Figure 1.--Hitler believed in establishing conflicting resonsibilities among his senior officials, creating disputes which had the impact of sewing discensions and complicating any possible organized opposition. The officials had to come to him to resolve disputes. These included both small and minor disputes. One minor example were special Party schools to train the future Reich leaders. The first schools were the NAPOLA schools. They were organized by the Labor Leader Dr Rober and funded by the Ministry of Education. Himmler's SS eventually seized control. Hitler Youth Leader Bauder von Schirach resented losing control of HJ members. He and Ley organized the Adolf Hitler Schools. The name made them difficult for Himmler to criticize them. Here we see a scene at one of the schools. The children are visitors.

The major formal organizational change in Government withe NAZI seizure of power was that after the death of President Hidenberg, the office of president and chancellor were combined in the person of Hitler who became known as Führer (1934). The Government was an archtype dictatorship based on the Führerprinzip (leader principle). This became the fundamental basis of political authority in the Third Reich. This principle basically eas an abrogation of the rule of law and meant that the Führer's orders are above all established law. Governmental policies, decisions, and offices were to executle and further this end. They were expected to 'work towards the Führer'. They were to execute his orders, but in fact had considerable power. There were no limits on the Führer's authority. This was a openly declared aspect of Fascist rule. The same operated in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries after the War, but with the Comminist their was a gloss of powerless democratic instititions that desguised the dictatorial nature of the regime. The NAZI Government as successor to the Weimar Republic, inherited the government structure and institutions. There were no actual restraints on the exercise of state power. NAZI Party officials were appointed to lead the various ministries. In addition to the already extant Weimar Government. One of the major changes in the goverment structure as the creation of a new Ministry of Propaganda. Hitler months before seizing power informed Joseph Goebbels that he had decided to make Goebbels director of a new propaganda ministry when the NAZIs seized power. Goebbels at the time was disappointed, hoping for a more powerul position. Soon he began planning an empire that would control schools, universities, film, radio, and propaganda. “The national education of the German people,” he wrote, “will be placed in my hands.” The NAZIs created a large number of different organizations for the purpose of helping them govern and remain in power. One of the most imprtant was Goebbel's Four Year Plan. They rearmed and strengthened the military, set up an extensive state security apparatus and created their own personal party army, which in 1940 became known as the Waffen-SS.

Führerprinzip

The major formal organizational change in Government withe NAZI seizure of power was that after the death of President Hidenberg, the office of president and chancellor were combined in the person of Hitler who became known as Führer (1934). The Government was an archtype dictatorship based on the Führerprinzip (leader principle). This became the fundamental basis of political authority in the Third Reich. This principle basically eas an abrogation of the rule of law and meant that the Führer's orders are above all established law. Governmental policies, decisions, and offices were to executle and further this end. They were expected to 'work towards the Führer'. They were to execute his orders, but in fact had considerable power. There were no limits on the Führer's authority. This was a openly declared aspect of Fascist rule. The same operated in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries after yhe War, but with the Comminist their was a gloss of powerless democratic instititions that desguised the dictatorial nature of the regime. The NAZI Government as successor to the Weimar Republic, inherited the government structure and institutions, but under the NAZIs there were no actual restraints on the exercise of state power.

Chancellry

The Office of Reich Chancellery was the most important government office of Imperail germany and the Weimar Republic. It was essentially the personal staff of the German chancellor (prime minister). It served to support the chancellor in his public functions and interactions with various ministries. The Office of the Party Chancellery was a NAZI creation. Initially it was the Office of the Vice Führer (Ruldolf Hess), when Hess flew to Scotland (1941) it was renamed Party Chancellery. Martin Bormann expanded its imprtance, making himself indespensable to Hitler and gradually becme more important than the Reich Chancellery. The Chancellery of the Führer was at first a minor office involved with ahit;er's private correspomdence ansedrin letters from the public and disputes between NAZI officials. Huler used it to launch the T-4 Euthenasia Program. When word leaked out, Hitler never trused the Office agaon for an important assignment, turning to Himmler's SS for the major killing programs. The Office of the Presidential Chancellery was a Wimar carry over. It helped bridge the gap between Hindenverg and Hitler (1933), but after President Hindenberg died it became a non entity 91934). (Otto Meissner). The Office of the Privy Cabinet Council was created as a supercabinet, but never actually met or had influence. Hitler had not interest in obtaiong adb\vise, but was primarily inteested in giving orders.

