Lesson video

Hello, welcome to History here at Oak National Academy.

My name is Mr. Newton and I will be your teacher today, guiding you through the entire lesson.

Right, let's get started.

By the mid 1930s, Nazi Germany appeared united and many Germans praised the government's achievements.

For many, life had improved and Hitler seemed to be delivering on his promises, but that doesn't mean everyone agreed.

Scattered across society were people who saw things differently, people who objected to the injustice, the violence, and the control.

Some resisted in small quiet ways, others risked everything to stand up against the regime.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to evaluate the extent of opposition and resistance to the Nazi regime.

Before we begin, there are a few key words that we need to understand.

Compliance is when people obey rules or authority, even if they don't fully agree to avoid trouble or punishment, and to conform is to behave according to the usual standards of behaviour that are expected by a group or society.

Today's lesson is titled, "Opposition and Resistance in Nazi Germany," and we'll explore this in three parts.

First, we'll look at how conformity was encouraged and why opposition was so limited in the early years of Nazi rule.

In the second part of the lesson, we'll focus on religious resistance in Nazi Germany, including the brave actions of pastors and church leaders who spoke out often at great personal risk.

And in the final part of the lesson, we'll examine youth resistance and how some young people challenged Nazi expectations not just through politics, but through culture, style and music.

Right, let's begin the lesson with conformity and resistance in Nazi Germany.

By the mid 1930s, the Nazi governments enjoyed widespread support or at least compliance across many parts of German society.

Hitler's early political and economic policies won genuine approval.

By the mid 1930s, Germany had recovered significantly from the Great Depression, unemployment had dropped and policies aimed at supporting farmers, restoring national pride, and resisting communism gained enthusiastic backing, especially from middle class people and business owners.

Hitler's promise to overturn the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles, also stirred deep nationalistic support.

Let's look at this photograph.

We see a vast crowd filling the square.

Thousands of people gathered.

The buildings are draped with swastika banners and Hitler stands at the front addressing the masses.

The image projects a strong sense of unity and celebration.

To the outside world and even to many Germans, this scene would've looked like overwhelming supports, but it's important to think critically.

Were all these people truly supportive or could some have been there out of pressure or expectation? Nonetheless, the photo demonstrates that many people did appear to support some of the Nazi regime's policies, particularly those that restored national pride or promised to undo the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What I want you to do here is complete this sentence with the correct missing word.

By the mid 1930s, many Germans supported the Nazi government because Hitler's policies had reduced unemployment, restored national pride, protected the economy against communism and overturned the humiliating terms of the blank.

Pause the video, fill in the blank, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the sentence should have read, by the mid 1930s, many Germans supported the Nazi government because Hitler's policies had reduced unemployment, restored national pride, protected the economy against communism and overturned the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Okay, let's continue.

So it is difficult to measure exactly how many people opposed the government because support appeared so widespread and often resistance was rare and risky.

From the moment Hitler seized power in 1933, the Nazi authorities sought to create a Germany united in loyalty to the Fuhrer.

Through a tightly controlled police state and relentless propaganda, the regime cultivated an atmosphere of fear and obedience.

The propaganda machine had convinced many that Hitler was the saviour of Germany.

Rallies, marches and uniforms created a sense of belonging to a powerful movement of national renewal.

For others, even if they did not fully accept everything the Nazis preached, it became easier and far safer to follow the crowd than to stand out.

Take a look at this image.

Most of the crowd is showing support, but look more carefully.

Right in the middle, there's one person who stands out.

Her face is uncertain and she seems separate from the crowd even though she's surrounded by it.

What does that tell us? This image captures something powerful about life under the Nazis.

Propaganda was everywhere.

It shaped what people heard, saw and believed, but even with that pressure, not everyone was convinced.

Some hesitated.

Let's think.

What do you imagine it felt like to be that one person who didn't join in? When everyone around you is acting the same way, there's enormous pressure to conform.

Psychologists have found that human beings are naturally social.

We tend to go along with the group even when we are unsure or uncomfortable, it feels safer to blend in than to stand out.

Nazi Germany had a social environment where obedience felt normal.

Once the message was everywhere on posters, in newspapers, over the radio, it became part of the atmosphere.

People didn't just believe the propaganda, they absorbed it, and even if they didn't fully agree, most people went along with it because not going along made you stand out.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following help explain why it is difficult to know how much opposition there was to the Nazi governments? Select three correct answers.

A, many people supported the Nazis genuinely and openly.

B, opposition groups were encouraged by the state.

C, people were often too afraid to show open resistance.

D, some people chose to stay silent rather than stand out.

Pause the video, select your three correct answers, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct three answers where A, many people supported the Nazis genuinely and openly.

