1A: Life in Nazi Germany

Gleischaltung

Put Nazis in key positions e.g. as judges

German Labour front

Banned trade unions and replaced them with the German labour front. Meaning workers lost rights

Nazi - police state

People punished for criticising Hitler and the Nazis.

-The SS which was led by Heinrich Himmler had ultimate power as they could send people to concentration camps without trial

-Hitler also had control of the police

Gestapo

Secret police who spied on the German population

-”Speak through the flower”

Children

Hitler also encourage children to report their parents to teachers if they said anything against the state

Anti-semitism

1933 - Escalation of anti-semitic propaganda to show Jews as evil. Also Jewish lawyers, teacher and judges sacked + banned from some sports

1934 - Boycott of Jewish shops with Jewish star painted on, and sometimes SS placed on the doors

1935 - Nuremburg Laws were citizenship laws stating Jews were not German citizens and didn’t have equal rights + Law for protection for the German blood and Honour banned marriage and sex between Jews and non Jews

Anti-Semitism

1936 - At Olympics all of anti-semitism removed.

1938 - Jewish doctors dismissed. Jews forced to add “Israel” to their name if male and “Sara” if female. In November Jew children can’t go to school

1938 - Kristallnacht - Night of the broken glass. Looting and destruction of Jewish shops and property and intense anti-semitic violence due to a Nazi official (Ernest Von) being murdered by a Jew. Also collective fine of 1 billion marks. On 10 Nov was a mass arrest of Jews where 30,000 sent to concentration camps

Dec 1938 Jew and non Jew kids cant play together or use swimming pools

1939 - Jews could be evicted from their homes and had a curfew between 6am-8pm. Also couldn’t go to school or university.

Disliked groups

People who didn’t fit in with the Nazi ideals were persecuted:

gypsies, blacks, poor, alcoholics, prostitutes, juvenile delinquents, homosexual , communists, Jehovah witnesses

Sterilisation laws

prevent people with certain illnesses and diseases having children. 300,000 men and women compulsory sterilised .

Also 1931-41 euthanasian program for babies born with physical or metal deformities to be killed - 500,000

cultural indoctrination through: propaganda

Controlled by Goebbels

Newspapers - only publish items supported by Nazi regime and told what headlines to print

Radios - Peoples receivers which couldn’t get foreign channels

Cinema - Censorship of films, made Pro Nazi

Posters - Presents Jews as bad, installs hatred

Rallies - Bands, marches and Hitlers oratory held every summer. People felt they belong to the volk as was very patriotic

cultural indoctrination through: control of culture

Censorship of any literature, music, art, theatre which Nazis believed opposed, questioned their views were removed

cultural indoctrination through: education

Nazi beliefs were taught to people at a young age through the likes of:

Biology - ideas of race and Aryan being superior. Blood theory wood be taught and Jews taken to front to mock their features

Maths - Questions involved Nazi racial idea

History - Taught Weimar was responsible for betraying Germany, and glory of Germany

PE - wanted fit and healthy men

Geography - Explain need of Lebensraum

Eugenics - for girls which told them the need to breed and keep racial purity by choosing perfect genetic husband

Domestic Science - For girls to teach cooking as cleaning as well as sewing to be the perfect mothers

For boys special schools were made for the best for those who were physically stronger and fitter. They went to Adolf Hitler schools and were taught to be future leaders.

The very best went to Order of Castles and could be expected to attain high positions in army or SS

Thousand Year Reich

Hitler wanted to create this, so he indoctrinated the young with control of education, producing a racially pure Germany

Boys soldier and empire builders

girls as mothers

Bernhard rust

in charge of education

German Teachers League

Nazi organisation that had to teach Nazi ideas, and if they refused they could be dismissed

cultural indoctrination through: Control of youth organisations

Hitler Youth - Run by members of SS who train kids for future service in armed forces. Membership was compulsory and other youth organisation removed after 1933. Had fun as did camping, marches, fighting, sports, gymnastics. Uniform made them feel special

-each member had performance books to record marks gained in activities so best went to Adolf Hitler schools

League of German Maidens

Prepare girls to be good mothers and child-bearers. Went on weekend camps and marches but mainly learnt to sow and cook

Swing movement

-Not all liked Hitler youth, as some went against it and refused to join. The swing movement were not politicly motivated but disliked Nazi control

-They listened to Jazz music and were friendly with jews

Edelweiss Pirates, White Rose Movement

-Some even joined gangs and put anti-Nazi graffiti and sang songs. They attacked the Hitler youth or ridiculed them

Attitudes to women

-Seen as mothers and wives limited to 3Cs: Church , cooker, children. Dismissed from their jobs but some took jobs from men

