James Delaney
History Coursework (Part A)
How far do the sources support the view that between 1933 and 1939,
the German working classes benefited from Nazi economic policies?
There are many suggestions that many of the working class in
Germany in the years 1933-1939 benefited from the new policies being
introduced by the Nazi’s. Source 1 shows how the unemployment level in
Germany fell at a steady rate from over 5 and a half million in 1932 to a
minor point 2 of a million in 1938. This substantial drop in unemployment
figures meant that the Nazi party were doing well for the country, the
public would see what the Nazi parties policies were working and reducing
the unemployment levels. This source is not concrete as they figures left
out many Jews and people of lower classes, so it can be argued that the
Nazi party fiddled the figures to ‘show’ as if they were reducing
unemployment, the figures are produced by Hitler suggesting a form of
inconsistency.
The German labour front was a scheme set up by Hitler to convince
many Germans that were not Nazi to cross over, this was done through
work and thought schemes operated during work, it was a form of
education in the work place, but the education being focused on Germany
and Nazi party, and how being a Nazi party member can benefit you. The
German labour front was aimed at Germans who were not in touch with
their social or economic positions.
Nazi policies seemed to be working as many figures produced
from the years 1932 onwards showed a positive result for the Nazi party.
The figures shown in source 3, Strength through Joy Activities, showed
how many millions took part in events including, concerts, Operas and
Hikes. Of the 34 million working population nearly half would take part in
these activities, mainly organised by the Nazis. But the source can be
turned over on the fact that more than one person can do more than one
event, so increasing the figures further. Of the 34 million people in
Germany, only 500,000 stood unemployed in 1938 according to the Nazi
party figures of 1938. Source 4 shows an extract from a book where two
German workers were talking over how bad their working conditions were,
a woman interrupted and told the men how lucky they were to have work
and for them to the thank the Fuhrer(Hitler). Although this woman
believed that Hitler’s party were doing no wrong, she was not the one
doing the backbreaking labour work for 51 Pfennig’s (£1) an hour. This
shows how although unemployment was low, the working conditions for
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many were not satisfactory, many workers were paid low wages and
treated poorly. Hitler was shrinking unemployment by giving Germans any
old work and paying low wages for it(The dig a hole and fill it back in
ideology). Sources 4 states how Germany cannot get rid of 14 years of
mismanagement and expect the Nazis to solve problems overnight. This
mismanagement was being referred to as the ruling by the Weimar. Many
people in the Nazi party were taught to blame Weimar for the state the
country was in, giving Hitler a foot hold out of the hole they were in.
Although many Germans were off the streets and working does not
imply they had better life styles. Source 5 shows how the amount of
different foods that fell from the years 1928 to 1937; there was a
reduction in foods such as milk, bacon and vegetables and a rise in Rye
bread(low quality bread) and a rise also in cheese. There was a fall in
foods seen as nice, suggesting that many Germans were eating less off
than they did under Weimar. The Nazi Economic policy were seen to be
working on paper and in figures, but from a point as a German citizen then
life was somewhat worse, in the way you lived and treated. The position of
the authors has to be considered, the quality of evidence and the sources
they have, British authors were unlikely to be in Germany at this time so
the evidence available to them cannot be seen as full proof, from records
we have seen that the Germans kept very little logs of their actions thus
different accounts on the same thing are given.
Source 6 is a propaganda article from the SPD party undermining
the Nazi success so far. The report reads how Hitler exploited labour to
reduce the unemployment figures in Germany; he worked people harder
for less. The Economic policies that Hitler was introducing were not
benefiting the working class as much as he proposed, unemployment was
reduced drastically, but at what cost. The general lifestyle of a typical
working class German had not improved ten fold like Hitler preached. The
SPD state clearly their report how Hitler contradicts himself under the
issue of woman. Hitler’s policies are to have woman who stay at home, and
reproduce and make more of the Arian race for Germany. Although Hitler
went to great trouble to make woman quit their jobs and stay at home and
to be traditional house wives, he now wants more woman to work, and work
towards rearmament as many of the men were being trained as part of
the Army. This contradicts Hitler’s policies over woman, making many
think does he know what he wants. Hitler pays these exploited workers
poor wages but every year 12-13 billion RM go towards rearming Germany.
The SPD questions Hitler’s policies and the contradictory element over
woman and rearmament.
(930)
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