The rise of the white collar workers

Question 1

Growth of white collar workers during Kaiserreich

Answer 1

• As Germanys economy developed there was a greater requirement for admin jobs, teachers, lawyers, scientists etc
• Prussian civil service grew from 40,000 to 250,000 from 1850-1907, number of teachers grew 43% from 1890-1910 and number of doctors doubled over the period
• social divides existed due to the rise of the white collar workers and their emphasis compared to artisans
• white collar workers got a separate state insurance compared to normal workers in 1911 through their co-ordinating committee
• they enjoyed better pay, better conditions and better representation from their growth in society, enhancing divides between middle and working classes
• during the war white collar workers saw a fall in their living standards to the same standard as the working classes but the white collar workers had developed more socialist tendencies and often challenged the dominance of Prussia, voting SPD themselves

Question 2

White collar workers in Weimar

Answer 2

VERY CLEAR FALL IN LIVING STANDARDS UNDER THE WEIMAR PERIOD- turning point as WCW were at their lowest

• White collar workers did not enjoy the real wage increases of the working classes between 1925-1929 and in 1928 183,000 white collar workers were unemployed
• white collar workers did not receive the same level of state support as blue collar workers and 90,000 had no support at all
• the union between working and middle classes that had began to develop during the war faltered under weimar
• the savings of the white collar workers were rendered almost worthless due to the impact of hyperinflation
• the shift in jobs towards women and changed in industries due to the war meant that WCW often had employment problems
• number of white collar workers doubled from 1907-1925 which aided these problems of unemployment

Question 3

White collar workers in Nazi Germany

Answer 3

• The Nazis promise to prohibit female work in such professions appealed to the WCW as they had more employment opportunities
• By joining the Nazi party the WCW could enjoy enhanced benefits and by the end of 1933 they were 65% over-represented whilst blue collar workers were 30% under-represented as a % of the population that they made up
• They received a 10% pay rise under the Nazis compared to blue-collar workers and enjoyed better welfare ie better pensions and insurance schemes
• They grew 25% in the 1930s owing to the increased benefits they received compared to under weimar, making up 1 in 4 workers by 1940

Question 4

White collar workers in the west

Answer 4

SHIFTING IMPORTANCE TO WCW IN SOCIETY DUE TO ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REFINED INDUSTRY

• Rapid industrial growth drove huge expansion of the WCW due to new service industries, making up 35% of th workforce compared to 10% in 1890; this made them the largest group in Germany’s workforce
• their growth allows Germany to rebuild as one of the world most successful capitalist countries
• there was less division between working classes and WCW and generally everyone enjoyed good wages and high living standards
• increased demand for higher education and skilled labour, increasing social mobility
• from 1950-64 real wages doubled and these were enjoyed by WCW this time;
• 1956 law passed to help people buy houses and tax allowances changed to allow people to buy cars
• by 1989 66% of the population was employed in the service industry
• blue collar workers did not see such vast benefits and women were still discouraged from working and paid less, but white collar workers enjoyed great benefits