How do you control a society?
After Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, the Nazi regime rapidly consolidated power and imposed totalitarian control over German society. By controlling law, culture, education, and the economy, the Nazis created a state where dissent was dangerous and Hitler was central to every aspect of life.
Key concepts:
Gleichschaltung (Coordination): All institutions (media, education, trade unions, churches) were brought under Nazi control or influence.
Propaganda and Censorship: Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda played a key role in controlling German public opinion and spreading Nazi ideology.
Youth groups: Hitler Youth and League of German Girls indoctrinated loyalty to Hitler and the state.
Terror and Policing: The Gestapo and SS eliminated dissent through surveillance, imprisonment, and execution.
Persecution of Jews and minorities: Through laws like the Nuremberg Laws (1935) and Kristallnacht (1938), Jews and other groups were increasingly excluded and persecuted.
Total war mobilisation: Society was militarised and economy directed towards war, especially after 1939.
1. Nazi Ideology
Background briefing: Ideology of the Nazi state
The government of Nazi Germany was a fascist, totalitarian state. Totalitarian regimes, in contrast to a dictatorship, establish complete political, social, and cultural control over their subjects, and are usually headed by a charismatic leader. Fascism is a form of right-wing totalitarianism which emphasizes the subordination of the individual to advance the interests of the state.
Nazi fascism’s ideology in 5 points
The supremacy of the Aryan (Germanic) race
Extreme nationalism and the unification of all German-speaking peoples
Glorification of violence and obedience
Totalitarianism and the centralisation of decision-making
Volkisch philosophy
To do: questions
Write a paragraph charecterising the ideology of the Nazi’s
2.Controlling German society
The Nazi’s controlled German society in two key ways.
The use of terror and repression
The use of persuasion
When President Hindenburg died of old age, Hitler unified the offices of President and Chancellor and became head of the German Army. He took the title of Führer (Leader) with complete dictatorial powers. These measures created a tightly controlled society where individual freedoms were curtailed, dissent was suppressed, and loyalty to Hitler and the Nazi party was enforced through fear and manipulation.
Terror and repression
The Nazis controlled German society through a centralised, totalitarian structure. Instruments of terror and repression included the SS and Gestapo who enforced obedience and used concentration camps to punish enemies of the state. Laws, courts, and police were controlled by the SS and were brought under Nazi control (Gleichschaltung).
Persuasion. Propaganda and censorship
Propaganda under Goebbels shaped public opinion, controlling all media through the Ministry of Propaganda and Enlightenment. The Hitler Youth indoctrinated youth, and schools taught Nazi ideology. Censorship was central to Nazi control. The regime banned opposition newspapers, books, and art,. Only content promoting Nazi ideology was allowed. Radio, film, and press were tightly regulated to suppress dissent, eliminate alternative viewpoints, and reinforce loyalty to Hitler and the state.
To do: Controlling German society essay plan
Use the following information to write an essay plan for the proposition.
‘The Nazi's used terror and repression to maintain order in German society.'
3. Controlling society with terror and repression
The enactment of the Enabling Law allowed the SS and the Gestapo to arrest anyone for any or no reason, and imprison them without trial. The Gestapo used informants to create fear and mistrust, making the expression of any form of discontent regarding the political situation extremely difficult.
The SS (Schutzstaffel)
The SS played a crucial role in suppressing dissent and eliminating opposition to the Nazi regime. The SS promoted Nazi ideology and was deeply committed to the racial policies of the regime. They were responsible for the operation of concentration camps, where millions of people, including Jews, Romani people, disabled individuals, and political opponents, were imprisoned, exploited, and often murdered.
The SS had extensive control over the German police forces and established a pervasive surveillance system to monitor and suppress any perceived threats to Nazi rule.
To do: questions
List the key roles of the SS.
What were the reasons that the SS were so feared in German society?
Source 1. Anatomy of the SS State. Krausnick and Broszat. 1970
Werner Best, Chief of the SD (the intelligence agency of the SS) on the role of the SS
‘National Socialism's political principle of totalitarianism, does not tolerate within its sphere the development of any political ideas at variance with the will of the majority. To discover the enemies of the State, to watch them and render them harmless is the preventive police duty of the political police. In order to fulfil this duty the political police must be free to use every means suited to achieve the required end. It is correct to say that in the National Socialist Führer State, the institutions called upon to protect the state possess an authority, which is derived solely from the new conception of the State and one which requires no special legal legitimisation.’
