The Nazi Regime - Part Four of Germany 1890-1945

Question 1

What scheme did the Nazis set up for young men to combat the high unemployment?

Answer 1

They set up the RAD, which all men aged 18-25 had to work 6 months in. Even though pay was low and there was a lot of manual labour, it decreased unemployment.

Question 2

What did the Nazis order the creation of in June 1933?

Answer 2

They ordered the creation of autobahns to link Germany’s towns and cities better, giving work to over 100,000 people.

Question 3

How was the autobahn project going by 1938?

Answer 3

By 1938, around 3800 km of autobahn was created, at the same time many schools and hospitals had been created.

Question 4

What Hitler do to rearm Germany?

Answer 4

He ordered the building of new tanks, battleships, fighter planes and guns.

Question 5

What was the result of Hitler’s rearmament on employment levels?

Answer 5

Thousands of new jobs were created and new government contracts were handed out that made factory owners and businesses owners a fortune. Hitler had also previously told them he would help them.

Question 6

What else did Hitler do to increase the size of the armed forces?

Answer 6

He introduced conscription, whereby all men aged between 18 and 25 were forced to serve in the army for at least 2 years, within 5 years the army had grown from 100,000 to 1,400,000 which gave even more people employment.

Question 7

Who did Hitler appoint head of economics in 1933?

Answer 7

Hjalmar Schacht.

Question 8

What did Schacht do as minister of economics?

Answer 8

He signed agreements with South American and Balkan countries to get materials that Germany needed but couldn’t get easily in their country.

Question 9

Why was Schacht replaced and who was he replaced by?

Answer 9

Schacht was replaced as it made Germany dependent on other countries and Hitler brought in Herman Goering to fix this.

Question 10

What plan did Goering introduce in 1936?

Answer 10

The four year plan, the main priority being military capability increasing and so the Nazis ordered large amounts of military equipment and weapons and so jobs in steel making and textiles skyrocketed. Very high targets were met in these industries but targets weren’t met in others. By 1939 Germany still didn’t have all the materials it needed and so Goering attempted to make it self-sufficient.

Question 11

What is self-sufficiency?

Answer 11

When a country doesn’t rely on other countries for imports.

Question 12

Did the Nazis help farmers?

Answer 12

Hitler cut taxes for farmers and guaranteed they couldn’t be thrown off of their land and we’re not affected by communism. They also guaranteed they could keep their land for generations to come.

Question 13

What was the German Labour Front or DAF?

Answer 13

It replaced previously banded trade unions and protected workers rights. It ran two schemes - The Beauty of Labour SDA and the Strength through Joy KDF.

Question 14

What was the Beauty of Labour (SDA)?

Answer 14

The scheme attempted to better working conditions by installing better lighting, wash up equipment and low cost canteens and sports facilities.

Question 15

What was the Strength Through Joy (KDF) initiative?

Answer 15

The scheme organised leisure activities to encourage workers to work hard, like planned holidays, free football tickets and trips to the theatre.

Question 16

What was the People’s Car scheme?

Answer 16

A scheme that allowed hard workers to save extra money to afford a Volkswagen in 3-4 years, this was cancelled before anyone got one due to the war effort.

Question 17

Did the Nazis fulfil their promises to workers?

Answer 17

Whilst the KDF did provide some rewards for Germans, skiing in Switzerland or being in the beach in Italy was still a pipe dream for most in Germany. Some workers could also be forced to work for as long as their managers wanted.

Question 18

When did Hitler break the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact with the USSR? By which point was the war on the Eastern Front doomed to fail.

Answer 18

The nazis invaded the USSR in 1941 and they were being pushed back by 1944.

Question 19

How was the home from affected by supplies during the war?

Answer 19

Shortages in food lead to rationing as many trade embargoes were set on Germany and thus many goods were in shortage.

Question 20

What did Albert Speer declare Germany in 1942?

