The following were equally important in the Nazi consolidation of power, 1933-34:
- Gleischaltung
- Attacks on opposition
- The Night of the Long Knives / Army Oath / Presidential Power.
Glieschaltung, attacks on the opposition and the night of the long knives / army oath / presidential power were all important factors in the Nazi consolidation of power. Nazi support rose considerably during this period and the Nazis were becoming a larger and larger part of German society. The Nazis were using these three factors in order to help them in dominating all aspects of German society.
Glieschaltung is a Nazi term for the process by which the Nazi regime successively established a system of totalitarian control over the individual and tight coordination over all aspects of society and commerce. The Nazis went to great lenghts to control all aspects of society. For example if you went to school your teacher would be a Nazi. If you commit a crime the police officer arresting you would be a Nazi and if you needed a lawyer your lawyer would be a Nazi as well. By controlling society the Nazis could place rules and limitations on what people were and weren’t allowed to do. For example, the Nazi teacher may refuse to teach Jewish pupils. Glieschaltung also influenced ordinary Germans to support the Nazis, particularly young Germans. For example a Nazi teacher would teach pupils on why they should support the Nazis. Pupils would be taught to distrust Jews and to be loyal to Hitler. The Gleichschaltung also included the formation of various organisations with compulsory membership for segments of the population, in particular the youth. For example boys were eligible to join the Hitler Youth from the age of 14. For workers an all-embracing recreational organization called Kraft durch Freude was set up. In Nazi Germany, even hobbies were regimented; all private clubs (whether they be for chess, football, bowls or woodworking) were brought under the control of KdF and,...