Opposition and Resistance in Nazi Germany

This section explores opposition and resistance to Nazi Germany. Historians often differentiate between opposition, acts that openly defied the Nazi regime—and resistance, which involved active attempts to overthrow Hitler and the Nazis. While acts of outright resistance were rare due to the brutal police state, there were numerous instances of opposition from different groups in German society.

However, it is important to recognise that many Germans actively supported the regime. Hitler’s government provided economic recovery, restored Germany’s international standing, and used extensive propaganda to maintain loyalty.

The Extent of Support for the Nazi Regime

It is difficult to gauge the true level of popular support for Hitler because:

• The Nazi police state made it dangerous to express opposition, as individuals faced arrest, imprisonment, or execution.
• Propaganda glorified Hitler as Germany’s saviour, discouraging dissent.

Why Did Many Germans Support Hitler?

1. Economic Recovery – The Nazis reduced unemployment through public works schemes, rearmament, and military expansion, making Hitler appear successful.
2. Stability and Order – After the chaos of the Weimar Republic, many welcomed authoritarian rule as it seemed to provide security.
3. National Pride – The Nazis defied the Treaty of Versailles, rearmed Germany, and pursued aggressive foreign policy, which many Germans supported.
4. Propaganda and Indoctrination – The constant brainwashing of German children through the Hitler Youth and Nazi education meant that many young people genuinely believed in Nazi ideology.
5. Fear and Terror – People were afraid to express opposition due to the Gestapo, SS, and concentration camps.

Despite this, opposition did exist, often at great personal risk.

Opposition from the Churches

Although the Christian Church was initially seen as a potential ally of the Nazis, many clergy members and religious leaders opposed aspects of Hitler’s rule.

Protestant Opposition

• The Confessional Church – Founded in 1934 by Pastor Martin Niemöller to oppose the Nazi-controlled Reich Church.
• Niemöller was arrested in 1937 and sent to Dachau concentration camp, where he remained until 1945.
• 800 Protestant pastors were also imprisoned for speaking out against the Nazi regime.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Protestant pastor, was involved in the 1944 bomb plot against Hitler and was executed in 1945.

Catholic Opposition

• In 1937, Pope Pius XI issued an encyclical entitled Mit brennender Sorge (With Burning Concern), condemning Nazi oppression of the Church. This was smuggled into Germany and read aloud in every Catholic church, angering the Nazis.
• Cardinal von Galen, the Archbishop of Münster, led a public campaign against Nazi euthanasia policies, which resulted in the programme being temporarily halted.
• Despite the 1933 Concordat, which guaranteed the Catholic Church’s independence in exchange for staying out of politics, 400 Catholic priests were imprisoned in Dachau.

Opposition from the Young

Young people were one of the few groups brave enough to actively oppose Nazi rule, though opposition was dangerous and often fatal.

The Edelweiss Pirates

• A loose group of working-class teenagers, mainly in the Rhineland, who rejected Nazi authority.
• They graffitied anti-Nazi slogans, sabotaged railway lines, and attacked Hitler Youth patrols.
• In 1942, over 700 were arrested, and in 1944, 12 were publicly hanged in Cologne after assassinating a Gestapo chief.

The White Rose Group

• Founded in 1943 by Hans and Sophie Scholl, along with other Munich University students.
• They distributed anti-Nazi leaflets and organised peaceful protests against Nazi war crimes.
• They were caught by the Gestapo, put on trial, and executed by guillotine.

Swing Youth and Jazz Youth

• These groups rejected Nazi culture by listening to American jazz and swing music, which the Nazis condemned as ‘degenerate’ due to its links to African-American culture.
• They also wore English-style clothing, drank alcohol, and danced in underground clubs.
• The Gestapo closely monitored them, often raiding illegal jazz clubs and arresting members.

Opposition from Workers

One of the most widespread and consistent forms of opposition came from industrial workers, who often had socialist or communist sympathies.

Forms of Worker Opposition

• Anti-Nazi posters and graffiti – Secret communist groups distributed leaflets attacking Hitler’s policies.
• Strikes and sabotage –
  • In 1935, workers protested against rising food prices.
  • During the Berlin Olympics (1936), workers organised go-slows to disrupt production.
• In Dortmund, many industrial workers were imprisoned for their involvement in anti-Nazi activities.

Despite Nazi attempts to control the workforce through organisations like the German Labour Front (DAF), many workers found small ways to resist.

Opposition from the Military and the 1944 Bomb Plot

Although most of the German military supported Hitler, some high-ranking officers began to question his leadership as Germany suffered defeats in World War II.

The July 1944 Bomb Plot

• Led by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a group of army officers plotted to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the Nazi government.
• On 20 July 1944, Stauffenberg placed a briefcase bomb under a table in Hitler’s meeting room at the Wolf’s Lair.
• However, Hitler survived because the bomb was moved slightly, reducing its impact.
• In response, over 5,000 people were executed, including Stauffenberg and other conspirators.

This was the most serious attempt to remove Hitler, but it ultimately failed.

Although the Nazis maintained control through terror, propaganda, and indoctrination, opposition never completely disappeared.

• The military, workers, religious leaders, and young people all found ways to resist Nazi rule, sometimes at the cost of their lives.
• While opposition movements failed to overthrow Hitler, they demonstrated that not all Germans supported the Nazis.