Key Terms
- Enabling Act: March 1933; Hitler rules by decree, 444-94 vote
- Night of Long Knives: 30 June 1934; SA leaders killed; SS dominant
- Gestapo: Secret police; relied on civilian informers
- Volksempfänger: Cheap radio — 70% homes had one by 1939
- Nuremberg Laws: 1935; stripped Jews of citizenship
- Kristallnacht: 9-10 Nov 1938; 91 Jews killed; 30,000 arrested
- Final Solution: Coordinated at Wannsee, Jan 1942; 6 million Jews murdered
- White Rose: Student resistance; Sophie Scholl executed Feb 1943
Key Dates
- 27 Feb 1933: Reichstag Fire — emergency powers
- 23 Mar 1933: Enabling Act passed
- Mar 1933: Dachau opened — first camp
- 30 Jun 1934: Night of Long Knives
- 2 Aug 1934: Hitler becomes Führer (Hindenburg dies)
- Sep 1935: Nuremberg Laws
- 9-10 Nov 1938: Kristallnacht
- Jan 1942: Wannsee Conference
- 22 Feb 1943: Sophie Scholl executed
- 20 Jul 1944: July Plot — Stauffenberg bomb
Key People
- Hitler: Führer from August 1934
- Goebbels: Propaganda Minister; organised Kristallnacht
- Himmler: SS chief; Gestapo; concentration camps
- Röhm: SA leader; killed Night of Long Knives
- Sophie & Hans Scholl: White Rose; executed Feb 1943
- Stauffenberg: July Plot 1944; executed
Must-Know Facts
- Enabling Act: voted 444-94 on 23 March 1933
- Night of Long Knives: 85+ killed including Röhm
- Radio: 4 million (1933) → 16 million sets (1939)
- Hitler Youth: 8.7 million members by 1939
- Kristallnacht: 91 Jews killed; 30,000 arrested; 1,400 synagogues burned
- Holocaust: ~6 million Jews murdered = two-thirds of European Jewry
- Sophie Scholl executed aged 21, 22 February 1943
Common Mistakes
- Misunderstanding the Night of the Long Knives: It was primarily about securing the German Army's loyalty by destroying the SA as a military rival — not simply removing political opponents. Always explain that Hitler needed army support with Hindenburg dying.
- Vague answers without statistics: Never write "Jews were attacked" — use precise evidence: "Kristallnacht, 9–10 November 1938: 91 Jews killed, 30,000 arrested, 7,500 businesses destroyed." Specific numbers push answers from Level 2 to Level 3.
- Confusing the Gestapo with the SS: The Gestapo was the secret police that relied on civilian informers (~32,000 agents for 80 million people). The SS was the paramilitary force that ran concentration camps and carried out the Holocaust. They are distinct organisations.
- Only arguing one side in "how far" essays: For questions like "How far did all groups suffer under Nazi rule?", counter-argue that many ordinary conformist Germans experienced economic recovery and rising employment. Reach a supported judgement — the statement is largely true for persecuted minorities but less true for racially "pure", conformist Germans in the mid-1930s.
This topic summary covers Knowledge Organiser: Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945 within Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945 for GCSE History. Revise Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945 in Component Group 5 — World Depth Studies for GCSE History with 14 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 18 of 18 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Living under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945
Describe two features of the Enabling Act of March 1933.
Write a clear and organised summary that analyses how the Night of the Long Knives helped Hitler consolidate his power in 1934.
Quick recall flashcards
How did Goebbels use radio as a propaganda tool?
Goebbels produced the cheap Volksempfänger ('People's Receiver') radio set at 76 Reichsmarks, making radio affordable for ordinary workers. Radio sets rose from 4 million (1933) to 16 million by 1939 — over 70% of German households. Hitler's speeches, Nazi music, and anti-Semitic content were broadcast directly into homes. Radio was Goebbels' most powerful propaganda tool, creating a sense of shared national community around Nazi values.
How did Hitler become Führer in August 1934?
On 2 August 1934, President Paul von Hindenburg died. Hitler immediately combined the offices of Chancellor and President into the single role of Führer (Leader). He required the German Army to swear a personal oath of loyalty — not to Germany or its constitution, but to Adolf Hitler personally. This made military resistance a violation of a solemn oath, helping explain why many officers refused to act even when they opposed Hitler.