Reducing unemployment and improvement of work. Flashcards
What policies were used to reduce unemployment?
Invisible unemployment : women and Jews kicked from jobs and political prisoners not included from figures, as well as Labour Service Corps. Part time people down as working full time.
Labour Service Corps - included men between 18-25 who would serve 6 months doing military drills and working in camps for low pay.
Rearmament - Conscription was introduced in 1935 and the army increased to 1.4 million. Coal and chemicals doubled and oil, iron, and steel trebled. 26 billion marks spent on producing tanks, heavy armour, and ships.
Job creation schemes - people were needed for 7000 km autobahns and money spent on job creation increased from 18.4 to 37.1 billion marks. Private firms were subsidised, particularly in construction.
How were German workers better off?
Kraft Durch Freude - part of the German Labour Front. Strength through joy involved organising theatre trips, trips to concerts, cruises, holidays, and sport events all for a lower cost.
Beauty of work - part of the KdF, aimed to improve conditions in work with swimming pools, canteens, better lighting, and sports centres.
Volkswagen scheme - cost 5 marks a week for a Volkswagen eventually.
Wages rose from 86 marks to 109 marks by 1938.
How were German workers worse off?
Lack of freedom - KdF was exclusive - few could afford more expensive trips to Madeira. Moreover, the German Labour Front replaced trade unions so workers couldn’t strike or protest for better wages. Dissenters sent to concentration camps.
Beauty of work - workers made improvements in their own time with no pay.
Volkswagen was a scam - Nobody received one by 1939.
Food costs - agricultural output was lowered to improve prices for farmers, meaning all food was more expensive excluding fish.
Hours rose from 42.9 per week to 47.
