Life for Workers in Nazi Germany Flashcards
Dr Hjalmar Schacht
- loyal supporter of Hitler before the Nazis came to power
- financial expert
- trusted by business people, foreign leaders and banks
- president of the Reichsbank, 1933
- minister of economy, 1934
- devised the New Plan
What were the aims of the New Plan?
introduced the New Plan to deal with:
1) Germany’s trade deficit ⬆️➡️
2) Revive Germany’s economy ⬆️💰
3) Introduce cuts to welfare spending 👵
4) Impose limits on imports of goods into Germany 🎁
5) Create trade agreements with other countries - Hungary 🤝
6) Increased spending on industries ⬆️💰🏭
How did the New Plan reduce unemployment
- work creation schemes
- compulsory labour service
- conscription to the army, 1935
- removing Jews and political opponents from certain jobs and replacing them with unemployed people
How was the New Plan successful?
- solved economic crisis in Germany, 1934-36
- enabled Hitler to rearm his forces
How was the New Plan unsuccessful?
- Hitler wanted to prepare Germany for war and rearm much faster, 1935
- Schacht told Hitler Germany could not afford to rearm so quickly
- Schacht lost his power and resigned in 1937
Hermann Goering
- 2nd most important person in the Nazi Party
- head of the German airforce (the Luftwaffe)
- President of the Reichstag
- he had been a fighter pilot
- loyal supporter of Hitler
- not an expert in economics or business
- devised the Four Year Plan
What were the aims of the Four Year plan?
- prepare for war in four years
Autarky
- make Germany self-sufficient in materials essential for war
- set targets for the production of these materials
How did the Four Year plan work?
- increase production of raw materials needed for rearmament
- persuade big businesses to produce key synthetic substitutes for raw materials
- reduce exports even further
- tighten control on prices and wages
- use forced labour if necessary
- targets for foodstuffs by Reich Food Estate
- build new industrial plants, huge mining and metal works
Why did Hitler believe the German economy had to be the focus of his attention?
- the depression had created great hardship and political instability
- he would have to sort it out if he wanted to stay in power
- he wanted to go to war and make Germany great again, this meant constructing a strong war economy
What was the New Plan introduced in 1934 to deal with?
A trade deficit
- there was more money leaving Germany than coming in
Autarky
A country is able to survive by itself economically
Conscription
Forced recruitment into the army
How did the Nazis resolve the problem of not achieving autarky?
Conquering other countries
Reich nature protection act, 1935
aimed to plant trees, and prevent cruelty to animals
How did women and Jews reduce unemployment?
- Many people, especially professional women and Jews were forced from the workplace
- their jobs were then given to those who were unemployed
- 1933 Jewish people were banned from all government jobs
- neither one of these groups were then counted as unemployed