Chapter 4 Life in Nazi Germany, 1933-39 Flashcards
Once the Nazis gained power, what policies did they introduce that affected woman’s lives in may ways ?
- For women to adopt a ‘natural’ look with simple plaited/ tied back hair and long skirts
- To marry and have as many children as possible
- To believe in the Nazi ideas of Kinder, Küche, Kirche ( children, children, church )
- To stay at home and not go to work or to university
Why were Nazis concerned over women, marriage and family ?
- Birth rates were falling
- 1900, there had been 2 million births per year
- 1933 , 1 million per year
What were the Nazi ideas of the Kinder, Küche and Kirche ?
A set of beliefs women’s lives should revolve around, the three ‘Ks’: Kinder, Küche, Kirche (Children, Kitchen, Church).
When Nazi’s came to power, what did they do concerning women ?
- They turned their ideas of women into policies that affected their lives
What policies were made to encourage marriage ?
The Law for the Encouragement of marriage
What policies were created to encourage childbirth ?
- Divorce Laws
- The mother’s cross
- Lebensborn
When was the Law for the Encouragement of marriage formed ?
1933
What was the Law for the encouragement of marriage ?
- Loans of 1000 marks were given to couples who wanted to get married so they could become indépendant
- They could then pay off these loans, a quarter for a child
- This encourages marriage and childbirth
What were divorce laws ?
- 1938, Nazis changed divorce laws
- If a wife could not have children or had an abortion, this could be used to ground a divorce by the husband
What was the Mother’s cross?
- It was an award given to women depending on the number of children they had
- bronze for 4/5, silver for 6/7 and gold for 8
- Encouraged child birth
What was the Lebensborn?
- The Lebensborn programme was another policy to encourage childbirth
- Encouraged women to breed with SS men and provided financial aid and nurseries for them
How successful were policies encouraging women to stop working ?
During 1933-1936 the number of employed women fell
What did Nazi’s do in order to reduce employment ?
- From 1933, women were banned from professional posts such as teachers, doctors and civil servants
- From 1936, no women could become a judge or a lawyer, or even a jury service
- School girls were trained for motherhood and not work
How successful were policies encouraging women to marry ?
The number of marriages did increase, but its not clear whether this was due to the nazi policies or a stronger economy
How successful were policies encouraging women to have children ?
- The birth rate did increase, but this may have because of the economy was improving rater than because of Nazi policies. Few women had more than children
- The German Women’s Enterprise had six million members, which suggests that many women welcomed Nazi policies
What was the aim of the German Women’s Enterprise ?
The group was used to ensure women had the latest Nazi teachings and beliefs.
What was the role of the Reich Women’s Leader ? Who was it ?
- In 1934, they created the post of Reich Women’s Leader whose role was to lead on the effort to ensure Women conformed to the rules of the Nazis.
- Gertrud Scholtz-Klink was appointed
What were the four Nazi youth groups and who was in them ?
- Young German Folk ( boys aged 10 -14 )
- Young girls ( Girls aged 10 -14 )
- Hitler Youth ( Boys aged 14-18 )
- League of German Maidens ( Girls aged 14-18 )
When did Nazi youth group meetings and activities take place ?
After school, at weekends and in holidays
What were Nazi aims for young people ?
- To be proud of Germans who supported a strong, Independent Germany
- To be loyal supporters of the Nazi Party and to believe in Nazi policies - preying children for their future roles as adults
What were Nazi aims for girls ?
Girls to be strong and healthy in order to be strong wives and fertile mothers
What were Nazi aims for boys ?
Boys to be strong and healthy in order to work for the German economy and fight in the German forces
Why were Nazi aims for girls and boys different ?
The Nazi policies differed between them. They encouraged the young to regard Hitler as a father figure an they made sure the the Nazis had control of children outside of school
What activites where solely for boys ?
- Shotting
- Military drills
- Signalling
- Military-style camps
- Helping the fire brigade during the war
- Formed military brigades to defend Berlin in 1945
What activites where solely for girls ?
- Cookery
- Housework
- Needlework and craft
- Learning what to look for in a. good husband
- Learning about babies and childcare
What activites where for both ( girls and boys ) ?
- Hiking and camping
- Learning about Hitler
- Learning about racial superiority
- Singing patriotic songs
- Sport and competitions
- Taking part in Nazi marches and rallies
- Reporting people who made anti-Nazi comments
- Collecting for Winterhilfe ( a charity )
Apart from Nazi youth groups, what was another way the Nazis controlled children ?
Another method of making German children loyal Nazis in preparation for their futures and future roles in the Nazis state was through EDUCATION
Describe Nazi’s control of education through schools ?
- Children had to attend state school until they were 14.
- There were separate schools for girls and boys.
- Optional schools after age 14: National Political Educational
Institutes and Adolf Hitler Schools. - All schools followed a set curriculum - this was different for girls and boys.
Describe Nazi’s control of education in through teachers ?
- It was compulsory for teachers to be
Nazi Party members. - Those who didn’t teach Nazi ideas were dismissed.
- Teachers’ camps taught them how to use Nazi ideas in their teaching.
- Nearly all teachers joined the Nazi
Teachers’ League. - Teachers were forced to attend courses to learn about Nazi ideas.
Describe Nazi’s control of education through propaganda ?
- All lessons began and ended with the Hitler salute.
- Nazi flags and posters decked classrooms.
- From 1935 all textbooks had to be approved by the Nazi Party.
- Traditional subjects
were rewritten to glorify Germany, e.g. an emphasis on German writers and historical figures. - Racial ideas and anti-Semitism were embedded within subjects.
Describe Nazi’s control of education through subjects ?
- 15% of time was spent on PE to ensure a healthy and strong population.
- Girls were taught domestic skills, while boys were taught science and military skills.
- Both sexes were taught the traditional subjects: German, History, Geography and Maths.
- New subjects: Race
Studies and Nazi
Eugenics were taught to both sexes.
What were race studies ?
Race studies was a new subject along side eugenics that involved learning how to classify racial groups and about superiority of the Aryan race.
What were Eugenics ?
A new subject introduced by the Nazi’s that was the science of using selective breeding to attempt to produce the perfect human being