The Experiences of Germans under the Nazis Flashcards
1
Q
What 4 ways did the Nazis’ reduce unemployment?
A
-National Labour Service
-Public Work Schemes
-Rearmament
-‘Invisible’ unemployment
2
Q
What did the National Labour Service (RAD) do?
A
-All men aged 18-25 had to spend 6 months in it
-They planted forests, mended hedges and dug drainage ditches on farms.
-They wore uniforms and lived in camps, but were given free meals and a small wage
3
Q
What public work schemes did the Nazis’ carry out?
A
-A new network of motorways to link Germany’s major towns and cities is built
-Gave work to 100k people
-New schools and hospitals built, creating even more jobs
4
Q
How did the Nazis’ rearmour?
A
-Built new tanks, battleships, fighter planes and guns, creating thousands of jobs
-Huge government arms contracts made factory owners and industrial bosses a fortune
-Conscription introduced in 1935 meaning all males aged 18-25 had to join the army for 2 years.
-In five years the army grew from 100k to 1.4 million.
5
Q
Invisible employment means reducing employment figures. How did the Nazis’ do this?
A
-Women who gave up work weren’t counted in official figures
-Part time workers counted as full time
-Nazis’ created jobs by sacking undesirables and giving these jobs to others. Undesirable’s weren’t counted in official figures.
6
Q
What was the approximate unemployment figures in every year from 1933 to 39 in millions?
A
33- 6
34- 3.7
35- 2.9
36- 2.5
37- 1.8
38- 1.1
39- 0.3
7
Q
What 2 schemes did the German Labour Front run to improve Germans’ lives
A
-SDA
-KDF
8
Q
What car scheme did the DAF run and why was it flawed?
A
-Peoples car (Volkswagen)
-No ordinary German’s received the car as the money was used to build more weapons.
9
Q
What did the SDA ( Beauty of Labour) do to try and improve German lives?
A
tried to improve workplace conditions by installing:
-better lighting
-safety equipment
-new washrooms
-low cost canteens
-sports facilities
10
Q
What did the KDF (Strength through Joy) do to try and improve German lives?
A
-organised leisure activities to encourage hard work
-Had a reward scheme with cheap holidays, theatre trips and football match tickets if workers met targets.
11
Q
What was a catch with the KDFs reward scheme?
A
Most holidays still too expensive for working class Germans.
12
Q
What effect did Germany’s economic policies have on the price of food?
A
-It increased
-This is due to Germany trying to be self-sufficient and not rely on foreign imports.
-With less food in the shops, shopkeepers charged more due to high demand.
13
Q
Why was Hjalmar Schacht sacked by Hitler
A
Germany was still dependant on foreign raw materials and changes were too slow for Hitler
14
Q
Who was Hjalmar Schacht
A
A respected banker appointed minister of economics by Hitler
15
Q
How did Schacht try to improve the German economy and did it work?
A
-signed deals with countries in South America and south-east Europe to supply raw materials in return for German goods.
-weapons production increased and employment fell for a short time but Germany was still dependant on foreign resources
16
Q
After Schacht was sacked, who did Hitler appoint as minister of the economy?
A
Hermann Goering
17
Q
what was Goering’s plan to increase military production
A
Four year plan
18
Q
What were the goals of the four year plan?
A
-Autarky (self-sufficient economics)
-Rearmament
-Industrial growth
19
Q
What target were met by Goering?
A
steel and explosive production
20
Q
in what industries did Goering fail to meet targets?
A
oil
21
Q
How did Goering try and make Germany self-sufficient?
A
-Using petrol for coal
-Using artificial wood from wood pulp
-Using make-up from flour
-coffee from acorns
22
Q
What % of the German population was involved in agriculture and forestry?
A
30%
23
Q
What did Hitler do to benefit farmers?
A
-Their taxes were reduced
-They could not be thrown off their land if they got into debt
-Farmers could not divide land between their children. This was popular as it meant farms were secure for generations
24
Q
What did Hitler do that did not benefit farmers?
A
-Some farmers did not like the law preventing division between children as their children had to look for work in cities instead
-In the late 1930s, the Nazis’ controlled food prices
25
What 6 hardships was Germany facing on the home front at the end of the war?
