Part 3: The experiences of Germans under the Nazis

• Back to work


  Over 6 million Germans out of work when Hitler cam to power
• National labour service (RAD) (back to work)

  all men between 18 and 25 had to spend 6 months in the RAD, they planted forests and mended hedges etc, they wore uniforms and lived in camps
• public work schemes (back to work)

  new network of autobahns (motorways) to link major towns, gave nearly 100,000 jobs, new schools etc.
• 'invisible' unemployment (back to work)

  Nazis used a variety of methods to reduce unemployment, incl. part time workers were counted as full time, fired jews and gave jobs to non jews
• rearmament (back to work)

  Nazis ordered rearmament of Germany to rebuild its armed forces, new tanks/ battleships/fighter planes/guns built creating jobs, conscription introduced in 1935, all males aged between 18 to 25 had to join, in 5 years the army grew from 100,000 to 1,400,000
• work and control

  -Nazis made efforts to control workers and reward high production
• DAF (back to work)

  replaced trade unions, strikes now illegal, promised to protect rights/conditions
• SDA (back to work)


  tried to improve work place by installing better safety/ lights etc.
• KDF (back to work)

  organised leisure activities to encourage hard work, had a reward scheme (provided holidays but were to expensive for working class Germans)
• Batter of or not

  Nazis provided work but workers lost most of their rights because trade unions were banned, workers could not quit without government permission and strikes were banned
• Economic policy

  Hitler wanted the Nazis to control the economy, direct all manufacturing. How they did it:
• The economy under Schacht (Economic policy)

  respected banker Hjalmar Schacht appointed minister of economics, realised imports of materials was needed for weapons, signed deals with countries to supply materials, things worked for a bit but Schacht was fired replaced by Hermann Goering
• Economy under Hermann (Economic policy)

  1936 introduced a 4 year plan to increase military production, targets set and met in some industries (steel) but weren't met in others (oil), Goering tried to make Germany self-sufficient
• Self- sufficiency

  -Nazis hoped to stop being reliant on foriegn goods bu making Germany self sufficient

  -would find alternatives to what the country needed (incl. petrol from coal, make-up from flour, coffee from acorns, artificial wool from wood pulp
• Nazis and farmers

  30% of the population was involved in agriculture/ forestry, Hitlers policies had mixed results:
• good for farmers (Nazis and farmers)

  taxes were reduced, couldn't be thrown of land if you were in debt, farmers could not divide land between their children
• bad for farmers (Nazis and farmers)

  Nazis controlled food prices (1930s), prevented the division of farmers (their children had to work elsewhere)
• Impacts of war

  -WW2 went well for Germany at the start

  -However it began to go badly, many defeats, America joined the war on Britain/Russian side, by start of 1944 Germany was facing defeat and became hard for ordinary Germans at home
• rationing (hardships on the home front)

  supplies needed for soldiers which left shortages, by Nov 1939 food and clothing became rationed (incl. 1 egg per week, soap shortage etc.)
• total war (hardships on the home front)

  1942 Albert Speer made armaments minister and organised total war: everything was focused on making weapons and other things for the war (everything else topped)
• Labour shortages (hardships on the home front)

  women were drafted to work in factories as men fought, by 1944 around 7 million foreign workers came to help in factories etc.
• Bombing and refugees (hardships on the home front)

  from 1942 Britain and America began bombing German cities- caused no electricity, water or transport in German cities thousands lost homes and left to find refugee
• Schools (education under the Nazis)

  -teachers had to teach what the Nazis wanted

  -every subject used to put forward Nazi propaganda

  -textbooks rewritten (Nazi beliefs and facts)

  -PE became important (to train boys how to fight for the war)

  -Girls learnt home skills like cooking and how to be a mother
• Universities (education under the Nazis)

  -had to change courses to reflect Nazi beliefs

  -top professors hand picked my the Nazis

  -by 1939 3000 lecturers dismissed

  -all students had to train as a solider for a month a year

  -Nazis didn't regard university as very important
• 1922 (Hitlers youth organisation)


  -organisation founded
• 1933 (Hitlers youth organisation)

  all other youth groups banned, of the 7.5 million 2.3 were aged between 10-18
• 1939 (Hitlers youth organisation)

  membership made compulsory, of 8.8 million 7.2 were aged between 10-18
• German boys (Hitlers youth organisation)

  -boys went to Hitler youth meetings several times a week

  -learned to march, fight, use knives, fire a gun (wanted to prep them for war)
• German girls (Hitlers youth organisation)


  -how to keep fit, cook, good meals, care for babbies etc.

  -also went on marches
• Women in Weimar Germany

  -German women had rights and freedom which many other countries didn't have

  -many attended university and became lawyers and doctors

  -Birth rate fell as many more were working
• Women in Nazi Germany

  -worried about the declining birth rate as it didn't fit with plans to expand territory

  -Nazis felt it was a women's patriotic duty to stay at home, have children etc.

  -women should stick to the three k's Kinder, kirche, Kuche (children, church, cooking)
• work (Nazi policies towards women)

  -many female doctors, teachers, lawyers etc. were sacked

  -working was discouraged for women
• Behaviour (Nazi policies towards women)

  -banned from smoking, wearing trousers and heels

  -slimming was discouraged
• organisations (Nazi policies towards women)

  -the German women's league coordinated all women's groups, travelled around to give advice on childcare, cooking etc.
• sterilisation (Nazi policies towards women)

  -Nazis thought some women were unfit to be mothers, the 'law for the prevention of diseased offspring' allowed sterilisation of women with a history of mental or physical illnesses etc.
• Family (Nazi policies towards women)

  -contraception and abortion banned, loans given to newly married couples to encourage children

  -motherhood medal awarded to women with the most children
• Impact of the policies

  -thousands of women prevented from following chosen career path

  -birth rate increased

  -when WW2 started there was labour shortages as men joined army so women needed to work in factories

  -unlike Britain though women were still not called up to work
• Nazism (differences between Nazism and Christianity)

  thought strength and violence were glorious, hated the weak and vulnerable, believed some races were superior to others, Hitler seen as a god like figure
• Christianity (differences between Nazism and Christianity)

  most believed in love and forgiveness, help the weak and the vulnerable, believe all people are equal in Gods eyes, believe in God and Jesus Christ
• The Nazis and the Catholic church

  -Hitler cooperated with catholic leaders, 1933 concordat (agreement with pope that Nazis and Christians wouldn't interfere with each other

  -Hitler broke agreement (Catholics harassed, youth clubs closed)

  -1937 pope issued a statement read out in Catholic churches, said Nazis were 'hostile to Christ and his church'

  -Nazis prosecuted catholic churches

  -Aug 1941 catholic archbishop criticised Hitler (put under house arrest)