Option 31: Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39 - 2 The police state — Edexcel GCSE History
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Option 31: Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39 - 2 The police state explained
The Nazi police state relied on terror to eliminate opposition.
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The SS, led by Heinrich Himmler, grew from Hitler's bodyguard into the primary instrument of internal security, overseeing all police forces. The Gestapo, the secret state police under Reinhard Heydrich, operated without judicial oversight to identify and arrest political opponents. They relied heavily on civilian informers to create an atmosphere of pervasive fear. Those arrested were often sent to concentration camps, such as Dachau, which initially incarcerated political prisoners like communists. These camps subjected inmates to brutal forced labour and ideological 're-education', serving as a powerful deterrent against any resistance to the Nazi regime.
Nazi control of the legal system.
To consolidate their dictatorship, the Nazis systematically dismantled the independence of the legal system, ensuring courts served the regime's interests. In 1933, the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law was established; all judges were compelled to join, and those with conflicting political views were dismissed. Judges were instructed that the interests of the Nazi Party superseded the law. In 1934, Hitler established the People's Court to try cases of treason and political offences. This court operated outside the standard judicial system, featuring Nazi judges who routinely handed down harsh sentences, including the death penalty, effectively weaponising the legal system against any opposition.
Your focus
- Define the specific roles and leadership of the SS and the Gestapo.
- Explain the function and early inmate demographic of concentration camps between 1933 and 1939.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the police state in suppressing opposition and maintaining Nazi control.
Show all 6 objectives
- Describe the methods used by the Nazis to control judges and lawyers.
- Explain the function and significance of the People's Court.
- Analyse the impact of Nazi control over the legal system on the rights of German citizens.
Option 31: Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39 - 2 The police state exam tips
Marking Points
- Identify the SS as the overarching security organisation led by Heinrich Himmler.
- Explain the Gestapo's role as a secret police force relying on civilian informers to root out opposition.
- Describe the purpose of early concentration camps as brutal prisons for political opponents and trade unionists.
- Analyse how the combined use of these organisations created a climate of fear and compliance across Germany.
- Explain the creation and purpose of the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law.
- Describe the loss of judicial independence as judges were forced to align with Nazi ideology.
- Identify the People's Court and its role in trying political offences outside the standard legal framework.
- Analyse how the legal system was transformed from an impartial body into an instrument of state terror.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use specific examples, such as Dachau, to illustrate the early use and purpose of concentration camps.
- 💡Emphasise the psychological impact of the Gestapo, noting that the fear of informers was as effective as the police themselves.
- 💡Link the roles of the SS, Gestapo and camps together to explain how the 'police state' functioned as a cohesive system of control.
- 💡Mention the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law to demonstrate specific knowledge of how judges were controlled.
- 💡Explain the concept of 'Gleichschaltung' (co-ordination) when discussing how the legal system was brought under Nazi control.
- 💡Contrast the role of a judge in a democracy with their role in Nazi Germany to highlight the loss of judicial independence.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing the SS and the SA; the SA was the original paramilitary wing purged in 1934, while the SS became the main security force.
- Assuming concentration camps in 1933-39 were extermination camps; they were primarily for political prisoners and forced labour during this period.
- Believing the Gestapo had millions of officers; they were actually a relatively small force that relied heavily on denunciations from ordinary citizens.
- Stating that the Nazis completely abolished the legal system; they retained it but subverted it to serve their own ideological purposes.
- Confusing the People's Court with regular criminal courts; the People's Court was specifically created for political crimes like treason.
- Assuming judges actively resisted the changes; most judges complied to keep their jobs, and those who did not were swiftly removed.