Some Germans supported the Nazis, some wanted the benefits, many feared punishment, and a few resisted.
Joseph Goebbels ran the propaganda ministry. It used newspapers, radio, films and culture to spread Nazi messages. Censorship limited what could be published or heard, so people heard little criticism. Schools and youth groups taught loyalty to Hitler and Nazi racial ideas. Boys were prepared for military service, and girls for motherhood. Activities and a sense of belonging also attracted young people.
Fear worked alongside persuasion. The Gestapo was the secret state police. The SS was a powerful Nazi organisation that ran policing, persecution and the concentration camps. In the camps, prisoners had no normal legal protection and were treated brutally. Knowing that a neighbour or colleague might report them made many people stay silent.
Responses varied. Some people believed in Nazi aims. Others cooperated to keep a job or get ahead. A worker might welcome a job but dislike losing rights, or stay quiet because protest was dangerous. Accepting one policy did not mean agreeing with all of them.
Some people opposed or resisted the regime. Otto Wels, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), spoke against the Enabling Act in March 1933. After being forced into exile, the party's leaders, known as Sopade, collected reports on life in Germany. One 1938 report describes workers who valued their jobs but were afraid to speak openly. Church critics, secret political activists and some young people also challenged parts of Nazi rule, for different reasons.
When using this evidence, separate what you can see from what you infer. A public salute might show belief, pressure or fear; it cannot prove what someone thought. A report of criticism shows criticism existed, but does not prove most Germans resisted. These points explain behaviour; they do not excuse taking part in persecution.
- Goebbels
- Ran Nazi propaganda.
- Gestapo and SS
- Secret police and the organisation running the camps.
- Otto Wels
- SPD leader who spoke against the Enabling Act.
Worked example: What does silence tell you?
A worker values a job but avoids criticising the regime in public.
- The job may explain why they accept some Nazi policies.
- Fear of arrest may explain the silence.
- So silence does not prove support. Look for private views and working conditions too.
Watch out for this
Every German either fully supported Hitler or openly resisted.
Most people were in between: some agreed with parts, some wanted benefits, and many stayed quiet out of fear.
Check your understanding
Why can a public Nazi salute not prove someone supported Hitler?
- Salutes were banned in Nazi Germany.
- They might have saluted out of fear or pressure.
- Only resisters gave the salute.