Life in Nazi Germany (1933-39) Flashcards
What were the three K’s that Hitler believed women should follow?
Kirche (Church)
Kuche (Kitchen)
Kinder (Children)
What did Josef Goebbels say about the role of women?
“The mission of women is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world”
How did Hitler attempt to achieve a high birth rate for the Aryan race through women?
- Introducing the Law for the Encouragement of
Marriage which gave newlywed couples a loan of
1,000 marks, and allowed them to keep 250 marks for
each child they had - Giving an award called the Mother’s Cross to women
who had large numbers of children - Allowing women to volunteer to have a baby for an
Aryan member of the SS
What measures did Hitler take in order to keep women out of the workplace?
- The introduction of the Law for the Reduction of
Unemployment in 1933, which gave women financial
incentives to stay at home - Not conscripting women to help in the war effort until
1943
What was the Law for the Reduction of Unemployment, and when was it issued?
A law giving women financial incentives to stay at home, passed in 1933
What was the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage?
A law which gave newlyweds a loan of 1000 marks, and let them keep 250 for each child they had
How did the number of women in the workplace change between 1933 and 1939 despite Hitler’s attempts to stop this?
Female labour was cheap and between 1933 and 1939 the number of women in employment actually rose by 2.4 million. As the German economy grew, women were needed in the workplace.
What were Nazi beliefs over women’s appearances?
Women were expected to emulate traditional German peasant fashions - plain peasant costumes, hair in plaits or buns and flat shoes. They were not expected to wear make-up or trousers, dye their hair or smoke in public. They were discouraged from staying slim, because it was thought that thin women had trouble giving birth.
When was the Hitler Youth made compulsory for boys over 10?
1936
When was the Hitler Youth established?
1926
What percentage of German boys over 14 were a part of the Hitler Youth by 1939?
90%
What was the Hitler Youth?
- Its aim was to prepare German boys to be future
soldiers - Boys wore military-style uniforms
- Activities centred on physical exercise and rifle
practice, as well as political indoctrination
What was the League of German Maidens?
- Its aim was to prepare German girls for motherhood
- Girls wore a uniform of blue skirt, white blouse and
and heavy marching shoes - Girls undertook physical exercise, but activities mainly
centred on developing domestic skills such as sewing
and cooking
What organisation did all teachers have to join under Hitler?
The Nazi Teachers’ Association
How did Hitler use the education system to consolidate his power?
The curriculum was altered to reflect Nazi ideology and priorities:
- History - lessons included a course on the rise of the
Nazi Party. - Biology - lessons were used to teach Nazi racial
theories of evolution and that Jews were biologically
inferior to the Aryans - Race study and ideology - this became a new subject,
dealing with the Aryan ideas and anti-Semitism. - Physical Education - German schoolchildren had five
one-hour sports lessons every week. - Chemistry and Mathematics - were downgraded in
importance.
How did Hitler use rearmament to decrease unemployment?
- In 1933, 3.5 billion marks was spent on producing
tanks, aircraft and ships, and by 1939 the figure was
26 billion marks. This created millions of jobs for
German workers. The use of oil, iron and steel all
tripled, creating a variety of different jobs. - Rearmament started almost as soon as Hitler came
to power but was announced publicly in 1935. This
created millions of jobs for German workers and was
responsible for the bulk of economic growth
How did Hitler the National Labour Service to decrease unemployment?
The introduction of the National Labour Service (NLS) meant all young men had to work for six months without pay, and were then conscripted into the army. They were no longer counted in the unemployment figures.
How did Hitler use public works to decrease unemployment?
He began a huge programme of public works, which included building hospitals, schools, and public buildings such as the 1936 Olympic Stadium. The construction of the autobahns created work for 80,000 men.
How many jobs did the production of the Autobahns provide for German workers?`
80,000
How did Hitler make Germany’s unemployment figures seem lower than they were?
- Although Germany claimed to have full employment
by 1939, many groups of people were not included in
the statistics, including: - The 1.4 million men in the army at this time. There
were also a number of men working on public works
schemes. - Jews who were sacked and their jobs given to non-
Jews. - Women who were encouraged to give up their jobs
to men
How did big businesses benefit under Hitler?
By 1937 monopolies controlled over 70 per cent of production and the Nazis had links to major companies such as Krupp Steel and IG Farben (which produced chemicals). Both of these areas would be important for rearmament, and from 1935 onwards major industrial companies definitely benefited. Profits rose by 50 per cent between 1933 and 1939
Name two large industrial companies that had links to the Nazi party
IG Farben and Krupp Steel
What percentage of industrial production was controlled by monopolies in 1937?
Over 70%
How were small businesses disadvantaged under Hitler?
Rules on opening and running small businesses were tightened, which resulted in 20 per cent of them closing.
How did farmers’ lives improve under the Nazis?
The Hereditary Farm Law of 1933 prevented farms from being repossessed from their owners, which gave farming families greater security. By 1937, agricultural prices had increased by 20 per cent and agricultural wages rose more quickly than those in industry
How much had agricultural prices risen by in 1937?
20%
What was the Hereditary Farm Law and when was it passed?
It prevented farms from being repossessed by their owners, and was passed in 1933
What law gave farmers more security by preventing their farms from being repossessed?
The Hereditary Farm Law of 1933
What 3 organisations were established by the Nazis for German workers?
- The German Labour Front (DAF)
- Strength Through Joy (KDF)
- The Beauty of Labour
