The “marriage” of the party and the Volk (people) was celebrated once a year (mid-September) in Nazi Germany at the infamous party rally in Nuremberg. A central aspect of the Hitler State was Gleichschaltung (coordination) and hence the establishment of the Volksgemeinschaft (Volk-community). Gleichschaltung meant to bring all sectors of state and society under Nazi control. In this sense, the Nazis already could look back on remarkable achievements in 1933 as my previous essay [Tobias Schepanek, Gleichschaltung: Nazi Accomplishments after Six Months in Power, Melbourne, Australia (attached to this essay)] points out. But what kind of resistance against this policy occurred within the German people, and where did the Nazis fail to reach their goal of total coordination? To answer this question and to measure the success of resistance, my essay will also raise the question of what role Gleichschaltung played in the establishment of the Hitler-State before the outbreak of War in 1939.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Context
3. Failure (and Achievements) of Gleichschaltung
4. Reasons for non resistance
5. Conclusion
6. Introduction
7. Context
8. Achievements
9. Justification
10. Future
11. Importance of the speech
12. Conclusion
13. Introduction
14. Historical Context
15. Importance of “Mein Kampf”
Objectives and Topics
The core objective of this work is to critically examine the concept of Gleichschaltung (coordination) within the Hitler State, evaluating its implementation, the extent of its success, and why it failed to achieve total control over all facets of German society before the outbreak of World War II. The analysis investigates the tension between Nazi ideology and the reality of their political control.
- The role of Gleichschaltung in establishing the Volksgemeinschaft.
- The contradictions in Nazi policy regarding labor, industrialization, and the social role of women.
- The administrative rivalry between the state and the party and its impact on the effectiveness of the regime.
- The dynamics of opposition and resistance from political, religious, and youth groups.
- The significance of propaganda and indoctrination in the consolidation of power.
Excerpt from the Book
Failure (and Achievements) of Gleichschaltung
A contradiction occurred when the Nazis put their ideology into practise. One of their goals was to return to a pre-industrial, classless world of rural simplicity and functionally defined social groups. But at the same time, they wanted to rise up as a dominant political and military power. This created a need for more industrialisation and urbanisation. Hence, coordination as well as ideology failed to a certain degree when it was put into practise. Especially a closer look at the role of men and women points out contradictions in this context. Coordination was needed to build the Volksgemeinschaft. The ideology implied the removal of women from the labour market, because the “proper” place of women was within their home. Even before the war and even though the NS regime run different programs to put across their policy, women were still an important part of the workforce in the late 1930’s. For while the proportion of female employees declined to 31 percent in 1937, the total number of working woman actually increased.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of Gleichschaltung as a central mechanism for bringing state and society under Nazi control and outlines the paper's focus on identifying failures in this coordination.
Context: The author explains how Hitler moved to coordinate state governments and used promises and threats to build the national community, the Volksgemeinschaft.
Failure (and Achievements) of Gleichschaltung: This section discusses the practical contradictions of Nazi ideology, specifically regarding labor, industrialization, and the workforce participation of women.
Reasons for non resistance: The chapter explores why significant, widespread resistance was absent in Germany before 1939, citing the popularity of the regime and effective state surveillance.
Conclusion: The author concludes that the partial failure of total coordination actually strengthened Hitler's position, as it created a rivalry that kept individuals preoccupied with defending their status.
Keywords
Gleichschaltung, Volksgemeinschaft, Nazi Germany, Hitler State, Third Reich, Propaganda, Coordination, Resistance, Totalitarianism, NSDAP, Ideology, Labour Front, Social Democrats, Civil Service, Fuhrerprinzip
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay explores the effectiveness and limitations of the Nazi policy of Gleichschaltung (coordination) within Germany before the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
What does the term Gleichschaltung imply in this context?
It refers to the process by which the Nazi regime sought to bring all sectors of the state and society under direct control to establish a cohesive national community (Volksgemeinschaft).
What is the central research question?
The work examines where the Nazis failed to reach their goal of total coordination and how different social groups and state institutions resisted or interacted with this policy.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a historical analytical approach, evaluating contemporary documentation, Nazi ideology, and scholarly accounts of the Third Reich to contrast official goals with social reality.
What does the main part of the work cover?
It covers administrative conflicts, the suppression of political opposition, the indoctrination of youth, the involvement of the churches, and the inherent contradictions between Nazi ideology and economic necessity.
Which key concepts characterize the analysis?
Key concepts include the Fuhrerprinzip, the role of terror and surveillance, economic stabilization, and the internal rivalry between party and state structures.
Why does the author argue that the failure of coordination helped the regime?
The author suggests that the lack of total coordination created administrative rivalries, which forced individuals to focus on maintaining their positions, thereby strengthening Hitler's role as the central arbiter.
How does the author view the role of women in the context of Gleichschaltung?
The author points out that while Nazi ideology demanded the removal of women from the labor market, economic demands meant their numbers in the workforce actually increased, highlighting a key contradiction in Nazi policy.
- Quote paper
- Tobias Schepanek (Author), 2005, "Gleichschaltung" and where it failed, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/48629
