The German Opposition to Hitler

During the early days of the rise of the National Socialists to power, there were three characteristics of the regime: 1) a commitment to national tradition to make Germans identify with the state and its power; 2) the joining of tradition with the promise of a new order, of an historic breakthrough, and of a national revival and renewal; and 3) terror directed at enemies and at the populace at large in order to convince the people that compliance was the only way to avoid further trouble. Hitler established his absolute dictatorship within the first few weeks. He accomplished this by trying to reassure the old elites that they were not go

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of unexampled circumstances in an exemplary way (12-13). Rothfels states that there were four rough groups of Nazis during the Third Reich period: actual Nazis, nominal Nazis, non-Nazis, and anti-Nazis. Divisions between these groups are not easy to make and must have shifted over the years. The silent Opposition, those who were non-Nazis, may have included sympathizers as well as those who were antagonistic but silent about the Nazis. They merely abstained from participation, a stance which was a danger in itself but which could be mitigated by being unobtrusive: It was therefore easier for anonymous men and women to belong to the silent Opposition than for prominent people or those who in some capacity stood in the limelight (Rothfels 28). Some of the active Opposition worked effectively under the cover of their membership in the ruling class and even under the protection of a high position in the Gestapo or the SS. In the technical branches of the Civil Service, there were many non-party members who were superficial conformists but who were often able to maintain successfully certain principles of professional ethics: "Not a few men and women who escaped persecution and terror owed their lives to this fact or found s
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1526
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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