

Now that a political foundation had been secured, the Nazi party saw the importance in Nazifying
education so that support for their policies amongst the German youth could be achieved and maintained.
Nazi ideas of anti-Semitism, militarism, and Hitler, ôthe saviour of the æAryanÆ raceö,  became advertised
to children on a daily basis, in all elements of the syllabus. A dictation given at a Munich school in 1934
began ôJust as Jesus saved people from sin and from hell, Hitler saved the German nation from
ruin.ö(Spencely, G. 1988) History was transformed to emphasise the superiority of German civilisation,
with German heroes coming to the forefront. German failures were either left out of the unit or blamed on
the Jews. Their was emphasis on the roles the children were to play in the Third Reich, ôMale education
was transformed to emphasise hardness, and military pursuits, while females were taught the joys of
motherhood.ö The NaziÆs were able to successfully capture the minds and bodies of the children,  because
propaganda is most easily indoctrinated into people when donÆt have the knowledge to question it.
Consequently, regulated changes in education were another form of highly successful propaganda, which
made German children more likely to accept National Socialist ideas.

While these changes were made to the education program, further persuasive action was being taken in
an attempt to create a mass-production line of male soldiers, labourers and Nazi women, by the
establishment of the Hitler Youth groups. These groups, primarily pushed for loyalty to HitlerÆs, æand
thusÆ GermanyÆs cause. As Spencer comments, the childrenÆs acceptance of Nazi policy had one major
factor working with it, the teaching that æHitler is always rightÆ. Scholl uses the example where a child
cannot understand why Hitler is pushing anti-Semitism,  but she is immediately reassured by another
child that Hitler must know what he is doing. Likewise, according to Professor Spencer, when children
were questioned on the belief of some ideal, they consistently answered, ôBecause the Fuhrer wills it.ö
Secondly, the Youth groups developed a sense of unity under one cause. As Shirer states, their was a
strong sense of fellowship amongst the Hitler Youth, a faith in the future of their nation. Clearly, the
youth movements reinstated HitlerÆs position by the persuasion that he was unquestionable. This,
together with the reinforcement of Nationalism,  produced loyal Nazis willing to fight and labour for
Nazi ideas.

Fundamentally, the NaziÆs aimed to appeal to peopleÆs instincts with establishment of a widespread
propaganda. This was achieved in two main ways. Firstly, the Ministry of culture, an organisation that
exercised total control of the media, entertainment business and art, was formed. The NaziÆs then
saturated all aspects of the average GermanÆs life with pro-Hitler, pro-nationalist, and anti-Semitic
propaganda . Vast amounts of leaflets, posters and broadcasts of HitlerÆs speeches, gave the impression
that Hitler was a fearless leader who could not fail in his quest to save Germany. (Spencely, G) PosterÆs
lined the streets ôein volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer - one people, one empire, one leader.ö In this way,
saturation of propaganda was able to succeed, purely because the NaziÆs controlled all information.
Political stunts, such as the annual Nuremberg rallies and the 1936 Olympics, were another form of
appeal to people. The rallies used the knowledge of mass psychology to highlight HitlerÆs importance.
ô[Hitler appeared] God-like, in a searchlight beam, on a rostrum high above the crowdö (Henderson, N.
1940) In this way, the Nazi revolution was able to appeal to the instincts of the average personÆs nature.
Conclusively, these elements of psychological persuasion were another way in which the NaziÆs could
exercise their control over the people and use this control to develop support for Hitler and the National
Socialists.

In order to exercise complete control of the Reich, the NaziÆs used intimidatory measures as a motive for
opposition groups to remain silent. Their stance on this issue was made clear, ôAny attempt to uphold
different political ideas would be ruthlessly dealt with.ö (Ziemke, E. 1991). People who spoke against
the Reich were simply imprisoned in concentration camps. Secondly, the Gestapo, the secret police
organisation began looking after political crimes and were notorious for their torturing techniques of
ôenemies of the state.ö Neighbours were encouraged to spy on each other, and even children were told to
spy on their parents through the youth groups, and inform the authorities on anti-nazism, that is, ôof
enemies to the stateö. As a result, their was a general feeling of isolation amongst the groups who rejected
Nazism as they were frightened of losing their lives.

Undoubtedly, the NaziÆs used the powers they were given to manipulate the people into accepting nazism
either through fear or propaganda. They proceeded towards their long term of living space and racial
purity, with startling efficiency, as seen by the programs that developed for the youth. In doing so, they
created a static society whereby people acted unquestionably, and did little thinking for themselves. This,
however is the ideal definition of what true control is, and is why the NaziÆs were able to remain in
power.