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| 1938 in Germany | |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938 |
| Country | Germany |
1938 in Germany 1938 saw the consolidation of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, intensification of antisemitic persecution culminating in Kristallnacht, territorial expansion via the Anschluss with Austria, and diplomatic crises foreshadowing the Second World War. Political, economic, cultural, and scientific developments reflected the interplay of SS power, Reichstag legislation, and foreign policy maneuvers involving United Kingdom, France, and Czechoslovakia. The year produced landmark events that reshaped central Europe and the fate of millions.
* Head of State and Chancellor: Adolf Hitler (Führer of Nazi Party) * President: office merged with chancellorship following the death of Paul von Hindenburg in 1934; de facto leader Adolf Hitler * Deputy: Hermann Göring (Reichsmarschall), prominent leader in Luftwaffe and economy oversight * Reichsführer-SS: Heinrich Himmler (leader of the SS and Gestapo influence) * Foreign Minister: Joachim von Ribbentrop (appointed 1938) * Military leaders: Werner von Blomberg (until April 1938), Wilhelm Keitel (OKW), Ernst Udet (Luftwaffe personality; died later), Walther von Brauchitsch (Army Command)
In 1938 the Nazi Party further centralized control through legal and extralegal measures linking the Reichstag to Gleichschaltung processes and purges affecting OKW leadership. The April 1938 Blomberg–Fritsch Affair involved Ernst Röhm's earlier purge memory and led to the dismissal of Werner von Blomberg and the recrimination of Werner von Fritsch, empowering Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring while elevating Walther von Brauchitsch. The regime enacted laws consolidating Reichskulturkammer oversight under Joseph Goebbels and institutionalized antisemitic statutes extending from the Nuremberg Laws into municipal and professional codes overseen by Interior Ministry officials.
Foreign policy in 1938 combined diplomatic pressure, propaganda, and military intimidation. The year opened with negotiations between Germany and Austria culminating in the Anschluss of March 1938, after pressure on Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg and the appointment of pro-Nazi Austrian figures such as Arthur Seyss-Inquart. The Anschluss prompted responses from United Kingdom Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Third Republic leadership, and the League of Nations, while alarming Czechoslovakia under President Edvard Beneš. Later 1938 tensions concentrated on the Sudetenland crisis involving Konrad Henlein's Sudeten German Party and diplomatic engagement at the Munich Agreement negotiations that included Benito Mussolini, leading to concessions reshaping borders ahead of the Second World War. Meanwhile Germany signed economic and military arrangements with Italy and increased cooperation with states such as Hungary and Romania.
Antisemitic policy accelerated via administrative, legal, and violent means. The November pogrom known as Kristallnacht saw organized attacks directed by Joseph Goebbels with participation by SA and SS units, destruction of synagogues, vandalism of Jewish businesses, and arrests executed by Gestapo and Kriminalpolizei. The regime levied punitive fines and asset seizures, used decrees to strip Jewish citizens of rights under the Nuremberg Laws, and coordinated expulsion through passport and emigration controls involving the Reichssicherheitshauptamt and diplomatic missions. International reactions included protests from United States, United Kingdom, and Jewish organizations such as the World Jewish Congress, but restrictive immigration policies in countries like the United States and United Kingdom limited refuge. The year also saw anti-Roma measures and repression of political dissidents including Communists and Social Democrats.
Economic policy in 1938 reflected rearmament priorities, state direction by figures such as Hjalmar Schacht (earlier) and officials aligned with Walther Funk at the Reichsbank, and initiatives to reduce unemployment through public works and military expansion. Trade arrangements with Soviet Union (earlier negotiations later), raw material acquisitions from Austria after the Anschluss, and agreements with Czechoslovakia regions affected industrial integration involving firms like IG Farben and Krupp. Social policy under Robert Ley and the National Socialist People's Welfare emphasized ideological programs, labor organization via the DAF, and suppression of independent unions. Housing, welfare, and family policy incentives targeted demographic aims championed by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and SS demographic initiatives.
Cultural life was mobilized by the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels, promoting approved art, film, and literature while banning "degenerate" works exemplified by prior exhibitions. Film studios like UFA GmbH produced propaganda and entertainment, and filmmakers such as Leni Riefenstahl remained influential. Scientific institutions including Kaiser Wilhelm Society (later Max Planck Society) and universities saw ideological pressures, expulsions of Jewish scientists such as Albert Einstein (in exile) and others migrating to institutions in United States and United Kingdom. Medical and genetic programs expanded under Nazi eugenics policies administered by bureaucrats. Sports events and physical culture were promoted in alignment with Reichssportfeld designs and the legacy of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin informed ongoing athletic propaganda.
Notable births in 1938 included German figures active in postwar politics, arts, and sciences (list omitted for brevity). Deaths included prominent personalities associated with prewar Germany and figures affected by political purges and wartime trajectories. Key contemporaneous deaths during the year affected military and political circles, and the exodus of intellectuals reshaped academic demographics.
Category:Years of the 20th century in Germany