-Also encourage to have children by Law for the encouragement of Marriage of 1933. Newly married couples received a loan of 1000 marks and allowed to keep 250 marks for every child they had

-Also received medals for number of children 8 = gold , 6 = silver, 4 = bronze

-Mothercraft classes where women would become pregnant often by a racially pure SS officer

-Advise to wear no makeup, and slimming discouraged

-No access to contraception or abortion as made illegal + also lost right to vote

Policy towards Catholics and the Church

Originally made a Concordat, agreeing not to interfere with each other

Protestant churches combined to a Reich church and controlled by Nazis. Some said Jesus was Aryan . Those opposed Hitler were removed e.g. Niemoller and Bonhoffer . Mein Kampf replaced the bible and swastikas replaced the Christian crosses

-Archbishop Galen Church did manage to end euthanaism of mentally ill

Civilian resistance movement

Last democratic election in March 1933 as Hitler didn’t actually get the 2/3 majority by himself. Plus opposition intensified with the discontent of war

He sent people to concentration camps and controlled media and education

Schacht

-Shacht ran the economy between 1934-1936, who was the economics minister and president of the Reichs Bank.

He had the aims to reduce unemployment, build up armaments and make Germany self sufficient

Economic Policies

In 1933 Germany in an economic depression, so Hitler expected to prove his promise. In this time 5 million unemployed, but by 1939 Nazis declared there was a shortage in labour.

-Jobs created by running of Nazi party with the Hitler Youth

-Compulsory labour service for men 18-25 building autobahns, canals, sport stadiums, housing. Lived in camps and paid pocket money. Made thousands of jobs

-Jews banned from professions from Nuremburg Laws 1935 + people sent to concentration camps

-Women encouraged to stay home also made job vacancies through loans to married women

-1935 rearming, ignoring the T of V and reintroduce compulsory military service by conscription. This removed young men from employment for 2 years

-Rearming also created jobs for the need of the likes of uniforms and equipment

-Foreign imports reduced and any import paid for in good and not in money

Encouraged Exports

Germany accepted raw materials from other countries however they paid in armaments rather than cash. Once they had German armaments they needed ammo for it, and Germany blocked foreign credit accounts so making foreigners spend in Germany.

They either bought goods or invested in projects

4 year plan

Hitler proposed that by 1940 Germany would be ready for war, by increasing food production and reducing imports of raw materials with self sufficiency

Schact replaced by Goering when he didn’t make fast enough changes

Self-Sufficiency

Make Germany not dependant on foreign imports - Autarky .

-In 1936 Goering introduced 4 year plan to get ready for war. Raw material quantity increased and artificial raw materials developed e.g. ersatz - artificial rubber. More expensive than the real thing

-By 1940 was NOT self sufficient or ready for total war.

The workers

-Needed loyalty from workers to avoid damaging strikes to occur.

-Abolished trade unions, and forced them to join the German labour front (or DAF) run by Dr ley. They campaigned for improved condition but not pay.

-Strikes made illegal

-Workers couldn’t leave a job without permission and couldn’t bargain for higher wages

-No limit of number of hours worked

-Workers persuaded with propaganda and posters, parades, music and films - playing on their emotions

-Prices rose for goods and wage lower than 1928 and some consumer good not being available

Maintaining support of Workers

German labour front seen as a patriotic organisation and they would make Germany great again

Strength through joy - KDF - “Rewards” were incentives for them to work harder

-Encouraged to save for a car - Volkswagen Beetle (people’s car) but very few got it

-Beauty of work movement -SDA or Schonheit der Arbeit- take pride in their work. Their conditions improved as given canteens

KDF - Kraft durch Freude

Was a branch of the German labour front designed to control leisure time of people.

Gave sporting and holiday leisure activities, cheap theatre tickets. Cheap holidays arranged included foreign travel and Mediterranean cruises. - These rewards were incentives to work harder, which made the workers feel valued

Beauty of work movement

Another section of the labour front which tried to improve factories working conditions e.g. new lights ,canteens, swimming baths

Paternalism

Nazi gov very “Proper and middle class in its goals and outlook and treated population as a child, wanting it to behave:

-Heavy drinkers frowned upon and were humiliated by head shaved and possibly sent to camps

-Care for health as first to discover smoking causes cancer + first to introduce breast screening

-Introduced Reich Nature Protection Act to protect environment and tree planting + prevent cruelty of animals

Living standards

On surface Nazis gave what the people wanted:

-Food prices + rent controlled

-Slum clearance

-New roads built - autobahns

-unemployment look as if it had ended

-motivated workers

-new synthetic products made

Farmers

Pleased at guaranteed prices and had no risk of repossession. Low taxed and can’t be evicted but unhappy as couldn’t split their land up and give each parts to children

-Reich food estate laws was that all farmers had to follow same methods so innovative farmers angry

-Banks also reluctant to give loans to them

Middle class

Happy communism defeated and order returned

Big businesses

Gained a lot as no more trade unions or strikes + low wages

Companies involved in chemical or engineering got government order e.g. Volkswagen ,Farben chemicals, Mercedes.