Answer 20

He declared Germany in Total War by 1942, this meant all of the resources were dedicated to the war effort and people were not given everything they needed.

Question 21

How did Germany make up for its lack of labour due to the amount of men in the army?

Answer 21

They imported labour and allowed women to do some jobs.

Question 22

How was Germany affected by British bombing campaigns?

Answer 22

From 1942, British bombing campaigns left German cities flattened and many people as refugees as their homes were destroyed and thus these people needed to be rehoused.

Question 23

How were young children indoctrinated into the Nazi way of life in school?

Answer 23

History lessons taught of the strength of the German state and the unfairness of the Treaty of Versailles, Geography lessons taught places that would soon be occupied by Germany, Eugenics was introduced as a subject which taught Nazi children to be racist towards non-Aryan races.

Question 24

What did the Nazis do to textbooks to help change young people?

Answer 24

They were rewritten to put across Nazi ideals and taught these beliefs as facts such as the inferiority of Jews.

Question 25

How did teachers play a role in indoctrination?

Answer 25

All teacher had to join the German Teachers’ League, and any who refused to teach Nazi beliefs were sacked, students who were seen as potential future Nazi leaders were picked by teachers and sent to Napolas.

Question 26

How did universities change due to the rise of Hitler?

Answer 26

Fifteen percent of university professors were sacked due to political or ethnic reasons. Many leading academics like Einstein left the country and his theory of relativity was rejected by the state as he was Jewish in origin. All university students had to train in the army for a month every year.

Question 27

What did Hitler create in 1922?

Answer 27

The Hitler Youth Organisation

Question 28

How did the nazi regime control children outside of school?

Answer 28

Hitler Youth clubs met after school, discussing principles of the regime and Hitler.

Boys learned military skills whilst girls were taught how to be wives, reflecting the Nazis’ traditionalist views.

When Hitler came to power in 1933, he banned all other youth groups (like Cubs or Church groups). As a result, many more young people joined the Hitler Youth.

Question 29

What law was passed in 1936 (regarding the Hitler Youth)?

Answer 29

The Law for the Incorporation of German Youth gave the Hitler Youth ‘equal status’ to school and home life. The organisation also controlled all sports facilities and youth competitions for children under 14.

Question 30

How did Hitler ensure membership of the Hitler Youth for all kids in 1939?

Answer 30

He made membership compulsory.

Question 31

How were German boys controlled?

Answer 31

A boy would join a club called the ‘Little Fellows’ from 6-10. Then he would join the ‘Young Folk’ from 10-14. Finally, he became a member of the Hitler Youth until he reached adulthood at 18.

Boys would go to Hitler Youth meetings several times a week after school and to special weekend camps every month. At meetings, boys learned how to march, fight with knives, fire a gun and keep themselves fit.

The emphasis was on competition, struggle, heroism and leadership. The regime wanted to create a generation of strong future soldiers.

Question 32

How were German girls controlled?

Answer 32

Girls normally joined a club called the ‘Young Girls’ and the ‘League of German Girls’ from 14 to 17. Girls still went on tough marches and attended weekend camps, but they would mainly learn how to keep fit, cook and look after babies.

Both boys and girls were encouraged to report and words of dissent against the regime.

Question 33

How did membership of the Hitler Youth change between 1933 and 1939?

Answer 33

In 1933, there were 7,529,000 children aged 10-18, 2,292,041.

By 1936, there were 8,656,000 children aged 10-18, now 5,437,601 of these were members.

By 1939, there were 8,870,000 children aged 10-18, but now there were 7,287,470 members.

Question 34

How did certain young people fight against the Hitler Youth and the regime of the time?

Answer 34

Not all young Germans liked the Nazi way of life. Some youngsters who refused to join went to parties, listened to American Jazz (banned due to its black origins) and had Jewish friends. They were known as the Swing Youth. Other youngsters formed gangs.

