Nazi Economic and Social Policy

• The aims of the economic policy:

  • reduce unemployment
  • get rid of Treaty of versailles
  • Autarky (Self sufficiency)
• Jobs were created in constructions such as making motorways (Autobahns), building new homes, schools and hospitals
• compulsory labour was put into place. the RAD stated that men 18-25 MUST work for 6 months with low pay
• conscription in 1935 meant that 16-25 year olds had to join the army
• 'Strength through joy' improved leisure time for workers and gave workers access to holidays, tours and visits for low costs (KDF)
• 'Beauty of work' improved working conditions and built canteens and sports facilities
• Kinder, Kuche, Kirche - Children, Kitchen, Church
• proof of hereditary purity was necessary before marriage
• 'The Germans women enterprise' organised classes and radio talks on motherhood and domestic skills
• on the 12th August women with large family's were given medals:

  Gold: 8 children

  Silver: 6 children

  Bronze: 5 children
• contraception and abortion was banned
• in 1933, the law for encouragement of marriage was introduced giving loans to young couples to encourage marriage
• After 4 kids the marriage loans were paid off
• 'Lebensborn' - Nazi programme for unmarried women to breed Aryan children with racially pure men and donate these children , which was set up in 1935
• German children were made to say 'Heil Hitler' at the beginning and end of every lesson
• 'Eugenics' taught German children to only breed with the racially pure
• 'Activities of women' taught women domestics sciences, cooking, house and garden work and sex education.
• Boys lessons consisted of boxing, military drilling and physical fitness, if failed repeatedly they'd expelled
• 32% of teacher by 1936 were members of the Nazi party
• Teachers who were lacking in loyalty and unwilling to 'defend without reservation to national - socialist state' were sacked.
• In Hitler youth, boys joined at the age of 10. they would learn songs and go camping and hiking. as they got older they focused on military skills map reading and marching.
• In Hitler youth, girls joined at 10 they learnt songs and motherhood skills.
• The Nazis were popular with the young because they went on trips and many would enjoy the comradeship.
• The Nazis were unpopular with the young because they hated the strict routine and unenthusiastic (Many wouldn't turn up to roll call). many played their own music and grew their hair long, they were called the Edelweiss pirates.