The rule of the Nazis would not have been possible without the consent of its citizens

Using both anecdotal testimonies as well as archival evidence, historians like Robert Gellately— a leading academic regarding the history of modern Europe— demonstrated that Nazi society was largely built on the consent of its citizens. In focusing on a particular example, the much-feared and allegedly omnipresent Gestapo were not alone in the havoc they wreaked. Instead, according to the evidence presented by these scholars, the Gestapo fully relied on widespread public support to function effectively. More specifically, denunciations of fellow citizens and relatives by members of the public initiated almost all Gestapo investigations. Those whistleblowers had a clear understanding that those they denounced could suffer torture, be consigned to a concentration camp, or be executed without due legal process: the events of the Holocaust were widely understood as they occurred. Yet, they pressed on.^[1] In this way, the public succeeded remarkably in helping shape the ideal National Socialist state. These citizens policied even the most intimate aspects of personal behavior through Gestapo denunciations. It stifled social or sexual relations between Jews and Christians or Germans and foreign forced laborers, rooted out male homosexuality, and punished unguarded criticism of the regime, even when uttered in the apparent privacy of the home. The motives behind these public denunciations varied widely, sometimes reflecting positive support for Nazism, but more frequently revealing an apolitical sense of public duty or a range of more personal motives such as material gain, sexual jealousy, or revenge. Regardless of their motives, their participatory consent remains the common factor.^[2] The Nazi regime sought to build a social consensus around itself— and it succeeded in its aim. Yet, this would not have been possible without the active consent of citizens. Moreover, claiming that Nazi Germany only came to fruition due to the coercion and brainwashing of its citizens is blatantly false and does not address accountability. German citizens knew about the inhumane treatment of Jews, Romani, homosexuals, and other marginalized groups and chose— of their own volition— to ignore it. Furthermore, they actively participated in it. Whether that be in prominent forms of discrimination or denunciations, little difference is visible.^[3]

[P1] Historians actively support the idea that citizens actively exercised participatory consent. [P2] Gestapo denunciations are a clear example of the way in which consent was utilized in Nazi Germany. [P3] German citizens knew about the atrocities that were occurring, yet consented to immobility— even actively participating.