C, people were often too afraid to show open resistance and D, some people chose to stay silence rather than stand out.

Okay, let's continue.

Despite Nazi Germany having this climate of fear and conformity, there were signs of small scale resistance.

There were individuals and groups who resisted.

Their actions, though often small or secretive, reveal a scattered but persistent defiance.

Workers sometimes with the help of underground communist networks, organised strikes and distributed anti-Nazi leaflets.

The Gestapos own records show they investigated tens of thousands of cases of non-conforming behaviour.

Everything from public complaints about rationing, to refusing to give the Hitler's salute, to joking about Nazi leaders.

Take a close look at this photograph.

Do you notice anything unusual? You'll notice that nearly everyone in the crowd is performing the Nazi salute except for one man.

He stands with his arms crossed, refusing to conform.

This was taken in 1936 at a shipyard in Hamburg.

In a sea of uniformity, his silent act of defiance stands out powerfully.

We don't know exactly what's motivated him, whatever it was political belief, personal conviction, a disagreement with his employer or just a quiet protest, but his refusal was risky.

In Nazi Germany, not saluting could draw suspicion, punishment, or even arrest.

This image reminds us that while resistance was rare, it did exist even in small and personal ways.

This pie chart shows the types of investigations carried out by the Gestapo in Dusseldorf during the 1930s, and it gives us an insight into what the Nazi secret police actually focused on during this period.

You might expect most investigations to be about people plotting major uprisings or involved in organised resistance groups, but what we see here is quite different.

A significant portion of cases, almost a third, were about non-conforming behaviour or anti-Nazi comments.

That could include anything from telling a joke about Hitler, to refusing to give the salutes.

We can also see a significant portion of cases were about involvement in underground organisations and other investigations, which tells us the Gestapo were monitoring a wide range of behaviour with a smaller slice of the pie chart related to holding illegal publications.

This chart shows us that opposition wasn't just about organised resistance.

It could be as small as speaking out, complaining or failing to show loyalty.

The Nazi state was highly sensitive to even minor signs of disobedience, and the Gestapo played a key role in maintaining that tight control over society.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What types of small scale resistance existed in Nazi Germany during the 1930s? Select three correct answers.

A, always given the Hitler salute.

B, distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, C, making jokes about Nazi leaders, D, organising strikes with communist networks.

Pause the video, select your three correct answers, and then come right back.

Okay, great.

Welcome back.

And were gonna be reviewing the correct small-scale resistance was B, distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, C, making jokes about Nazi leaders and D, organising strikes with Communist networks.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to task A.

And I've got the statements here for you.

The main reason most Germans complied with the Nazi government was because of fear.

What I want you to do is working with your partner, discuss how far you agree with this statement, and of course, anytime you see that phrase, how far do you agree with something, it's usually inviting you to say to what extent you agree with it, but there's also potential for you to disagree with the statement.

Therefore in your discussions, I want you to discuss reasons to agree with the statement and reasons to disagree with the statement.

Pause the video, have a discussion, and then come right back.

Okay, great, welcome back and well done for having a go at that task.

So hopefully, you had some really thoughtful discussions.

Let's first look at some points that you may have discussed when agreeing with the statements.

So you might have said something like, the main reason most Germans complied with the Nazi government was because of fear because the Nazis created a tightly controlled police state and there was an atmosphere of fear and obedience.

You could have put that it was safer to follow the crowd than to stand out, and there was a lot of psychological conformity to want to blend in with the crowd and not stand out and be the only person opposing the Nazis.

And you could have put that the Gestapo investigated tens of thousands of people for non-conforming behaviour and people could be punished for minor acts like refusing the Hitler salute or telling jokes about leaders.

And when disagreeing, you may have discussed the following: You might said something like Nazi policies won genuine support, so it wasn't necessarily about fear.

There was actually genuine support for the Nazis.

For example, unemployment had dropped, the Nazis had supported key social groups like farmers, the middle class and business owners, and the Nazis appealed to nationalists and anti-communist beliefs, and they were showing they were willing to overturn the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which won the Nazis support because the treaty was very unpopular in Germany.

You could have said propaganda convinced many that Hitler was the saviour of Germany, so they believed that propaganda.

There was lots of rallies, marches, and uniforms, and this all created a sense of belonging to a wider movement of rebuilding Germany, and that some Germans did not comply at all because there were workers who resisted by striking or distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, showing that not everyone gave into the fear.

Great, now that we've explored how and why many Germans either supported or complied with the Nazi regime and we've looked at some small acts of resistance, in the second part of the lesson, we're now going to shift our focus to a different form of opposition.

