the impact of Kinder, Kuche, Kirche policies and WW2 on women's lives, 1933-45 Flashcards
LO: ideology, motherhood, marriage, beauty fashion and nudity, war work, impact of WW2 on women
what was the Nazi belief regarding women’s role in society?
they believed women had a racial duty to bear the next generation of the Aryan race, and their role was to nurture, raise children, and ensure the ‘racial purity’ of Germany
what economic role did women play in Nazi ideology?
women were responsible for 80% of domestic shopping, which included buying German goods, avoiding Jewish shops, and refraining from ‘wasteful and selfish’ purchases like makeup
how did the Nazis view women’s political involvement?
the Nazis believed women should have no political role, with some viewing female emancipation as a Jewish conspiracy to undermine Aryan women’s natural roles
how did the Nazis encourage women to fulfil their role as mothers?
they offered financial incentives, such as RM600 interest-free loans to young married women who left work, and policies to increase birth rates, like increasing family allowances and restricting contraception
what was the purpose of the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage?
the 1933 law provided RM1,000 loans to newly married couples, with a quarter of the loan forgiven after the birth of a child to encourage family growth
what was the role of SS wives in maintaining racial purity?
SS wives were expected to produce Aryan children. Himmler encouraged them to marry women who had proven physical fitness, such as those with a Reich Sports Medal
what were Reich Bridge Schools designed to do?
these schools, established by Hitler, provided courses for women preparing for marriage, focusing on domestic skills like ironing, childcare, and SS uniform care
what was the Lebensborn programme?
establishe in 1935 by Himmler, the Lebensborn program aimed to increase the birthrate of Aryan children by providing maternity care, supporting unmarried mothers, and abducting Aryan children from occupied territories
how did the Nazis define the ideal woman?
the ideal Nazi woma was natural, avoiding artificial beauty aids, smoking, and drinking, and focused on childbearing with a ‘voluptuous’ body suited for motherhood
what was the ‘Hitler Maiden’?
the Hitler Maiden was the ideal image of an Aryan woman: natural, childbearing, and avoiding modern beauty practices such as makeup, false eyelashes, and dieting to achieve a slim figure
what cosmetics did the Nazis promote for women?
they promoted ‘natural’ cosmetics and products like Sagrotan deodorant for sportswomen and Khasana Cosmetics for creating the ideal ‘natural look’
how did the Nazis view nudity and pornography?
they distinguished between ‘healthy’ German nudity and ‘unnatural’ foreign pornography. they used nudity in propaganda and even published magazines featuring young women in natural settings
how did the Nazis treat prostitution?
they targeted women suspected of prostitution, with mass arrests under the Reichstag Fire Decree. they reinstated official brothels but also clashed with Care Officers who advocated for women’s rehabilitation
how did the Nazis classify women as ‘sexually deviant’?
women who were suspected of prostitution or rejected monogamy were classified as ‘sexually deviant’ and could face imprisonment, sterilisation, or even be sent to concentration camps
what was the role of women in farm and industrial work during WW2?
women’s involvement in farm work increased from 55% in 1939 to 67% in 1944, and they also worked in munitions factories, although their numbers fluctuated depending on the needs of the war effort
how did the Nazis treat foreign women working in Germany?
Russian and Polish women were exploited for labour, denied rights such as breaks and childcare, and their children often died due to neglect (90%). children from these relationships wre examined for racial purity
how did family breakups affect women during WW2?
as soldiers were away and families were disrupted, women increasingly informed on their husbands for political crimes, and women suspected of infidelity were sent to concentration camps by Himmler’s orders
what role did women play in colonising conquered German territories?
some colonised parts of Poland where Poles were driven out in order to make way for 200,000 German settlers, women were sent to new territories as teachers and nurses and groups of women were employed to clean, clear and decoarate Polish farms so German families could move in
