How far did society change because of Hitler’s regime Flashcards
What was expected of Women?
The “Three K’s” sum up what was expected of women in
Nazi Germany.
* They were expected to be mothers to a large family
* They were expected to teach Nazi morals and values to the family
* They were expected to be good housewives to their husbands
what were Reasons for, and impact of, policies towards
women
- Increasing births / Role of mother
The Nazis wanted a return to traditional values and encouraged women to become “The Light of the Home”. Hence, the Nazis began to impose conservative values, such as wearing long skirts, not smoking cigarettes and not wearing makeup.
-The reasons for all the policies towards women was that they wanted to revive the Aryan population following the First World War as they had suffered 1,773,000 deaths in World War One, and that they wanted to revive the birth rate, due to the fact that while there had been 2 million new births in 1900, as compared to just 1 million in 1933.
In order to encourage women to have children, the Nazis introduced a number of measures.
Financial incentives – such as marriage loans and birth grants – would encourage Aryan couples to reproduce children and keep reproducing children, as the more children they bore, the better benefits they would receive.
Excellent maternity services were provided to mothers as an incentive.
Using propaganda to promote having children.
The Mother’s Cross award – used to raise the status and self-esteem of mothers and housewives – was believed to help increase the pride and prestige of being a mother and housewife as the award would give women a goal to strive towards, in terms of the number of children they had.
Penalties towards childless citizens involved higher taxes on childless couples, tightened penalties for abortions, restricted information on contraception and measures for the compulsory sterilisation of ‘undesirables’. These numerous measures would help discourage women from aborting children or being childless, while also discriminating and persecuting those who did not fit into the Volksgemeinschaft and aims of the Nazi regime.
The Lebensborn programme was extended from 1939 to 1945, and the Nazis began to encourage having births outside marriage, due to the ongoing war and men being sent away to fight.
-Overall, regarding policies of increasing the birth rate, the Nazis were not very successful.
Although the birthrate initially rose in the mid-1930s, it began to slowly decline. The initial increase can be put down more to the economic recovery, rather than to Nazi policy and measures. Although the birth rate did rise when compared to during the Great Depression; it never got back to the levels of early Weimar Germany— partly due to the Nazi’s eugenic policies towards minorities and those with disabilities, which reduced the potential population numbers.
- Increasing marriages / Marriage laws
In terms of aims, the Nazis also aimed to increase suitable marriages and reduce the number of marriages among ‘inferior’ races. This is because more marriages meant more children, and Germany wanted more births.
Marriages loans of 600 Reichmarks were provided to couples from 1933 if the woman was unemployed. This was paid off by the taxes on childless citizens the more children that the married couple had. Later in 1937, as this policy produced less significant outcomes than hoped, the marriage loans were extended to women who were in work.
-A Marriage Law was introduced in 1935 requiring a certificate of ‘fitness to marry’ before the marriage licence was issued. This was determined by race and genetics, so as to reduce the population of non-desirables.
The Blood Protection Law was introduced in October 1935, forbidding Aryans from marrying Jews, Blacks or Gypsies.
A new Marriage Law, introduced in 1938, extended the grounds for divorce. This was to help national objectives regarding birth rate as it would allow men to divorce their infertile wives and vice-versa.
Was this policy successful overall?
In 1932 there were 516,000 marriages and in 1934, there were 740,000 marriages.
Also, divorces increased after 1938.
However, these increases may have been due more to economic optimism than a result of government policies, whilst the average size of families did fall during the 1930s.
- Childcare / Role of caretaker
The Nazis aimed at making sure German women were excellent caretakers in order to develop healthy Germans.
The National Socialist Women’s League was set up to work to achieve this goal and 6 million out of 30 million female adults – equating to a ⅕ of all women – became members.
There was a vast expansion of health offices during the period of 1933 to 1939, especially in rural areas. Sanitation, medicine, genetics and racial care were improved. From 1939 to 1945, the Nazis also improved childcare facilities, especially for mothers who were working to sustain the country during the Second World War.
Supposedly as a result of Nazi policy, the infant mortality rate in Germany dropped from 7.7% in 1933 to 6.6% in 1936.
