15 - Economic Policies

Question 1

Did Hitler have an economic plan when he became chancellor?

Answer 1

No but he did have clear aims

Question 2

Why did Hitler want to boost the economic situation in Germany

Answer 2

Knew that boasting the economic situation would boost the Nazi party’s power and popularity

Question 3

What were the key aims of NAzi economic policy

Answer 3

Create a economy capable of sustaining a major rearmament programme and geared to the needs of future war
Reduced unemployment
Continue recovery from great depression

Question 4

What was unemployment in jan 1933

Answer 4

6 million

Question 5

What was unemployment in jan 1935

Answer 5

2.9 million

Question 6

What was unemployment in jan 1939

Answer 6

302,000

Question 7

What were the methods used to reduce unemployment

Answer 7

Public work schemes started by Von Papen and Bruning were extended
Building barracks, motorways, water conservation schemes
Regulations to use labour not machines

Question 8

Arguments that unemployment didnt actually decarease

Answer 8

Women no longer included in the statistics

Unemployed were forced into the work given by the government or be classsed as ‘work shy’ and put ina. Concentration camp

Jews lost their citizenship in. 1935 and were therefore not included in the figures

Many young men removed from the figure when conscription was introduced in 1935

Question 9

In what ways did the Volkswagen project reflect Nazi ideology

Answer 9

‘Peoples car’
Announcement brought great happiness and surprise
Cemented concept of volksmeinschaft
Was new and exciting - foreshadowing a future

Question 10

Why was the four year plan created in 1936

Answer 10

HItlers initial policies had been succesful with confidence restored and unemployment reduced.

Question 11

What were the aims of the 1936 four year plan

Answer 11

Ensure Germany was ready for war within four years
Make germany as self sufficient as possible in food and industrial production, a policy known as autarky

Question 12

What was autarky

Answer 12

Making Germany as self sufficient as possible in food and industrial production

Question 13

Why did Germany want to achieve autarky

Answer 13

So they didnt have to depend on other countries

Question 14

How successful was autarky in 1939

Answer 14

Initially achieved by increasing Germany’s production of key commodities such as iron and food

They still depended on foreign imports for 1/3 of its raw materials especially iron ore, oil and rubber.

Question 15

What was Goering’s role in the economy

Answer 15

WHen Hitler became impatient with Schacht’s cautious attitude her put Goering in charge of the new organisation; the Office of the four year plan.

This made Goering a major economic figure in Germany.

Question 16

Evidence that there was an economic miracle

Answer 16

The reduction in unemployment.
29.9% in 1932 to 0.5% in 1939

Real wages increased by index numbers from 88.5 in 1932 to 111 in 1940

Peasants protected from rising industrial prices and falling income from goods

Production increased

Question 17

Evidence that there wasn’t an economic miracle

Answer 17

Many were put in mundance work that didnt match their skills or ability
By 1939 oil production was 40% of what they had hoped for
Workers lost freedoms
Enforcements were harsh
Economy was chaotic swung low foreign currency reserves, in a deficit

Question 18

Why wa style National Labour service so harsh?

Answer 18

They wrote military style uniforms and lived in camps near to where they were working and received only what we would term pocket money

Question 19

What did the government did in teh agriculture industry

Answer 19

Took some early measures to help peasants, with higher prices and cancellation of some debts.
However wee more concerned with larger more efficient estates who food production was vital for autarky

Question 20

Why did the government care about agriculture

Answer 20

Necessary in the quest for a more self sufficient Germany

Question 21

Evidence that governments agriculture policy was succesful

Answer 21

Intially protected farmers with controlled prices
Arable farmers benefited from subsidies
1928-38 production increased

Question 22

How did the four year plan help the agriculture industry

Answer 22

Reduced fertiliser prices, gave subsidies for mechanisation and grants for new cultivated land

Question 23

Evidence the regime didnt help agriculture industry

Answer 23

Later prices went below market levels and were increasingly resented
Livestock farmers were later hit by shortages and the high cost of fodder
Farmers harmed by a flight for extra land and extra labour had to be drafted in