Knew not to criticise Hitler as could lead to back lash so stayed quiet

But…

-unemployment solved unethically through persecution of Jews and rearmament

-Trade unions repressed and controlled

-Couldn’t support left winged parties

-Germany didn’t achieve being self sufficient

-Wages held down

Totalitarianism

Totalitarian regime is a country which all aspect of life are controlled by the state

-Propaganda , control of media, control of church, police state, no civil rights, control education, control arts, concentration camps, control youth organisations, one party state

Conclusion

German people did benefit from Nazi rule as it restore the honour and pride of the nation back + bring an optimistic mood.

But they lived in a police state and their lives were controlled

Final solution

Occupation of Poland and Russia vastly increased number of Jews under Nazi control. in 1939 when they invaded Poland they had to deal with 3 million jews.

Moved them all to Poland and forced them to live in sealed/walled areas called ghettoes. Had little food and lived in poor conditions. Abled bodied made to work while old/young sick left to die.

-Russia 1941 more Jews under Nazis and groups of SS called Einsatzgruppen killed large numbers of them. Forced them to dig own graves and shoot them which affected some emotionally

1941 Jews identified with Jewish star

Wansee Conference 1942

decided on genocide of them in Europe- referred to as the Final Solution. From Germany, France, Poland, Holland, Czechoslovakia, Russia. Linked to rail links e.g. Auschwitz

Jews would be transported to 6 key concentration camps where either gassed or worked to death

Gas chambers killed 200,000 a day

possessions of Jews collected and stored to be used for war effort

-Were uprisings in ghetto lasting 43 days in October 1943, having 600 Jews escape from Sobibor Camp in Poland

Over 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust

Selection process

Took place on arrival to decide hard labour or gassed.

Nazi doctor Dr Josef Mengle used Jews for medical Experiments

Impact of War on German People

initial victories provided raw materials, extra food and riches e.g. perfumes from captured lands.

Huge factories developed with slave workers, making some feel war was worth it

-Rationing started to soon negatively effect Germany

Rationing

September 1939 for foods and other items, with different groups getting more.

November 1939 - Clothes rationed and people got points to spend on clothes. Hot water 2 days per week and soap rationed, no toilet rolls and tobacco hard to get

1941 - against Nazi Soviet pact, invaded Russia, but were pushed back and suffered bad loss in battle of Stalingrad 1943

1942 - Extra food given out on Christmas to try boost moral. People used black market. Hospital trains bringing thousand of wounded back/dead.

1942 - Speer minister of Armaments introduced Mass production methods and Goebbels introduced Total War(Everyone in Germany had to work for the war). Exchange centres opened so you could swap clothes and furniture.

1943 - All non essential things that didn’t contribute to the war efforts was eliminated e.g. sports stopped, sweet shops closed

Bombing

Berlin was the first air raid in 1940 .

regular and intense bombing of cities disrupted the military and moral of Germany:

Cologne 1942 - the thousand bomber raid killed 400 Germans

1943 - 43 raids on Ruhr Basin and 16 on Berlin + 33 on Hamburg

Hamburg 1943 - led to a fire killing 30,000 people wiping much of the city

Dresden - 1945

Dresden

In 1945 was 2 nights of bombing. 150,000 killed and 70% of properties destroyed.

By end of War nearly as many civilians in Germany killed compared to soldiers

To avoid bombing many left cities and were evacuated to rural areas e.g. Northeim

Effects

Bombing:

gas, electricity, water, working phones, lifts

Raids:

death, injury, homelessness, fear, evacuation, grief

Propaganda

Bombing didn’t damage the war effort as war production rose in 1944

Propaganda used to maintain moral:

-give clothes to army in Russia

-save fuel

-work harder

-avoid tooth decay

-Hatred of the enemy to strengthen resolve

between 1941-1942 Germans gave 1.5 million furs and 67 million woollen garments to help clothe German army in Russia

Goebbles - Kolgber

June 1942 made a film called Kolgber showing the heroism of Germany against Napoleon, shown in 1945 costing 8.5 million marks to be made + used soldiers from war as extras and 10,000 uniforms made.

-Nazis also made it a crime to listen to foreign radio as could be punished by death

End of war - moral collapse

Morale broke at the end in 1945

-bombing wore down will to fight

-shortages worsened and rationing collapsed

-discontent grew of government e.g. bomb plots

-with SS, gestapo, police away fighting, discipline began to break

Hitler and Goebbles and other Nazi leader committed suicide in Berlin in may