World Depth Study: Living Under Nazi Rule, 1933–45

What you'll learn

This revision guide covers the OCR GCSE History World Depth Study on Living Under Nazi Rule from 1933 to 1945. You'll examine how the Nazi dictatorship controlled German society through propaganda, terror, and racial ideology, how different groups experienced life under this regime, and the extent and limitations of opposition. This topic requires you to analyse the methods of Nazi control and evaluate their effectiveness across German society.

Key terms and definitions

Gleichschaltung — The process of 'coordination' or 'bringing into line' whereby the Nazis took control of all aspects of German society and eliminated independent organisations between 1933-1934.

Propaganda — Information, especially biased or misleading, used to promote a particular political cause or point of view; the Nazis used this systematically under Joseph Goebbels to control public opinion.

Nuremberg Laws — Antisemitic legislation passed in September 1935 that stripped German Jews of citizenship and prohibited marriage or sexual relations between Jews and 'Aryans'.

Volksgemeinschaft — 'People's Community'; the Nazi vision of a racially pure, harmonious German society that excluded those deemed undesirable.

Kristallnacht — 'Night of Broken Glass' (9-10 November 1938); a coordinated attack on Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany and Austria that marked an escalation in anti-Jewish violence.

Gestapo — The Secret State Police, established in 1933, which arrested and imprisoned political opponents and others without trial, creating widespread fear.

Lebensborn — 'Fountain of Life'; an SS programme established in 1935 to increase the Aryan population through selective breeding and support for 'racially valuable' mothers.

Edelweiss Pirates — Youth groups who rejected Nazi values and the Hitler Youth, engaging in resistance activities ranging from singing banned songs to helping army deserters.

Core concepts

Methods of Nazi control and propaganda

The Nazis established a totalitarian state through multiple control mechanisms. Gleichschaltung eliminated opposition by banning trade unions, disbanding political parties, and taking over professional organisations and clubs. By July 1933, the Nazi Party was the only legal political party in Germany.

Joseph Goebbels controlled the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda from 1933. He orchestrated Nazi messaging through:

• Censorship: All newspapers, books, films and radio broadcasts required approval. The Reich Chamber of Culture (1933) ensured only Nazi-approved artists could work.
• Mass rallies: Annual Nuremberg Rallies showcased Nazi power through spectacular displays designed by Albert Speer.
• Radio: Cheap radios (Volksempfänger) were mass-produced so most households could hear Hitler's speeches. Loudspeakers were installed in public places.
• Film: All films carried propaganda messages. Leni Riefenstahl's 'Triumph of the Will' (1935) glorified Nazi power.
• Posters and newspapers: Simple, repetitive messages emphasised Nazi achievements and demonised enemies, particularly Jews.

The SS (Schutzstaffel) and Gestapo created a climate of fear through surveillance and arbitrary arrest. Concentration camps like Dachau (opened March 1933) imprisoned political opponents without trial. The SD (Security Service) gathered intelligence on the population. Many Germans informed on neighbours, creating a surveillance society where dissent was dangerous.

Nazi racial policy and persecution

Nazi ideology was fundamentally racist, viewing the world as a hierarchy of races with 'Aryans' at the top. This shaped policy toward multiple groups:

Persecution of Jews intensified in stages:

1. 1933-1935: Boycott of Jewish businesses (April 1933), dismissal of Jews from civil service jobs, exclusion from professions.
2. 1935-1938: Nuremberg Laws stripped citizenship and legal protections. Jews faced increasing social segregation.
3. 1938-1939: Kristallnacht saw mass violence; 91 Jews murdered, 30,000 arrested. Jewish children expelled from schools. Jews forced to pay reparations for damage.
4. 1939-1941: Jews forced into ghettos in occupied Poland. Emigration became impossible after war began.
5. 1941-1945: The 'Final Solution' systematically murdered six million Jews in extermination camps.

