Life in Hitler’s Germany, 1933-9 – more notes on other half of course
Women: Nazi policy: reverse general trend to lower birth rate+greater employment – 2.8 million extra
women than men in Germany post-war had encouraged these. Depression had started some
discrimination against women in work. Nazis wanted women to breed genetically pure Germans to
ensure German supremacy. ‘Separate spheres’ view.
Putting policy into practice: marriage loans for women who gave up work, Oct 1933 preference given
to male applicants, NSF and welfare organisation NSV distributed milk, baby clothes etc. Harvest
kindergartens provided for farming women. Honour Cross of the German Mother – gold medal for 8 or
more children. Schlotz-Klink made Women’s Leader of all Nazi women’s organisations in 1934.
Lots of contradictions in policy: pro-family yet HY took children away from family, and divorce
encouraged. Also Lebensborn programme – sleep with SS men.
- keep women at home, yet rearmament meant women were needed in work.
Nazi economic solutions: How Hitler organised the workforce – Nazis inherited 6 million
unemployed, after the Depression, so (1) extended public works system, so construction companies
needed workers (2) Tax concessions/marriage loans etc meant there was more demand in the economy
(3) married women and Jews in public service pressurised out of employment (4) some groups, like
agricultural workers, couldn’t qualify for unemployment relief (5) RAD (youth service) took young males
off the unemployment register (doing public works etc) (6) 1935 conscription – 18-25 year old males
had to do 2 years military service.
Controlling the workforce: DAF (German Labour Front) set up after trade unions banned in 1933. 5
mill members 1933 increased to 22 million in 1939. Led by Dr Robert Ley, who wanted to build personal
empire, so didn’t get on with other Nazis. DAF created KdF (Strength Through Joy) – 1938 10 mill+
took KdF holidays. SdA (Beauty of Labour, improving working conditions) subdivision of KdF.
Living standards for workers: hard to be clear about whether these went up or down. Take-home pay
rose (but prob because of overtime rather than actual pay rates), smaller % of national income went to
workers (but they wouldn’t have noticed), at least they had jobs, holiday up from 3 days in 1933 to 12
days in 1939, had to spend income on DAF, Winterhilfe etc…
Schacht and Goering: Schacht – 1933 appointed President of the Reichsbank, then 1934 Economics
Minister. Suspended debt repayments, used deficit financing (spending more money than govt received,
esp Mefo bills) to boost the economy – unemployment fell rapidly. 1934 New Plan – imports had to be
approved by the govt.
4 Year Plan set up 1936, led by Goering. Army and economy had to be ready for war in 4 years.
Importance of autarky – economic self-sufficiency – by increasing Germany’s own production, by
developing ersatz (artificial) materials – eg coal to make oil (but 6 tons of coal to make 1 ton of oil –
not very efficient or easy). From 1938, conquest of other countries helped with self-sufficiency.
Conflict between Goering and Schacht re. ‘guns or butter’ – should emphasis be on rearmament or on
consumer goods?