This page considers how Hitler's government attempted to control and use religion to ensure Nazi success in Germany.

1. Policies on religion
and the Churches

2. The main churches posed a
problem for the Nazis. On the
one hand the Nazis did not
want to allow large
organisations with ideals
opposed to Nazism to operate
in Germany.
However churches played a key
role in many Germans’ lives so
were not easily undermined.

3. The Nazis’ 1920 25-Point Plan
had demanded Freedom of
Religion in Germany (for
Christian churches), as long as
they did not endanger or
challenge the state.
The Nazis advocated ‘Positive
Christianity’ which mixed
some Christian ideas with the
goals of the Nazis.

4. Church membership was a major
part of German life before the
rise of the Nazis.
Around 40 million Germans
(58% of the population)
identified as Protestant, and 22
million (32%) were Catholic.
Each church had their own social
groups, and the Catholic Centre
Party were also prominent.

5. Hitler was raised as a Catholic
although, once an adult, had
little need for religion.
However he recognised the role
in played in German society.
Hitler planned to replace
Christianity with a Nazi faith,
which would further help his
goal of Volksgemeinschaft. To
do this he would take control of
the main churches.

6. In July 1933 the Nazis set up
the Reich Church to coordinate
all Protestant Churches. The
Confessional Church broke
away in protest.
In November 1933 the Nazis
supported the Deutsche
Christen (German Christians)
movement, which aimed to
remove all un-German
references from the Bible.

7. The Nazis found it harder to
control the Catholic Church
because it was a global church.
Instead they reached a
Concordat with the Vatican in
July 1933. This meant that the
Catholic Church agreed to stay
out of politics, in exchange for
keeping control of their
organisations, such as schools.

8. In spite of the Nazis’ apparent
intent to leave churches alone,
this did not last.
Gradually the Catholic
Concordat was broken as the
Nazis disbanded church
groups, and pressurised
parents to abandon faith
schools. Many priests were put
on show trials too.

9. Protestant churches were
targeted by a Church
Secession Campaign in the
mid-1930s. This aimed to
persuade Germans to abandon
their churches and saw
100,000 government
employees do so.
After World War Two the Nazis
planned to introduce a new
German Faith Movement.

10. German attitudes towards the
Nazis and churches were mixed.
Some religious people felt that
their Church did not do enough
to stop Nazism, or defend its
own faith.
Others though continued to
practice their faith, even in spite
of Nazi attempts to end the
influence of churches.

11. Historians are divided on the role
of Churches in Nazi Germany.
Some argue that the main
Churches were weak and
interested only in protecting
their own positions.
Others claim that the Churches
did undermine Nazism in
different ways, and stop
Volksgemeinschaft.

12. Historians’ views
• Jeremy Noakes: The churches were allowed to keep their own
ideologies and so were an obstacle to Nazi control in Germany.
• Alan Wilt: The churches’ response to Nazism was weak and
thus reduced their general influence on German life.
• J.R.C. Wright: The churches did oppose Nazi aggression but
this was about protecting their own position rather opposing
the Nazis’ wider action.