The Nazis and farming communities Flashcards
Why did Hitler pay particular attention to farmers?
Farmers had been strong supporters of the Nazis in their rise to power
What was the Reich Food Estate?
It was a government organisation to control food production (e.g. hens had to lay 65 eggs per year)
Who did the Reich Food Estate benefit?
Peasant farmers - it meant they always had someone to buy their food
Who led the Reich Food Estate?
Richard Darre
What was the Reich Entailed Farm Law?
A law that meant banks could not take away peasants’ farms - even if they fell behind on their mortgages.
Why did the Farm Law benefit peasant farmers?
It ensured peasants’ farms stayed in their hands
In what way did the farm laws have a racial aim?
Part of the Nazi philosophy was ‘Blood and Soil’ - the belief farmers were the backbone of the master race. Therefore, their way of life had to be protected
What was a negative of the Reich Food Estate?
It meant that more efficient farmers were held back because they had to work at the same rate as the less efficient farmers (e.g. there was no benefit in hens producing 100 eggs per year)
What was a negative of the Reich Entailed Farm Law?
Because banks could not reclaim land, they became less willing to lend money to farms in the first place
Who inherited the farm under the Farm Law?
The eldest child
What happened to Germany’s rural population during this time?
Rural depopulation (i.e. people leaving rural areas) was 3 per cent per year during the 1930s.
This was the opposite of the Nazis’ aims
Which rose more quickly: agricultural wages or industrial wages?
Agricultural wages
