The Left

The Political Left

The political left was Hitler's main opposition. The Nazi Party was very right-wing and initially got the support of the DNVP party to get majority support in the Reichstag.

The German 1-party state

On the 14th of July 1933, all political parties were banned apart from the Nazi Party.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the KPD (the German Communist Party) were both banned.
The Communist Party was particularly weakened after the Dutch Communist, van der Lubbe was blamed for the Reichstag Fire.

What happened to the political left under the Nazis?

The former members of the SPD and KPD formed underground, clandestine groups so that they could continue their political activity in Germany as a 1-party state.
However, these underground groups were targeted by the Gestapo. The 200,000 informants could inform on anyone who was a member of a group. People were executed for being members of these groups.
The groups (and their political views) had to stay hidden, so it was hard to build any broad support in the German population for political change.

Lack of cooperation and the Gestapo

In addition to the threat of the Gestapo, the lack of cooperation between the politically left parties meant that their ability to create political and industrial unrest was limited.
Anyone who tried to unite the groups publicly was likely to be killed.
Essentially the Gestapo helped to shut down this threat.

1Dictatorship

1.1Hitler & The Nazi Party in 1933

1.1.1The Origins of the Nazi Party

1.1.2Hitler & The Growth of the Party

1.1.3The 1932 Election

1.2Establishing Dictatorship, 1933-1934

1.2.1Establishing Dictatorship

1.2.2Achieving Total Power, July 1933 - August 1934

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Dictatorship

1.2.4Grade 9 - Dictatorship

2Control & Opposition

2.1The Machinery of Terror

2.1.1Police State & Legal System

2.1.2The Gestapo & SS

2.1.3Concentration Camps

2.1.4End of Topic Test - Control & Opposition

2.2Nazi Propaganda

2.2.1The Effectiveness of Nazi Propaganda

2.3Opposition to Nazi Rule

2.3.1The Left

2.3.2Church Leaders

2.3.3Youth Groups

2.3.4Support for Nazi Rule

2.3.5End of Topic Test - Propaganda & Opposition

2.3.6Grade 9 - Propaganda & Opposition

3Changing Lives, 1933-1939

3.1Work & Home

3.1.1Work

3.1.2Home

3.2The Lives of Young People

3.2.1Education

3.2.2Youth Movements

3.3Nazi Racial Policy

3.3.1Racial Policy

3.3.2Persecution of the Jews

3.3.3End of Topic Test 0 Changing Lives

3.3.4Grade 9 - Changing Lives

4Germany in War

4.1The Impact of War

4.1.1Impact of the War Economy on the People

4.1.2Impact of Total War on the People

4.2Growing Opposition from the German People

4.2.1Opposition from the People

4.2.2Opposition from the Army

4.2.3End of Topic Test - Germany in War

4.2.4Grade 9 - Germany in War

5Occupation

5.1Nazi Rule in Eastern and Western Europe

5.1.1The Start of World War 2

5.1.2Western Europe

5.1.3Eastern Europe

5.1.4End of Topic Test - Occupation

5.2The Final Solution

5.2.1Ghettos & Executions

5.2.2Death Camps

5.2.3End of Topic Test - The Final Solution

5.3Responses to Nazi Rule

5.3.1Collaboration

5.3.2Accommodation

5.3.3Resistance

5.3.4End of Topic Test - Responses to Nazi Rule

5.3.5Grade 9 - Occupation

Jump to other topics