History β³ | German Depth: Life under the Nazis π₯ | 6.3b Flashcards
When did Hitler, in a speech, describe his ideal of the Hitler youth?
Sept 1935
How did Hitler describe his ideal Hitler Youth member?
β Swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Kruppβs steel
β Slim and Trim
What were the aims of Nazi education towards young people?
- Indocrinate young people into radical ideas of nazism and make children loyal to Hitler
- Train girls to be βgood Aryan wives and mothersβ, and for boys to be effective soldiers
- Make young people physically strong and tough
How did Nazis control teachers to help bend education into nazi values?
- Teachers were forced to join the Nazi Teacherβs Association
- Teachers were forced to go to summer school to learn Nazi values
- Jewish teachers were banned
How did Nazis control curriculum to help bend education into nazi values?
- Textbooks were rewritten to promote Aryan supremacy
- Eugenics were added to the curriculum
- PE was emphasised in the curriculum
- Jewish children were humiliated in school, and banned later
What qualities did textbooks promote during the Nazi regime?
They were rewritten to promote German greatness, Aryan supremacy, and anti-semitism
When were Jewish children banned from school?
1938
By 1939, what % of teachers were part of the nazi teacherβs association?
97% of teachers
How was German language as a subject twisted during the Nazi regime?
It was taught everyday as a superior language
What did the subject of History teach about during the nazi regime?
- Injustices of the ToV
- Weaknesses of Weimar politicians
- The idea that the hardships of the 1920s was caused by Jews stealing profit
How were the subjects of Biology, Health, Race Studies, and Eugenics twisted during the nazi regime?
- The Aryan race was taught as superior in intelligence and strength
- The dangers of mating with βweakerβ races was taught
Define Untermenschen
The German word for βsub-humanβ people such as Jews and Slavs
What did the subject of Geography teach during the nazi regime?
- It taught about the land lost by the ToV
- The need for Lebensraum
How was the subject of maths twisted during the nazi regime?
It was taught to emphasise difference. Textbooks would use Jews as variables, or war was normalised in word problems
What is the abbreviation of βHiter Youthβ?
HJ
How did the nazis control youth movements in Germany?
They were all taken over by the Hitler youth!
When did the Hitler youth take over all youth movements?
(Except catholic ones)
1933
When were catholic youth movements eiminated in Germany?
1936
What were the aims of the Hitler Youth?
- Control youth activities out of the classroom
- Have unquestioned loyalty to Hitler
- Make boy soldiers, and make girls wives
What was the youth organisation for young boys in nazi Germany?
The Hitler Youth / HJ
What was the youth organisation for young girls in nazi Germany?
The League of German Maidens
At what age were boys meant to enroll into the Hitler Youth?
At 14 years old
At what age were boys meant to enroll into the Nazi Movement?
At 6 years old
By 1939, what % of boys were members of the Hitler youth?
90% of boys over 14!
What kind of uniform did the Hitler youth wear?
Military style brown uniforms, like little SA members.
At what age did girls enroll into the nazi movement?
At the age of 10
At what age did girls join the League of German Maidens?
At the age of 14
How did the indocrination of the youth help the nazi regime?
- People grew up with unquestioned loyalty to Hitler
- Children would voluntarily march in nazi rallies
- Boys were physically fit and strong cross-country runners
- Children would devote their leisure time to the nazis
- Map reading confidence was increased
Who were the Edelweiss Pirates?
A group of loosely organised young people in different cities, mostly teenagers that opposed the nazi regime.
How did the Edelweiss Pirates oppose the nazis?
- They listened to American Jazz
- Dressed in their own style
- Went camping in the countryside to get away from the regime
- Attacked the Hitler Youth
- Killed a Gestapo Chief
- They left school
When did the Edelweiss Pirates kill the Gestapo Chief in Cologne?
1944
How many Edelweiss Pirates were hanged following the killing of the Gestapo chief?
12 pirates, publically hanged
Define indocrination
The process of teaching to accept a set of beliefs uncritically
What were the Adolf Hitler schools?
Schools where boys with potential to be future leaders were sent to. They were boarding schools.
What were Castles of Order?
Places where young men in their mid-20s with talent were sent to. They completed military training with live ammunition.
What role did the nazis see women as fit of?
The role of wives and mothers first.
How were women who worked in the 1930s in Germany portrayed as?
They were portrayed as βstealing menβs jobsβ
Define Kinder, KΓΌche, Kirche
The three Ks that women were supposed to care about:
Children, kitchen, church
In Nazi Germany, what % of university spots were for women?
