Life for Workers in Nazi Germany

Question 1

Name some Nazi attempts to reduce unemployment

Answer 1

Public Works
Conscription
Rearmament
Autarky
RAD

Question 2

What was public works?

Answer 2

built autobahns, waterways and railways

autobahn construction employed around 15000 people

Question 3

what was Conscription?

Answer 3

forced recruitment, created new jobs in the army

army size grew to 1.4 millions, new recruits removed fro unemployment register

Question 4

What was rearmament?

Answer 4

thousands of jobs created in military weapons, equipment and similar industries

Question 5

What was Autarky?

Answer 5

Goering’s 4 year plan - attempted to make Germany economically self- sufficient.
failed. Germany still imported over 1/3 of essentials by 1939

Question 6

what was the RAD?

Answer 6

National Labour Service - compulsory very militaristic civil service. No wages - schools, hospitals and autobahns built.
Compulsory 6 month membership men aged 18-25 (removed from unemployment register)

Question 7

Who created the New Plan?

Answer 7

Dr Hjalmar Schact - respected economist, Minister of Economics

Question 8

What was the aim of the New Plan?

Answer 8

deal with trade deficit - cuts to welfare spending, limits on imports, trade agreement with other countries, controlled government spending

Question 9

When did Schact resign and why?

Answer 9

1937 due to pressure by Hitler to increase spending on military.

Question 10

Who created the 4 year plan?

Answer 10

Herman Goering

Question 11

What were the aims of the 4 year plan?

Answer 11

autarky and rearmament - get Germany ready for war

Question 12

How was farming affected by the 4 year plan?

Answer 12

more food needed to be produced. Production controlled by the Reich Food Estate.
Food prices rose, there was a ‘nutritional crisis’ and death rates rose.

Question 13

How were factories affected by the 4 year plan?

Answer 13

controlled, more production, focus on war goods.
Switch to munition production weakened the economy.
To pay, Nazis payed 12 billion marks of ‘Mefo bills’ . This caused inflations, and eventually a 1939 economic crisis.

Question 14

How were Inventions affected by the 4 year plan?

Answer 14

artificial goods eg. rubber and oil needed to be created, importing cut.
No investment in alternatives, 1939 Germany importing over a third of their essential goods.

Question 15

what were the short term Nazi aims for the economy?

Answer 15

revive nazi economy and create jobs and avoid deficit (schact’s New plan)

Question 16

what were the long term Nazi aims for the economy?

Answer 16

get economy ready for war (Goering’s 4 year plan)

Question 17

what were the evidences of success in reviving the economy?

Answer 17

unemployment fell (jobs in RAD, public works, conscription)
improved transport - autobahn, canal, railway
houses, hospitals and schools built

Question 18

what were the evidences of failure in reviving the economy?

Answer 18

unemployment stats rigged (Jews and women not counted)
Autarky failed (third)
Over investment in armed forces and underinvestment in consumer goods
Food supplies fell - death rate increased
RAD workers only paid pocket money
Mefo bills led to inflations

Question 19

What was the DAF?

Answer 19

German Labour Front - Trade union replacement

Question 20

what were the positives of the DAF?

Answer 20

Guarantees a job, promises to look after workers as trade unions did

Question 21

What were the cons of the DAF?

Answer 21

freedoms restricted, sided with employers, can’t quit , move jobs or strike, hours increased

Question 22

What was the KDF?

Answer 22

Strength through Joy - leisure, benefits and incentives

Question 23

What were the pros of the KDF?

Answer 23

Picnics, cheap cinema and theatre tickets, cheap holidays (prora) Volkswagen, rents controlled, ow taxes, sporting activities

Question 24

what were the cons of the KDF?

Answer 24

Nobody actually got a Volkswagen or visited Prora, can’t strike/change jobs, could be sent to a concentration camp

Question 25

What was the SdA?

Answer 25

Beauty of Labour - encourage workers to take pride in their work

Question 26

what were the pros of the SdA?

Answer 26

provided canteens, noise reduction, lighting, washing, improved working conditions

Question 27

What were the cons of the SdA?

Answer 27

no strikes, high working hours, can’t quit, sent to a camp