Other targeted groups:

• Roma and Sinti: Classified as 'asocial', subject to forced sterilisation, later sent to concentration camps where approximately 500,000 were murdered.
• Disabled people: The T4 programme (1939-1941) murdered at least 70,000 disabled Germans through lethal injection and gas chambers, deemed 'life unworthy of life'.
• Homosexuals: Clause 175 criminalised homosexual acts. Up to 15,000 gay men were sent to concentration camps; many did not survive.
• Jehovah's Witnesses: Refused to swear loyalty to Hitler or serve in military; approximately 1,200 died in camps.
• 'Asocials': Including homeless people, alcoholics, and habitual criminals were sent to camps.

Life for women and young people

Women's experience was shaped by Nazi ideology promoting traditional roles:

The Nazi slogan 'Kinder, Küche, Kirche' ('Children, Kitchen, Church') defined women's purpose. Policies included:

• Marriage loans: Interest-free loans for married couples (1933) with 25% written off per child born.
• Motherhood medals: Bronze (4-5 children), silver (6-7), gold (8+) rewarded high birth rates.
• Employment restrictions: Professional women dismissed; women encouraged to leave work for domestic life.
• Appearance expectations: 'Aryan' women should avoid makeup, trousers, dyeing hair, and smoking.
• Lebensborn programme: Encouraged SS men and 'racially pure' women to have children, even outside marriage.

Results were mixed. Birth rates increased from 15 per 1,000 (1933) to 20 per 1,000 (1939), but war necessitated female employment in factories, contradicting Nazi ideology.

Young people experienced intense indoctrination:

The Hitler Youth (for boys) and League of German Maidens (for girls) became compulsory in 1936, eventually enrolling 8 million members. Activities included:

• Physical training and military-style camps for boys preparing them for military service.
• Domestic skills for girls preparing them for motherhood.
• Political indoctrination sessions teaching Nazi ideology.
• Reporting on parents or teachers who expressed anti-Nazi views.

Education was Nazified: teachers joined the Nazi Teachers' League (97% membership by 1937), textbooks rewrote history to glorify Germany, biology taught racial theory, PE time doubled. Jewish and 'unsuitable' teachers were dismissed.

However, some youth rejected Nazi values. Edelweiss Pirates (working-class groups in cities) mocked the Hitler Youth through distinctive dress, singing banned songs, and occasionally sabotage. The Swing Youth (middle-class) preferred American jazz and fashion. Penalties ranged from shaved heads to execution for serious resistance.

Living standards and working conditions

The Nazis claimed to have solved unemployment, though statistics were manipulated:

Employment policies:

• Public works programmes like autobahn construction (1933 onwards) created jobs.
• Rearmament from 1935 employed millions in munitions factories.
• Compulsory military service (1935) removed young men from unemployment figures.
• Jewish dismissals opened positions for 'Aryans'.
• Women leaving work created opportunities for men.

Unemployment fell from 6 million (1933) to 302,000 (1939), though Jews, persistent unemployed, and women were excluded from statistics.

Working conditions were controlled through:

The German Labour Front (DAF) replaced banned trade unions in 1933, with 22 million members by 1939. Workers could not strike or bargain collectively. However, the Strength Through Joy (KdF) organisation provided:

• Subsidised leisure activities, concerts, and sports.
• Holiday schemes, including Mediterranean cruises (though available to relatively few workers).
• Savings schemes for Volkswagen cars (none were delivered before the war).

Real wages remained below 1928 levels. Working hours increased. Food consumption declined slightly. The standard of living improved modestly for employed workers but the benefits were unevenly distributed and workers sacrificed freedom for limited security.

Opposition and resistance

Opposition was dangerous and limited, but took various forms:

Political opposition:

• Social Democrats (SPD) operated illegally, distributing pamphlets and gathering intelligence, though most leaders fled or were imprisoned.
• Communists (KPD) maintained underground networks despite brutal suppression; many were killed or imprisoned.
• The Red Orchestra spy ring passed military intelligence to the Soviet Union until broken in 1942.

Conservative and military resistance:

The July Bomb Plot (20 July 1944) was the most serious assassination attempt. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg planted a bomb at Hitler's headquarters, but Hitler survived. Five thousand suspects were arrested; over 200 executed.