10%
What was the Honor Cross of the German Mother?
A reward system by the nazi government to honour a German mother depending on how many children she had
How did the reward tier system in the Honor Cross of the German Mother work?
- Bronze: 4 children
- Silver: 6 children
- Gold: 8 children
What was the reward for having a bronze badge in the Honor Cross of the German Mother?
A financial reward
What was the reward for having a gold badge in the Honor Cross of the German Mother?
A seat at nazi meetings
Define Lebensborn
A program where SS officers paid women who were unmarried to have children with them. There was no obligation to be a responsible father and nazis would give money to raise the child.
In the war, how did nazi policies towards women change?
With so many men serving in WW2, there was a greater need for women to perform war-related work in weapons factories and farms.
Who was the head of the Nazi Womenβs Bureau?
Gertrude Scholz-Klink
How were opportunities for women limited in nazi Germany?
- Married proffessional women were forced to give up jobs
- Discrimination against female job applicants was encouraged.
What was Moringen?
A female-only concentration camp
When was Moringen set up?
Nov 1933
What was Ravensbruck?
The largest female only concentration camp
When was Ravensbruck set up?
1938
How many women were killed due to Ravensbruck?
50,000 women
How many Germans were unemployed in 1933?
5 million
What were the two economic problems the nazi party had to solve when they came into power?
- Desperate unemployment
- Farming crisis
When was the new plan?
1934-36
Who created the New plan?
Hjalmar Schacht!!
HE RETURNS
What things were built due to the new plan?
- A network of Autobahns
- Railways
- Houses
- New public buildings
- The Volkswagen
What was the Volkswagen?
The Peopleβs Car, a state-owned German car
How did the new plan create new jobs?
The National Labor Service used public work projects to create new jobs
How did the New Plan help the German economy?
The Government was spending a lot of money, stimulating industry
When did Germany rearm?
1935
How much was the German army going to increase in size after Hitler started rearmament?
From 100,000 to 500,000 soldiers
How did rearmament help the nazi economy?
- The airforce would be built, creating new manufacturing jobs
- Conscription was reintroduced, reducing unemployment
When was the Four-Year plan?
1936
Why did the New Plan stop?
- Unemployment was down to pre-depression levels by 1936
- Hitler wanted to shift Germany to be more ready for war
When was Schacht removed from office?
1937
Why was Schacht removed from office?
He opposed the ideas of the four-year plan
Who was in charge of the four-year plan?
Hermann GΓΆring
What did the four-year plan do to help the economy?
- Create jobs in coal mines, steel and textile mills
- Created new opportunities for engineers and designers
- Tried to drive towards autarky
Define autarky
Complete economic self-sufficiency
What % of the target synthetic oil set out by the four-year plan was met?
around 46%
What was the beauty of labor movement?
A movement in nazi Germany that improved factory working conditions.
How did the Volkswagen Beetle create initiatives for workers?
People would save 5 marks a week to buy the well-advertised Volkswagen Beetle
In what ways were workers negatively impacted during nazi rule?
- They lost their main party, the SPD
- Lost trade unions
- Forced to join DAF with strict control of workers
- Their wages remained low
What were the aims of the Strength through Joy program?
- To win workersβ support by providing leisure and holiday activities they might not otherwise be able to afford, such as skiing or theater trips
- To fill workersβ spare time with activities, limiting their ability to think about politics, thereby reducing opposition
By 1936 how many workers had enlisted in the Strength through Joy program?
30 million
What was the Reich food Estate?
Where central boards bought agricultural produce from farmers and distributed it to markets across Germany, giving farmers a guaranteed market for their goods at guaranteed prices.
What was the Reich Entailed Food Law?
A law that gave state protection for farms, preventing banks from seizing land for not paying loans or mortages
What was the Reich Entailed Food Law?
A law that gave state protection for farms, preventing banks from seizing land for not paying loans or mortages
What was the βblood and soilβ philosophy?
The idea that farmers are the master race and their land has to be protected
This is what the Reich entailed food law supported
What was the downside of the Reich Entailed Food Law?
- Banks were unwilling to lend money to farmers
- Only the eldest child could inherit land, other children left for industrial jobs
How were big businesses impacted by nazi rule?
They had huge benefits
(Mercedes, Volkswagen)
How were big businesses impacted by nazi rule?
