meaning empire; under the Nazis, it referred to the Third Reich, their name for Hitler’s regime, which they saw as the third great German empire after the Holy Roman Empire and the German Empire

the centre of the Roman Catholic Church, based in Vatican City, an independent state in Rome; it is led by the Pope and acts as the Church’s spiritual and diplomatic authority

a formal agreement between the Vatican and a government, usually about the rights of the Church within that country

the process of bringing institutions and daily life under Nazi control, influencing schools, churches, and local organisations; part of a wider Nazi policy known as Gleichschaltung (coordination)

The Nazi Party and religion

History

The First World War and the German Revolution

The Weimar Republic

Early unrest and the Treaty of Versailles

Threats to the Weimar Republic from the left and the right

1923, the Ruhr and hyperinflation

Economic recovery under Stresemann

Stresemann's international achievements

Social and economic change 1924-29

Weimar culture 1924-29

The early development of the NSDAP

The Munich Putsch

The NSDAP's 'lean years'

The growth of unemployment and rise in support for the Communist Party

The growth in support for the Nazi Party

How Hitler became Chancellor of Germany

The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act

Hitler's creation of a dictatorship

Nazi control of the police and the legal system

Goebbels and propaganda in Nazi Germany

Opposition and resistance in Nazi Germany

Women in Nazi Germany

Young people in Nazi Germany

Employment in Nazi Germany

Work and life in Nazi Germany

Nazi racial ideology and the treatment of minorities

The persecution of Jews

In this unit, pupils study a modern society and the issues that affected it in great depth over a shorter period. They learn about the key events, developments, people and stories that shaped this modern society over a period of around twenty to thirty years.

Modern depth studies

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

About half were Catholic and half were Protestant.

Around two-thirds were Protestant and one-third were Roman Catholic.

Most Germans were Jewish, with a small Protestant minority.

Nearly all Germans identified as atheist or non-religious.

What was the approximate religious makeup of the German population during the Nazi period?

because Churches controlled the German military

because it gave people loyalty to something beyond the state

because it influenced foreign governments

Why did Hitler view religion as a potential threat to Nazi control?

What does the term 'reich' mean in the context of Nazi Germany?

that Church leaders would lose financial support

that Hitler would protect Catholic leaders

that no one, not even Church leaders, was untouchable

What message did the Night of the Long Knives send to the Catholic Church?

Hitler lost interest in religion after 1934,

Protestants supported the Nazis unconditionally,

The Protestant Church was too divided for central control.

Why did Hitler fail to fully control the Protestant Church?

led the Reich Church, promoted Nazi-friendly Christianity

protested against Nazification of the Protestant Church

Match each figure with their role or action during the Nazi period.

to control opposition and enforce loyalty to the Führer

to increase public trust in the Weimar Republic

to strengthen Germany’s army against foreign powers

Why did Hitler want to build a police state after becoming Chancellor in 1933?

enforced Nazi racial and political control through terror

arrested enemies without trial, using fear and denunciations

gathered intelligence and monitored dissent

imprisoned and exploited those seen as threats or ‘undesirable’

Match each Nazi institution to its primary function.

They feared being overheard and reported.

Why did many citizens avoid political conversations in Nazi Germany?

Which of the following groups did the Nazis imprison in concentration camps?

to allow ordinary citizens to appeal legal decisions

to provide fair trials for political enemies of the state

to punish political opponents with swift, predetermined verdicts

to reduce overcrowding in Germany’s prisons through shorter sentences

What was the main purpose of the People’s Court (Volksgerichtshof), created by Hitler in 1934?

Judges focused more on individual rights and fair trials.

The courts became independent again and served the regime through objectivity.

The legal system aimed to reflect popular feeling and punish 'undesirables'.

How did the role of judges and the purpose of justice change under Nazi rule?

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

The Nazi Party and religion

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.