Chapter 7- economic changes

• what were the national labour service & what did they do ?

  • aka the RAD
  • men aged between 18-25 had to spend six months in the RAD
  • they planted forests, mended hedges and dug drainage ditches
  • wore uniforms and lived in camps
• what were the public workschemes ?

  • autobahns linked German towns and cities
  • this gave work to 100000 people
  • new schools & hospitals were built
• what is rearment ?

  what Nazis ordered to rebuild the armed forces
• how did Hitler carry out this rearment ?

  • new tanks, battleships, fighter planes & guns creating hundreds of jobs
  • huge government arms contracts making factory owners a fortune
  • conscription was introduced
• describe the 'invisible' unemployment

  • women who gave up jobs to have a family were not counted in official numbers
  • part time workers counted as full time
  • Nazi's created jobs by sacking jews
• what were the German labour front (DAF) and what did they want ?

  • replaced trade unions
  • strikes were now illegal
  • promised to protect workers rights
  • ran schemes to improve German lives (SDA & KDF)
• what was the SDA ?

  a scheme to try improve the workplace by installing new facilities
• what was the KDF ?

  a scheme that organised leisure events to encourage hard work like a reward system
• what did Nazis do to try improve the economy ?

  • provided work but workers lost rights
  • people could be forced to work as many hours as the Nazis liked
• describe the economy under schacht

  • realised imports of raw materials were needed
  • he signed deals with countries
  • for a short time things went well
  • Germany became dependant on foreign materials but change was to slow for Hitler
  • schacht got sacked and replaced by goerig
• describe the economy under goerig

  • four year plan to increase military production
  • high targets were set
  • oil production target was not met
  • Germany still needed foreign materials and tried to become self sufficient
  • e.g petrol from coal
• what were the advantages and disadvantages of farmers ?

  • taxes were reduced
  • could not lose land if in debt
  • could not split land between children
  • Nazi's controlled food prices
• why did people have to ration and how ?

  • supplies were needed for soldiers
  • food & clothing were limited
  • hot water was rationed
• what was total war ?

  • everything focused on making weapons
  • pubs, dance halls & sweet shops closed
  • letter boxes boarded up
• what were labour shortages ?

  • women were drafted to work
  • foreign workers were bought in
• describe bombing and refugees

  • no electricity, water or transport
  • thousands lost homes
  • thousands left homes to be refugees