Nazism and the church
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Transcript of Nazism and the church
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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 task
Read 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 Different ‘Churches’, e.g. Lutheran, Calvin
etc.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 – replace Christianity with pagan ritualsChristianity with pagan rituals
Your taskYour task
Read 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 Hitler’s policy towards the Church can best be summarised as control, weaken best be summarised as control, weaken and replace. Read p.308-9 and find and replace. Read p.308-9 and find evidence of these stages. Record your evidence of these stages. Record your findings in a table similar to the one below.findings in a table similar to the one below.
StageStage EvidenceEvidence
ControlControl
WeakenWeaken
ReplaceReplace
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% children went to Ch schools in 1933, 5% by 1937)by 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 task
Read 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?”