Reich Offices

Reich Minstries

NAZI Party officials were appointed to lead the various ministries. The firmal ministerail structure was similar to that of the Weimar Republic, but there were some changes with several new ministries created. The Reich Foreign Ministry under the NAZIs declined in importance because Hitler conducted foreign policy without meaningful contribution from the Foreign Minitry. The Reich Interior Ministry, meaning the police. This was not a new ministry, but the poice under the NAZIs were freed of all legal constraints except to follow the dictates of the Führer and to use what ever force needed. As a result, the Ministry was greatly expanded in importance and size. This is the case wih all totalitarian states as the population needed to besurveiled and directed and a large concentration camp system needs to be created. Eventually the Ministry was basically taken over by the Himmler's Schutzstaffel--organizationally a Party unit. A major ininiative launched fom the very beginning was the Machtergreifung -- masive rearmament. This was in complete violation of the Versailles Treaty ending World War I. The Reichswehr was restyled as the Wehrmacht (1935). The ministry was renamed Reichskriegsministerium (Reich Ministry of War). Hitler's higest pripority from the very beginning was the Aufrüstung (Rearmament). This included building an airforce--the Luftwaffe. Göring only made this public (1935). Organizationally it was not part of the Reichskriegsministerium. Göring wanted to control it and it became the Reich Ministry of Aviation. Hitler impressed with his own brilliance and tiring of criticism from his generals, eventually after the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair, made himsel Reich War Minister (1938). The Reich Ministry of Justice was reduced to impotence as the police were not requird to act within any legal constraints. The Ministry principal function was to draw up a new legal code to mmake the oppresion of Jews and other groups leagla and to authorize the police to act ouside the law. The Reich Ministry of Finance and the Reich Economics Ministry and one primary function, to geneate the financing needed for the Aufrüstung (Rearmament Program) and to expand German industry to increase Germany's war making potential. The Reichbank wa a private babk that vecame Germany's central bank. It was from the beginning strongly inflwived by the Government, but during the NAZI era became completely controlled by the NAZIs. In coopeartion with the with the Finance Ministry, the two agencies hid the vast amounts the Government was borrowing to finance the Aufrüstung. The was a new creation. One of the major changes in the goverment structure was the creation of a new Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Hitler months before seizing power informed Joseph Goebbels that he had decided to make Goebbels director of a new propaganda ministry when the NAZIs seized power. Goebbels at the time was disappointed, hoping for a more powerul position. Soon he began planning an empire that would control schools, universities, film, radio, and propaganda. “The national education of the German people,” he wrote, “will be placed in my hands.” The Reich Ministry for Nutrition and Agriculture was unable to fufill the promoes the NAZIs made to farmers. This was because Hitler had on mission in mind for the Ministry--prepare Germany for war by adopting policies to prevent the food shortages that undercut German morale in World War I. The result was the Hunger or Backe Plan. The Reich Labor Ministry's job was to moblize German workers for war. This had to be done without higher wages because the massive spending for the Aufrüstung threaten to destabilize the economy. The Reich Ministry of Science, Education and Culture oversaw one of the finest if not the finest public education systems in the world. NAZI policies, however, weakened the system, lowerin economic standards, making demands on school children reducing study time [Rommel, p. 371], and limiting girl's access to educatiin beyond the primary level. The Reich Ministry for Ecclesiastical Affairs played a role in attacks on German churches, especially the Catholic Church. Hitler planned on creating a new secular national chrch after the War. The Reich Ministry of Transport was in charge of the German National Railway (Deutsche Reichsbahn) which as the principal taransportion system played a vital role in World War II. The Reich Commission for Ocean Navigation was of minor importance as the allies instituted a bloclade at the onset of the War. The Reich Postal Ministry controlled communications. The Reich Ministry for Weapons, Munitions, and Armament was another new ministry to deal with supply problems asociated ith the War (1940). Itb was taylor made for close Hitler asociate Fritz Todt who an aiplane ash was replaced by Albert Speer. There were also Reich Ministers without Portfolio,