Religious resistance in Nazi Germany.

Among the most vocal early critics of the Nazis were members of Germany's Christian churches.

The Nazi government attempted to bring Protestant churches under state control by creating a unified pro-Nazi Reich Church, while at the same time working to suppress dissenting voices within both Protestants and Catholic circles.

One such voice belonged to Pastor Martin Niemoller, who we can see in the photo on the left.

Niemoller was a former submarine commander who later became a respected religious scholar.

Initially, Niemoller supported Hitler believing that the Nazis might restore Germany after the chaos of the Weimar Republic.

However, his support faded as he witnessed a Nazi attempts to dominate the church and silence its moral authority.

In 1934, Niemoller co-founded the Confessional Church, which rejected Nazi interference and insisted on the church's spiritual independence.

From the pulpit, he spoke boldly against the Nazi government's abuse of authority.

His resistance did not go unnoticed.

In 1937, Niemoller was arrested and imprisoned.

He spent the remainder of the Nazi era in concentration camps until his release in 1945.

His bravery became a symbol of how some Germans, though few, did stand against tyranny.

Niemoller would later become widely known for his haunting words that captured the tragic consequences of failing to speak out.

Here is an English translation of Niemoller's words.

"At first, they targeted socialists, and I stayed silent, because I wasn't one of them.

Then they went after trade unionists, and still I said nothing because it didn't affect me.

Next, they persecuted Jewish people and I turned away because I wasn't Jewish.

Eventually, they came for me, and by then, no one was left to speak up in my defence." Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following are true about Martin Niemoller and religious resistance to the Nazi regime? Select three answers.

A, he became known for a powerful reflection on the dangers of silence.

B, he co-founded the Confessional Church in opposition to Nazi interference.

C, he remained loyal to the Reich Church until the end of the Second World War.

D, he was arrested in 1937 and spent years in concentration camps.

Pause the video, select your three correct answers, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answers were A, Niemoller became known for a powerful reflection on the dangers of silence.

B, he co-founded Confessional Church in opposition to Nazi interference and D, he was arrested in 1937 and spent years in concentration camps.

Resistance also came from within the Catholic Church.

A prominence opponent of Nazi policy was Catholic Bishop Clemens August von Galen of Munster.

A powerful speaker, Galen used his sermons to publicly denounced Nazi policies, particularly their attacks on Christianity and the implementation of the euthanasia programme, which targeted people with disabilities for extermination.

Galen's defiance stirred public concern and morale, inspiring others to resist in quieter ways.

Alarmed by the growing repression of Catholic life in Germany, Pope Pius XI issued a public letter to all German Catholics titled, "With Burning Concern." The letter was smuggled into Germany and read out in churches across the country on a single Sunday.

The letter condemned the Nazi regime's lies, racism and hostility toward the church.

Despite these bold acts of resistance, many Christian leaders paid a high price.

Priests, pastors, and laypeople, who opposed the Nazis were watched, harassed, and arrested, and in many cases, sent to concentration camps.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What I want you to do here is complete this sentence with the correct missing words.

The Catholic Church resisted Nazi policies, priests such as Bishop blank opposed the euthanasia of the mentally disabled and the blank condemned Nazi lies and racism in a letter called blank.

Pause the video, fill in the blanks, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the sentence should have read, the Catholic Church resisted Nazi policies.

Priests such as Bishop von Galen opposed the euthanasia of the mentally disabled and the Pope condemned Nazi lies and racism in a letter called "With Burning Concern." Okay, great.

Let's move on to task B.

And what I want you to first do is read this source: a speech used frequently by Pastor Martin Niemoller to criticise those who did not speak out against the Nazi Party.

It reads, "At first they targeted socialists and I stayed silent because I wasn't one of them.

Then they went after trade unionists, and still I said nothing because it didn't affect me.

Next, they persecuted Jewish people and I turned away because I wasn't Jewish.

Eventually, they came for me, and by then, no one was left to speak up in my defence." And so the question I want you to answer is, what do you think the source suggests about attitudes towards resistance in Nazi Germany? And your answer should identify an aspect of the source and then explain the historical contexts it's referring to.

In other words, pick out a feature from within the source and then explain the background story that it's referring to using the knowledge you've gained from today's lesson.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and then come right back.

Okay, great, welcome back and well done for having a go at that task.

So there's many ways you could have answered that question, but compare your answer with the one I have here.

So you could have said something like, the source suggests that many people remained silent when the Nazis targeted different groups.

So that sentence there has picked out an aspect from within the source.

Now the rest of the paragraph is going to explain the historical context or the background story of what was happening in Germany during this time.