1. How does the Chief of the SD charecterise the role of the SS? (2)
Source 2. Anatomy of the SS State. Krausnick and Broszat. 1970
Letter from the SS to a mother seeking information from the SS about her son, 1934.
To Frau Erna Habich, Stuttgart
Based on your letter of 19 November 1934 addressed to the Führer and handed in here, I am informing you that on the instructions of the Political Police Commander of the State, Reichsführer SS Himmler, that your son, Walther Habich was executed on 1 July 1934 as a consequence of the Röhm putsch. Since this execution took place in defence of the State, no further explanation is required.
Heil Hitler.
2. Refer to both sources to explain why ‘no further explanation is required’. (3)
The Gestapo
The Gestapo were the secret police of Nazi Germany, it operated under the jurisdiction of the SS and was tasked with suppressing dissent, enforcing Nazi policies, and eliminating perceived enemies of the state. Utilising fear, surveillance, and terror tactics, the Gestapo played a significant role in the Holocaust and the systematic repression of individuals and groups deemed threats to the Nazi regime (e.g. communists, Jews, dissidents). The gestapo relied heavily on informants (e.g. neighbours reporting neighbours) and used intimidation, torture, and secret imprisonment.
Questions.
What was the role of the Gestapo?
How did they differ from the SS?
Source 3. Knaves Fools and Heroes in Europe between the Wars. Wheeler-Bennett. 1974
Life in a totalitarian state.
‘The technique of conducting a successful system of terror is to terrorise the maximum number of people with the minimum amount of effort. It is impossible to listen in to every telephone call or to overhear every conversation, but the art lies in the use of the spot check thereby letting people know when they were not being monitored. This in itself was unnerving. One closed the door carefully and conducted conversations in a whisper. One looked over one's shoulder in a public place before speaking. One did not trust the mails. One chose with great care the rendezvous where one met one's friends. No one who has not experienced it can imagine the frighteningly oppressive atmosphere of a totalitarian regime.’
3. Use the source to describe the tactics of a ‘successful system of terror’. (2)
4. How does the author describe the impact on society of these tactics? (2)
Background briefing: A culture of informing on the neighbours
In Nazi Germany, the SS and Gestapo encouraged ordinary citizens to spy on each other, making every citizen a potential agent of the regime, creating a climate of fear and control. This surveillance by society method helped the Nazis maintain tight control with limited resources.
Key Points:
Culture of informing: The Nazi regime encouraged Germans to report suspicious behaviour, disloyalty, or anti-Nazi views—even within families, workplaces, or neighbourhoods.
Gestapo reliance on public informants: Contrary to popular belief, the Gestapo had limited personnel and relied heavily on tips from neighbours, coworkers, and even children to identify "enemies of the state."
SS enforcement: The SS oversaw the broader security apparatus, including concentration camps and ideological policing, often acting on information gathered from informants.
Social pressure and fear: Knowing that anyone might report them, many Germans became cautious in speech and behaviour, leading to self-censorship and obedience.
Consequences of reporting: Accusations could lead to arrest, torture, or imprisonment in concentration camps—even if the claims were false or motivated by personal grudges.
To do: Describe the culture of informing
Use the five key points to describe the impact of the culture of informing on German society.
The police force and people’s courts
In Nazi society, the police and courts enforced control, maintained fear, enforced Nazi values, and crushed resistance across society. Many traditional legal safeguards were abolished. Traditional courts were replaced or subverted to align with Nazi ideology, ensuring political conformity. Justice served the regime and targeted Jews, opponents, and “undesirables” with harsh, biased rulings.
Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, was also in charge of the police. As a result, crimes committed by the Nazis were not investigated. Special 'People's Courts' charged and found guilty opponents of the Nazis with treason, even if there was little or no evidence. Judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis. This gave the Nazis greater power over the sentencing of political enemies and those deemed to be criminals.
Questions.
Describe the role of the police and courts in Nazi Germany?
Extra: Use the concept of Gleichschaltung to explain the action of Judges.
