*Reducing unemployment in Germany Flashcards
EMPLOYMENT LIVING STANDARDS
SENECCA
Employment
The German people turned to the Nazis because they promised to make the German economy strong again. The Nazis needed to focus on reducing unemployment and improving life for German citizens.
New jobs
Hitler reduced unemployment by creating new jobs for men.
Men were employed to work on public construction projects. These included public buildings, creating farmlands, the 1936 Olympic Stadium and building 7,000 km of autobahns (motorways).
The National Labour Service (RAD)
The National Labour Service (RAD) made it compulsory for men aged 18-25 to work on public schemes for 6 months.
Most men disliked RAD because they felt exploited (treated unfairly for others’ benefit). Wages were very low and they worked long hours.
Other schemes
All workers had to join the German Labour Front. This organisation was used to keep workers loyal to the Nazis and disguise the lack of any huge improvement to their standard of living.
The Strength Through Joy scheme gave workers rewards if they worked hard. This included going to the theatre or having a holiday.
The Beauty of Labour scheme planned to improve working conditions. But nothing was often done about it.
Effect of Hitler’s policies
Hitler boasted that unemployment fell from 5 million in 1933 to 0.3 million in 1939.
In this statistic, Hitler did not include the Jews and women forced out of their jobs, or the men conscripted (drawn) into the National Labour Service.
There was a lot of ‘invisible unemployment’
Nazi Employment Schemes under Hitler
Strength
Through Joy
Rewarded workers if they worked hard. This included going to the theatre or having a holiday.
Beauty
of Labour
Planned to improve working conditions. But nothing was often done about it.
German
Labour
Front
Organisation to keep workers loyal to the Nazis and disguise the lack of any huge improvement to their standard of living.
How were new jobs created for men under Hitler?
1 Public construction projects. 2 The National Labour Service (RAD) 3 German Labour Front.
Economic Policy
Hjalmar Schact was the first minister of the economy for the Nazis between 1934 and 1937. Hitler wanted Germany to build up its military strength in a few years. But Schacht did not think it was possible. He lost his job in 1937
The “Four year plan”
Although Hjalmar Schact was credited with solving the Great Depression for Germany, he lost his job in 1937.
Schacht did not believe that Germany could grow its military as quickly as Hitler wanted.
Hermann Goering created the Four-Year Plan in 1936 to prepare Germany for war.
Its two aims were rearmament (building up supply of military weapons) and self-sufficiency (needing no support).
Rearmament (building up supply of military weapons)
This was a key aim for Hitler because he wanted to overturn the Treaty of Versailles and make Germany strong again.
The plan was for the expanded armed forces to be fully equipped with weapons and vehicles.
Rearmament helped big manufacturing businesses.
Rearmament was responsible for most of Germany’s economic growth from 1933 to 1939.
Self-sufficiency (autarky)
Self-sufficiency (autarky) was less successful than rearmament.
Goering wanted Germany to create everything in their own economy, not relying on any imports (bringing products in from other countries).
The Nazis tried to control the number of imported goods.
But the number of imports increased over the period as people became wealthier.
The path to self-sufficiency (autarky)
To help increase food production, farmers were given subsidies (money from the state) and labour from the RAD.
But by World War Two, Germany was still importing 20% of its food.
To increase raw materials, scientists created ‘ersatz’ substitutes.
These were not very successful and by World War Two Germany was still importing 1/3 of its raw materials.
The path to self-sufficiency (autarky)
To help increase food production, farmers were given subsidies (money from the state) and labour from the RAD.
But by World War Two, Germany was still importing 20% of its food.
To increase raw materials, scientists created ‘ersatz’ substitutes.
These were not very successful and by World War Two Germany was still importing 1/3 of its raw materials.
The war economy
When World War 2 began in 1939, a quarter of Germans worked in war industry (weapons, chemicals, agriculture). This reached 3 quarters by 1941.
Prisoners of war and slaves were needed to increase Germany’s output as their economy wasn’t ready in 1939.
Food and clothing rationing started in 1939 and rations gradually fell during the war.