Legislature

There were two legislative bodies in Imperial Germany the Bundesrat and the Reichstag, basically astructire like the House of Lords and Houe of Commons in Britain. The Bundesrat became the Reichsrat as a result of constitutional changes with the creation of the Weimar Reoublic (1919). Hitler disbanded it (February 14, 1934). The Reichstag burned down as a result of a fire a month after Hiler was appointed chancellor (February 27, 1933). It was never restored. Hitler used the occassion to declare emergency powers -- Ermächtigungsgesetz> This was the Enabling Act, officially Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich or theLaw to Remedy the Distress of the People and the State. It gave Hitler the ability to arrest Communists and other opponents and institute a dictatorship. Hermann Göring became President of the Reichstag. The Reichstag continued to exist, but rarely met. A few meetings were held in the Sportsplast. It had no long had any real authority. Law in the Third reich was simly executive edicts issued by Hitler or his ministers. And Hitler authorized the Reichsregierung (Reich cabinet) to enact Reichsgesetze (statute law) without any consideration of the 1919 constitution. This left the Reichstag withour any power. But it was retained to provide a prop giving the appearance of constituional legitmacy.

Judiciary

German states and the Empire when it was formed operated under a substantila legal system and the rule of law. This continued under the Weimar Republic. Most of the judicial structures and legal codes of the Weimar Republic continued during the Nazi era. But it was only the shell of the system The NAZIs led ny Göring and Himmler immediately moved to NAZIfy the judicial system. There were substanial changes both in the judicial codes and in court rulings. NAZI authorities, espcially the SS, was authorized to act outside of the legal system. But a NAZIfied judicary was soon acting outside of all legal norms. Human rights of the Weimar Constution were ended by a series of Reichsgesetze (Reich Laws). Minorities (especially Jews), opposition politicians and prisoners of war were deprived of most of their rights. Jews had their citizenship cancelled. The Volksgerichtshof (NAZI People's Court) was created (1934). This allowed people to be tried outside of the existing judicial system which in 1934 had not yet been full NAZIfied. At first these new courts only handled cases of political importance. The courts issued 5,375 death sentences (1934-September 1944). After the aborative Bomb Plot, some 2,000 people were given death sentenced (July 20, 1944 - April 1945). Roland Freisler who headed the court was notable for his firey debasement of the efendents brought before him (August 1942 to February 1945). His reign of terror ended in an American air raid. Not wanting to leave Gestap evidence behinf, he did not het the air raid shelter in time. After the war, some surviving NAZI jurists were tried, convicted, and sentenced as war criminals. The NAZIs also created a whole new type of court--Racial Hygene Courts. Military enfractions, except the Bomb Plot conspirators were adjudicated in military tribunals. Many more soldiets were shot for disertion than during World War I.

Occupation Authorities

As a result of German victories at the beginning of the war, the Germans conuered an ooccupied most Europe. Some of the occupied areas were admimistered by military authorities. The most important was the Office of the Military Governor of France. Hitler also set up civilan agencies to administer conuered countries and areas of the occupied Soviet Union. The agencies played a role in the vasr crimes, although the actual killing was done by the SS. The first was set up before the War to administer wgat was left of Czechoslovakia -- the Reich Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Next was an agency to administer the areas of Poland not annexed to the Reich -- the General Government of Poland. The largest agency was the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories. Alfred Rosenberg who directed the agency got into a turf battle with SS Chief Himmler. Within the occupied territories there was no seblance of rule of law. The Gestapo or other security services either sumarily executed or arreested targeted or suspected individuals with or without evidence .

Sources

Rommel, Erwin. Ed. B.H. Liddell-Hart. The Rommel Papers (Da Capp Press: New York, 1953), 545p. At a time after El Alamein when Rommel was not sure he would get out of Africa alive he wrote to his son Manfred telling him to focus on his studies because his education would all his son would have if he did not survive (December 11, 1942). Apparently Manfred had been telling him that mandatory Hitler Youth (HJ) activities were taking time away from his studies because his father added that he was 'not pleased' about the 'heavy demands' the HJ was placing on him and taking time away from his studies.

Created: 11:05 PM 4/1/2019
Last updated: 12:13 AM 4/3/2019