History-Key Topic 4: Life in Nazi Germany

Policies towards women?

• women role was to be mothers and wife’s (Men viewed as providers)

• Loans were given to encourage marriage- having children meant less of loan had to be repaid

• Mothers received medals + money for having children

• Policies were only partially effective (birthrate did increase and women in universities decreased)

• Propaganda persuaded women not to work - KKK promoted (kinder,Küche , Kirche)

Women’s education statistics?

• grammar schools for girls closed

• Number of women attending university was only 6000 in 1939

Policies against women statistics?

• in 1933 women were banned from certain jobs such as lawyers

• 1935 lebensborn programme- encouraged women to have children with ‘pure’ SS men

• In 1933 5 million women in work by 1939 7 million women in work

Youth groups?

• in 1934 it became compulsory for all children 10+ to be part of youth groups

• Nazis viewed children as an important group to control

• They wanted to create a new generation of nazis

Hitler youth?

• for boys

• Members had to swear an oath of allegiance to Führer

• Primarily a political group - though about nazi beliefs and ideologies

• Trained young German boys for the army and did lost of sport to keep fit

• Had to report anyone (even family and friends) if they were disloyal to nazis

• By 1939 90% of boys were part of Hitler youth

League of German Maidens?

• separate youth group for girls

• Also participate in political activities like rallies and oaths of allegiance

• Trained to do domestic duties (cook, clean,iron etc)

• Taught the importance of ‘racial hygiene’ - they should keep the race pure by only marrying aryan men

• Physical activities to keep them healthy for childbirth

Education under the Nazis?

• nazis wanted a new generation of committed Nazis

• Had control over teachers + curriculum

Nazi control of teachers?

• teachers who didn’t follow Nazi beliefs were fired

• Had to swear oath of allegiance to Hitler

• Lessons must begin + end with ‘Heil Hitler’ and salute

• Had to join Nazis teachers league - held courses on Nazi ideologies

• By 1934 over 200,000 teachers were in attendance

How did the Nazis control the curriculum?

• boys + girls had different curriculums

• New subjects like ‘race studies’ introduced- race studies taught how aryan race was superior

• Increase in PE lessons with 1/6 of lesson time being PE by 1939

• From 1935 onwards textbooks had to be approved by Nazis - e.g. new history books saying that the ToV was betrayal by communists + Jews in government

Unemployment under the Nazis?

• in 1933 6 million were unemployed but by 1939 only ½ million were unemployed

• Labour service - 422,000 members in 1935, made compulsory for all Germans for 6 months, provided payed work for unemployed

• Rearmament - 1.3 million more in the army,, one of Hitlers aims, created more jobs in factories as more weapons needed

• Autobahns - 250,000 men working in 1935, funded by Nazis, Nazis planned 7000 miles of motorway

Invisible unemployment?

• many people were ‘hidden’ from unemployment statistics

• Women + Jews not allowed to work

• Unemployed men given jobs in Labour service or public works

• People who were part time employed counted as full time

• Hundreds of thousands in prison camps or concentration camps not counted in statistics

Did the Nazis improve living standards?: the labour front (DAF)?

• Yes:

  • gave rights to workers

  • Set a minimum wage

• No:

  • pay or conditions couldn’t be negotiated

  • Maximum working hours were higher than before (1933 43 hours a week 1939 49 hours per week)

  • DAF could punish workers

Did Nazis improve living conditions? : strength through joy (KFD)

• Yes:

  • provided leisure activities (sport events, films etc)

  • Some employees even got free holidays

  • Had 35 million members by 1936

Did Nazis improve living standards?: beauty of labour (SDA)

• Yes:

  • campaign for better working conditions

  • In 1938 Nazis claimed 34,000 companies were involved

• No:

  • employees expected to improve spaces for no pay and own time

Did Nazis improve living conditions: Volkswagen scheme

• Yes:

  • 3x more Germans owned a car

  • Would pay 5 marks weekly for car

• No:

  • by 1938 all factories were preparing for war (building weapons etc) so no cars were every made

What are eugenics?

• the idea that some people are genetically ‘less’ because of hereditary traits such as ‘feeble mindedness’, epilepsy, insanity etc

• Nazis believed they could breed this disease out through ‘pure marriages’ and selective parenting

Racial hygeine?

• taught in schools

• Applying eugenics to one race (the aryan race)

• Laws passed to prevent interracial marriages

• ‘Unsuitable’ parents were sterilised

How did the Nazis promote ideas of racial hygiene?

• Eugenics was taught as a school subject and in Hitler youth and through propaganda

• Unsuitable parents sterilised

• Laws passed to prevent mixed race marriages

How did Nazis discrimination against Slavs?

• Ancient tribes of people who moved from Eastern Europe

• Nazi propaganda taught that Slavs were untermenschen (sub-human)

• Nazis said they were of different origin to the Aryan people and needed to be treated differently

• Nazis threatened to invade Eastern European countries

How did the Nazis discrimination against gypsies/Roma?

• ‘Gypsy’ is the name used by Nazis

• Typically travel from place to place

• Around 26,000 gypsies in Germany in early 1930’s

• Nazis believe they posed a threat to racial purity in Germany

• Often arrested and sent to concentration camps for social nuisances

• Banned from travelling in groups

• Rounded up and tested for racial characteristics, if they failed they lost German citizenship and social benefits

How did the Nazis discriminate against Homosexuals?

• believed they lowered moral standards and spoiled purity of German race

• Released homosexual prisoners were sent to concentration camps

How did the Nazis discriminate against disabled people?

• believed they were a burden to society and weakened racial purity

• Nazis carried out a euthanasia program called T4 between 1939 and 1941

• In 1939 the killing of children under 3 with a disability or illness with euthanasia began

What was Kristallnacht?

• 9-10 November 1938

• The night of broken glass

• Night of violence against Jews

• 100 synagogues burned down

• 300 Jewish killed

• 30,000 rounded up and taken away from their homes

• Jewish homes and businesses destroyed

Key events in persecution of Jewish people?

• 1 April 1933 official boycott of Jew push businesses and occupations + SA paint Star of David or Jude on Jewish shops

• 1933: Jews banned from government jobs and inheriting land

• 1934: some councils ban Jewish people from parks and swimming pools

• 15th September 1935 Nuremberg always passed

• 1938: Jewish people had to register possessions, carry identity cards

• November 1938 20,000 Jews rounded up and sent to concentration camps

• 1939: Jewish people evicted from homes and ready for deportations

The Nuremberg Laws?

• 15th Sept 1935

• Reich Law on citizenship: Jewish people lost citizenship, right to vote and required to wear yellow Star of David patch on clothes

• Reich law for protection of German blood and honour: forbid Jews from marrying or having sexual relationships with Germans