starter activity

This extraordinary photo taken in the 1930s shows Catholic bishops in Germany giving the Nazi salute. List as many reasons as you can, why you might expect the Catholic Church to support the Nazis and why you might expect them to oppose them.

Reasons for supporting Reasons for supporting NazisNazis

1933-45 Nazis were 1933-45 Nazis were in governmentin government

Nazis projected Nazis projected themselves as themselves as guardians of moral guardians of moral valuesvalues

Fear & intimidationFear & intimidation July 1933 ConcordatJuly 1933 Concordat Tradition of anti-Tradition of anti-

Semitism?Semitism?

Reasons for opposing Reasons for opposing NazisNazis

Nazi ideology Nazi ideology contradicted contradicted Christian valuesChristian values

Zentrum Party Zentrum Party natural choice for natural choice for Catholic supportersCatholic supporters

Threat to religious Threat to religious authority & authority & influence of Catholic influence of Catholic ChurchChurch

Did Churches Did Churches collaborate with collaborate with or resist the Nazi or resist the Nazi

regime?regime?Winning over hearts & minds Winning over hearts & minds to create a to create a VolksgemeinschaftVolksgemeinschaft

Your taskYour taskRead sources 16.1-9 on p.304-5 in Read sources 16.1-9 on p.304-5 in Hite and Hinton and put a Hite and Hinton and put a ‘+’‘+’ if you if you think they suggest Hitler and the think they suggest Hitler and the Church could work together, or a Church could work together, or a ‘– ’‘– ’ if you think he saw the Church as a if you think he saw the Church as a threat. Include a note explaining threat. Include a note explaining your reasons why.your reasons why.

Notes

Nazism & Catholic Nazism & Catholic ChurchChurch

22 million members (esp. in South & 22 million members (esp. in South & West)West)

Well-organised – youth organisations, Well-organised – youth organisations, schools, welfare provisionschools, welfare provision

July 1933, Catholic Church & Nazi July 1933, Catholic Church & Nazi govt. sign govt. sign ‘Concordat’‘Concordat’ (agreement) (agreement)

1936, Bishop Galen asks God to bless 1936, Bishop Galen asks God to bless Hitler’s govt.Hitler’s govt.

Nazism & Protestant Nazism & Protestant ChurchChurch

40 million members40 million members Different ‘Churches’, e.g. Lutheran, Calvin etc.Different ‘Churches’, e.g. Lutheran, Calvin etc. Reich ChurchReich Church – umbrella organisation of – umbrella organisation of

Protestant Churches set up by Nazi govt; Protestant Churches set up by Nazi govt; Reich BishopReich Bishop (L.Muller, 1934) (L.Muller, 1934)

German ChristiansGerman Christians (Deutche Christen) – ‘the (Deutche Christen) – ‘the SA of the Church’, ‘Nazified’ Protestants, ‘the SA of the Church’, ‘Nazified’ Protestants, ‘the swastika on our breasts and the cross in our swastika on our breasts and the cross in our hearts’hearts’

German Faith MovementGerman Faith Movement – replace Christianity – replace Christianity with pagan ritualswith pagan rituals

Your taskYour taskRead the biographies of 7 key Read the biographies of 7 key religious figures within German religious figures within German society on pp.310-111. Match the society on pp.310-111. Match the soundbites (on p.311) with an soundbites (on p.311) with an individual and explain your reasons individual and explain your reasons why.why.

starter activity

Muller Pius XIIGalen

AnswersAnswers Ludwig Muller (ii)Ludwig Muller (ii) Alfred Rosenberg (iv)Alfred Rosenberg (iv) Pope Pius XI (iii)Pope Pius XI (iii) Pope Pius XII (i)Pope Pius XII (i) Bishop Clemens von Galen (vi)Bishop Clemens von Galen (vi) Martin NiemMartin Niemööller (vii)ller (vii) Dietrich BonhDietrich Bonhööffer (v)ffer (v)

Your taskYour task Hitler’s policy towards the Church can best Hitler’s policy towards the Church can best

be summarised as control, weaken and be summarised as control, weaken and replace. Read p.308-9 and find evidence of replace. Read p.308-9 and find evidence of these stages. Record your findings in a these stages. Record your findings in a table similar to the one below.table similar to the one below.

StageStage EvidenceEvidenceControlControlWeakenWeakenReplaceReplace

Notes

ControlControl Reich ChurchReich Church Concordat (1933)Concordat (1933) Law against Formation of New Law against Formation of New

Parties (1933) ended Zentrum partyParties (1933) ended Zentrum party German ChristiansGerman Christians But … Confessional Church, outcry But … Confessional Church, outcry

over oath of loyalty, challenges to over oath of loyalty, challenges to Reich ChurchReich Church

WeakenWeaken Church groups disbanded & Hitler Youth Church groups disbanded & Hitler Youth

compulsory from 1936compulsory from 1936 Education secularised, e.g. less emphasis Education secularised, e.g. less emphasis

on RE, crucifixes removed from classes; on RE, crucifixes removed from classes; denominational schools closed (65% of denominational schools closed (65% of children went to Ch schools in 1933, 5% by children went to Ch schools in 1933, 5% by 1937)1937)

Show trials of priests who were possibly Show trials of priests who were possibly falsely accused of abusesfalsely accused of abuses

Ch. Secession Campaign, 1937 100,000 Ch. Secession Campaign, 1937 100,000 Christians left Ch.Christians left Ch.

ReplaceReplace 1939 3.5 million Germans were 1939 3.5 million Germans were

members of Gottglaubig (God-members of Gottglaubig (God-believing) neo-pagan movementbelieving) neo-pagan movement

After WWII Hitler intended to After WWII Hitler intended to replace Christianity with new replace Christianity with new German Faith Movement German Faith Movement

Support for Nazis within Support for Nazis within ChurchChurch

Ludwig Muller, Ludwig Muller, Reich BishopReich Bishop

Alfred Rosenberg, Alfred Rosenberg, German Faith German Faith MovementMovement

Pope Pius XII, Pope Pius XII, negotiated negotiated Concordat, refused Concordat, refused to excommunicate to excommunicate Catholics Catholics participating in participating in genocidegenocide

Muller

Rosenberg

Pius XII

Resistance to Nazis from Resistance to Nazis from within Churchwithin Church

1934, 1934, Confessional Confessional ChurchChurch – broke away – broke away from Reich Church from Reich Church due to resistance to due to resistance to state interference; state interference; Martin NiemMartin Niemöller & öller & Dietrich BonhöfferDietrich Bonhöffer

Bishop Galen, Bishop Galen, Catholic Bp. Catholic Bp. Munster, aka ‘Lion Munster, aka ‘Lion of Munster’ for of Munster’ for outspoken sermonsoutspoken sermons

Niemöller

Bonhöffer

Galen

Your taskYour taskRead the historians’ views on the Read the historians’ views on the evidence of support or resistance to the evidence of support or resistance to the Nazi regime. You may want to record Nazi regime. You may want to record your answers in a table similar to this.your answers in a table similar to this.

Support (Author & examples)

Resistance (Author & examples)

Overlap?

Notes

Did Churches Did Churches collaborate with collaborate with or resist the Nazi or resist the Nazi

regime?regime?Winning over hearts & minds Winning over hearts & minds to create a to create a VolksgemeinschaftVolksgemeinschaft

Your taskYour task Write a judgement paragraph in Write a judgement paragraph in

answer to the key question, “Did answer to the key question, “Did Churches collaborate with or resist Churches collaborate with or resist the Nazi regime?”the Nazi regime?”