The Nazis used the following methods to control Germany in the 1930s:

Economic control
Use of propaganda
Use of violence

Which was most effective? Explain your answer. [13]

Introduction:
The Nazis' control of Germany in the 1930s had been very effective. This was largely due to their pervasive control over all aspects of German society.

Main Body:
The use of economic control was useful in helping the Nazis retain the support of the Germans. Bearing in mind that the Nazis were voted into power because many had believed in their ability in restoring the economy, it was critical for the Nazis to fulfill their promises in resolving the problems of unemployment and poor businesses. These were achieved when the Nazi government began a programme of rearmament and public projects. These provided jobs for the people as well as business contracts for companies. To the people, these were important to them, after years of poverty during the Great Depression. In addition, all workers were influenced by the Nazi-controlled German Labour Front, since all trade unions were banned. This further ensured that workers would be brainwashed with pro-Nazi ideas.

The second method was the use of propaganda. In schools, children were brainwashed with Nazi ideas at a very young age. Subjects were adjusted to support Nazi ideas regarding history, geography and biology. Students were expected to join youth organisations set up by the Nazis, who would instill Nazi values in them. All these resulted in future generations of Germans who would remain loyal to the Nazis. For the general public, Nazi messages were constantly sent to the people through posters and radios. Censorship was very thorough in order to ensure the people would only be influenced by pro-Nazi messages.

Violence was also used as a method of control, especially in dealing with any opposition. The secret police, known as Gestapo, was created to arrest people who were expressing any sort of dissent. Informers were planted in all aspects of society to monitor the people's loyalty. These created an environment where nobody would dare to express dissent openly. Even dissent within the Nazi Party was forbidden, as the Night of the Long Knives had proven, as the more independent-minded SA was destroyed by the SS. For those Germans who were arrested, they would be sent to concentrated camps, where living conditions were purposely kept poor so that nobody was likely to survive. All these made Germans fearful of going against the Nazis in any way.