Hitler's Policies Flashcards
Germany
What was the National Labour Service?
Men between ages 18 and 25 were paid pocket money and a free meal to build things like motorways (Autobahns), hospitals, schools and forests
What was Conscription?
From 1935, all men between ages 18 and 25 were forced to join the army, navy or air force for at least 2 years
What was Re-armament?
New tanks, battleships, fighter planes and guns were built creating millions of jobs to do it.
How did Germany become self-sufficient?
Autarky
Items imported from other countries were replaced wither cheaper, artificial substitutes made in Germany.
E.g. coffee from acorns,
petrol from coal,
make-up from flour
What was ‘invisible unemployment’?
When many women and Jews lost their jobs and were replaced by unemployed men
What was the German Labour Front? (DAF)
Who was in charge of it?
A Nazi organisation that promised to protect the rights of workers and improve their conditions
It was run by Dr Robert Ley
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the DAF?
The average German was earning ten times as much in 1938 than in 1932
BUT
workers couldn’t quit without the governments permission, they couldn’t strike and they were forced to work as many hours as the Nazi’s required
What was Strength Through Joy? (KdF)
An organisation that controlled people’s leisure time so they didn’t have time to complain about the government
What were the Strengths and weaknesses of the KdF?
Rewards: - Skiing or walking holidays, - Cinema and theatre trips, - Luxury cruise etc... BUT People had to save 5marks per week up to 750 marks for a Volkswagen car they never received. The Nazis spent that money on weapons.
What did people do at Mass Rallies?
Millions of people listened to choirs, bands speeches and watched fireworks and air shows.
These were held every year to celebrate Hitler’s greatness.
Who was Heinrich Himmler?
He was the man in charge of all aspects of ‘Nazi Terror’.
He was a loyal Nazi who had known Hitler since 1923
What were the three main sections of the SS?
- On section looked after security - they could arrest without reason and search houses.
- The Waffen SS - providing elite units to the army
- Death’s Head Units- they ran the concentration camps, and later, the death camps
Who were sent to Concentration camps?
Anyone who was considered an “enemy of the German state”
People the Nazis didn’t like were sent there:
- Jews
- Homosexuals
- Gypsies
- Old political opponents
- Anyone who criticised Hitler
How did the Gestapo track people?
Their punishments?
They spied, tapped telephone lines and opened mail.
Encouraged kids to report parents or teaches if they complained or made anti-Hitler jokes.
Gestapo could arrest, imprison without trial and torture anyone
What could the police give the death penalty for?
Things such as:
- telling anti-Hitler jokes
- relations with a Jew
- listening to foreign radio stations