The ‘Roving Dudes’, the ‘Edelweiss Pirates’, the ‘Navajos’ - which went camping and sang songs making fun of Hitler. They even physically attacked Hitler Youth groups. These gangs included boys and girls, including Jews.

Question 35

What was the place of women in Germany?

Answer 35

In the 1920s, women had many rights and freedoms. They had the right to vote and work in government, their pay was equal to men.

Many women attended universities and had elite jobs. The nazis had different views. They were worried about the declining population during the Weimar Republic. This is due to women focusing more on careers. In 1900, there had been 2 million births but this dropped to 1 million in 1933.

The Nazis felt a low birth rate and population would be detrimental towards their plans to expand Germany.

They felt it was their duty to stay at home, have lots of children and support their husbands. Hitler even said to stick to the 3 Ks - Kinder, Kirche and Küche (children, church and cooking). Women were not viewed as equal to men. Within months of Hitler coming to power, many female doctors, teachers, lawyers and judges were sacked. Getting a job was discouraged, as it might get in the way of producing children. Women were even banned from jury service because the Nazis said they were unable to think without emotion.

Question 36

What incentives were used to control women?

Answer 36

The Nazis interfered in many aspects of women’s lives. In many cities, women were banned from smoking because it was ‘unladylike’. Wearing trousers or high heels was also discouraged. The only thing that women were actively encouraged to do was to have children.

Loans were given out to newly married couples to encourage them to have children. On the birth of the first child they could keep a quarter of the money. On the birth of another, they could keep the second quater and so on.

The Nazis banned contraception and abortion too. Even slimming was discouraged because it was thought it didn’t help getting pregnant. Every year, on 12 August, the Motherhood Medal was awarded to women who has the most children. Mothers with eight children recieved the ‘Gold Cross’.

The Lebensborn movement as an attempt to increase birth rate. An estimated 8000 children were born in Germany as a result.

The Nazis promoted their views on women through the organisations they set up. The German Women’s League coordinated all women’s groups in the country, and representatives travelled around giving advice on cooking, childcare and healthy eating.

By March 1939, 1.7 million women had attended one of its motherhood training courses. Another group, The Nazi Women’s Organisation, was set up to develop an elite female group dedicated to Nazi beliefs and ideas.

Question 37

Did the policies trying to increase the birth rate work?

Answer 37

The birth rate in Germany did increase. There were around 970,000 babies born in Germany in 1933 - this had risen to 1,413,000 by 1939. Despite what the Nazis said about a woman’s role in the workplace, they had to compromise their views during wartime.

Women were needed in the workplace due to men being on the frontlines. Due to many males dying after 1939, women were needed to work and produce materials for the war effort.

Question 38

What was the religious make-up of Germany?

Answer 38

Christianity was by far the largest religion in Germany. Around one third of Germans were Catholic and two thirds were Protestant. Religion was an importsnt feature of people’s lives and Hitler realised he had to be careful with how he dealt with Christian groups.

Question 39

Why did some Christians vote for the Nazis?

Answer 39

-The Nazis said they believed in the importance of marriage, the family and moral values. Most Christians agreed.

-Both Nazis and Christians were fervently Anti-Communist, and Hitler promised to eradicate Communism.

-Hitler promised to respect the Catholic Church.

Question 40

How did Hitler interact with the Catholic Church?

Answer 40

At first, Hitler cooperated with Catholic leaders. In 1933, he signed a Concordat with the Pope, so that they would not interfere with each other.

Hitler soon broke the agreement, thinking that the Pope, as the Vicar of Christ, was listened to more than him by German Catholics, so he harassed and arrested Catholic priests and closed down Catholic youth clubs and schools.

Relations became so bad that in 1937 he issued a statement called ‘With Burning Anxiety’ sayint that Nazis were ‘hostile to Christ and his Church’. This was read out in Catholic churches across Germany, but it had little effec.

