The Christian ChurchesThe Christian Churches

Germany was a Christian Germany was a Christian countrycountry

Protestants and Roman Protestants and Roman CatholicsCatholics

Hitler did not trust the Hitler did not trust the churcheschurches

Feared that they had too Feared that they had too much influence over the much influence over the peoplepeople

Did not like the idea that Did not like the idea that people were more loyal to people were more loyal to the churches than to himthe churches than to him

The Christian ChurchesThe Christian Churches

Hitler tried to bring Hitler tried to bring the churches under the churches under his controlhis control

Successful with the Successful with the Protestant churchesProtestant churches

Created a new state Created a new state Church with a Nazi Church with a Nazi bishop in chargebishop in charge

The Christian ChurchesThe Christian Churches

Not as successful with Not as successful with the RCsthe RCs

Partly because the RC Partly because the RC Church was Church was international and thus international and thus more difficult to controlmore difficult to control

However, many However, many German RCs seemed German RCs seemed quite happy with the quite happy with the Nazi regimeNazi regime

The Christian ChurchesThe Christian Churches

Some German Some German Christians saw Christians saw through Hitler and through Hitler and condemned Nazism as condemned Nazism as the enemy of their the enemy of their faithfaith

Many were arrested Many were arrested because they refused because they refused to give up their beliefsto give up their beliefs

Eg Pastor Martin Eg Pastor Martin NiemellerNiemeller

The EconomyThe Economy

Hitler needed a strong economy to sustain his large army

He knew his Nazi Party would win more support if he could revive the economy and reduce unemployment

The EconomyThe Economy

Introduced road-building as one measure to solve Germany’s economic problems

Provided jobs for large numbers of people

Had the income to buy more goods which provided work for others

Other measures : reclaim waste land and pull down slums in the cities

In this way, Hitler was able to reduce the number of unemployed

Bridge over Rhine River near Köln-Rodenkirchen (A4)

(photo taken in 1995)

The EconomyThe Economy

Rearmament started in 1934 - Greater demand for armaments – jobs for people in the arms factories

A large party bureaucracy was set up, providing thousands of jobs

Purges of Jews and anti-Nazis from the civil service created more jobs for the other Germans

The EconomyThe Economy

Growth in German army also provided jobs Conscription

reintroduced in 1935 6 million unemployed

in 1933 reduced to 2.5 million in 1935 to 250,000 in 1939

Made Hitler immensely popular with many Germans

ConclusionConclusion

Having fulfilled his promise of economic recovery, and knowing he had the German people’s support, Hitler was now ready for his next plan of action

To extend Germany’s border and prove to the world Germany’s superiority