1.4 Nazi economic and social policies

• Nazis' aim


  Create a national community through economic and social changes to every section of society
• Combating unemployment and strengthening Germany


  1. National Labour Service set up

  2. Public work programmes established

  3. Trade unions banned, workers joined German Labour Front

  4. Military conscription introduced

  5. Four-Year Plan announced
• Economic policies to support Volksgemeinschaft

  • Strength through Joy scheme
  • Beauty of Labour scheme
  • Volkswagen Beetle Scheme
  • Big businesses benefited
  • Workers joined General Labour Front, striking forbidden
  • Reich Food Estate set up for farmers
  • Reich Entailed Farm Law
• Not everyone benefited from economic changes
• Workers couldn't strike, leading to grumbling and dissatisfaction
• Workers' standard of living still lower than before Depression by late 1930s
• Smaller businesses harder to survive
• Shortage of agricultural workers due to rural to urban migration
• Unemployment statistics didn't show 'invisible unemployment' of women and Jewish people
• Reich Entailed Farm Law only applied to 20% of farms, restricted expansion and modernisation
• Nazi ideas about women

  • Expected to stay home, raise children, cook, go to church
  • Received medals for having children
  • Increase in birth rate and pregnancies outside marriage
• Once war began, women needed in workforce again
• Aim of youth movements and education

  1. Ensure young people remained loyal to regime

  2. Hitler Youth made virtually compulsory

  3. Other youth organisations banned

  4. Hitler Youth for military training, League of German Maidens for domestic service

  5. Teachers joined Nazi Teachers' League and swore oath of loyalty

  6. Curriculum rewritten to promote Nazi ideas

  7. Greater emphasis on physical education