- Education / Restrictions on education
In terms of education for women, the Nazis aimed to prepare women for their proper role of ‘Children, Kitchen and Church’, so they began to restrict opportunities for women. For example, they limited university enrolment of women to 10%, leading to a drop in the number of women at universities. That is until World War Two when restrictions were dropped, owing to the great demand for well-educated workers as men were off fighting the War.
Hence, during the rule of the Nazis, restrictions towards women in education increased and then were increasingly relaxed as women were needed in the workforce since the demand for workers and soldiers had grown since the Nazis came to power.
- Employment / Restrictions on employment
The Nazis aimed to achieve a traditional Germany where men work and women act as housewives, mothers and caregivers. This is because they wanted women to focus on the Lebensborn programme. Men were expected to make the money to sustain the family, and women were expected to look after and provide care for the family.
Employment opportunities were reduced amongst the female population in order to force them to focus on home life.
In 1933, women in top civil service and medical jobs were dismissed
In 1936, women were banned from being judges and lawyers.
However, when the war came around, the Nazi German government realised they did not have enough workers.
Compulsory agricultural labour service was implemented from 1939 for unmarried women under the age of 25.
Women were trained in Lichtenberg to help the SS in concentration camps from 1938 in order to contribute to the war and ideological effort. They took up minor jobs as guards, secretaries and nurses.
Women aged 17 to 45 were told to register for work, although there were many exceptions, such as women with children.
Due to Hitler’s reluctance, it was only in 1942 that this policy was implemented.
As a result, women were less mobilised in Germany than they were in the UK and USA during the wartime period.
- Public life / Role in the Nazi party
With regards to public life and female involvement in the Nazi party, Hitler wished that women were organised and incorporated into the Nazi Volksgemeinschaft.
Before the war, women were banned from being members of the Reichstag.
The Nazis did set up the NSF (standing for National Socialist Women’s League) and the DFW (Deutsches Frauenwerk), leading to increased female participation in Nazi bodies and activities.
During the Second World War, female organisations helped to support the war effort through the collection of clothes to help support the Russian front.
In many ways, although they were excluded from decision-making, the Nazis increased opportunities for middle class women especially, to become involved in public life and Nazi party activities.
How did World War Two affect Women?
Back to work
* With men going to war, women were
suddenly needed in the workplace
again
* Women manned the arms factories,
industry and farms.
* This was heavy, physical work that
women weren’t used to
Lebensborn
* The Nazi’s asked single women to
“donate a baby” to Hitler.
* This meant having sex with Aryan SS
officers and having their children.
* The Government would give benefits
to these Lebensborn babies
Difficult to meet Nazi Ideals
* Having to work meant women could not stay home with their children or teach them Nazi
values
* The stress of war made women start smoking and drinking.
* No men = no children
* Affairs because husbands are away.
what were the youth expected to be?
Young Germans were seen as incredibly important to the future of the the Nazi party – they were its future. The Nazi’s intention was to
brainwash the young people of Germany in order to create a generation of loyal devoted soldiers and mothers. The Nazi’s did this in two ways – through the Hitler Youth and
education
They aimed at developing youths who, in the long term, could become leaders and enable them to achieve Volksgemeinschaft.
They were taught and expected to…
-Be obedient to the Nazi party and it’s leaders
-Idolise the Führer
-Being physically fit
-Sacrificing oneself for the national good
-Do everything possible to strengthen the health and racial purity of the German nation
-Generally, boys were expected to become strong fighters and girls were taught to bear many children.
what was Hitler youth?
👦👧 What Was the Hitler Youth?
-The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) was a Nazi youth organization created to train boys to become loyal followers of Hitler and prepare them to be future soldiers.
-There was also a separate group for girls called the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel or BDM).
🗓️ When did it start?
-It existed before Hitler came to power (1926) , but in 1933 it became official and heavily promoted.
-By 1936, it was compulsory for all German children aged 10 and up.
🎯 Main Purposes:
Indoctrination:
- Teach children Nazi beliefs (e.g. loyalty to Hitler, hatred of Jews, importance of racial purity).
-Physical training: Prepare boys for military service through drills, marches, and outdoor survival.
-Control: Reduce influence of other groups like churches or family — the state became the central influence.
🧒 For boys (Hitler Youth):
Learned Nazi ideology.