Concentration camps
The first camp to open was at Dachau, just outside Munich, in 1933. Soon there were others including Buchenwald, Mauthausen and Sachsenhausen. They were initially used to detain enemies of the state who were "concentrated" in one place for political re-education.
Prisoners wore a coloured triangle which identified their crime:
○ political opponents
○ criminals
○ gypsies
○ Jews
○ certain religious figures
Life in the concentration camps was extremely harsh. Prisoners were made to live and work in horrendous conditions. When reports of prisoners' experiences leaked out, it increased the fear of being arrested.
Questions
List some of the crimes that would lead to imprisonment in a concentration camp.
4. Controlling society with social indoctrination
Nazi control of the state wasn’t all terror
The ‘right’ message: Propaganda
Propaganda was central to Nazi control of society, shaping public opinion and promoting loyalty to Hitler. Goebbels and the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, used films, radio, newspapers, posters, and mass rallies to glorify the regime, spread anti-Semitic messages, and demonize enemies. Propaganda targeted all age groups, especially youth, fostering a cult of personality around Hitler. It portrayed the Nazis as Germany’s saviors, reinforcing ideals of nationalism, militarism, and racial purity. Vigorous censorship suppressed dissenting views, creating a one-sided narrative. Through repetition and emotional appeal, propaganda unified the population under Nazi ideology.
‘Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated believe that they are acting of their own free will. This is the secret of propaganda, those who are to be persuaded should be completely immersed in the ideas of the propaganda without realising that they are immersed in it.’ J Goebbels
To do: questions
How did propaganda portray the Nazi state?
How did the Nazi state manage alternative opinions and views?
Discuss: How have these ideas been adapted to life in 2025?
Background briefing: Triumph of the Will
Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will (1935) was a Nazi propaganda film showcasing the 1934 Nuremberg Rally. Through striking visuals, mass choreography, and dramatic editing, it glorified Hitler and the Nazi regime. The film presented an idealised, unified Germany, shaping public perception and promoting fascist ideology through cinematic spectacle.
Fun fact: Goebbels initially resisted the filming of Triumph of the Will. He was jealous of Leni Riefenstahl’s independence and resented her direct access to Hitler. Goebbels was skeptical of this style of propaganda and preferred tighter control over Nazi messaging . He was frustrated that the project was outside his Propaganda Ministry’s authority.
According to Yuri Bezmenov ‘…real discussion is not about facts. It's about controlling emotions & framing. Facts alone rarely change minds because people interpret them through lenses shaped by emotions, biases, & values. Framing builds & controls those lenses -which controls the conversation.’
To do: The impact of Triumph of the Will
Imagine you are a young German person watching Triumph of the Will for the first time.
Germany has just experienced the chaos of the late Weimar period and the Great depression. How do you experience the way Ms Riefenstahl’s film portrays the Nazi movement?
Controlling the message: Censorship in Nazi Germany
The Nazis used censorship to silence opposition and control public opinion. They banned books, suppressed dissenting newspapers (over 1600 by 1939), and restricted access to foreign media. All cultural expression had to align with Nazi ideals. Through state controlled radio, film, and press, they promoted Nazi ideology, glorified Hitler, and demonised enemies, shaping a unified worldview that reinforced obedience and loyalty.
To do: Censorship questions
According to J Goebbels, “Propaganda becomes ineffective the moment we are aware of it. The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it.”
How does censorship support propaganda programs?
Discuss: Is there censorship in 2025?
Social indoctrination: Youth organisations
If the Third Reich was to endure, it was essential for the regime to win the loyalty of the next generation. After the Nazi party gained power all other youth groups were banned and by 1936 membership in the Nazi groups was compulsory. Refusal to join could result in punishment for both children and parents.
The Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth indoctrinated children and teenagers with Hitler's ideologies, militarism, and anti-Semitism. Founded in 1922, it aimed to create a loyal, fanatical generation devoted to the regime, promoting the Nazis' political agenda and preparing youngsters for future military service. The group placed great emphasis on physical activity, self discipline, loyalty and obedience.
League of German Maidens
The League of German Maidens (BDM) was set up for young German girls and young women, it promoted traditional gender roles and prepared them for motherhood. Established in 1930, it emphasised loyalty to Hitler, Nazi values, and the importance of Aryan purity.
