16 - Social Policies in Nazi Germany Flashcards
young people, women, workers and churches
1
Q
What was the Volksgemeinschaft?
A
- only Aryans could be citizens
- no social classes, working for the good of the state
- social and cultural revolution
2
Q
How does Volksgemeinschaft link to Nationalism?
A
- building a Nazi race based on race and struggle
- made some groups outsiders
- relaunches a new and improved Germany
3
Q
What united people into the Volksgemeinschaft?
A
- racial ideology
- people’s community
4
Q
Aims of Nazi Youth Policy
A
- indoctrinate from the age of 4 using youth movements and education to impose values
- scorned intellectual learning and placed importance on physical strength and obediance
5
Q
National Socialist Teacher’s League
A
- expected to join if a teacher
- process of indoctrination easier
- 1936, 32% of teachers party members
- anyone disloyal was sacked
6
Q
How was anti-intellectualism fulfilled in education?
A
- from 1933-39, students in higher education fell from 113,000 to 57,000
- in 1944, this rose again to 82,000 students with 49% being female
7
Q
How was anti-semitism fulfilled in education?
A
- eugenics were taught in schools and universities
8
Q
How was indifference to the weak fulfilled in education?
A
- by 1936, students were expected to do 2 hours of PE a day
9
Q
How was nationalism fulfilled in education?
A
- Bernard Rust (education minister) said that individuals must be ready to sacrifice themselves for the state
10
Q
How was militarism fulfilled in education?
A
- NAPOLAs set up for boys 10-18 to be future leaders
- 21 in 1938 and 39 by 1943
- 1937, Adolf Hitler Schools to rival NAPOLAs by Youth Leader Schirach and Robert Ley
- selected on physical appearance and leadership
11
Q
How was obedience and discipline fulfilled in education?
A
- Law for the Restoration of the Civil Service April 1933
- 1200 teachers dismissed, 33% racial grounds, 56% political
- students to join the German Student’s League but 25% ignored
12
Q
How was Hitler Worship fulfilled in education?
A
- November 1933, uni lecturers to sign declaration in support of Hitler
- new hires of universities had to attend a 6 week ideological and physical camp
- by 1937, 97% of teachers in NSTL
- by 1938, 2/3 of teachers had attended a month long training
13
Q
How was the Hitler Youth created?
A
- 1926, but initially unsuccessful until 1933
- by 1936 Law for the Incorporation of German Youth made it equal to education in status and a monopoly on sports facilities also 1936
- most groups banned in 1933 but Catholic youths in 1936
- compulsory by 1939
14
Q
What was the Nazi Ideology towards women?
A
- women to be producers of babies
- women to stay at home
- support family and traditional, rural society
15
Q
What were eugenics?
A
Studies of genetic and racial purity, not scientific but presented to be
16
Q
What was the Nazi slogan towards women?
A
Kinder, Kirche, Kitche (children, church, cooking)
17
Q
Births - aims
A
Increase the number of pure German births
18
Q
Births - measures 1933-39
A
- financial incentives such as loans that reduced by 1/4 per baby
- propaganda like Mother’s Cross
- higher taxes on childless children
- restricted information on contraception
19
Q
What was the Mother’s Cross?
