Life in Germany Flashcards
How was life in Germany for Nazi Party members?
Especially happy - best houses, good jobs and power over people.
How was life in Germany for ordinary people (good things)
Full employment (Strength through Joy) gave people prosperity, financial security and hardly any poverty. Law and order was maintained well. Autobahns improved transport. Ceremonies and rallies made them feel like they were part of a great movement. Propaganda gave people hope. Racial policy gave self-belief. Trust in Hitler gave sense of security.
How was life in Germany for ordinary people (bad things)
Wages fell and strikers could be shot. Loss of personal freedom (e.g. freedom of speech). All culture had to be German - e.g. Beethoven and not jazz. Realism paintings and not cubism.
How was life in Germany for women (good things)
Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave newly-weds a loan of 1000 marks and they got to keep 250 marks every time they had a baby. There was a medal system - 8 children meant a gold medal.
How was life in Germany for women (bad things)
Job discrimination encouraged - women doctors / teachers forced to give up their job. Not allowed to serve in armed forces.
How was life in Germany for youth (good things)
Nazi culture was youth oriented. Hitler youth provided exciting activities. Nazis treated them as if they were special - i.e. knew more than their parents. Parents feared that they would be turned in by their kids to the gestapo - a power they enjoyed.
How was life in Germany for youth (bad things)
Girls not happy with 3 ‘C’s - church children and cooker . They were sent to camps to ‘breed’ with Aryan boys. Eidelwess pirates beat up Hitler Youth. White Rose and swing group also opposed.
How was life in Germany for political opponents?
Banned trade unions. Communists in concentration camps or killed. Protestant pastors persecuted and executed. Each block had a block warden who would report to Gestapo. Children were encouraged to turn in their parents.
How was life in Germany for Untermensch (burdens to society)?
Blacks were sterilized and killed. Jews systematically killed an put in concentration camps. Final solution - 6 000 000 Jews died - 2/3rds of Europe’s population. 85% of German gypsies dead. 5000 mentally disabled killed (1939-1941). 300,000 men and women physically disabled were sterilized (1934-1945). 100,000 killed in euthanasia (1939 - 1941).
Describe increase in employment in Nazi Germany
1936 Olympics gave jobs. Autobahn gave approximately 80,000 jobs for men. Rearmament gave way to millions of jobs. Unemployment dropped to about 300,000 (1939) from 6,000,000.
Describe autarky in Nazi Germany
Hitler wanted Germany to produce everything it needed. Hoped to make things such as rubber synthetically in order to avoid trading. 1937 - Goering was made economics minister with the aim to Germany self-sufficient in 4 years - this was not successful. By WWII, Germany was importing 20% of its food and 33% of its raw materials.
Describe changes in the standard of living in Nazi Germany
Big business wages rose by 50%, agricultural prices rose by 20%. 20% of small businesses closed.
