Study this source. Source D 'The Nazi regime maintained its grip on power through fear and violence, not through genuine popular support. The concentration ...

Understanding the question type: This is a 12-mark judgement question. You must evaluate the statement from both sides using the sources provided and your own knowledge, then reach a supported conclusion. The highest marks require sustained analysis, not just a list of points for and against.

The statement to evaluate: 'The Nazi regime maintained its grip on power through fear and violence, not through genuine popular support. The concentration camps, the Gestapo, the SS, and the brutal suppression of all political opposition were the foundations of Hitler's state. Without these instruments of terror, the regime would have collapsed.'

Arguments supporting the statement (terror was the foundation of control):

• The terror apparatus was established immediately. Dachau concentration camp opened in March 1933, just weeks after Hitler became Chancellor, and was used to detain political opponents, trade union leaders, and anyone deemed a threat.
• The Enabling Act (March 1933) gave Hitler the legal power to bypass the Reichstag and rule by decree, removing the constitutional checks on his authority.
• Political opposition was systematically destroyed. Trade unions were banned in May 1933 and replaced by the German Labour Front. All political parties except the NSDAP were banned by July 1933.
• The Gestapo could arrest and detain anyone without trial under 'protective custody.' The Night of the Long Knives (June 1934) demonstrated that even Nazi insiders were not safe from violence if they threatened Hitler's position.
• The SS grew from approximately 52,000 members in 1933 to 240,000 by 1939, becoming a state within a state that controlled the concentration camp system, the police, and eventually the Waffen-SS military units.
• After Kristallnacht (November 1938), approximately 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps, demonstrating the regime's willingness to use mass violence against targeted groups.

Arguments challenging the statement (the regime also enjoyed genuine support):

• Economic recovery: Unemployment fell from 6 million in 1933 to near zero by 1939. For millions of ordinary Germans who had suffered through the Great Depression, the Nazis delivered tangible improvements in living standards. Public works (the Autobahn), the Volkswagen project, and the 'Strength Through Joy' programme (which offered subsidised holidays, theatre tickets, and cruises) created a sense that life was improving.
• Foreign policy successes: Hitler's achievements in foreign policy generated genuine enthusiasm. The remilitarisation of the Rhineland (1936), the Anschluss with Austria (March 1938), and the acquisition of the Sudetenland (September 1938) were widely popular because they appeared to reverse the humiliations of Versailles without war.
• Propaganda and the 'Hitler myth': Goebbels' Ministry of Propaganda cultivated the image of Hitler as a strong, decisive leader restoring German greatness. Many Germans distinguished between Hitler personally (whom they admired) and the party (which they sometimes resented). This 'Hitler myth,' studied by historian Ian Kershaw, generated real loyalty.
• Volksgemeinschaft: The concept of the 'people's community' gave many ethnic Germans a sense of belonging, national purpose, and social solidarity. For those who were included (non-Jewish, non-Roma, politically compliant Germans), the regime offered community, identity, and pride.
• Youth indoctrination: The Hitler Youth (membership became compulsory in 1936, reaching 8.7 million members by 1939) shaped a generation that grew up knowing nothing but the Nazi system. Many young Germans were genuinely enthusiastic supporters.
• The Concordat with the Catholic Church (July 1933): By reaching an agreement with the Vatican, the regime neutralised a potential source of institutional opposition, gaining legitimacy in the eyes of Germany's Catholic population.

Reaching a conclusion: The statement oversimplifies Nazi control by presenting it as purely terror-based. In reality, the regime used a combination of methods. Terror targeted opponents and minorities (Jews, Communists, Social Democrats, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals), while propaganda, economic benefits, and nationalist pride secured the acquiescence or active support of the majority of ethnic Germans. The most accurate assessment is that both elements were essential and mutually reinforcing: terror eliminated opposition and created a climate of fear, while positive incentives (jobs, national pride, social belonging) gave most Germans reasons not to resist. A regime that relied solely on terror for twelve years across a population of 70 million would have required a far larger repressive apparatus than the Nazis actually maintained. The relatively small size of the Gestapo (discussed in Source B, which noted only 28 officers for 500,000 people in Dusseldorf) suggests that the system could not have functioned without a significant degree of public compliance and cooperation.

Mark scheme breakdown:

• Level 1 [1-3 marks]: Simple agreement or disagreement with minimal support.
• Level 2 [4-6 marks]: Supports one side with evidence. For example, lists terror methods (Dachau, Gestapo, Night of the Long Knives) or popular support factors (economic recovery, foreign policy), but does not balance the argument.
• Level 3 [7-9 marks]: Evaluates both sides using sources and own knowledge. Explains the role of terror (concentration camps, SS, political suppression) alongside genuine support (economic recovery, foreign policy, propaganda). May begin to analyse how the two worked together.
• Level 4 [10-12 marks]: Sustained evaluation reaching a supported conclusion. Goes beyond listing to analyse the relationship between terror and consent. Argues that the regime needed both, explains why terror alone was insufficient (the Gestapo was too small), and recognises that different groups experienced the regime differently (supporters vs. targeted minorities). Uses specific knowledge to support a nuanced judgement.

Exam tip: For questions about Nazi control, avoid presenting a one-dimensional answer. The examiners want to see that you understand the regime used multiple, reinforcing methods. The best answers show how terror and popular support worked together: terror removed opposition, while propaganda and economic benefits ensured most people did not want to oppose the regime in the first place.