This reflects the fear and conformity in Nazi Germany where people often chose not to speak out against injustice because of the risks involved such as arrest or violence from the Gestapo, the source implies regrets for not resisting earlier.

Niemoller was a pastor who initially supported Hitler, but later opposed Nazi interference in the church.

He was imprisoned, and this quotation reflects his realisation that failing to resist allowed the Nazis to gain unchecked power.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to the second part of task B.

And what I want you to do here is create a list of evidence, which suggests there was religious opposition to the Nazi Party.

So pause the video, make your list, and then come right back.

Okay, great.

Welcome back.

So your list may include some of the following.

So you may have had evidence such as Niemoller spoke out against Nazi's interference in the church and co-founded the Confessional Church to resist Nazi control.

And he was arrested in 1937 and spent years in concentration camps.

You could have also gone on to say that Catholic Bishop von Galen publicly criticised Nazi policies, especially the euthanasia programme, which targeted people with disabilities.

And you could have also said that Pope Pius XI wrote a public letter called "With Burning Concern," condemning Nazi racism and lies.

The letter was smuggled into Germany and read from Catholic pulpits in a coordinated act of resistance.

And you could have said that priests, pastors, and laypeople who opposed the Nazis were watched, harassed, arrested, and often sent to concentration camps.

Well done.

So far, we've looked at how religious figures resisted Nazi control, often motivated by faith, moral responsibility, and a sense of duty to speak out.

Now let's turn our attention to a different group.

Youth resistance In Nazi Germany.

Despite strict Nazi control in schools and youth groups, subtle acts of defiance revealed growing disillusionment.

By 1934, German schools and youth organisations, most notably the Hitler Youth had become theatres of obedience, where Nazi ideology replaced genuine education.

Both students and teachers were drawn into a system that demanded conformity and punished inquiry.

But not everyone conformed.

Acts of defiance, those subtle did persist.

Some teachers delivered the Hitler salute with sarcasm, others changed their tone during readings from Nazi approved textbooks.

Still, even small missteps could prove dangerous.

One teacher reported by a student for telling a joke was arrested and fined.

Despite all the effort to put into forcing Nazi beliefs onto young people, enthusiasm began to fade.

Many teenagers grew weary of endless marches, ideological lectures, and military drills.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following are true about schools and youth organisations in Nazi Germany by 1934? Select three correct answers.

A, Nazi ideology replaced genuine education in schools.

B, not all young people remained enthusiastic about Nazi youth movements.

C, some teachers use sarcasm or tone to quietly resist Nazi teachings.

D, teachers who defied the regime faced little risk of punishment.

Pause the video, select your three correct answers, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answers were, A, Nazi ideology replaced genuine education in schools.

B, not all young people remained enthusiastic about Nazi youth movements and C, some teachers use sarcasm or tone to quietly resist Nazi teachings.

Okay, let's continue.

In a smoky Berlin cafe in 1937, the rhythm of forbidden American jazz and swing music pulsed through hidden speakers.

Young men and women in elegant English suits and cocktail dresses danced the jitterbug, their laughter echoing in defiance.

They were part of the Swing Youth.

The Swing Youth embraced the music, slang, and fashion of Britain and America and mocked the militarism and conformity of Hitler Youth culture.

Take a look at this image.

It shows members of the Swing Youth, or in German, Swingjugend.

Notice their appearance, smart coats, stylish hats.

Their fashion was a deliberate choice.

These young people were rejecting the rigid, uniformed look of the Hitler Youth.

Instead, they embraced the music, style, and slang of Britain and America.

The Swing Youth were mostly middle class teenagers in cities like Hamburg and Berlin.

In typical adolescent fashion, they rebelled against authority figures.

But in Nazi Germany, those figures were the regime itself.

Their resistance took the form of cultural rebellion.

They adopted the music, language, and style popular in Britain and America, using it to challenge the strict discipline and uniformity of the Hitler Youth.

They carried British newspapers, wore union jacks, and greeted each other with typical British phrases like, "Hello, old boy," anything to annoy the Nazi authorities.

To passersby, they may have seemed like spoiled and privileged youth playing dress up in defiance.

But as of the Third Reich, even dancing to jazz became an act of rebellion.

By the end of the 1930s, Hitler declared that all young Germans must join Hitler Youth.

The Swing Youth refused.

More provocatively, many of their social circles included Jews and people of mixed Jewish heritage, an overt rejection of Nazi racial laws.

Many of the Swing Youth would face arrest, beatings, or worse in years to come.

True or false, the Hitler Youth adopted English and American music slang and fashion as a way to rebel against the Nazi authorities.

Is that true or false? Pause the video, have a think and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew that was false.

