Germany - 3.1.1 Nazi Economic Policy

Question 1

Hitler reduced unemployment by creating new jobs for men. How did he do this?

Answer 1

Men were employed to work on public construction projects. These included public buildings, creating farmlands, the 1936 Olympic Stadium and building 7,000 km of autobahns (motorways)

Question 2

What was the National Labour Service (RAD)?

Answer 2

The RAD made it compulsory for men ages 19-25 to work on public schemes for 6 months. Later, women were included in the scheme and they did work like teaching and domestic service. It gave men jobs in public work schemes: building things like new schools, hospitals, motorways etc in militaristic fashion

Question 3

Why did most men dislike the RAD?

Answer 3

They felt exploited; the pay was low, the hours were long and the work was boring

Question 4

Who was Hjalmar Schact?

Answer 4

President of the Reichsbank (1923-39), Schact is recognised as a financial genius, credited with reviving the German economy. Hitler made him Minister for the Economy in 1934. He lost his job after a disagreement about rearmament in 1937.

Question 5

What are the 4 things the Nazis did to revive the economy?

Answer 5

• invested huge sums of money in public works programmes
• gave loans, subsidies and tax relief to businesses to increase production and take on more workers
• put controls on wages and prices to avoid hyperinflation
• controlled imports and made new trade agreements which increased trade and production in the New Plan of 1934

Question 6

Nazi economic policies and rearmament reduced unemployment. However, many people were taken out of the jobs market; how did Jews distort the unemployment figures?

Answer 6

Many jews were forced out of jobs

Question 7

Nazi economic policies and rearmament reduced unemployment. However, many people were taken out of the jobs market; how did women distort the unemployment figures?

Answer 7

Many women were dismissed from or left their jobs

Question 8

Nazi economic policies and rearmament reduced unemployment. However, many people were taken out of the jobs market; how did men distort the unemployment figures? (3)

Answer 8

• Unmarried men under 25 had to do National Labour Service for six months
• After 1935 more and more men over 18 were conscripted into the armed forces (required by law to join)
• Opponents of the regime were sent to concentration camps (forced labour camps)

Question 9

What were trade unions and what did Hitler do to them?

Answer 9

Trade unions allowed workers to unite in protest of working conditions, hours or pay by striking. In May 1933, Hitler got rid of Trade Unions

Question 10

What did the German Labour Front (DAF) do to help workers?

Answer 10

Hitler replaced trade unions with the DAF run by Dr Robert Ley. It protected workers by stopping bosses from being able to fire workers.

Question 11

What were the negative points of the DAF for workers?

Answer 11

Workers in the DAF couldn’t negotiate better wages and striking was illegal. Limitations on working hours were abolished. By 1939, many Germans worked 72 hours a week

Question 12

How did the German Labour Front (DAF) keep workers loyal to the Nazis?

Answer 12

Propaganda was used to keep the workers loyal; they were told they could rebuild Germany. A large focus was placed on Volksgemeinschaft, they were doing these jobs for the greater good in Germany

Question 13

Why did the Nazis use the DAF?

Answer 13

The organisation was used to keep workers loyal to the Nazis and disguise the lack of any huge improvement to their standard of living

Question 14

What was the aim of the Beauty of Labour Programme? (SDA)

Answer 14

Hitler set it up to improve working conditions; he wanted to increase productivity whilst giving a sense of community between the government and the German population

Question 15

What did the Beauty of Labour Programme (SDA) do to improve workplaces?

Answer 15

It forced employers to improve workplaces by improving ventilation which would make the air cooler/cleaner. + better lighting and washing facilities. Also made employers have to provide hot meals for free to their workers. Campaigns were held by the Nazis such as ‘Fight against Noise’ and ‘Good ventilation in the workplace’.

Question 16

Why did the Nazis set up the Strength through Joy (KDF) Programme?

Answer 16

Nazis believed people would work better if they had good leisure activities to do outside of work

Question 17

What did the Strength through Joy (KDF) Programme do?

Answer 17

It was an office that would arrange trips to concerts, theatres, picnics, sporting events and even very cheap or free holidays to the German countryside. 2 cruise ships were built to take people on cruises to the canary islands for only 2 weeks worth of wages. There was also a savings scheme for the Volkswagen Beetle or ‘People’s Car’ were workers could save 5 marks a week until 750 to buy a car. In 1938, the office had arranged holidays for 10.3 million Germans or a third of the workforce

Question 18

Hitler boasted that unemployment fell from __ __________ in 1933 to 0.3 million in _____.