To do: Youth organisation questions
What were the key messages fostered by the two organisations and how did they differ?
Cultural Gleichschaltung
‘Whenever i hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver’. H. Goring
Hitler and the Nazis despised the decadence of the Weimar Years and the Roaring 20s. The cultural freedom previously enjoyed by intellectuals, musicians, actors, writers and film makers was quashed by the Nazi state. Cultural life simply had to conform to Hitler’s world view. The Nazi policy for the creative arts was a cultural policy that reflected the ideology of the Nazi state. Under the watchful eye of Goebbels, who was in charge of Reich Chamber of Culture, all aspects of cultural life in Germany was controlled as part of Gleichschaltung (Coordination).
The Nazis strictly controlled what books were published. Many authors left Germany as a consequence. In May 1933, Goebbels instigated massive nationwide burning of books that were deemed ‘un-German’. These included Jewish authors, liberals and socialists, communists and pacifists. Libraries across Germany were plundered by students and young people. The Reich Office of Literature banned over 12 000 books. Libraries and schools only used approved literature. German intellectuals, including Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, incensed at this attack on free expression left Germany in large numbers
To do: questions
How did the Nazis use censorship to control cultural expression?
Background briefing: The Exhibitions of Degenerate Art and Music
The Degenerate Art Exhibition (1937), was intended to mock and condemn modernist, abstract, and non-conformist art, labeling it as Jewish, Bolshevist, or mentally degenerate. It was, ironically, very successful in terms of attendance. Over 2 million people visited the exhibition during its four-month run, far exceeding expectations. The high attendance showed that the public was deeply curious about modern art, and many visitors reportedly enjoyed or appreciated the works, even though they were presented as ‘degenerate’. This embarrassed some Nazi officials and revealed a gap between official propaganda and popular taste.
The Degenerate Music Exhibition (1938) aimed to discredit musical styles and composers the Nazis deemed harmful to German culture. The exhibition included Jazz and Swing, labeled as “Negermusik” associated with racial “inferiority”, works by Jewish composers (e.g. Mendelssohn, Mahler) and Avant-garde or modernist music (e.g. Schoenberg, Berg). The exhibition framed these styles as morally corrupt, racially impure, and politically subversive. It promoted Nazi ideals of “pure” German music, elevating composers like Wagner and Beethoven.
5. Nazi society sources
Sources Analysis Answer Guide
Don’t forget: Quote often and begin your response with name of the author, not the Source number. Put the source number in brackets at the end of the quote/paraphrasing.
For example:
This is supported by Jones who states that 'History students would be more popular at parties if they used this method.' (Source 3)
SACE Sources advice
More successful responses:
were well-structured
contained relevant evidence from sources when required.
Less successful responses
provided responses without reference to any evidence from the source
stated that sources are limited without reasoning
did not address the nature of sources clearly
did not explain how the nature and origin of the sources were a strength or limitation
did not include of the source in the response.
Source 1. Law for the Protection of Heredity Health, 14 July 1933
Article 1. Anyone who suffers from an inheritable disease may be sterilised surgically if, in the judgement of medical science, it could be expected that descendants will suffer from serious inherited mental or physical defects.
Article 2. Anyone who suffers from one of the following is to be regarded as inheritably diseased within the meaning of this law. Congenital feeble mindedness, schizophrenia, manic depression, epilepsy, blindness, deafness, serious inheritable malformations.
Questions
What are two conclusions that can be drawn from the source about the Nazi concept of race? (2)
Who is the intended audience of the eugenics law?
Source 2. Hitlers 3rd Reich. A documentary history. Hayes. 1981
Law making the Hitler Youth a state organisation, 1 December 1936
The future of Germany is dependent on its youth. Therefore all German youth must be prepared for their duties. The Reich government has therefore decreed the following law.
Article 1. All German youth in the German territory of the German Reich is brought together in the German youth.
Article 2. All German young people outside their homes and schools are to be educated in the Hitler youth, physically, spiritually and morally in the spirit of national socialism for service to the nation.
