Life in Nazi Germany Flashcards
What were Nazi views on women and the family?
Women should adopt the traditional roles of mother and housewife. Hitler, however, did not believe that women were somehow less important than men - he described their role as equally important.
1933: The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage.
1938: The Divorce Law.
The Mother’s Cross was used to incentivise women to have lots of children. Four was seen as the baseline number.
What were policies on marriage and family?
The Reich Women’s Leader from 1934 onwards was Getrud Klink. She set out to make German women “servants” of the State. She insisted all women’s organisations should join together as the German Women’s Enterprise and through the activities of the group, the Nazi message for women could be easily spread.
From 1935, the Lebensborn (fountain of life) programme encouraged women to have children with SS guards in order to create the most genetically pure children possible for worthy German families. Women would receive money and support in return.
What were policies on employment and appearance?
Women were expected to adopt a natural look and wear long skirts. A perfect hairstyle would be tied back hair or simple plaited hair. A woman should have endeavoured to stay strong so that hips would be strong enough to sustain lots of births. They were discouraged from dying their hair or even wearing make-up.
From 1936 onwards, women were allowed to join some professions. From the 1940s onwards, women were increasingly used in war work.
What did the Nazis want from young people?
Young people would attend youth groups and camps to demonstrate they were putting their duty to the country ahead of their private pleasures or pursuits. Eventually, attendance was made compulsory.
What was the purpose of the Hitler Youth?
Character training - oaths of loyalty would be taken from the age of 10 onwards.
Military training - map-reading and signalling. Endurance exercise in wintry weather to prepare young boys for war.
Naval, Motor, Gliding and flying divisions of the Hitler youth were installed to replicate the divisions of the army.
Extra lessons were included on the heroes of Germany and how to report parents and teachers if children were from families suspected of betraying the Nazis.
What was the purpose of the German League of Maidens?
The importance of racial hygiene was taught. The idea that the German Race was kept pure by only marrying Aryan men was communicated.
Girls were trained to cook, iron and make beds.
Athletics were made part of the activities so that girls could grow strong and ready for motherhood.
How did the Nazis control the young through education?
The injustice of the Treaty of Versailles was taught in History lessons.
Race studies.
What steps did the Nazis take to reduce unemployment?
Conscription into the Labour Service.
Massive rearmament programme.
Women and Jews = the “invisible unemployed”.
How did standards of living change for German workers?
In general wages got better, but it was better between 1936 and 1939 than 1933 and 1936. If you worked making weapons, then your wages rose quicker than in the Labour Service.
Prices of items went up so if you were a higher earner you ended up with more money, but it was more expensive to buy things.
On average, the working week went up from 43 hours in 1933 to 49 hours in 1939.