Answer 18

5 million, 1939

Question 19

What plan did Hermann Goering create in 1936 to prepare Germany for war and what were its 2 aims?

Answer 19

the Four-Year Plan: Its two aims were rearmament and self sufficiency

Question 20

Why was the policy of autarky (self sufficiency) a failure? (5)

Answer 20

• In 1939, Germany was still dependent on imports for one-third of its raw materials
• Farmers were given subsidies and cheap labour from RAD but food production only grew slightly
• Campaigns to make Germans buy German goods met with partial success
• Controls were put on imports but luxury imported goods actually increased
• Scientists were funded to find substitutes for resources Germany did not have such as oil, rubber and cotton, but had little success

Question 21

When did German rearmament begin?

Answer 21

German rearmament began in 1933 but was kept secret until 1935

Question 22

In what year did Germany rearm to an extent but hadn’t met the Four-Year Plan target?

Answer 22

1940

Question 23

How did businesses benefit from rearmament?

Answer 23

Some businesses benefitted from designing, providing materials and manufacturing arms

Question 24

How did rearmament help job shortages?

Answer 24

More jobs were created, and prisoners in labour and concentration camps were also used. However, by 1939 there were labour shortages

Question 25

____________ was responsible for most of Germany’s economic growth from 1933 to 1939

Answer 25

Rearmament

Question 26

What is meant by ‘subsidies’?

Answer 26

Money from the state

Question 27

To help increase food production. farmers were given subsidies and labour from the RAD. But by World War Two, Germany was still importing ___% of its food

Answer 27

20

Question 28

To increase raw materials when trying to create autarky, scientists created ‘______’ substitutes

Answer 28

ersatz

Question 29

When World War 2 began in 1939, a quarter of Germans worked in war industry (weapons, chemicals, agriculture). What did this reach by 1941?

Answer 29

This reached 3 quarters by 1941

Question 30

Who was needed to increase Germany’s output as their economy wasn’t ready in 1939?

Answer 30

Prisoners of war and slaves

Question 31

What type of rationing started in 1939? (2)

Answer 31

Food and clothing

Question 32

Who was the first minister of the economy for the Nazis between 1934 and 1937?

Answer 32

Hjalmar Schact

Question 33

How did businesses in Germany benefit from the Nazi economic policies? (2)

Answer 33

• Large businesses benefitted from investment and new opportunities in rearmament.
• Large businesses could exploit workers because the Nazis had got rid of trade unions

Question 34

How much was unemployment reduced from 1933 to 1939?

Answer 34

Unemployment was reduced from 5 million in 1933 to 0.3 million in 1939

Question 35

How much did the average weekly wage rise by between 1932 and 1939?

Answer 35

25%

Question 36

While the Nazis emphasised that the average worker’s life improved, the workers probably didn’t see much difference in day to day life. Why was this?

Answer 36

• The cost of food increased. This meant they did not feel the increase in wages
• Working hours increased from 1936 onwards
• If a worker complained about working conditions, they would be ‘blacklisted’. This means they would struggle to find employment
• The four-year-plan led to food shortages

Question 37

What were 6 pros to the Nazi economic policies?

Answer 37

• Unemployment was reduced and most men were in work
• Average weekly wages rose from 86 marks (1932) to 109 marks (1939) despite wage restrictions
• Some businesses benefitted from increased investment and opportunities
• Large businesses especially benefitted from the wage restrictions and loss of the trade unions
• The Public Works Programme provided better transport, services and homes
• Some farmers benefitted from rising food prices, increase subsidies and cheaper labour

Question 38

What were 6 cons to the Nazi economic policies?

Answer 38

• The cost of food rose - cancelling out wage increases
• Working hours increased, especially after 1936
• Some businesses resented the restrictions put upon them
• The emphasis on using German goods meant that, in some cases, that available goods were inferior
• The Four-Year Plan put pressure on the economy and led to food and other shortages in the late 1930s
• Some groups suffered; for example, Jewish businesses were boycotted and closed