-Rationing
-Total war
-Labour shortage
-Bombing
-Propaganda
-Refugees
26
In 1942, who was put in charge of war production to reduce waste and increase efficiency
Albert Speer
27
How did rationing effect the German people?
-Only food and clothing rationed in 1939, Hitler did not want strict rationing as it would make the Nazis' unpopular
-Soap and toilet paper in very short supply
-Hot water rationed to two days a week
-In 1941, rationing was tightened due to the invasion of the USSR
-1943 onwards, rationing becomes more severe and Germans suffered shortages of basic food stuffs
28
How did total war effect the German people?
-Beer halls, dance halls and sweet shops closed
-Letter boxes boarded up
-Factories stayed open longer
-Everything was focused on making weapons and growing food for soldiers
29
How did labour shortages effect the German people during WW2?
-Women aged 17-45 drafted into work as part of total war strategy
-7 million POW/ civilians from other countries used as slave labour
-In 1944, working week increased to 60 hours and holidays were banned
30
How did air raids/ bombing affect the German people during WW2?
-No electricity, water of transport in many German cities
-Thousands lost their homes
-German children evacuated from their towns and cities in 1940 due to British air raids
-By the end of the war, 500k German civilians killed and 7.5 million homeless
31
How did refugees effect Germany during WW2?
-Due to bombing raids, thousands left their homes as refugees
-Between 6-8 million Germans who lived in east Europe had to flee back to Germany due to the advancing Russian army, 100K of these were killed
-Overwhelming numbers of refugees put a bigger strain on Nazi Germany, many had nowhere to live and found it hard to get food
32
How did propaganda effect Germany during WW2?
-Failure to beat Britain and Russia in 1941 led less people to believe it.
-Total war propaganda convinced some people but allied air raids convinced many Germans that stories of victory were untrue
-Hitler made fewer public appearances after 1943 and the power of the 'Hitler myth' started to decline.
33
When was the Hitler Youth founded
1922
34
Why did the Nazis' put a huge amount of time and effort into winning loyalty of young people
-To indoctrinate the next generation of Germans into Nazi beliefs.
-Youth encouraged to inform on parents who spoke out against the regime.
35
What 3 divisions did the Hitler youth have for boys?
-The Pimpfen (little fellows) age 6-10
-The Jungvolk (Young Folk) age 10-14
-The Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) age 14-18
36
What 2 divisions did the Hitler youth have for girls?
-The Jungmadel (Young Maidens) age 10-14
-The Bund Deutsche Madel (League of German Maidens) age 14-18
37
Why did the organisations appeal to young people?
-They loved the uniforms, parades and flags
-Membership of the Hitler Youth made them feel important, passers by had to stop and salute a Hitler Youth parade.
-Hitler youth organised camps and activities which they would never otherwise have had the chance to do.
-Nazi propaganda very effective at portraying a positive image of the Hitler Youth and its importance to Germany's future.
38
What activities did boys partake in the Hitler youth to prepare them for service in the armed forces?
-War games
-Digging trenches
-Fixing bikes
-Signalling
-Physical exercise
-Long marches
39
What activities did girls partake in the Hitler youth to prepare them for motherhood and being a good wife?
-Cooking
-Cleaning
-Childcare
-Textiles
-Physical exercise
-Long marches
40
How many members did the Hitler youth have in 1939
8.8 million
41
When did Hitler Youth membership become compulsory
1937
42
How did the Hitler Youth lose some of its appeal in the late 1930s
-Many young people saw it as rather boring and repetitive
-Some resented 'Brainwashing' as it didn't let them think for themselves
43
What league did all teachers have to join and take courses during holidays or be sacked?
German Teachers' League
44
How were school textbooks rewritten to accommodate Nazi ideas?
Their version of history and biology was written and taught. Even maths question were changed to teach Nazi ideas
45
How were Jewish students discriminated against at school?
-Separate desks
-Separate schools
-1942 onwards, Jews could get no education outside of the ghettos where they lived
46
Which teachers/ professors could be sacked by the Nazis'
-Jews
-Anybody that spoke out against ideas
-Anybody with Communist or Socialist sympathy
47
What was the birth rate in Germany in 1933
970k
48
what was the birth rate in Germany in 1939
1.4 million
49
What could a woman do before Nazi Germany?