They had huge benefits
(Mercedes, Volkswagen)
Why did big businesses benefit from nazi rule?
- They didnβt have to worry about trade unions or strikes
- Companies got huge government contracts for explosives, fertiliser, artificial oil from coal
How were middle classes impacted by nazi rule?
They liked the order brought by nazis, and the communist threat was taken care of
Define Volksgemeinschaft
The idea that all racially pure Germans should think of themselves as a βnational communityβ,
- being loyal to Hitler
- putting German interests above their own
- being proud of being in a racially superior nation
How successful was Hitler in reversing the ToV?
Very successful: He remilitarized, got territory gains, and increased army size.
However, colonies were not returned
War Time:
When did food rationing begin in nazi Germany?
Sept 1939
War Time:
When did clothes rationing begin in nazi Germany?
Nov 1939
War Time:
In 1939-41, why was morale high in Germany?
The war was going well for Germany, with a lot of control of western and eastern Europe. Captured areas were supplying luxury good to Germany.
When was Operation Barbarossa?
June 1941
What was operation Barbarossa?
The invasion of the Soviet union during WW2
What impact did Operation Barbarossa have on Germany?
Due to intense USSR-Germany battles, the war became more expensive. Thus, Germany had to turn towards Total War
Define Total War
When a country uses its full economic and military capacity, with many βrulesβ of war broken.
Once Total War began, how did life in Germany change?
- Civilian life was distrupted, with cut-back eating and longer working hours
- Goebbels doubled propaganda, asking people to make sacrifices in food
- Hitlerβs charisma, speeches, and rallies reduced as the country focused on war.
War Time:
By 1944, what % of the workforce was in war related work in Germany?
61%
War Time:
By 1944, how much of an increase was there in weapon production in Germany?
A 300% increase.
When did the final solution begin?
1941
What was the Final Solution?
The idea to kill all Jews in German-occupied territories
When was Albert Speer appointed?
1942
Who was Albert Speer?
The Minister of Armaments in nazi German, appointed during times of Total War
Why was Albert Speer appointed?
The four-year plan had failed in producing the amount of equipment the army needed
What did Albert Speer focus on in redirecting to a war economy?
On armament industries
When Germany turned to a war economy, how did postal services change?
Postal services were suspended, and letter boxes were closed
When Germany turned to a war economy, what happened to entertainment?
All places of entertainment, except cinemas were closed
When Germany turned to a war economy, how were women impacted?
Women were drafted into the labor force (going against propaganda)
In what ways did Nazi support weaken during Total War?
- People stopped declaring food they had
- People stayed away from nazi rallies
- People refused to give the βHeil Hitlerβ salute
When did allied bombing take place?
1942-45
How many deaths were caused by the allied bombing of Hamburg?
30,000 deaths
What were the objectives of allied bombing?
- Cripple German industry
- Terrorise people into giving up, lowering morale
When was the bombing of Hamburg?
July 1943
When was the bombing of Dresden?
Feb 1945
How many people were killed in the bombing of Dresden?
Around 25,000
What things show Germanyβs desperate state by 1945?
- Food supplies were dwindling
- 3.5 million Germans had died
- Refugees were fleeing
- Allies had killed 300,000 German civilians
When was VE day?
May 8 1945
What was VE day?
The day that Germany surrendered and the war in Europe ended
What were Ghettos?
Sealed areas of cities where Polish Jews were rounded up. The able-bodied did slave labour, the others left to die
How many Russian Jews were put under Nazi control after the invasion of Russia?
3 millon Jews
Define Einsatgruppen
Special SS units that carried out shootings on Jews
What were the able-bodied Jews used for in the final solution?
For slave labor or medical experiments
How many groups of Jewish resistance fighters are known?
28 groups
How did some Jews resist the nazi regime?
- They were hid by kind Germans
- Some were smuggled out
When was the meeting in Wannsee?
Jan 1942
Who chaired the meeting in Wannsee?
Reinhard Heydrich
What was done in the meeting in Wannsee?
- Heads of government departments, SS, and armed forces were all ordered to focus on killing Jews in Europe
What was Zyklon B?
Hydrogen cynanide, a substance used to kill Jews in the final solution.
Approximately how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust?
4-7 million Jews
Approximately how many people were killed in the Holocaust?
11-12 million people
What other groups were killed or worked in the Holocaust, apart from Jews?
Gay people, homeless people, Balkan Muslims, gypsies, communists, other leftists, Jehovahβs witnesses, Russian and Polish prisoners of war