But why is that false? I want you to justify your answer and give me a reason as to why you believe it to be false.

Pause the video, have a think and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew that this was not the Hitler Youth, but the Swing Youth, the Swingjugend, a group of mostly middle class teenagers, rebelled against the Nazis by refusing to conform to the Hitler Youth culture.

Even more audacious than the Swing Youth were the Edelweiss Pirates.

The Edelweiss Pirates were a loose network of working class teenagers from the Rhineland and Western Germany.

They roamed the streets with nicknames like Navajos.

The image on the left shows the Edelweiss Pirates.

Look closely at their jackets.

You'll notice the small, white flower-shaped badges.

That's the Edelweiss flower, and it became a powerful symbol of their resistance.

The Edelweiss is a mounting flower often associated with freedom, courage, and defiance.

By wearing it, these youths were sending a quiet but bold message.

We don't belong to the Hitler Youth.

We are not part of your system.

The Edelweiss Pirates camped in the countryside, sang anti-Nazi songs.

And by the late 1930s, some began sheltering deserters and carrying out attacks on Nazi officials.

The authorities saw them as rebellious troublemakers who threatened Nazi control.

In 1944, several were publicly hanged in Cologne, accused of plotting against the state.

Despite these pockets of rebellion, the broader reality was one of conformity.

The Nazi state was ruthlessly efficient in suppressing opposition.

Informants lurked in every neighbourhood and workplace.

Those who spoke out risked their jobs, their freedom, or their lives.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What made the Edelweiss Pirates a serious threat to the Nazi government? A, they formed a political party to campaign against Hitler.

B, they sabotaged military equipment and tried to assassinate Hitler.

C, they sheltered deserters and attacked Nazi officials.

D, they supported the Hitler Youth, but wanted less discipline.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew the correct answer was C, they sheltered deserters and attacked Nazi officials.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to task C.

And I've got a statement here for you.

Youth resistance was almost non-existent.

There was limited organised opposition.

Most young people complied and those who didn't were quickly silenced.

How far do you agree with this statement? Anytime you see that phrase how far, we immediately know, it's asking us to what extent do we agree with this statement, how far, meaning that we can agree to it to a certain extent, but there's a potential for us to also disagree with the statement.

So in your answer, I want you to write one paragraph which agrees with this statement, and one paragraph which disagrees.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done to having a go at that task.

So there's many ways you could have answered that question, but compare your answer with the one I have here.

So for your first paragraph, which agrees with the statements you might have written, there is some evidence to suggest that youth resistance in Nazi Germany was limited.

By 1934, the education system and youth organisations especially Hitler Youth had become powerful tools for spreading Nazi ideas.

Young people were taught to obey the regime and punished if they questioned it.

Even teachers were afraid to step out of line and could be fined for simply making a joke.

Although some students and teachers showed subtle defiance such as sarcastic Hitler salutes, these acts were small and risky.

Most young people complied whether due to fear, peer pressure, or the belief that resisting wouldn't make a difference.

This suggests that while some discontent existed, it didn't amount to much in terms of organised opposition.

And for your disagree paragraph, you may have written: However, there is also strong evidence that youth resistance was more significant.

The Swing Youth actively rejected Nazi values through their fashion, music and attitudes.

They listened to banned American jazz, mocked Nazi uniforms, and even welcomed Jews into their social circles.

An open challenge to Nazi racial policies.

The Edelweiss Pirates went even further.

They helped deserters and carried out physical attacks on Nazi officials.

In 1944, several Edelweiss Pirates were publicly hanged in Cologne, which shows how seriously the regime viewed them.

While youth resistance may not have been widespread across all of Germany, it was still persistent, brave, and often organised in small networks.

Okay, great, let's summarise today's lesson, "Opposition and resistance in Nazi Germany." Many Germans complied with the Nazis due to fear, but also because of genuine supports.

However, the Gestapo investigated thousands for even minor acts of non-conformity, such as jokes or refusing to give the Hitler salutes.

Religious resistance existed despite risks led by figures like Niemoller and von Galen.

Religious leaders publicly opposed Nazi policies and many were harassed, arrested, or imprisoned for speaking out.

Youth resistance, although limited in scale, challenged the pressure to conform.

Groups like the Swing Youth and Edelweiss Pirates openly defied Nazi values through music, fashion, and even sabotage.

Well done, everyone, and what we've seen is that resistance in Nazi Germany came in many forms, but we've also learned that opposition was rare, not only because of fear, but because many people genuinely supported aspects of the regime.

And that's what makes this topic so important to study.

It challenges us to think critically about conformity, courage, and the choices people make under pressure.

See you next time.