1938 in Germany

1938 in Germany was a pivotal year of radicalization for the Nazi regime, marked by aggressive territorial expansion, intensified domestic persecution, and the consolidation of Adolf Hitler's absolute power. The year saw the Anschluss with Austria and the annexation of the Sudetenland through the Munich Agreement, significantly altering the map of Central Europe. Domestically, state-sanctioned violence against Jews culminated in the Kristallnacht pogrom, while the Nazi Party further tightened its grip on all aspects of German society.

Political developments

The political landscape was dominated by the final consolidation of power under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, following the purge of potential opposition. Key figures like Heinrich Himmler and the SS expanded their influence, while institutions such as the Wehrmacht High Command were brought under tighter Nazi control. The Blomberg–Fritsch affair in early 1938 allowed Hitler to remove the conservative leadership of the Army and assume direct command as Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht. This internal power shift was complemented by the creation of the Office of the Four Year Plan under Hermann Göring, which centralized economic authority for rearmament. The Gestapo and SD, led by Reinhard Heydrich, intensified surveillance and repression against any perceived dissent within the German Reich.

Military and foreign policy

German foreign policy achieved its most dramatic successes through intimidation and the threat of force, fundamentally destabilizing Europe. In March, German troops marched into Austria, executing the Anschluss and absorbing the country into the Greater German Reich amid widespread popular acclaim orchestrated by the Nazi Party. This was followed by the Sudeten Crisis, where Hitler demanded the cession of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia, backed by the expansionist Wehrmacht. The crisis culminated in the Munich Agreement in September, signed by Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Benito Mussolini, and Hitler, which handed the territory to Germany. Military preparations advanced rapidly, with the Luftwaffe under Göring and the Kriegsmarine under Erich Raeder receiving significant resources, while construction accelerated on the Westwall fortifications facing France.

Persecution of Jews and minorities

State persecution escalated to unprecedented levels of public violence and systematic dispossession. Following the Anschluss, Adolf Eichmann established the Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung in Vienna to accelerate the forced emigration of Austrian Jews. In Germany, the regime intensified Aryanization policies, forcibly transferring Jewish-owned businesses to Nazi Party members. The pinnacle of this year's terror was Kristallnacht (the "Night of Broken Glass") on November 9–10, a nationwide pogrom instigated by Joseph Goebbels and executed by the SA, Gestapo, and civilians, resulting in the destruction of synagogues, arrests of thousands of Jewish men, and murders. Subsequent decrees, like the "Decree on the Exclusion of Jews from German Economic Life," completed their economic elimination, while the Roma and Sinti and those deemed "hereditarily ill" faced increased incarceration in camps like Dachau concentration camp.

Economy and society

The German economy was entirely subordinated to the goals of rearmament and autarky under the Four Year Plan. Major industrial combines like Reichswerke Hermann Göring expanded control over key sectors such as iron and steel production. The German Labour Front, led by Robert Ley, controlled the workforce, suppressing independent unions and promoting programs like Kraft durch Freude. Despite full employment, consumer goods became scarce as resources were diverted to the Wehrmacht and monumental projects like the Volkswagen plant. Society was further militarized through organizations like the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls, which indoctrinated the youth, while propaganda from the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda relentlessly promoted Nazi ideology and the cult of Adolf Hitler.

Culture and media

All cultural expression was harnessed as a tool for Nazi propaganda and the glorification of the regime. The Reich Chamber of Culture enforced strict conformity, leading to the definitive exile or silencing of remaining dissident artists. The Great German Art Exhibition at the Haus der Deutschen Kunst in Munich promoted state-approved Nazi art, celebrating themes of Aryan heroism and Volkish rural life. In contrast, the regime's parallel Degenerate Art Exhibition toured to vilify modern works. Cinema produced overtly propagandistic films like Leni Riefenstahl's *Olympia*, documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics, and Veit Harlan's historical dramas. Media events, such as Hitler's triumphant entries into Vienna and the Sudetenland, were broadcast nationwide via state radio to foster nationalistic fervor.

Category:1938 in Germany Category:1930s in Germany Category:Years of the 20th century in Germany