Life For Workers In Nazi Germany Flashcards
Who was Dr. Hjalmar Schacht?
He was a German economist that got Germany in a good economic position after ww1 and the wall street crash. He later left his job as he didn’t agree with Nazi ideals and Hitler as Hitler wanted to control him and told him to do things which would weaken the economy
What was the new plan
The new plan was Dr Schachts plan to rescue the German economy. He did this by introducing a trade deficit, making trade agreements with other countries, limits in imports and limits in government spending on raw materials.
Who was Herman Goering
He was a Nazi and was appointed by Hitler to make Germany ready for war. He replaced schacht as Hitler claimed schacht had no economic skills
What was the four year plan
This was Goering’s attempt at getting Germany ready for war. He did this by making new factories for tanks and planes
Existing factories now had to produce what Hitler instructed them to make
Increase food production
Goering famously said guns are better than butter
What methods did the Nazis use to reduce unemployment
- Hitler stopped paying reparations as soon as he came to power
- Reinhard programme of June 1933
- Introduction of conscription in 1935
- Rearmament
- National labour service (RAD)
- VLS and VYS (voluntary labour service) (voluntary youth service)
- Rigged stats
What is DAF and what does it stand for
It stands for German Labour Front
It was a trade Union run by the Nazis
This meant it was impossible to strike for better pay
What does KDF stand for and what does it do
Stands for strength through joy (Kraft durch Freunde). This ensured that workers were controlled and happy outside the workplace. They did this by offering cheap holidays, have picnics, cheap cinema tickets and take part in Mediterranean cruises.
What does SDA stand for and what did they do
Stood for the beauty of labour
Was introduced to improve workplaces eg. Better lighting and wash facilities. They even introduced screening of women for breast cancer.
Who lead these organisations (DAF, KDF, SDA)
Robert Ley
Why were small businesses better off under the Nazi regime?
Hitler disliked the growth of big department stores so passed laws to shut them down
This lead to people shopping at smaller shops
Closure of Jewish shops reduced competition
What was RAD?
RAD was an organisation which was compulsory for all men aged 18-25. They had to carry out work for the state, like road building and tree planting for a very small amount of money. This meant they were taken off the unemployment register and provided cheap labour for the state
What positives came out of the organisations
Bosses were not allowed to sack workers on the spot
By 1936 the average factory worker was earning 35 marks a week, ten times more than the dole money which 6 million people were receiving in 1932.
What negatives came out of the organisations for workers
The restriction on the number of hours a person could be made to work was removed, by 1939 many Germans were working 60-72 hours a week.
Dr Robert Ley abolished the right of workers to bargain for higher wages and he made strikes illegal
Many workers didn’t complain and they were worried what would happen to them if they did.
Did big businessmen gain from the Nazi Regime?
They benefited from rearmament contracts but thus meant they had to make what the Nazis told them to
How did farmers benefit from Nazi regime?
They gained a lot of land
Food prices increase making them more money
Debts were written off
Although lots of government meddling and loss of farm workers.