-Military-style training: camping, shooting, marching.
-Encouraged to report anti-Nazi behavior, even in their own homes.
👧 For girls (BDM):
-Taught to be “good Nazi women” — obedient, healthy, and ready for motherhood.
-Training in housework, childcare, and staying physically fit.
📊 Impact:
-Created a generation that was deeply loyal to Hitler.
-Many boys joined the army or SS later on.
-Weakened influence of parents, churches, and traditional education.
-Gave many children a sense of purpose and belonging — which made it popular at first.
How did the nazi indoctrinate the nazi youth groups for boys?
-For boys aged 6 to 10, they were part of the Cubs, which promoted physical health among children.
-Boys aged 10-14 were part of the Young German Boys and took part in outdoor activities, parades and sports. The overall aim was to promote Nazi ideology and build them up to becoming soldiers. Indeed, by the end of World War II, a significant number, especially those living in the cities, had become child soldiers, protecting against the inbound allied invasions.
-Boys aged 14-18 were directly a part of Hitler Youth, which had a military-like hierarchical structure. Hitler Youth organised camps, parades and military training, gearing the population of young men up for war.
-Their participation, heavily promoted during the mid-to-late 1930s (and later becoming compulsory from 1939) taught them to be loyal to Hitler and his Nazi regime.
How did the nazi indoctrinate the nazi youth groups for girls?
-For girls, the First Hitler Youth Law in 1936 made it compulsory that girls aged 10-14 become members of the Young Girls group. They were required to be educated up to the fourth grade and be healthy, pure-blooded German citizens. In this group they were taught home economics and were educated on Nazi history and ideology.
-Girls aged 14-18 were part of the League of German Girls (BDM). Their activities trained them for their expected roles within German society; being good housewives and mothers.
-The organisation ‘Faith and Beauty’ provided working opportunities for women aged 18-21. The work included fashion designing, cooking and childcare.
This was because the Nazi Party wanted to train women to become good mothers and housewives.
What were Nazi education policies towards boys
Hitler aimed to create loyal and obedient Nazis who would lead Germany in the future.
-The Nazis wanted to create a physically and racially healthy German race, whilst they needed to be prepared for becoming soldiers in the army. Thus, education had to be focused on strict discipline, obedience and physical education.
-Physical Education was given 15% of school time as Nazis wanted children to be physically fit and healthy; for boys to be ready to become soldiers, and for girls to be healthy for childbirth.
-The school curriculum was designed to indoctrinate children from a very young age as they were continually taught Nazi ideas and beliefs. Hence, the lessons usually just consisted of the teacher speaking and the students copying it down. This is because students were discouraged from questioning or debating any Nazi teachings.
-History reinforced Nazi history and beliefs.
-Geography taught about the history of German land and Germany’s requirements of Lebensraum.
-Mathematics was used as propaganda as it required students to answer questions that helped reinforce Nazi beliefs about warfare and the struggle between the races.
-Moreover, German taught students to be conscious of their national identity.
-Healthy Biology or Race Studies focused on teaching students how to classify racial groups based on physical appearance, with Jewish Children often used as real-life examples of ‘racial inferiority’.
What Nazi education policies towards girls
Hitler aimed to teach young girls how to…
-become a submissive, healthy mother and housewife
-to keep themselves physically fit (in line with the ideology of an Elite Aryan race)
-have a lot of children and why it was necessary.
-The League of German girls instilled the traditional values of housekeeping, raising children and modesty into young girls.
-They were also taught how to dress, with traditional, conservative German clothing being heavily promoted.
-While being taught the core subjects, there was a separate education curriculum for girls that mostly focused on building up young girls to learn about motherhood, reproduction and being a housewife. Girls had to take Eugenics and Domestic Science and were taught how to select a husband, based on the best genetic and physical qualities.
-They heavily promoted having children to young women. As a special award for mothers who had more than four children, they were presented with “The Mother’s Cross”.
what were Nazi education policies towards teachers
-With the changes to the education system, those in positions of employment within education were significantly impacted.
-During the years of Nazi rule, teachers were used as a tool to indoctrinate the youth. In order to ensure the loyalty of the teachers to the Nazi party and make sure teachers remained absolutely obedient to the State, teachers were required to join the Nazi Teachers’ Association from 1933.
