Social FOCUS

• As war dragged, the spirit of unity and patriotism diminished as food shortage hit. Working men's wages were generally high, but middle class professionals increasingly lost out.
• Many women could seek employment due to the absence of men.
• A lack of coal meant that schools could not be heated during the winter months.
• Poorer families suffered from rickets (40% of children during the war years)
• Workers were hit so hard by the hyperinflation crisis that they had to be payed once or even twice a day.
• Landlords who relied on fixed rents were badly effected.
• In 1927, the act concerning labour exchange and unemployment insurance was extended to over 17.25 million workers.
• Workers were granted with 8 hour days, all restrictions on trade unions were abolished.
• Supply of milk fell by 50%, milk and butter by 40%
• Lander governments became involved in using foreign loans to fund for: hospitals, schools, roads, municipal buildings and electricity supply.
• During the 1923 hyperinflation crisis, when so many became unemployed, the welfare system nearly collapsed.
• Some employers persuaded the government to allow some 10 hour work days and resisted some agreements made by the arbitration boards.
• In 1928, Ruhr industrialists rejected an arbitration award and locked out 250,000 workers in an attempt to break power of the unions.
• By 1922, the Pan-German league had over 40,000 members.
• In November 1923, 30,000 workers took part in an attack on the Jewish section of Berlin.
• Schleicher was encouraging Hindenburg into a more authoritarian style of government that would restore the elites to their pre-war position.
• 500 cinemas by 1929.
• In rural areas, change was much less visible. Traditional forms of entertainment continued like religious and folk festivals. By 1929, income per head in farming industries was 44% below the national average - rural bankruptcies were high.