The Experiences of Germans under the Nazis pt 1 Flashcards
What were the aims of the Nazi Regime?
- Strengthen Germany: end ToV, make Germany self sufficient
- Remove racial minorities (e.g.: Jews) from positions of power, isolating them from pure Aryans - increase role of women as mums and guardians of the state
- The Volk/ People’s community: all other loyalties would be removed from people’s lives. Churches, schools, workplaces, would all have to come under Nazi control to ensure loyalty. Freedom of speech banished
How did the Nazis take control of Germany?
- dictatorship
- one-party state
- economic success: incentives given in exchange for loyalty
- police state: SS + police have absolute power to arrest, punish and ‘execute’ enemies
- Propoganda state - control what was heard and seen
How did Nazis reduce unemployment?
- reich labour service
- invisible unemployment
- employment schemes
- rearmament
What was the Reich Labour Service?
All men ages between 18-25 were enlisted for 6 months planting forests, mending hedges and digging drainage ditches on farms
Describe some of the Job Creation schemes
- Beauty of Labour: persuaded employers to improve working conditions
- Strength through Joy: incentives, eg: holidays to get workers to work harder for lower pay
What was invisible unemployment?
Groups of people were not counted in unemployment figures
Who came under invisible unemployment?
Jews and married women. Part time workers counted as full time
Who were the three other forces set up alongside the police?
- SS
- SD
- Gestapo
Who controlled the SS and the SD?
Himmler
Who controlled the Gestapo?
Goering
What did the SS do?
Controlled poice and ran concentration camps
What did the SD do?
Spied on Nazi opponents
What did the Gestapo do?
Tapped phones, spied on everyone, network of informers throughout Germany
How did the Nazis control the police and law courts?
Judges swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler + police controlled by SS
Who was Schact?
1933: Minister of Economics
Why did Nazis begin using concentration camps?
Set up to house ‘enemies of state’: as a re-education centre, where they did forced hard labour
What was Schact’s plan to keep up with Hitler’s demands of making Germany self sufficient?
Signed deals with other countries e.g.: South America and South-east Europe, to supply raw materials in exchage for German made goods
Why was Schact sacked?
Germany still dependant on others + changes occuring too slowly
Who was Schact replaced by?
Goering
What was the four year plan?
Prioritised increase in military production
What changes were made to farmers?
- taxes cut
- introduced laws to prevent farmers from dividing their land and giving a part to their children
Why did the changes that the Nazis make cause resentment amongst farmers?
Farmers not being able to divide land meant that children without an inheritance left to find better jobs in the city
What was the evidence that Germans were better off under Nazi regime?
- schemes such as Strength through Joy and Beauty of Labour
- Volkswagen scheme: workers could pay 5 marks a week to get a car
- wages rose by 20%
What was the evidence that Germans were worse off under Nazi regime?
- cost of living rose: food £ rose by 20%
- wages increased less than the cost of food
What was the Youth organisation made for Boys?
Hitler Youth
What was the Youth organisation made for girls?
League of German Maidens
How many teachers joined the Nazi teacher’s association?
97% by 1937
What were the boys taught in Hitler Youth?
- designed to turn boys into strong, healthy soldiers
- activities included:
- shooting
- military drill
- military style campaign
What were girls taught in the League of German Maidens?
- aimed to turn girls into good housewives
- taught cookery, housework
- how to look after children
How much time was dedicated to PE?
15%
What was the impact of the Nazi regime on universities?
- 15% of teachers sacked
- courses altered to exclude Jewish ideologies + discoveries, eg: Einstein’s theory of relativity removed from Physics because Einstein was Jewish
What were the 3Ks that were aimed towards women?
Kinder, Kuche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church)
What were discouraged under the guise of ‘unladylike’?
Smoking, wearing trousers and high heels
What was set up to encourage couples to have children?
Loans given out to married couples. On the birth of the first child, 1/4 of the money could be kept
2nd child = half etc
Why were medals awarded to mothers?
For having lots of children
Bronze = 4/5 kids
Silver: 6/7 kids
Gold: 8+ children
Why did the Nazi policies surrounding women have to be reversed and when?
1937onwards: Nazi rearmament encouraged women back in the work force. Working women increased from 11.6 million in 1933 to 14.6 million in 1939
What did the Concordat that Hitler signed with the Catholic Church agree on?
Catholics were free to worship as long as they stayed out of politics
Why and how did Hitler break the Concordat with the Church?
Felt that German Catholics listened to the Pope more than him + sent troublesome Priests to concentration camps. Closed Catholic schools and banned Catholic Youth Groups
What was the opposition from the Catholic Church to the Nazis?
Pope Pius XI wrote a letter to Catholic German Priests attacking Nazi Policies. Nazis retaliated by banning Catholics from joining Nazis + removing crucifixes from schools. Forced to stop due to pressure from the Church
Who formed the Pastor’s Emergency League?
Martin Niemoller
What were the two churches formed under the Nazi regime?
Reich Church and Confessional Church
How did Nazis crack down on the Pastor’s Emergency League?
Persecution and arrests - arrested Niemoller in 1937 imprisoned until 1946
What was the difference between the Reich Church and confessional Church?
- Reich Church: Pro Nazi, led by Ludwig Muller: ‘German Christians’
- Confessional Church: against Nazis, led by Niemoller
