The Reliance Upon Terror in Nazi Germany

Representing a totalitarian government that controlled nearly all aspects of its citizens’ lives, Nazism drastically changed everyday life in Germany following their ascension to power in the 1930’s. Author W. S. Allen outlines many ways in which the Nazis exploited the German citizens and altered their lives in his book The Nazi Seizure of Power. In particular, he focuses on how the party used terror as one of its key components for achieving and maintaining support. Ultimately, the most interesting aspect of his book involves how the Nazis used terror to eliminate local elections and change the way society as a whole operated and.

Allen’s novel starts by outlining how the Nazi party initially came to power. Citing how “mass extremism, intolerance, a desperate desire for radical change” all make democracy impossible, Allen explains how the Nazis entered into the political sphere in post-World War I Germany. As a country that had been saddled with millions of dollars in reparations following the war, it had a profound impact on the German economy, especially when nearly the entire world had been struggling in the middle of the Great Depression. Allen discusses how economic depression caused residents of one German town to turn to revolution, stating: “It was the depression, or more accurately, the fear of its continued effects, that contributed most heavily to the radicalization of Northeim’s people… The workers remained steadfast in support of the status quo while the middle class, only marginally hurt by the economic constriction, turned to revolution.” [ ] The poor economic situation at the time allowed for a radical party to be taken seriously in post-WWI Germany.

It was not an instant rise to power for the Nazi party, however, as they were actually banned in the country for a time. Revolutionary politics were even placed on the back burner for a short amount of time, as, “the [Nazi] party split into competing factions that spent more time on dreary doctrinal disputes than on recruitment, and worst of all, Germany recovered from its many-level crises.” [ ] Adolf Hitler was jailed around this time and the Weimar Republic was legitimized. Success would not last long for the Weimar Republic, though, as the depression would once again hit the country hard. Thriving as a result of the dissatisfaction of German citizens, the Nazi party once again reorganized and built up support across the country. One tactic that gained the party support was forcing farmers to join the party under threat of boycott [ ], and also blaming the country’s Jewish population for the economic hardships by propagating slogans such as, “The Jews are our misfortune!” The party eventually won elections at the local level and 1932 would be the last year of democracy in Germany, as Adolf Hitler would be elected to lead the country the following year.

With a radical political climate and a newly elected leader intent on installing a dictatorial regime, the changes in Germany would occur almost overnight. Following Adolf Hitler’s election, the Nazi party used what was known as the terror system to build support and keep Germans from disobeying party orders. Although the Nazis quickly established control over city governments, which allowed the party to reward friends, and most importantly, control the police force, they soon decided that would not be enough. If they were to establish absolute power in the country, they would also have to change the mindset of local residents as well. Their thoughts and intentions are outlined in the story, with Allen describing: “The Nazis had to prove in the first months that they were willing to use the power apparatus in a ruthless and effective way. If this could be done, if Northeimers came to believe implicitly that they might expect no mercy from their new Nazi rulers, then later terrorism would not be needed.” [ ] The Nazis realized the power of revolution, as after all, it was how they had initially attempted to take control of Germany. Therefore, they had to quell any risk of revolution by instilling terror in the minds of German citizens.

The party banned weapons throughout the country, largely in an attempt to prevent rival parties from attempting an overthrow of the government. Reports were printed in the paper detailing raids and weapons that were found. Many of them were untrue, but “what people believed was more important than what was true. [ ] Various propaganda pieces were also printed in the German newspapers, one of which claimed that children had been found playing near a large arsenal of ammunition that had been buried by the Communists. [ ] The use of propaganda and the banning of weapons marked a major change in society, as the government was able to successfully convince German residents that having weapons in the home was unsafe and unhealthy. [ ]

The second major societal change that took place following the election of the Nazi party was the rise in anti-Semitism in the country. An event known as the boycott of the Jews was the first actual step the party took in reestablishing society and exterminating the country’s Jewish population. Citing how Jewish business owners perpetuated hateful propaganda and boycotted Germany goods, the government stationed SA men at the doors of Jewish stores to prevent customers from purchasing goods. The campaign had the support of farmers and lasted three days, ultimately culminating in a parade that featured anti-Jewish placards. The campaign was just the beginning of the Nazi attempt to cut off German society from other members so they could not work together to resist the dictatorship.

In addition to utilizing terror to change society, the Nazis also eliminated elections as well – establishing themselves as the only party in the country. After the Nazis gained an absolute majority in the Council, they immediately suspended various councilors so they could promote their agenda without opposition. [ ] The final step in establishing an absolute state and eliminating elections was to purge the government of all potential dissenters. Socialists were the primary targets, and the Nazis started by removing dissenters from minor positions such as gas works employees and accountants. They eventually worked their way up the ladder to the most important government positions, however, as two of the final targets were Mayor Peters and his associate Thomas Galland. Nazis cooked up a series of false charges that claimed the two had conspired with Hugo Speissmann (a bank manager) to give improper credit to various businessmen. [ ] Fearing they would be imprisoned for the false allegations, the two were willingly removed from office, the charges were dropped, and “all actual or potential dissidents from Nazi goals and methods were eliminated or under control” – establishing an absolute, dictatorial state in Germany.

In conclusion, Allen’s description of Nazi Germany shows how a citizenry that is plagued by economic depression can be manipulated by its ruling powers. The terrors depicted throughout The Nazi Seizure of Power paints a picture of how fear can force many to comply with policies they may not necessarily agree with, such as the persecution and execution of an entire race. Despite the fact that the Nazis were in power several decades ago and the world has not seen a government with a combination of absolute control and cruel intentions as powerful as Nazi Germany since its fall, it is important to study the events leading up to the party’s rise to provide a insight into what can happen if power is entrusted in the wrong hands.

Bibliography

Allen, William Sheridan. The Nazi Seizure of Power. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1965