Earlier conservative opposition included the Kreisau Circle, which discussed post-Hitler Germany, and individual acts like Georg Elser's 1939 bomb attempt.

Church opposition:

• Some Catholic priests spoke against Nazi policies; over 400 were imprisoned at Dachau.
• Protestant pastor Martin Niemöller founded the Confessing Church opposing Nazi interference; imprisoned 1937-1945.
• Most church leaders compromised or collaborated; systematic opposition was rare.

Youth resistance:

Besides Edelweiss Pirates, university students formed the White Rose group. Hans and Sophie Scholl distributed anti-Nazi leaflets at Munich University (1942-1943). They were caught and executed.

Why was resistance limited?

• Effective terror and surveillance made organisation dangerous.
• Economic improvements satisfied many Germans.
• Propaganda was persuasive.
• Alternatives seemed worse (communism, return to Weimar instability).
• Many Germans supported Nazi aims, especially territorial expansion.
• Personal costs of resistance (imprisonment, execution) deterred action.

The impact of war on German civilians

World War Two dramatically affected daily life:

1939-1941 (Early war):

• Rationing introduced for food, clothes, fuel, soap.
• Blackouts enforced.
• Limited disruption initially; quick victories maintained morale.
• Propaganda emphasised military successes.

1942-1943 (War intensifies):

• Defeats at Stalingrad and in North Africa damaged morale.
• Allied bombing of cities (Hamburg firestorm, 1943) killed thousands and destroyed homes.
• Total war proclaimed by Goebbels (February 1943); all resources directed toward war effort.
• Women conscripted into war work (contradicting earlier policy).
• Luxury goods disappeared.

1944-1945 (Collapse):

• Continuous Allied bombing devastated cities.
• Soviet advance from the east brought mass civilian flight.
• Food shortages became critical.
• Hitler Youth members, some as young as 12, mobilised for defense.
• Normal life impossible; survival became the priority.

Civilian deaths from bombing exceeded 400,000. Millions lost homes. The regime maintained control through fear until the final days, executing 'defeatists' and deserters.

Worked examples

Example 1: "Explain why the Nazis were able to control German people so effectively." [10 marks]

Mark scheme guidance: Two explained reasons required. Award up to 5 marks per explained reason. Look for specific knowledge linked to analytical explanation.

Model answer:

One reason the Nazis controlled Germans effectively was their sophisticated use of propaganda. Goebbels' Ministry of Propaganda controlled all media, ensuring only pro-Nazi messages reached the population. The mass production of cheap radios meant 70% of households could hear Hitler's speeches directly, creating emotional connection to the regime. Films like 'Triumph of the Will' showcased Nazi power visually. This was effective because it shaped public opinion before alternative viewpoints could form, and the constant repetition of messages normalised Nazi ideology, making resistance harder to imagine.

Another reason was the climate of fear created by the Gestapo and SS. These organisations could arrest anyone without trial and send them to concentration camps. Dachau was opened within weeks of Hitler taking power, showing opponents their fate. The Gestapo developed networks of informers, meaning Germans feared even their neighbours might report them. This was effective because even those who disliked the regime were too afraid to express dissent or organise opposition, isolating potential resisters and preventing organised challenges to Nazi power.

Example 2: "How far do you agree that young people benefited from Nazi rule?" [18 marks]

Mark scheme guidance: Sustained judgement required. Evaluate both sides. Use specific evidence. Reach a substantiated conclusion.

Model answer structure:

Introduction: Young people's experiences under Nazi rule were mixed, with benefits primarily for those fitting Nazi racial ideals, while others faced persecution and loss of freedom.

Paragraph 1 (Benefits): Hitler Youth provided activities unavailable to many working-class young people: camping, sports, sense of belonging. Education became free and access expanded. Youth unemployment ended, providing apprenticeships and career prospects. For conformist 'Aryan' youth, opportunities existed.

Paragraph 2 (Against - loss of freedom): Compulsory Hitler Youth membership (1936) removed choice. Education became indoctrination rather than critical thinking; curriculum narrowed. Independent youth groups were banned. Informing on parents created family tensions. Jewish young people were expelled from schools entirely and faced increasing persecution.