-All women over 20 could vote
-If they worked in government, they had equal pay
-Attend university and become lawyers and doctors
50
How were woman encouraged to have children?
-if they had 4+ children, they did not have to pay back the marriage loan
-medals awarded for having lots of children
-Nazi posters portrayed ideal German family with the woman as a mother and wife.
-Contraception and abortion were banned
51
What '3 Ks' should women stick to?
Kinder, Kirche, Kuche
52
Why did the Nazis' want women to have lots of children?
-They felt it was their patriotic duty
-They wanted a large population to settle Germans in 'Lebensraum'
53
What were drawbacks of the marriage loan?
-It had to be paid back
-The wife had to leave her job
54
What practises were frowned upon for women in Nazi Germany?
-Makeup
-Trousers or high heels
-Smoking and drinking
-Slimming
55
How did Women's organisations help spread the Nazi standard?
-In the Hitler youth, a perm could mean having your hair shaved off
-They used girl divisions to train girls in childcare, cooking and cleaning.
-German Women's League and its representatives travelled around giving advice on cooking, childcare and diet.
56
Why was women working frowned upon?
It could hinder producing or looking after children.
57
What was the Nazi sterilisation policy?
Where women with a history of mental illness, hereditary diseases or antisocial behaviour were not aloud kids.
58
Why did the Nazis plan for women not really work?
-By the end of the 1930s, there were 2 million more women working than in 1933, this caused an economic boom.
-Employers liked women as they could pay them a lower wage
-Women wanted to work to bring a wage in for the family.
59
How many protestant and catholic Christians were there in Germany?
-20 million Catholics (1/3 of population)
-40 million protestants (2/3 of population)
60
Why did Christianity clash with Nazi ideas?
the beliefs were very different
61
What were the differences between Nazism and Christianity
-Nazis thought strength and violence were glorious whereas Christians believed in love and forgiveness.
-Nazis hated weak and vulnerable whereas Christians are taught to help them
-Nazis believed some races were better than others, Christians did not as they believe everyone is equal
-Nazis believed Hitler was God-like, Christians only believe in God and Jesus' teachings.
62
Why did some Christians support the Nazis
-The Nazis believed in marriage and family values
-Hitler swore to destroy communism which was anti-religious
-Hitler promised to respect the Church
-Some Christians believed Jews were 'Christ Killers'
63
How did Hitler break the agreement with the CC
-Harassed and arrested Catholic priests
-Catholic Youth clubs and schools were all shut down
64
What was the Reich Church?
a church designed to replace the protestant church. this did not work
65
Who was Bishop Von Galen and why was he significant?
-The RC bishop of Munster, he was a very popular figure in Germany
-He criticised the euthanasia program and the Nazis' actually stopped this for a while
-In 1941, he was put under house arrest for the war.
66
Who was Martin Niemoller and why was he significant?
-Protestant priest who set up the confessional church
-In the late 1930s, he was arrested and kept in a concentration camp until the war ended.
67
Who was Dietrich Bonhoffer and why was he significant?
-Protestant Priest in charge of training young men to be pastors
-Taught Nazi beliefs were un-Christian
-He was arrested in 1943 and killed in 1945.
68
How were 'undesirables' persecuted pre war?
-350K physically and mentally disabled people were forcibly sterilised, from 1939 onwards they were killed.
-200k were murdered in 'nursing homes'
-500k homeless, beggars, alcoholics, prostitutes, homosexuals and 'problem families' sent to camps.
69
How did Nazis' persecute Jews pre war?
1933- one day boycott of Jewish businesses, all jews in public offices were sacked.
1934- All Jewish shops were marked with a yellow star. Jews had separate seats at parks and public transport. Textbooks are rewritten and Jewish children can't mingle with others.
1935-Hitler takes away Jewish citizenship and forbade Jews marrying non Jews.
1938: Kristallnacht
1939 onwards: 30k jews sent to concentration camps, death camps built
70
What happened on Kristallnacht and why did it happen?