A
A reward for women with multiple children
4-5 Bronze
6-7 Silver
8+ Gold
20
Q
Births - measures 1939-45
A
Lebensborn programme introduced, 11,000 born from it
21
Q
Births - effects and overall
A
- BR rose from 33-39 then declined
- increase could be due to the economic recovery
- BR did not reach Weimar levels
- eugenics reduced potential
22
Q
Marriage - aims
A
Increase the number of suitable marriages
23
Q
Marriage - measures 1933-39
A
- 1933, 600 RM loan if married and unemployed
- 1937 extended to working women
- Oct 1935, Blood Protection Law, marriage to black people, Jewish people and gypsies banned
- 1938 Marriage Law extended grounds of divorce
24
Q
Marriage - measures 1939 - 45
A
- 1941 couples living together before marriage sent to concentration camps
25
Marriage - effects and overall
- 1932: 516,000 marriages
- 1934: 740,000 marriages
- could be due to economic success
26
Welfare - aims
Develop healthy Germans
27
Welfare - measures 1933-39
- NSV (National Socialist Welfare Organisation) central by 1933
- expansions of health offices, medicine and racial care
28
Welfare - measures 1939-45
- improved childcare facilities particularly for working mothers
29
Welfare - effects and overall
- infant mortality dropped from 7.7% in 1933 to 6.6% in 1936
- NSV ran by women, improved welfare
30
Education - aims
Prepare women for their proper role and restrict opportunity
31
Education - measures 1933-39
- female university enrolment 10%
32
Education - measures 1939-45
- restriction dropped
33
Education - effects and overall
- WW2, number of women at uni increase
- demand for workers and soldiers grew
34
Employment - aims
reduce female employment
35
Employment - measures 1933-39
- 1933 women in civil jobs and medical service dismissed
- 1936 banned from being lawyers and judges
36
Employment - measures 1939-45
- 1939 compulsory agricultural labour service for women under 25
- women only told to join war effort in 1942 (17-45 year olds)
37
Employment- effects and overall
- number of women in employment rose throughout war
- 1943, Speer proposes to conscript women but told no by Hitler as it would reduce morale
- main impact on professionals
38
Public Life - aims
Incorporate women into Volksgemeinschaft
39
Public Life - measures 1933-39
- no female Nazis in Reichstag
- 2 women's organisations : DFW, German Women's league, coordinate into Nazi views
40
Public life - measures 1939-45
- support for war effort, ex. donations for Russian Front
41
Public Life - effects and overall
- increased female participation in Nazi bodies
- excluded from decision making
42
What were the complications of merging the churches?
- Nazis wanted Fuhrer as the centre, would go against God
- religion was deep-rooted in some communities and people could be resistant to changes
- division of faith, 58% protestant and 32% catholic
- Catholic Church part of a wider, universal movement led by Pope
43
Why would the Nazis respect the churches?
- similar moralistic views of family and marriage
- to control, would need to initially embrace
- recognition of the church support
44
What were the activities of the Hitler Youth?
- swearing personal allegiance to the Fuhrer
- 'live faithfully, fight bravely and die fighting'
- singing Nazi songs, reading political pamphlets
- camping trips and hiking, military drill
45
How did the Nazis control the Protestant Church?
- supported the church, 2/3 of the Prussian synod was wearing the nazi uniform in 1933
- ludwig miller elected in 1933, but 100 pastors broke away to form the confessional church 1934
- required pastors to take an oath to Hitler, 2 arrested
46
How was the Hitler Youth successful?
- outlet to teenage rebellions
- membership from almost 60,000 in Jan 1933 to over 2 million by December
- camping and sport attractive to boys who had grown up without another system
- many would join against their anti Nazi parent wishes
47
How was the HJ unsuccessful?
- by late 1930s, attendance to parades slipped as people resented the bureaucratic nature
48
What was the BDM?
The female equivalent to HJ, compulsory in 1939
- taught to be healthy mothers and wives
- dancing, gymnastics, cooking and sewing
- annual summer camps with sport and indoctrination
49
How was the BDM successful?
- brought together from a variety of backgrounds
- increasingly more time outside of the home
50
How was the BDM unsuccessful?
- compulsory land/domestic service for women under 25 that was very unpopular
51
What did the KdF aim to do?
- organise workers free time through the DAF
- encourage people to see themselves as part of the Volksgemeinschaft
- social equality encouraged as no class system in activities
- break down regional divides
52
What was the SdA?
Beauty of Labour
- bettered working conditions for the people
- wanted people to work harder
- workplace sports facilities and hot meals
- by 1938, 34000 workplaces had improved
BUT - workers largely had to bear the brunt of improvements, ex. painting factory themselves with no extra pay
53
What was Prora?
- a Nazi holiday resort constructed from 1936-39
- 8 blocks holding 20,000 workers a week
- was never realised, completely uninhabited
54
How did the nazis control the catholic church?
- concordat 1933, Vatican recognised the regime and would not interfere, vice versa
- centre party dissolved
55
How did the nazis attempt to weaken the Protestant church?
- Gauleiters engaged in anti church activities, abandoned as not successful
- in Bavaria Grus gott was said instead of heil hitler
56
How did the Nazis attempt to weaken the Catholic Church?
- 1936, church groups abandoned and Hitler youth compulsory
- 200 priests accused of sexual activity and put on trial
- only 5% of children in church schools by 1937
57
How did the Nazis try to replace the churches?
Reich church was created in 1933
