life in Nazi Germany Flashcards
what did the SDA do in helping improving work conditions?
they installed better lighting, safety equipment, new wash rooms, low-cost canteens, sports facilities
how did the KDF improve workers lives?
they organised leisure activities to encourage hard work
a reward scheme that offered cheap holidays, trips to the theatre, and tickets to football matches if workers met their targets
how did the DAF help improve workers lives?
they had a scheme to help workers save for a car
Hitler designed a Volkswagen called the ‘peoples car’ that ordinary people could afford
how did workers lose their rights?
trade unions were banned, so workers could not quit without the governments permission and were banned from striking
what was a drawback of the KDF?
their ‘cheap holidays’, such a cruises around Italy or skiing in Switzerland were still to expensive for most working-class Germans
how did workers lives get worse as Germany was trying to be self-sufficient?
being self-sufficient meant Germany could not rely on imports from other countries
this meant there was less food in the shops, so shop keepers charged more because of high demand, meaning some ordinary Germans couldn’t afford it
how was rationing a problem for German civilians?
food and clothing was rationed
people were limited to one egg per week and goods like soap and toilet paper were in very short supply
how was bombing a problem for German civilians?
due to the impact of the bombs dropped by Britain and America, there was no electricity, water or transport
the bombing caused flooding and gas explosions, as well as the constant danger of unexploded bombs
what was Eugenics?
another name for the subject ‘race studies’
students were taught how to improve their race and about Nazi beefs and the inferiority of black people, Eastern Europeans and Jews
why were girls and boys taught different things at school?
the Nazis wanted to train the boys to be possible Nazi leaders, so they were taught to be masculine and aggressive
girls would have been taught how to be good housewives and mothers
what did the Nazis believe the role of women should be?
the Nazis believed the main role of women was to produce children, as they were worried about the declining number of births due to career-driven women
the Nazis felt it was a woman’s duty to stay at home, have lots of children and support their husbands
how did the Nazis encourage women to have children?
they would give out loans to newly married couples to encourage them to have children
-> on the first child they got to keep 1/4 of the money, on the second child they got a second quarter and so on
they banned contraception and abortion
slimming was discouraged because it was not good for pregnancy
what were womens lives like in the 1920s (before the Nazis)?
had the right to vote
if they worked for the government, their pay was equal to men
many women attended university and became lawyers and doctors
what groups of people were on Hitlers hate list?
- tramps, beggars and alcoholics
- prostitutes, homosexuals and problem families
- people with strong religious beliefs
- physically and mentally disabled people
what were the Nuremberg laws?
Nazi policies that stripped Jews of their citizenship
what did the Nuremberg laws mean for Jewish people?
outlawed marriages and sexual relations between Jews and Germans was forbidden
they no longer had the protection of the law, so could be arrested without a trial
difficult for them to leave Germany as they had no citizenship
why did some Christians support the Nazis?
the nazis said they believed in the importance of marriage, family and more views, most Christians believe the same
Christians feared communist because it was anti-religious, Hitler promised to destroy communism
Hitler promised to respect the Catholic Church
what was the role of the Gestapo?
to listen to conversations and tap into telephone calls, and report anyone who opposed nazi ideas
how did the Gestapo change the behaviour of ordinary Germans?
they became more quiet and didn’t speak their mind, though fear of the gestapo listening
the fear of the gestapo meant ordinary Germans reported each other as they thought the Gestapo would find out anyway
how did fear of concentration camps change the behaviour of ordinary Germans?
they had to act like they fully adored Hitler and had to forget their former political views
how did the Swing Youth oppose Hitler and the Nazis?
- they listened to jazz music
- had Jewish friends
how did the White Rose group oppose Hitler and the Nazis?
- they urged Germans to get rid of Hitler
- they handed out anti-Nazi leaflets, put up posters and wrote graffiti on walls
how did the Edelweiss pirates and the Navajos oppose Hitler and the Nazis?
- they beat up Nazi officials and helped army deserters
- they sabotaged railway lines and acted as spies, passing on information to other countries
how did the protestant and Catholic Church oppose Hitler and the Nazis?
- made some criticism of the Nazis
- spoke out in 1941 against the killing of physically and mentally disabled people
how did the Kreisau Circle oppose Hitler and the Nazis?
- discussed assassinating Hitler and getting rid of the Nazis
- never actually did anything
how did the Beck-Goerdeler oppose Hitler and the Nazis?
- contacted the British about the possibility of removing Hitler, but nothing could be agreed
- made an attempt of Hitlers life and were behind the July Bomb plot
