Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state? Cambridge IGCSE History revision
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In plain words
A totalitarian state is one that tries to control everything: what you do, what you read, what your children are taught, and in the end what you think. Hitler's Germany tried. How close it came is a question on which historians still disagree.
9 things to know
- A totalitarian state is one in which the government controls every part of people's lives and allows no opposition.
- Evidence that it was: there was one party and one leader. All other parties and the trade unions were banned.
- The SS, the Gestapo and the concentration camps crushed opposition. The courts did what the Nazis wanted.
- Propaganda and censorship controlled the newspapers, radio, films and the arts. Schools and the Hitler Youth shaped the young.
- The economy was directed by the state, and workers had to belong to the Nazi labour organisation.
- Evidence that control was not total: the Churches kept their own organisations and beliefs, and on occasion forced the Nazis to back down.
- People grumbled, told jokes, listened to foreign radio and avoided Nazi events. Some young people openly rejected the Hitler Youth.
- The army and big business kept a degree of independence for several years. The government itself was often disorganised, with rival Nazi leaders competing for power.
- The regime depended on the cooperation of ordinary people. The Gestapo was small, and relied on informers.
Worked example
"Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state." How far do you agree? Plan a 10-mark answer.
- Agree: a one-party state, a secret police, camps, control of the media and education, and no legal opposition.
- Disagree: the Churches survived, private grumbling and youth rebellion continued, and the system was often chaotic and depended on public cooperation.
- Judgement: the Nazis aimed at total control, and achieved it in politics and the media. They never fully controlled what people believed or did in private.
Tips and tricks
- Begin with a definition. A question with a term such as "totalitarian" in it rewards saying what the term means before arguing about it.
- Limits on control are the harder half of the answer, and earn the higher marks. Learn three: the Churches, private non-conformity, and the disorder inside the government.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state?: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What is a totalitarian state?
One party, one leader, no opposition.
Which is evidence that Nazi Germany was totalitarian?
It was a one-party state.
Which is evidence that Nazi control had limits?
Non-conformity continued.
What did the regime rely on, besides force?
The Gestapo was too small to watch everyone.
Which conclusion is best supported by the evidence?Stretch
Public obedience was not the same as private agreement.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 16 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state?
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 · 16 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What is meant by a "totalitarian state"?[4]
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A state in which the government controls every aspect of people's lives. There is one party and one leader. No opposition is allowed. The government uses terror and propaganda to keep control, and directs education, the media and the economy.
Why can Nazi Germany be described as a totalitarian state?[6]
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Germany was a one-party state under a single leader, with all other parties and the trade unions banned. The SS and the Gestapo used terror to remove opponents, who could be sent to camps without trial. Propaganda and censorship controlled what people read, heard and saw, and the young were shaped through schools and the Hitler Youth.
Why can it be argued that Nazi control was not total?[6]
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The Churches kept their independence, and sometimes resisted successfully. Many people did not conform in private: they grumbled, told jokes and listened to foreign radio, and some young people formed their own groups. The Nazi government was itself disorganised, and relied on the cooperation of ordinary people more than on force.
Answers: Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state?
- 1. A state in which the government controls every aspect of people's lives. There is one party and one leader. No opposition is allowed. The government uses terror and propaganda to keep control, and directs education, the media and the economy.
- 2. Germany was a one-party state under a single leader, with all other parties and the trade unions banned. The SS and the Gestapo used terror to remove opponents, who could be sent to camps without trial. Propaganda and censorship controlled what people read, heard and saw, and the young were shaped through schools and the Hitler Youth.
- 3. The Churches kept their independence, and sometimes resisted successfully. Many people did not conform in private: they grumbled, told jokes and listened to foreign radio, and some young people formed their own groups. The Nazi government was itself disorganised, and relied on the cooperation of ordinary people more than on force.