Nazi Domestic Policies 1933-39 Flashcards
What changes did the Nazi’s make to education?
Race studies was introduced (informing them on who to discriminate)
Mein Kampf became a compulsory school text
Domestic science (cookery, needlework ect.) became compulsory for girls
All subjects were altered to support and push Nazi views
What were the Youth Movements?
Outside school nationwide groups for children
Pimpf was for boys age 6-14 where they did camping and hiking
The Hitler youth was for boys 14 onwards wheee they trained like the SA did to breed a new generation of fighters
The League if German Maidens was the girls version where they learnt health care and trained for motherhood
Why was socialism clear through the youth movements?
Young people came together regardless of class and had no distinction
What were the Edelweiss Pirates?
With 2000 members by 1939, it was a youth group which rebeled against the Nazi party by growing their hair long, involving modern art in there group and having mixed-sex groups
What happened to women whilst the Nazi’s were in power?
From experiencing the most freedom in history under the Weimar, women were looked upon as house wives and mothers by the Nazis, they were encouraged to focus on children, kitchen and church.
Good German women would not wear trousers or make up and not dye their hair
What Nazi policies intended to increase marriage and childbirth?
1933- the Encouragement of Marriage law was introduced (financial benefits if women leave work and get married)
‘The mothers cross’ was an award given to women for the number of children they had (4-5=bronze, 6-7=silver and 8 or more was gold) - the medals were handed out once a year on Hitlers mothers birthday
Why were some of the women and childbirth policies reversed by the late 1930s?
The German industry was growing so fast that women were needed in the workplace again
What was Hitlers beliefs about gender equality?
Speech from 1935: ‘both sexes have their rights, their tasks. These tasks are equal in dignity and value’
What did some women think about the new gender regimes?
They showed women to be inferior, they wanted the Weimar’s regimes back
What was the DAF (German labour front)?
Set up to replace trade unions in 1933, it’s key role was to ensure the best interests of the state were at hand when working in Germany
It controlled the power of employees by setting out new employment rights, it also had the right to punish workers
Actually protected workers from being exploited, but made them work very hard
Why was unemployment a key issue for Hitler?
Unemployed workers would be likely to start supporting communism, he also had strong nationalistic views that men need to service their country in some shape or form
What was RAD? (1933)
The national labour service which provided manual work for the unemployed, started out voluntary however from 1935 it was compulsory for young men to serve for at least 6 months
It was set up a lot like the military with drills, work camps where they lived, conditions were poor. They were used to build and for agriculture
A key job was building autobahns (motorways)
Why was the military the top priority for the Nazi party?
They believed the health of the nation depended on a constant struggle with other nations, they believed the German people needed more space and that Germany was a strong force to be feared
What was Hitlers secret memo? (1936)
He declared the economy must be reorganised to wage war within the next four years, became known as the ‘four year plan’
What economic changes were made after Hitlers four year plan was put into action? (1936)
Government spending on rearmament (3.5billion marks in 1933 to 26billion marks by 1939)
Iron and steel production trebled from 1933 to 1939
Began autarky (self sufficiency) where they increased the production of plastic, oil and rubber so naval blockades would not affect them
The army grew by 800,000 from 1933 to 1939
