text: No. Prior to the 1933 Nazi takeover, German Catholic leaders were outspoken critics of Nazism. Following the rise of the Nazis, the episcopate had various disagreements with the government. All the German churches "engaged in a bitter war of attrition with the regime, receiving the demonstrative backing of millions of churchgoers. Applause for Church leaders whenever they appeared in public, swollen attendances at events such as Corpus Christi Day processions, and packed church services were outward signs of the struggle of ... especially of the Catholic Church - against Nazi oppression" - Sir Ian Kershaw, “The Nazi Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation”. The Church had some success in mobilizing public opinion to alter government policies.