The social impact

Unemployment

How was Weimars system of unemployment and welfare benefits?

The Weimar Republic had a well-developed system of unemployment and welfare benefits but the costs quickly overwhelmed the welfare budget

Therefore from 1930, there were moves to limit the amount of benefits being paid

What were the unemmployed entitled to?

The unemployed were only entitled to state benefits for a fixed period, after they had to apply to local authorities for benefits which were less generous and strictly means-tested

Hiow did the benefits given to women differ from men?

Women received less benefit than men and young people less than adults

How did the way industrial town differfrom economy town?

In single industry dependent towns the impact was far worse than in diverse economy towns

What were the indications of poverty rising?

There were many indications that poverty was rising as a result of the Depression

• Diseases linked to poor nutrition and living conditions began to show an increase

• Doctors reported numerous cases of malnutrition among children and suicide rates increased

• Unemployed tenants were unable to pay their rents and were evicted, tent cities and shanty towns began to appear on the edges of large cities

The impact on young people

How did the depression effect the young in terms of employment?

The Depression led to a high rate of unemployment among young people

• Hamburg in June 1933 the unemployment rate among males in the 14–25 age group was 39%, whilst among females it was 25.2%

What did the young do to cope with the depression ?

• With no jobs, and little prospects gangs of young men became popular in German towns and cities, their very presence caused alarm among older, middle-class citizens

• There were fears that youth involvement in crime was increasing and that young men were being drawn into extremist political organisations

Juvenile crime

What happend to the crime rates during the depression?

• Overall rate of juvenile convictions did not increase during the Depression but the number of 14–25-year olds accused of crime did increase

• Young men charged with theft grew during the Depression years and there was a significant increase in youths charged with offences against the state and with assault and threatening behaviour

• Offences against the state included participating in violent disorder during political demonstrations

WHta did the rise in offenses reflect?

The rise in these offences reflected the deteriorating political situation

Political extremism

How did political ideology change amongst the young?

• The involvement of young men in extremist political organisations increased during the Depression

How did the certain groups get the young working class politically involved?

• The KPD had some success in recruiting working-class youths from the ‘wild cliques’ to join political demonstrations and engage in street battles with their opponents

• Paramilitary organisations of the nationalist right also set out to recruit unemployed youth

WHat other organizations were set out to deal with unemployed youth?

Organisations such as the Hitler Youth and the SA (Nazi Stormtroopers) offered unemployed boys and young men food, uniforms, shelter and the excitement of fighting street battles, all of which could relieve the insecurity and boredom of unemployment

WHat were the limitations fo these youth groups?

Youth membership of these organisations were not stable though and the majority of young unemployed males still had little or no contact with the political extremes

Schemes to help the young unemployed

How did governments initially respond to the economic slump?

Many countries, including Germany, initially did little to help their economies because governments believed they were powerless to intervene

What did Adam Stegerwald do in March 1931?

In March 1931, Minister of Labour Adam Stegerwald issued instructions to Labour Exchanges reflecting Brüning’s policies towards the unemployed

What did Brüning’s government believe about economic recovery?

The government believed in relying on market forces to eventually revive the economy

What were the government’s main priorities regarding unemployment?

Priorities included controlling expenditure on unemployment benefits and reducing the negative effects of unemployment on young people

Youth Unemployment Policies

What initiatives were created for young unemployed people?

Initiatives included establishing day centres for work-related activities and socialising

What were emergency labour schemes?

Emergency labour schemes required unemployed youths to perform unskilled manual labour for wages below the legal minimum

How did young people respond to emergency labour schemes?

These schemes were unpopular and led to strikes in October 1930 and June 1932 demanding higher wages

What were voluntary labour schemes?

Voluntary labour schemes sent young unemployed people to residential work camps for six months

How effective were voluntary labour schemes?

Few schemes offered vocational training or prospects for permanent employment

What was the government’s main goal in dealing with young unemployment?

The government’s main goal was to get young unemployed people off the streets