Question 24

What did the government do to industry

Answer 24

Bought under state supervision in the interests of national unity.
The state controlled most resources but industry remained largely privately owned
Large firms had to join cartels and they expanded to meet government requirements

Question 25

What did hitler want to focus on regarding industry

Answer 25

Tanks, planes and heavy industry

Question 26

Evidence the government failed to help industry

Answer 26

Over 3000,000 small businesses unable to compete went bankrupt

Question 27

What did the Nazis aim for transport

Answer 27

New technology in transport would symbolise. New modern germany
Emphasis on technology like planes
Would help them prepare them for war
The nazis saw the need fo trilways for their future plans to transfer Jews and troops as well as supplies

Question 28

Evidence the Nazis were successful in improving transport

Answer 28

Over 2,000 miles of roads were created by 1938

Roads boosted employment and stimulated car production

Progression had military value, showing the world Germanys developments (prestige)

Question 29

What did the government do to help trade

Answer 29

Less of a focus on trade, more focus on autarky

Imports controlled by the government as well as foreign exchange due to severe shortages

Question 30

Was there growth regarding trade?

Answer 30

No major growth in foreign trade in the 1930’s, Schacht’s deals were replaced with a focus on autarky

Question 31

How was finance raised under the government?

Answer 31

Increasing taxes and various forms of credit

Question 32

What was the governments economic policy?

Answer 32

High taxation and High expenditure
Spent on public investment, public works, growing welfare provision and expanding the costs of the military

Question 33

Impact of nazi economic policy’s on big businesses

Answer 33

Subsidies were given to large companies to employ more worker

Those businesses involved in the rearment indsutry did particuarly well whilst smaller traders did worse

Question 34

What was the situation of German agriculture in 1933?

Answer 34

In a depressed state

Many farmers felt alienated during the Weimar Republic by governments during teh Weimar Republic by governments who favoured urban classes

Question 35

Hwo did teh Nazi’s view farmers

Answer 35

Glorified them as a key group
The Nazi ‘blood and soil’ idoelogy idolised farmers as the ‘life spring’ of the nation.

For the Nazis the pure aryan peasants was key to the nations racial health and the finest upholder of traditional moral values

Question 36

How did farmers incomes change 1933-36

Answer 36

Increased by 41%

Question 37

What was the impact of the Reich Food estate

Answer 37

Created a huge bureaucracy enforcing petty rules much resented by farmers, its controls on the sale of produce and the limitations imposed on the farmers choice of crops were highly unpopular due to the restriction of freedom

Question 38

Failures of the economic policies in helping farmers

Answer 38

Money allocated to clear farmers debts mainly went to larger firms
Strict wage controls meant the gap between rural and urban wages widened
The regimes preparation for war always took priority over farmers interests
The reich food estate created bureaucracy

Question 39

Statistical evidence that the regime failed to help farmers

Answer 39

Between 1933 and 1939 1.5 million agricultural labourers moved to towns and cities to find work

Question 40

Did the economic policies help families?

Answer 40

Some benefits were of real assistance to poor families
The volskawagen, though not taking place until after WWII created a lot of excitement for families

Question 41

What happened to small traders under Nazi economic policies

Answer 41

Did much worse as bigger businesses boomed
The nazis never kept their promises to help smaller businesses compete agaisnt larger ones

Question 42

How did the Nazis alienate workers

Answer 42

Removing their political representation and their independent unions

Question 43

Why was it important for the nazis to win over wokers

Answer 43

To achieve their ambitions of autarky and rearment

Question 44

What was the KDF

Answer 44

‘Strength through joy’
Created to organise workers leisure time, offering subsidised ‘package holidays’.

Question 45

What did the Reich Labour service (RAD) do?

Answer 45

Set up to improve working conditions in factories and provide a greater range of amenities such as sports grounds

Meant all men aged 18-25 had to do six months labour

Question 46

What group was leats impressed with Hitler’s economic miracle?

Answer 46

The working class

Question 47

How much were workers wages raised by 1939

Answer 47

1%