Life for Workers Flashcards
Unit 3 of the Nazi Germany section
Who was originally appointed Minister of Economics?
Dr Hjalmar Schacht
What did Schacht do to deal with the trade deficit?
He introduced a New Plan in 1934
Give 4 aspects of Schacht’s plan.
Introducing massive cuts to welfare spending, imposing limits on imports, making trade agreements with other countries and investing government money in key industries.
Why did Schacht resign?
Hitler put pressure on him to spend more on the military.
Who was Schacht replaced by?
Herman Göring
What did Göring do to get Germany ready for war?
He introduced a Four Year Plan in 1936 targeting both agriculture and industry.
What does autarky mean?
Self-sufficient
Give six aspects of Göring’s plan.
- New factories were constructed
- Industries were put under government control
- The amount of imported goods was cut
- Higher targets were set for the production of materials like oil, rubber and steel
- A programme of inventions was started to try and reduce imports, like developing synthetic fibres and plant genetic research
- Targets and guidelines were imposed for the production of foodstuffs by the Reich Food Estate.
About how many natural resources essential for the economy was Germany importing by 1939?
One third
Give three ways the Nazis wrecked Germany’s economy.
The switch of production to munitions and rearmament weakened the economy; they printed 12 billion marks worth of Mefo bills to pay for rearmament and public works which created inflation; and food prices rose with a nutritional crisis in northern Germany, as well as the death rate rising from 1933 to 1938.
How many Germans were unemployed in 1933?
6 million
What Nazi policies towards women reduced unemployment figures?
Married women and women in professional and government jobs were forced to give up their jobs; they were no longer recorded on the unemployment register and their jobs were taken by men.
What Nazi policies towards Jews reduced unemployment?
In April 1933, Jews were banned from government jobs, in October 1933 they were banned from jobs in journalism and broadcasting, and they were no longer recorded on the unemployment register.
When was conscription introduced?
1935
How much did the German army grow?
It grew from100,000 members in 1933 to 1.4 million in 1939
How much money was spent on rearmament?
46 billion marks
When did the Reinhard Programme begin?
June 1933
How much did the Reinhard Programme cost initially?
1 billion marks
What was the Reinhard Programme?
A programme of public works in which the government invested in building autobahns, waterways and railways across Germany
When was the follow up programme to the Reinhard Programme announced?
September 1933
What did the Reinhard follow-up programme do?
It gave tax incentives to construction projects in rural areas and for house building in towns
What fraction of government spending on public works was spent on the autobahns?
One fifth
How many autobahns were built initially?
15
How many workers did initial work on the autobahns employ?
15,000
What was RAD?
The National Labour Service
When was RAD set up?
1935
Who was RAD compulsory for?
All men aged from 18 to 25
What law made RAD compulsory for certain people?
The Reich Labour Service Act
When was compulsory RAD extended to women?
1939
How much did jobs in construction increase?
They increased from 666,000 in 1933 to over 2 million in 1936
What was it like for RAD workers?
They carried out work for the state like building schools, hospitals, motorways and bridges; helping on farms, planting trees and working on public works schemes. They worked long hours in bad working conditions for a very small amount of money. Manual labour was favoured over the use of machines.
How many (male, Aryan) Germans were unemployed by 1939?
300,000
How many apartments had the Reinhard Programme built between 1933 and 1939?
1.8 million
How much had the autobahn system cost by 1941?
6.6 billion marks
How long was the system of autobahns by 1941?
4000 km
How many bridges had been built by 1941?
9000
When were trade unions abolished and striking made illegal?
May 1933
What was the DAF?
The German Labour Front
Who led the DAF?
Dr Robert Ley
How many members did the DAF have by 1935?
20 million
What was the SdA?
Beauty of Labour, a branch of the DAF
What did Beauty of Labour do?
It improved workplaces to encourage workers to be proud of their work.
Give examples of how German workplaces improved.
Better lighting, canteens, noise reduction, toilets, washing facilities and crèches.
What was the KdF programme?
Strength Through Joy, a programme started by the DAF.
When was Strength Through Joy set up?
November 1933
What was the aim of Strength Through Joy?
To ensure workers were happy and committed outside the workplace
What incentives did Strength Through Joy offer?
Workers’ picnics, cheap theatre and cinema tickets, evening classes, sporting activities, cheap holidays like Mediterranean cruises, and a savings scheme to own a Volkswagen.
What happened to the amount of paid holiday?
It increased from 3 days to 6.
What improvements were there to welfare?
Universal healthcare, job protection and low taxation, as well as screening for breast cancer.
How many days’ work were lost to strikes in 1928
20 million
What happened to workers’ rights?
Workers had to work longer hours and were not allowed to leave their jobs without permission.
Where was the holiday camp for workers built?
Prora
How did Strength Through Joy fail?
No one ever got a Volkswagen from the savings scheme, and when the war broke out no one had been to the Prora holiday camp.
By what percent had employers’ income increased by 1939?
130%
When did ordinary workers see their wages recover to pre-Depression levels?
1938
How much did wages increase overall under the Nazis?
20%