-Previously a Jewish student shot a Nazi official dead in Paris
-Thousands of synagogues, shops and homes attack by SA
-100 jews killed
-Jewish community in Germany forced to pay for the damage
71
What were Ghettos?
separate sections of cities where Jews would have to live. They were walled off from the rest of the city.
72
What were conditions in Ghettos like?
-Area was too small
-Never given enough food
-There was severe overcrowding, starvation and disease
-Hundreds died every day
73
What did Nazi coach tours of Ghettos show to the Aryan people
-Jews looked inferior
74
What was the 'Final Solution'?
The mass murder of every Jew in Nazi controlled territory.
75
How was the 'Final Solution' carried out?
-Himmler oversaw it
-6 death camps built containing gas chambers
-Thousands of other undesirables were sent here too
-This is known as the Holocaust
76
How did Jews resist the Nazis'?
-Resistance groups
-attacked German soldiers and blew up railway lines
-Warsaw Ghetto uprising lasted 43 days
-In Treblinka camp in 1943, 15 guards killed and 150 prisoners escaped
77
How did the Nazis' control people through terror
-SS
-Informers
-Gestapo
-Police and courts
-Concentration camps
78
How did informers help control Germany through terror
-Every town was divided into blocks.
-A block warden, a local Nazi, visited every home in the week.
-They would collect donations and check up on everyone
-The block warden wrote a report on everyone which would be about whether you had a job or not and if you followed Nazi customs.
79
How did Police and courts help control Germany through terror
-Ordinary police ignored Nazi crimes
-Top jobs in ordinary police went to Nazis
-Courts now under Nazi control
-Death penalty could be given for: telling an anti Hitler joke, having sex with a jew and listening to foreign radio stations.
80
How did the Gestapo help control Germany through terror
-No uniform
-Spied on people they thought might be a threat
-tapped into calls and opened mail
-Had power to arrest, imprison in concentration camps without trial and torture anyone
-Set up a network of informers who would report on anyone criticising the Nazis
81
How did the SS help control Germany through terror
-They wore intimidating black uniforms
They had 3 units:
-SD- looked after security and could arrest anyone, search homes and seize property
-Waffen SS- elite SS division in the army
-Death head unit- in charge of concentration camps and death camps
82
How did concentration camps help control Germany through terror
-Set up as soon as Hitler took power
-Large prisons where 'enemies of the state' could be sent for any period of time.
-Anyone the Nazis didn't like was sent there
-inmates were forced to work hard and some were tortured and worked to death
83
What did Nazis use as tools for propaganda and censorship
-Newspapers
-Films
-Books
-Radio
-Public
84
how did the Nazis use newspapers as a tool for propaganda
-Only stories showing the Nazis doing good things were permitted
-Negative stories about Germanys enemies
-Newspapers that didn't comply were shut down.
-Editors law
85
how did the Nazis use films as a tool for propaganda?
-All films had to show the Nazis in a good way and 'enemies' in a bad way
-Goebbels approved all storylines.
86
how did the Nazis use books as a tool for propaganda?
-Writers forced to write books, plays and scripts praising the Nazis
-Book burning ceremony in 1933
87
how did the Nazis use radio as a tool for propaganda?
-All radio stations were under Nazi control
-Cheap radios produced that could only tune into Nazi-controlled stations
-Loudspeakers placed in streets, in factories and cafes to air broadcasts.
88
how did the Nazis use propaganda in public?
-Mass rallies held to celebrate Hitlers greatness
-Huge arenas were built where carefully choreographed shows were put on.
-Posters appeared all over Germany showing Hitlers power and good things that the Nazis were doing.
89
What did the chamber of culture control?
-Cinema
-music
-theatre
-literature
-art
-design
-sports and leisure
90
How did the Nazis control cinema?
-Nazis owned film studios
-Goebbels read and approved all scripts
-All films had to carry a pro-Nazi message
-News reports of Nazi achievements were always shown before films
91
How did the Nazis control music?
-Official approval was given to traditional marching, folk and classical music by Germans and Austrians.
-Some music popular in Weimar Germany was not permitted
-Jews were banned from making music
-Jazz music banned
92
How did the Nazis control theatre?
