Aims and results of policies

What were the primary aims of Hitler’s economic policies after 1933?

To reduce unemployment, achieve autarky, finance rearmament, and restore national pride after the Depression through public works and military spending.

How did the Reich Labour Service (RAD) contribute to Nazi economic goals?

The RAD provided cheap labor for public works (e.g., Autobahnen), reducing unemployment figures and militarizing the workforce in preparation for war.

What impact did the Four Year Plan (1936) have on the German economy?

It prioritized military production and synthetic substitutes for imports (e.g., rubber, oil), boosting rearmament but causing consumer shortages and inflationary pressure.

What was the aim of Nazi agrarian policy under Reich Food Estate?

To stabilize farm incomes, increase food production, and tie farmers to the regime via price controls and compulsory marketing.

How did Nazi economic policies affect ordinary Germans’ living standards?

Unemployment fell dramatically, wages rose modestly, and consumer goods remained scarce as resources were diverted to rearmament.

What political objectives underpinned Hitler’s domestic policy?

To eliminate all political opposition, centralize power in the Führer, and align all institutions with Nazi ideology (Gleichschaltung).

How did the Enabling Act (1933) achieve Nazi political aims?

It allowed Hitler’s cabinet to enact laws without Reichstag approval, dismantling democracy and legalizing one‐party rule.

What was the impact of Gleichschaltung on German federal states?

State parliaments were dissolved or merged under Reich governors, erasing federal autonomy and consolidating all power in Berlin.

What cultural policy did the Nazis pursue to shape German society?

They promoted “Aryan” art and literature, banned “degenerate” works, and used state‐sponsored festivals and rallies to inculcate Nazi values.

How did the Hitler Youth organization serve Nazi social aims?

It indoctrinated boys and girls in Nazi ideology from a young age, training future soldiers and homemakers loyal to the regime.

What was the impact of Nazi policies on women’s roles?

Women were encouraged to leave the workforce, focus on Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church), and rewarded with marriage loans and motherhood medals.

How did the Nuremberg Laws (1935) affect minority rights in Germany?

They stripped Jews of citizenship, banned intermarriage, and laid the legal foundation for discrimination and eventual genocide.

What methods did Hitler use to achieve total authoritarian control?

He employed the SS and Gestapo for surveillance and terror, placed propaganda under Goebbels, and purged rivals in events like the Night of the Long Knives.

How extensive was Nazi repression by 1939?

By war’s outbreak, all parties and trade unions were banned, dissenters sent to camps, and a pervasive surveillance state had crushed organized opposition.

What were Mao’s economic aims during the Land Reform (1950–53)?

To eliminate landlordism, redistribute land to peasants, and secure rural support for the Communist regime.

How did Mao’s land reforms impact rural Chinese society?

Landlords were persecuted; peasants received plots, boosting peasant loyalty but also causing violence and social disruption.

What objectives guided the First Five-Year Plan (1953–57) in China?

To rapidly industrialize heavy industry, collectivize agriculture, and reduce reliance on foreign imports under Soviet advice.

What were the results of Mao’s First Five-Year Plan?

Industrial output rose substantially, infrastructure expanded, but agriculture lagged, causing periodic food shortages.

What was the aim of the Great Leap Forward (1958–62)?

To accelerate industrialization and collectivization through people’s communes and backyard steel production, outpacing Western economies.

What were the consequences of the Great Leap Forward?

Widespread famine (estimated 15–45 million deaths), economic dislocation, and weakened Mao’s legitimacy temporarily.

How did Mao use political campaigns to maintain power?

Through mass movements like the Anti‐Rightist Campaign and Cultural Revolution, he purged critics, mobilized youth, and reinforced ideological conformity.

What impact did the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) have on Chinese culture?

It attacked “Four Olds” (ideas, culture, customs, habits), closed schools, persecuted intellectuals, and created widespread social chaos.

How were women’s roles affected by Maoist policies?

The 1950 Marriage Law promoted gender equality, outlawed arranged marriage and concubinage, and encouraged women’s participation in work and politics.

What was the extent of opposition under Mao’s rule?

Open opposition was crushed by PLA-led campaigns; millions were sent to labor camps or killed, creating a climate of fear that stifled dissent.

How did China’s foreign policy success in the Korean War bolster Mao’s domestic standing?

Military intervention against UN forces portrayed China as a rising power, enhancing Mao’s prestige and unity at home.

What were Mussolini’s economic aims in the Battle for Grain (1925)?

To achieve self‐sufficiency in wheat production, reduce grain imports, and foster national pride through agricultural modernization.

How did the Battle for Grain affect Italy’s economy?

Wheat yields rose, but soil exhaustion and neglect of other crops led to malnutrition and failure to reduce overall import dependency.

What political methods did Mussolini use to legalize Fascist rule?

He passed the Acerbo Law (1923) for parliamentary dominance, manipulated elections, and enacted laws banning opposition parties by 1926.

What was the impact of the Lateran Treaties (1929) on Mussolini’s authority?

By reconciling with the Vatican, Mussolini gained Church support and popular legitimacy, strengthening his hold on the Italian populace.

What cultural policies did Mussolini implement to shape Italian identity?

He promoted Roman symbolism, controlled cinema and education, and organized mass ceremonies to instill Fascist ideals.

How did Fascist policies affect women’s status in Italy?

Women were encouraged to be mothers and homemakers, with incentives for large families, while professional opportunities were limited.

What measures did Mussolini take against Italian minorities?

After 1938, Mussolini enacted racial laws copying Nuremberg Laws, discriminating against Jews and restricting their rights and livelihoods.

What methods ensured Mussolini’s authoritarian control?

OVRA secret police monitored citizens, censorship suppressed dissent, and the militia intimidated opposition groups.

How complete was Mussolini’s control by 1940?

While political dissent was minimal due to repression, economic inefficiencies and reliance on Nazi Germany showed limits to his power.