By 1936, 32% of the teachers were members of the Nazi Party.
-In 1933, all Jewish teachers were sacked following the implementation of the Law for the Restoration of professional civil service.
was Hitler Youth plan successful? were there opposition?
Despite the policies and crackdowns of the Nazi party and the fact that Hitler Youth is seen as the most successful movement in Nazi Germany (as it reached 8 million members by 1940), there were still some youth opposition groups.
-All of these groups were influenced by the Western culture, which did not align with the Nazi ideology. As a result of their opposition, they were suppressed by the Nazis, with many being arrested and executed.
-The White Rose Group
performed acts of Underground Resistance as they painted anti-nazi graffiti, such as crossed-out swastikas and published and posted anti-nazi leaflets around the cities.
-The Edelweiss Pirates also used Underground Resistance by refusing to join Hitler Youth camps, and instead went on their own camps, during which they disobeyed Nazi morals by singing about sex, food and freedom. They also attacked Hitler Youth patrols.
-In December 1942, the Gestapo arrested 739 Edelweiss Pirates in Düsseldorf, as a result of their resistance to the Nazi Party.
-Finally, Swing Kids is another youth opposition group, which practised non-cooperation and non-conformity. They liked English and American music and fashion, which went against the Nazi ideology. Moreover, they organised parties where they met up and spoke of sex, listened to jazz, got drunk and smoked.
Additionally…
- Hitler Youth was not popular with all children.
Many only joined because of threatening letters - Some HJ groups had very few children turning up.
- Children liked the fun, physical aspects, but were
bored when they were taught politics - Some simply ignored the “brainwashing” side.
Were Women or the Young better off?
Women – Good and Bad
* Medals for children
* They are highly valued by society
* Marriage loans
* Security
* Don’t have to work
* Limited expectations on them
* No individuality
* No choice of dress, career or education
* Forced to do very hard work during the war
* Sterilisation for those not perfect.
* Expected to give up work and have children,
whether they wanted to or not.
Young – Good and Bad
* Become part of a group
* Go on fun trips
* Drops some unpopular school subjects, eg
religion
* Lots of sport.
* Highly organised and valued.
* Many hated the HJ, especially the boring
politics.
* New subjects at school were confusing.
* Taught to spy on parents.
* HJ members were used to defend Berlin in the
last days of the war.
why did Hitler not go against the chatolic church and instead made an agreement
-Hitler did not want a battle with the Catholic Church. They are led by the
Pope, who lives in his own City in Italy. Hitler dared not make an enemy of
him, because he could order all Catholics across the world to oppose the Nazis.
-Hitler made an agreement, called a Concordat in 1935 –Nazi’s would
leave all Catholic Churches, schools and groups alone, in exchange for
the Pope staying out of all politics. Hitler and the Pope signed it.
why was it hard for Hitler to control the church’s?
Hitler wanted to stamp out the Churches, but in 1933 he was not yet strong enough. The church was a problem because…
* Around 90% of Germans were Christians
* Hitler wanted to be seen as a God himself – there was
no room for two!
* The Church offered something Hitler couldn’t - a life after death
* The Church had the kind of control over hearts and
minds that Hitler needed.
* They were the only group that could cause a rebellion
why was hitler able to control The Protestant Church
The Protestant Churches had no leader – they were just individual churches.
This made it much easier for Hitler to bring them under Nazi control.
* The Department for Church affairs was set up to control Protestant
Churches. They were brought together as “German Christians”
* Hitler was able to choose who the most important Bishops would be.
* Priests wore Nazi robes and badges, with Swastika flags in church.
* They also did Nazi salutes and marches.
Control?
Hitler had some control of the Protestants – but not total. He abolished all church schools in 1939, but was never able
to get people to stop going to Church or love him more than God.
-Despite Hitler’s aggression, he still retained the support of Protestants, who disliked the Weimar Republic, Treaty of Versailles, and Jews.
-However, a significant number of Christians remained opposed to Nazi policy. Some of it was successfully as Christians were able to temporarily stop the euthanasia program, which involved executing the mentally ill and disabled, as they voiced opposition against the policy. Still, the Nazi’s racist Nuremberg Laws were actually welcomed by right-wing Christians.
