Nazi: Economy Flashcards
What was agreed at the conference in Lausanne
That depression made reparation payments impossible, so they did not pay them.
Why were the nazis not concerned with losing trade with the USA
They weren’t as concerned as previous governments, as they didn’t intend to rely on foreign trade
‘New plan’
Trade treaties with countries like Hungary and Yugoslavia.
Involved trading goods rather than paying for imports
What was the nazis goal with the first 4 year plan in 1933
Wanted to achieve autarky, and to target unemployment and agriculture
From 1932-36, how had unemployment figures changed
1932 - 30% of workforce unemployed
1936 - 7.4% unemployed
How did the nazis create jobs and employment
- depression hit lowest point and started to turn around
- business began employing again
- nazis manipulated statistics (eg. Jews couldn’t work so thus were not in the stats)
- women discouraged from working
- nazis and businesses created work, even if temporary
What was the RAD
Schemes for unemployed people which gave:
-manual work, but less pay than unemployed pay.
-basic food
- labour camp accommodation
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How did the RAD schemes increase the general amount of work created
Had road-building schemes, thus increasing car manufacture, thus creating work and improved communications, helping to move goods and raw materials more effectively
Who was the minister of Agriculture and what did he do initially
Alfred Hugenburg, increased import tariffs on agricultural products, thus making German ones cheaper. He also banned banks repossessing farms in debt, made margarine manufacturers utilise German butter inside it.
What is the RNS (Reich food estate)
Set up by the next agricultural minister, Richard Darré, helped regulate food production and distribution. Also set prices and farm wages
What was introduced on may 6th
The German labour front (DAF)
What was the DAF
Voluntary to join it (but became harder for non-members to find work).
It’s organisation of working conditions allowed big companies to further exploit workers, as they could set their own conditions.
What were the problems faced by Schacht by 1935
Countries were demanding cats, and not trade, for their goods, eg.Bulgaria wanted money for their oil now. This was bad as Germany wasn’t completely self-sufficient yet and needed material for rearming, plus big lack of meat and fat in the country.
What is a command economy and how did this apply to the nazis
Economy where the state decides how much to produce.
The Nazis set up state control over industry and agriculture as they rebuilt economy.
Why did the state have high-foreign debts in 1936
Due to the raw-material imports for rearmament and creation of work
Basis of the second 4 year plan.
Tight focus on autarky and war prep. Goerring, who was in charge, controlled all business/agricultural production.
How many department were in the second 4 year plan
There were 6:
- Raw material production
- Agricultural production
- Distribution
- Labour
- Prices
- Foreign exchange
What do some argue caused the 4 year plan
The failure of Schacts ‘New Plan’ which failed to solve problem of giving enough raw materials for rearmament as well as tolerable levels of consumption. It’s wasn’t a comprehensive and co-ordinated plan, rather many individual measures in specific areas.
Problems faced by nazis in 1939
- Farming and industry not always meeting the 4 Year Plan targets set by the command economy
- Propaganda to persuade people to switch from meat to eating fish, and eat jam with their bread, not sausage. Had some success as jam consumption trebled between 1928 and 1938 -but this was less successful than had been hoped.
- Shift to command economy made the Nazis unpopular with several groups that had previously supported. They resented Nazi levels of control, E.g. big industrialists and manufacturers of consumer goods.
- country was also not ready for war
Who did Hitler make minister of armaments and munitions, and their aim
Fritz Todt, with aim organising industry to full production.
What was the Central Planning board (1942)
Set up in April 1942, was to distribute raw materials, decide on whether to build a factory or extend an existing one, and to organise transportation.
Why did production in 1942 have to be more mechanised
Had to become more mechanised as thousands of skilled workers were being conscripted and replaced by less-skilled women and foreign workers.
What % of workforce had turned into the army by 1944
13%
How had production changed from 1940-1944
It was almost 3 times that of 1940 in 1944. For example, monthly production of 200 cm searchlights was 20. This rose to 150 by the end of 1944.
