This paper examines the Nazi policy of Gleichschaltung — the forced coordination of German society between 1933 and 1939 — and the mechanisms by which it was enforced through the Gestapo and the SS. The paper explores why ordinary Germans willingly embraced the Nazi regime, tracing the role of patriotism, free will, and economic desperation in enabling mass compliance. It then analyzes how the Gestapo and SS translated Gleichschaltung philosophy into practice, differentiating treatment by nationality, age, and ideological conformity, and ultimately suppressing all individual identity in service of the Nazi state.
More than 60 years after the fall of the Third Reich, the world is still horrified by the atrocities that occurred in Hitler's Germany. The entire globe has condemned the Nazi regime and its actions. Today, even the most forceful advocates of German social-nationalism are appalled when recollecting that dark period in the country's history. However, at the time, most Germans praised the new regime and were proud to be part of it. "In March and April (1933), there were long queues outside Nazi party offices of people applying for membership. By May, a temporary block had to be put on the acceptance of further applications."[1]
What raises curiosity is that the same people who were standing in line to become official Nazis are today among the most ardent disclaimers of the regime. But what generated this paradox? How could people have willingly taken part in the atrocities of Hitler's regime — and, even more remarkably, how could they have been proud of it? The answer lies in a single word: the Gleichschaltung.
Gleichschaltung is a term used to describe the enforcement of political and military forces synchronized toward the integration of German society, attempted by Hitler's Nazis between 1933 and 1939.[2] This integration was designed to eliminate all unique features of individuals and transform them into mere instruments serving the goals of the ruling powers. The population was subjected to strict military control affecting every aspect of their lives: they were robbed of their identity and uniqueness, and all were directed toward the same ends.
Because of its impressive power over the German people, the Gleichschaltung is contemporarily referred to as a "coordination effort" or "forcible coordination."[3] Under this policy, the Gleichschaltung coordinated all Germans to adhere to the Reich's ideology and, with the aid of the state police, controlled every single aspect of their lives.
A small number of individuals disagreed with the new totalitarian policies, but their reactions, ideas, families, and even their own persons were soon crushed by the Nazis. Why didn't others react? Why didn't the German population put a stop to these drastic measures? And why were there so few who recognized what the Gleichschaltung really meant? The answer lies in the diabolically ingenious philosophy that was implemented.
The Nazi leadership brilliantly managed to brainwash the German population to the point where they controlled people's minds and hearts. The melding was so complete that individuals could no longer distinguish right from wrong. The German people had reached a critical state — so confused and so powerless that the rulers could manipulate them as they pleased.[4] The success of the Gleichschaltung was built on people's patriotism, free will, and their search for a better life than the one they had experienced under Hitler's predecessors.
The Germans were an extremely patriotic population, and the Nazis exploited this dedication to their country. They convinced people that the Gleichschaltung was, in fact, synonymous with patriotism and nationalism.
Depressed by the stains left upon Germany by its defeat in the First World War and by the Treaty of Versailles, the population was receptive to Nazi promises of economic recovery. Wanting to believe that the Nazis would restore Germany's international pride and standing, the population found it difficult to distinguish true nationalism from the "radical and revolutionary implications of the Nazi racialist ideology."[5]
"Hitler's democratic mandate used to legitimize control"
"Terror apparatus enforcing Gleichschaltung by target group"
The Gleichschaltung was the Nazis' movement of coordinating the entire population toward the direction desired by Hitler, implemented with the aid of the Gestapo and the SS. People lost any sense of individuality and were entirely controlled by the rulers. The success of this movement was still evident decades after the regime had been defeated. "When success turned to catastrophe after 1941, many took a long time to say 'good-bye to the Führer.' Gleichschaltung had been all too effective."[11]
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