Questions
What is meant by the statement ‘all German youth must be prepared for its future duties’? (2)
What can you infer about German youth participation in the Hitler youth before December 1936? (2)
Source 3. Education in Nazi Germany. History Core, 2024
Watch the video from minute 1.35 to 2.43.
Questions
To what extent does the information in Source 3 support the information in Source 2? Justify your answer with evidence from each source. (4)
Source 4. Documents on Nazism. Cape. 1974
J. Goebbels on the aim of propaganda. March 1933
‘It is not enough to be more or less reconciled to our regime, to be persuaded to a neutral attitude towards us. Rather we will work on people until they have capitulated to us. The new propaganda ministry has no other aim than to unite the nation behind the ideal of the national revolution. … We are living in an age when the masses must support policies, it is the task of state propaganda to simplify complicated ways of thinking so that even the smallest man in the street may understand.’
Questions
What are two conclusions that can be drawn from the source about the aim of propaganda in the Nazi state? (2)
Use an example from your studies to explain ‘the task of state propaganda’. (2)
Source 5. Radio and the Reich
A poster promoting the Peoples Radio (Volksempfanger).
The caption reads ‘All of Germany listens to the Fuhrer’.
Questions
Examine Sources 4 and 5. With reference to the origin and nature of these sources, assess the strengths and limitations of each source for historians investigating the aims of propaganda in Nazi society. (4)
Source 3. Education in Nazi Germany.
6. Resistance is futile?
The government of Adolf Hitler was popular with most Germans. Although the SS and Gestapo suppressed open criticism of the regime, there was some German opposition to the Nazi state and the regimentation of society. Some examples of German resistance to the Nazi party can be seen in the slideshow.
While these resistance efforts were significant, it's important to note that they faced overwhelming odds and often met brutal consequences for their actions. Many resistance members were arrested, tortured, and executed by the Nazi authorities. Despite this, these examples of resistance demonstrate the courage and determination of some Germans who opposed the Nazi party's oppressive regime.
To do: Resisting the Nazi’s
Exam response:
German society was supportive of the National Socialist program at home and abroad.
Extra: Exam questions.
2018: 'The defeat of the Third Reich was the result of internal factors.'
2021: 'The Nazi regime faced ineffective resistance from the German people during the Second World War.'
Source. Edelweiss Pirates Investigation. Reich Ministry of Justice 1944
‘Whilst it is clear that the Edelweiss Pirates resolutely oppose the disciplinarian approach of the Hitler Youth and so resort to carrying out small acts of rebellion, it is apparent that they do not pose a political threat. At most, a few members have connections with the Catholic and Communist underground. But, the political development of this group is limited not only by the age of its membership but, by the over-riding power of the Nazi Police State.’
Source. How Hitler made it. Joll J. 1968
‘Any opposition [was] almost impossible and even any secret resistance very difficult. Most protests of necessity remained personal, a hidden act of friendship to a Jew, secret listening to foreign broadcasts, the passing on of a rebellious joke or rumour. Above all, however, what made opposition or resistance hard was the knowledge that a majority of the German people had gone along with Hitler and had, if only for a time, wanted what he did.’
Who was Sophie Scholl?
Sophie Scholl was a German college student who, with her brother Hans, was convicted of treason and executed for distributing propaganda for the White Rose anti-Nazi passive resistance group during World War II. In the only statement she was allowed to make during the trial, She told the court, “Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just don’t dare express themselves as we did.” Then, facing Justice Freisler, she added, “You know the war is lost. Why don’t you have the courage to face it?”
After a single day, the trial ended on February 22, 1943, with Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death. Hours later, all three were executed by guillotine at Munich’s Stadelheim Prison.
Discuss:
Why was the White Rose group considered dangerous to the Nazi regime despite being small in number?
How did Sophie Scholl’s upbringing and education influence her decision to resist the Nazis?
White Rose leaflets
What techniques of persuasion are used, and how effective do you think they would have been?
The Sentencing Transcript from the People’s Court (Volksgerichtshof), 22 February 1943
“In the Name of the German People … the accused have in time of war by means of leaflets called for the sabotage of the war effort … defamed the Führer … thereby giving aid to the enemy … weakening the armed security of the nation.
On this account they are to be punished by Death.
Their honour and rights as citizens are forfeited for all time.”
Discuss: What does the judgment reveal about the Nazi state?