Control and opposition

Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state, meaning the Nazis wanted to control every aspect of German life.
Adolf Hitler used propaganda extensively to maintain absolute control over the population.
The regime made use of fear and terror through organisations such as the Gestapo, SS, and SA to keep the public in check.
The Nazis suppressed any form of political of ideological dissent, causing the disappearance of opposition parties.
They achieved economic control through policies such as autarky, heavily managing the German economy to make it self-sufficient.
German youth were also targeted for control, with groups such as the Hitler Youth indoctrinating them with Nazi ideologies.
Religious institutions were oppressed, with the Churches’ role limited and efforts made to replace religious ideologies with Nazi ones.

Despite the harsh control, some opposition to the Nazi regime existed, though it was severely punished.
One form of opposition existed among the youth, such as the Swing Kids who rejected Nazi ideologies, and the White Rose Movement that actively protested against the regime.
Some opposition came from the Churches who resisted Nazi attempts to undermine their influence.
There were also cases of individual resistance such as non-compliance to Nazi orders or negative propaganda spread through word-of-mouth.
Political resistance was mostly crushed early on, but some groups like the Kreisau Circle did secretly plan for a post-Nazi Germany.
The most significant act of opposition was the attempted assassination of Hitler in the failed July Bomb Plot in 1944.
Despite these acts of opposition, most were small-scale and unable to challenge the overwhelming control of the Nazi regime.