-In the Weimar Era, Nazis protested against 'modern' plays they disapproved of.
-Nazis' ruled plays should focus on German history and politics
-Germany's Cabaret Clubs were shut down for singing songs about sex and politics
93
How did the Chamber of Culture work?
-Ran by J Goebbels
-All musicians, artists and actors had to be members
-Anyone who refused to join was not allowed to work
94
How did the Nazis control literature?
-A list of banned books was created.
-Goebbels encouraged books about race, glory of war and the Nazis
-Some books written in Weimar Germany were banned such as 'All quiet on the western front'
-Hitlers 'Mein Kampf' was a bestseller
-2500 writers left Germany between 1933 and 1945.
95
How did the Nazis control art?
-The Nazis wanted art to be very clear to Germans and portray family scenes of healthy, pure Germans
-Hitler hated modern art and called it degenerate
-In 1936, the Nazis publicly burned all art they found offensive
96
How did the Nazis control design?
-Hitler had clear ideas about the design of big, public buildings like libraries, government offices and parade grounds.
-He copied ideas from ancient Greece and Rome
-Hitler stopped the 'Bauhaus' movement in 1933 as he did not approve of modern design.
97
How did the Nazis control sports and leisure?
-Health and fitness was important to the Nazis
-Olympics was held in Germany in 1936 and they used this as an opportunity for propaganda.
-Germany came top of the medal table, showing superiority of the German race
-Anti-Semitic posters and newspapers temporarily stopped to give the world of a more tolerant view of Germany
98
What 4 types of resistance did people use against the Nazis?
-'Grumbling' or moaning
-Passive resistance
-Open opposition
-Assassination attempts
99
What was 'grumbling' or moaning?
-Anti Nazi joke
-Complain about the regime
-This was done in the privacy of the home
100
What was passive resistance?
-A public show of opposition
-Refusing to do what most of the population was doing
-Some might refuse to give Seig Heil salute or give money to Hitler Youth members
101
What were examples of open opposition?
-Swing Youth
-White Rose Group
-Edelweiss pirates
-Church leaders
102
How did the 'Swing Youth' rebel against the Nazis
-Declared their disliking of Nazi ideas
-Listened to Jazz music
-Had Jewish friends
103
How did the 'Edelweiss pirates' rebel against the Nazis
-Beat up Hitler Youth members
-Refused to join the Hitler Youth members
-Killed a Hitler Youth member in 1944
-Wore make-up, had sex, sang anti-Nazi songs, drank alcohol and wrote Anti Nazi graffiti
104
How did the Nazis react to the Edelweiss pirates and Swing Youth
-They found it difficult to clamp down as there were hundreds in each town and city
-They were more of an irritation than a threat
-They introduced curfews and stepped up patrols to find people who weren't members of the Hitler Youth
-12 Edelweiss Pirates were hung in response to the murder of a Hitler Youth member
105
Who set up the White Rose movement and where was it?
-Hans and Sophie Scholl
-Munich University 1942
106
Why was the White Rose movement set up?
-Disgusted at persecution of Jews
-Spoke out against abolition of democracy
-Denounced the war as an unnecessary war of aggression started by Hitler which would lead Germany to disaster.
107
What did the White Rose movement do in order to rebel?
-Handed out leaflets, posters and wrote anti-Nazi graffiti.
-Called for overthrow of Hitler and an end to the war.
108
How did the Nazis react to the White Rose movement?
-Hans and Sophie Scholl were caught distributing leaflets at Munich University
-They were found guilty of treason and beheaded.
109
How many assassination attempts were there on Hitlers life?
50
110
What were some of the most significant plots on Hitlers life and what happened?
The Kreisau Circle:
-a group of army officers, university professors and aristocrats who discussed assassinating Hitler. but did not do anything.
The Beck-Goerdeler group:
-Contacted the British about removing Hitler, but no agreement was reached.
-The group tried to kill Hitler in March and November 1943 and was behind the July bomb plot of 1944
The July 1944 Bomb Plot:
-army officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg was part of a group that detonated a bomb where Hitler was meeting other Nazis. The bomb killed 4 men but only injured Hitler.
