Nazi Women, Children and Propaganda Flashcards
Who was Josef Goebbels and what did he do?
- Josef Goebbels - Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment.
- All films/books/records/newspapers/radio broadcasts + posters were controlled (censorship). Everything had to spread Nazi beliefs.
How as radio used as propaganda?
- Cheap radios were provided in order that all Germans could hear Hitler’s speeches and Nazi propaganda (70% of German households had a radio by 1939).
- Public radios - so everyone could hear Hitler’s ideas so Nazi beliefs were spread.
How was film used as propaganda?
-Cinema was very popular so Goebbels produced Nazi propaganda films: ‘Jud Suss’ (a story about an ‘evil Jew’); ‘The Triumph of the Will’ (about the 1934 Nazi Nuremberg Rally).
How was music used as propaganda?
-Classical music by Jewish composers (Mendelssohn) was banned; Jazz music, Swing music by inferior races was discouraged; German music had to be patriotic and glorify war. E.g. the works of Wagner were encouraged.
How was literature used as propaganda?
- The works of 2600 writers were officially banned; Nazi officials organised book-burning bonfires.
- Mein Kampf became a best-seller.
How were rallies used as propaganda?
- Mass rallies were held at Nuremberg on a yearly basis which glorified Nazis rule and Hitler’s leadership + personality.
- The 1936 Berlin Olympics was also used to show Nazi strength.
How were newspapers used as propaganda?
- All newspapers = controlled by the Nazis; they put across Nazi beliefs and successes; Hitler always achieved the best possible coverage.
- Der Sturmer was a famous example of a Nazi newspaper.
What was the aim of propaganda?
-Nazis wanted to control what people heard and read; Nazis could use their control of the media (e.g. radio, films) to help mound minds of Germans to Nazi beliefs.
What was the aim of controlling women by the Nazis?
- Nazis believed that German women should stay in the home and look after the children. They wanted women to be the centre of family life.
- Different not inferior - women were vital to produce the new ‘master-race’.
How did the Nazis successfully control women?
- Girls told not to diet/smoke - affect ability to have children.
- Women discouraged - wear make-up/modern fashions.
- Professional women - forced to give up jobs (e.g. In 1933 women in the civil service, medicine or teaching had to resign and all lawyers had to resign in 1936).
- Marriage loans - given to women who gave up work to get married.
- Honour Cross given to women who had children. Gold medal = for having 8 children. Silver medal = for having 6 children. Bronze medal = for having 4 children.
- Anti-abortion laws were enforced; contraception became difficult to obtain.
- Unfit women, e.g. mentally disabled, were sterilised.
- Mostly successful - number of German babies born each year rose by 50% between 1933-1939.
What is a limitation/disadvantage of how the Nazis controlled women?
-Once the war started in 1939, women were needed to work in factories, so Nazi policy towards women became confused.
What was the aim of the Nazis controlling education?
-Nazis controlled schools to ensure that the children were taught the Nazi way of seeing things.
How was education controlled by the Nazis?
- All teachers - Nazis + belong to Nazi Teachers League.
- All lessons - reflect Nazi belief (History - ‘stab in the back’ in 1918 + greatness of German race, Biology - Germans are part of Aryan race - superior to all other races, especially Jews and Black people, number of hours spent doing PE was trebled and boxing was made compulsory for buys - Hitler wanted fit boys for army).
- Education of girls concentrated on turning them into perfect Aryan mothers.
- Jewish teachers sacked in 1933; Jewish children expelled in 1938.
What was the aim of the Nazis controlling youth movements?
-To make young people grow up supporting the Nazi Party.
How did the Nazis control the Youth Movements!
- The whole Hitler Youth movement was overseen by Balder von Shirach.
- Hitler Youth catered for 10-18 year olds - At 10, boys joined the Geeman Young people + transferred to Hitler Youth at 13. Activities involved marching, bayonet drills, grenade throwing, trench digging, map reading and use of dugouts - Hitler’s foreign policy required a strong army.
- League of German Maidens - girls encouraged to be fit and healthy and taught to become mothers. Girls had to be able to run 60 metres in 14 seconds, throw a ball 12 metres, complete a 2 hour march, swim 100 metres and know how to make a bed.
- Boys+girls = taught Nazi beliefs (e.g. Jews + Communists - blame for WW1 + ToV - reversed).
- Young = encouraged to report on their parents if they over-hear them criticising Hitler or the Nazis.
- The young - attracted to join Hitler Youth/League of German Maidens because it was seen as fun, it gave them a sense of purpose and belonging, the smart uniform was appealing.