The Nazis continued to arrest priests. In August 1941, one of Germany’s best known leaders - Archbishop Galen - criticised the Nazis use of terror tactics, euthanasia and concentration camps. As a result, he was put under house arrest until the end of the war.

Question 41

How did Hitler interact with the Protestant Church?

Answer 41

Some Protestants admired Hitler’s views on marriage and moral values, and wanted to see their Church under Nazi control. They were known as ‘German Christians’ and their leader, Ludwig Müller, became the first Reich Bishop in September 1933.

German Christians often wore Nazi uniform and used the slogan ‘swastika on our chests and the Cross in our hearts’. However, some Protestants hated this as they felt Nazi beliefs opposed Christianity.

A new group of Protestants called the Confessional Church was formed, led by Martin Niemöller, and openly criticised the Nazis. However the Nazis arrested 800 pastors. Niemöller was sent to a concentration camp and the Confessional Church was banned.

Question 42

How did Nazi and Christian ideals conflict?

Answer 42

• Nazis thought strength and violence was glorious whereas Christians believe in love and forgiveness.

-Nazis hated weakness and vulnerability whereas Christians help the weak and vulnerable.

-Nazis believed in Eugenics (some races were better than others) whereas Christians believe all races are equal under God.

-Christians believe there should be no idols but God (to be worshipped) and some Nazis were so devout that it can be argued their devotion to Hitler was idolatry.

Question 43

How did the Nazis interact with other Christian groups?

Answer 43

About 1/3 of Jehovah Witnesses were killed in concentration camps as they are pacifists and refused to serve in the army. The Salvation Army, Christian Scientists and the Seventh Day Adventist Church all disappeared from Germany.

Question 44

How did Nazis interact with Judaism?

Answer 44

The Jewish community in Germany at this time was small (less than 1%). Jewish people had been living in German lands for 1600 years and were fully integrated into German society. They tended to be middle class (doctors, lawyes etc) and many were secular. They suffered relentless persecution in Germany. When they wanted to flee, Hitler prevented them from leaving but nearly 80% had fled.

Question 45

What were Nazi ideas about race?

Answer 45

They were obsessed with the idea of the ‘superiority’ of the Aryan race, and that Germany had the right to dominate ‘inferior’ races like Jews, Roma and Sinti, Slavs and black people. Hitler said ‘the strong must dominate and not blend with the weak’. He didn’t want the Aryans to mix with non-Aryans. The Nazis began to persecute and murder the ‘inferior’ groups. Over half a million gypsies and 6 million Jews from all over Europe were killed by the Nazis.

Question 46

How did the Nazis interact with Jewish people?

Answer 46

Hitler had an obsessive hatred of Jews, and as soon as he came to power they began discriminating against them. When war broke out, persecution increased. For example, they were forced to live in ghettos and work in labour camps.

Hundreds of thousands of Jews were murdered by mobile execution squads. Later in the war, they were sent to specially built death camps, where they were worked to death or killed by poison gas.

Question 47

How were Jews discriminated against between 1933 and 1934?

Answer 47

March 1933 - All jewish lawyers and judges are sacked.

April 1933 - All jews banned from any sports clubs. All jewish teachers sacked.

September 1933 - ‘Race Studies’ introduced in German schools.

January 1934 - All Jewish shops marked with a yellow star of David or the word ‘Juden’. Soldiers stood outside shops turning people away.

Question 48

How were Jewish people discriminated against between 1935 and 1936?

Answer 48

September 1935 - Jews have their German citizenship removed and are not allowed to vote. Marriages between Jews and non-Jews is banned. These were known as the Nuremburg Laws.

January 1936 - No jew allowed to own any electrical equipment, bicycles, typewriters or music records.

Question 49

How were Jewish people discriminated against in 1938?

Answer 49

July 1938 - Jewish doctors sacked

August 1938 - Male jews must add the name ‘Israel’ and females must add the name ‘Sara’ to their first names.