Paragraph 3 (Against - war impact): From 1939, young people faced bombing, evacuation, family separation. Hitler Youth members were conscripted into military service, with boys as young as 12 fighting in 1945. Many died. Education was disrupted.

Conclusion: Overall, the claim that young people benefited is only partially valid. 'Aryan' conformist youth gained some advantages in the 1930s, but these came at the cost of freedom and independent thought. Jewish and other targeted youth faced disaster. War brought suffering to all. The regime's ultimate collapse meant even temporary benefits were built on unstable foundations.

Example 3: "Describe two ways the Nazis persecuted Jewish people between 1933 and 1939." [4 marks]

Mark scheme guidance: 2 marks per described way. Simple statements get 1 mark; developed statements get 2 marks.

Model answer:

One way was through economic persecution. Jewish people were boycotted from April 1933, with SA men standing outside Jewish shops discouraging customers. Jews were gradually excluded from professions and civil service jobs, destroying their livelihoods.

Another way was through legal persecution. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 stripped Jews of German citizenship and banned marriage between Jews and non-Jews. This made Jews second-class residents without legal protections and isolated them socially from other Germans.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Confusing chronology: Students often place Kristallnacht before the Nuremberg Laws or misdate the T4 programme. Create a timeline of key persecution stages (1933, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941) to maintain accuracy.

• Vague language about control: Avoid phrases like "the Nazis controlled everything" without explaining how. Always specify mechanisms: Gestapo arrests, propaganda through radio, Hitler Youth indoctrination, etc. Name specific organisations and methods.

• Exaggerating resistance: Resistance was limited and dangerous. Avoid suggesting widespread opposition. Most Germans conformed through conviction, self-interest, or fear. When discussing resistance, acknowledge its limited nature and explain why it was uncommon.

• Ignoring diverse experiences: Not all Germans had the same experience. Specify which groups you're discussing: 'Aryan' women, Jewish families, working-class youth, etc. Nazi policies affected different groups differently.

• Treating propaganda as completely successful: Propaganda was sophisticated but not all-powerful. The existence of resistance groups, Edelweiss Pirates, and non-compliance shows limits. Evaluate effectiveness rather than assuming complete success.

• Focusing only on the Holocaust: While crucial, the depth study covers broader aspects of life under Nazi rule. Balance coverage between racial persecution, daily life, propaganda, opposition, and war impact. The period 1933-1945 spans peacetime and war—distinguish between them.

Exam technique for "World Depth Study: Living Under Nazi Rule, 1933–45"

• Command words matter: "Describe" requires factual detail (who, what, when, where). "Explain" demands reasons and analysis (why, how, consequences). "How far" questions need balanced evaluation with a sustained judgement. Read questions twice to identify exactly what's required.

• Use specific evidence: Name laws (Nuremberg Laws), events (Kristallnacht), organisations (Gestapo, Hitler Youth), individuals (Goebbels, Sophie Scholl), and dates (1935, 1938). Specific details demonstrate knowledge and support arguments convincingly.

• Link to the question throughout: Every paragraph should connect back to the question's focus. If asked about women's experiences, explain how each piece of evidence specifically affected women. Don't write everything you know—select relevant material.

• Plan evaluative answers: For 10-18 mark questions, spend 2-3 minutes planning. List arguments for both sides before writing. This ensures balanced coverage and helps you reach a substantiated conclusion rather than a one-sided response.

Quick revision summary

Nazi Germany (1933-1945) was a totalitarian dictatorship controlling society through propaganda, terror, and racial ideology. Goebbels' propaganda and Gestapo fear suppressed opposition. Jews and other groups faced systematic persecution escalating from discrimination to genocide. Women were pushed toward traditional roles; youth underwent intense indoctrination through Hitler Youth. Employment improved but workers lost rights. Opposition was limited and dangerous. War brought total mobilisation and eventually destruction. Experiences varied enormously based on racial classification, gender, and political views.