Nazi Society Flashcards
What were the main aspects of the Volksgemeinschaft?
(4)
‘National Community’;
- racial purity
- state takes care of you
- family focus
- traditional values; eg. modest clothing
What was the Nazi ideal for women?
(4)
- to produce Aryan children
- to support their husbands in service of the state
- ‘Kinder, Küche, Kirche’; children, kitchen, church
- women called the ‘germ cell of the nation’
How did the Nazis try to minimise the number of women at work?
(3)
- 1933, most women in the civil service lost their jobs
- Oct 1933, new guidelines introduced for the civil service; if two people were aplying for a job, the man should get it
- 1936, women could not serve as a judge or be on a jury
How successful were Nazi attempts to stop women from working?
pre-war
unsuccessful;
1933, 11.6 mil women in work
1939, 14.6 mil women in work
How did the war change the Nazi attitude towards women in work?
(6)
- men needed to fight in war = labour shortage; women needed in work despite clashes with Nazi ideology
- during WWII (‘39-‘44), number of women in workforce increased only by 2%
- Oct 1940, women allowed to join the armed forces in women’s auxiliary services; clerical + support jobs
- 1941, shortage = compulsory military service for women 18-40; not enforced strictly, still not enough women joined
- 1943, total war policy
- Albert Speer (in charge of war economy) tried to convince Hitler to encourage women into work in sept 1944
Through which economic policies did the Nazis promote pro-natalism?
(4)
- 1933 introduced marriage loans; 1,000 RM, no interest, each baby reduced loan by 25%, not available for Jews, woman had to agree not to work outside of the home
- personal taxation (income tax) advantages; for every child 15% was deducted from the taxable income, 6 children = no income tax
- 1935 Family allowances; 100 RM per child
- higher taxes for childless couples
How did the Nazis promote pro-natalism?
excluding economic policies (4)
- Honour Cross of German Motherhood; 4 children for bronze, 6 silver, 8 gold
- 1933, criminalised abortion
- restrictions on contraception
- disincentives for failure to have children
How successful was Nazi pro-natalism?
(2)
- fairly steady birth rate; marginally increases = pro-natalism not that effective
- prohibited by the housing shortage, sterilisation, conscription + Reich Labour Front (men often away from home)
sterilisation
(2)
- by 1937, almost 100,000 women were sterilised
- to achieve goal of racial purity; eradicate criminal tendencies and mental deficencies
Lebensborn
(3)
‘fountain of life’;
- women encouraged to bear children of SS officers
- ‘state run brothel’ to produce Aryan children
- seen by many as immoral
Gertrude Scholz-Klink
- widow of a stormtrooper + had 4 blonde children
- 1934, appointed National Women’s Leader of the 3rd Reich
- in charge of the women’s division of the Nazi Labour Front; 5 mil female members
- token leadership; subordinate to other offcies
Which Nazis were in charge of youth policy?
(2)
- Bernhard Rust; 1934 in charge of Reich Ministry of Education, Culture & Science
- Balder Von Schirach; 1933-1939 Youth Leader of the Reich (in charge of the Hitler Youth), 1939 became Gauleiter of Vienna
How were schools ran by the Nazis?
(3)
- controlled centrally by the state; Ministry of Education, Culture & Science
- April 1933, Jewish/undesirable teachers were purged
- female teachers were discouraged
How did the Nazis try and control teachers?
- NSLB; National Socialist Teachers League
–> by 1937 97% of teachers were members
–> 2/3rds of teachers attended NSLB training courses
How did the Nazis change the curriculum?
(4)
- taught eugenics + race theory as a part of biology
- history taught from a very nationalistic perspective, some parts even rewritten
- sports encouraged girls to prepare for motherhood and boys for war –> 15% of time at school spent doing PE
- religious education no longer taught