November 1938 - Jewish children banned from German schools. Jewish homes, synagogues and businesses attacked all over Germany and Austria. About 100 jews killed and 20,000 sent to concentration camps as a retailiation to the killing of a German diplomat in Paris by a Jewish man. This became known as ‘Kristallnacht’ - Night of the Broken Glass.

December 1938 - Jewish and non-Jewish children forbidden to play together. Jews banned from using swimming pools.

Question 50

How were Jewish people persecuted in 1939?

Answer 50

April 1939 - Jews can be evicted from their homes without reason.

September 1939 - Jews no longer allowed out of their homes between 8:00pm and 6:00am.

Question 51

How were ‘undesirables’ persecuted?

Answer 51

The Nazis felt that anyone who didn’t fit into their vision of an Aryan, which included a willingness to work hard for Germany was ‘undesirable’. The Nazis believed Germany would be stronger without them. As a result, many people were sent to concentration camps, including Jews, other ‘inferior’ groups, gays, criminals, prostitutes, Jehovah’s Witnesses, political opposition, pacifists and the homeless.

People with physical disabilities or learning disabilities were also targetted as they supposedly damaged the ‘purity’ of the Aryan race. This was linked to their view on Eugenics. They thought that by preventing anyone with a physical disability or learning disability from having children, they would ‘improve’ the race. Around 400,000 people with hereditary illnesses were sterilised and over 200,000 people with physical or learning disabilities were killed.

Question 52

How were Jews persected before the Nazis?

Answer 52

Antisemitis has been common in Europe for centuries. Jews have been blamed for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the outbreak of the Black Death in the 1300s. From the middle ages, many people associated Jews with wealth, power and corruption. This was widely accepted throughout Europe. They have been kicked out of 109 countries. In 1290, King Edward I expelled all Jews in England, and they were banned from returning for 350 years. They were also expelled from Spain after the Reconquista in 1492.

Persecution of Jews continued after the Middle Ages. They were often treated as alien and had few rights. In the late 1800s, German writer Wilhelm Marr wrote that Jews would soon take control of all positions of power in Germany. In Russia, false documents were published telling of a Jewish plot to take over the world. There were several massacres of Jews in the 1880s and 1900s. By the turn of the C20, antisemitism was widespread in Europe.

Question 53

How did Nazis portray Jewish people?

Answer 53

They were treated as scapegoats for all problems in Germany, and many books were released depicting how supposedly evil Jewish people were and how they were ‘damaging’ the ‘pure’ Aryan race.

Question 54

How did war impact Jewish people?

Answer 54

Many Jews left Germany after antisemitic laws were introduced to nearby countries like The Netherlands and Belgium or Poland, but found themselves under Nazi occupationr after Germany invaded them. As the war went on, Germany invaded more countries, trapping millions of Jews under the Nazi regime. There were 3 million jews in Poland, 3 million in Russia, 1 million in France, Denmark, Norway and the Balkans.

Question 55

How did Ghettos and execution squads ‘deal’ with Jewish people?

Answer 55

In some countries, Jews were bricked into ghettos, sectioned off from the rest of a city like Warsaw to work in labour camps. Execution squads (Einsatzgruppen) even went out into the countryside and shot or gassed as many Jews as they could find. For some, the genocide of Jewish people was not happening fast enough. By 1941, Nazis were working on plans for the ‘final solution to the Jewish question’.

Question 56

What was the ‘final solution’?

Answer 56

At the Wannsee Conference in 1942, Nazi leaders discussed how to exterminate all Jews in Europe (around 11 million people) - either by working them to death or by killing them in poison gas chambers. Six large death camps were built for this. Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek, Sobibor and Treblinka were the largest. Soon, Jews from all over Europe were being transported to them. At Auschwitz-Birkenau, Jews were joined by thousands of Roma and Sinti, gay people, political opposition, disabled people and other ‘undesirables’. Other camps were specifically designed for the extermination of Jewish people.