1. How chaotic was Nazi Government?
Central Government
Hitler´s role

2. Historians´ views Intentionalists Structuralists
Karl Bracher, Hugh-Trevor-Ruper
Hitler was a powerful figure at the centre of the government
Internal rivalries between overlapping bodies ( ministries, party organisations and special agencies) were reinforcing Hitler´s position:
* Hitler as a strong dictator
Ian Kershaw, Martin Broszat, Hans Mommsen, Jeremy Noakes
Nazi Germany was a mixture of competing institutions: The Third Reich was not a powerful totalitarian state, the regime was chaotic ( overlapping duties of ministers), Nazi projects left unfinished
* Hitler as a weak dictator

3. Central Government cabinet meetings became more infrequent
- in 1933 met 72 times
- in
- in
- in
- after 1938 did not meet at all
→ without the cabinet there was no place for ministers to discuss!!

4. Hitler´s role
H´s style of government was to give power to those he trusted and who presented him with good ideas
→ the creation of Supreme Reich Authorities
- specialist agencies whose functions often overlapped with existing ministries
* Hitler was the single source of authority for everyone ( ministries and agencies)

5. Hitler´s role Ministries of Labour, Agriculture, Economy, Transport
* FOUR-YEAR PLAN ( A Supreme Reich Organisation under Göring, overlapped L. , E., A.)
* TODT ORGANISATION ( A Supreme Reich Organisation under F. Todt; road-building, other building, German defences, linked to 4-year plan, became extremely powerful!)

6. Was this chaos intended?
The Intentionalists ; Hitler´s divide and Rule-policy, it was intended!
The Structuralists; H. was a Weak leader, a structural chaos made H. to choose the policy he did
→ most historians for intentionalists, also many combine these two

7. Persuasion and Force in the Nazi State
1) The Nazi Party
In million members
→ by million ( 10 % of the population)
→ by million
→ The party was simply an instrument of propaganda ( in 1939 the Party Membership was compulsory for positions in the administration)
Relations between the party and the state
Ways in which the Nazi party took over the institutions

8. Propaganda Terror and fear
The aim was to achieve racially pure state in tune with Nazi principles
- concentration camps
- spy networks
In 1933 the Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda
(Göbbels)

9. Propaganda Press Radio Film Other forms of Propaganda
How successful was it??

10. The Police State
Gestapo SS
Police SD
Himmler