How successful was the Nazi' Economic Policy between 1933 and 1939

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Ruth Naughton-Doe 11A 16:10 27/04/07

        How successful was the Nazi’ Economic Policy between 1933 and 1939

   In order to examine the success of the Nazi’ Economic policy I must first consider the ideas it contained.

        In 1932, 5.6 million people were unemployed. Hitler aimed to massively decrease unemployment in Germany and this was one of the most attractive aims, from the voters’ point of view, on the economic policy. High employment would mean a boost in the economy. He also aimed to remove Jews from the economy, thus creating jobs for Aryans as well as excluding the ‘aliens’.

        After World War 1, the Treaty of Versailles demanded that Germany pay reparations of 6600 million to the victorious nations. This was an enormous figure and because the treaty also removed Germany’s most productive industrial areas from her, such as the Ruhr, she struggled to pay them. This was one element that caused Germany’s economy to collapse; because she was unable to gain sufficiently from industry. Hitler therefore aimed to end the reparation payments, thus giving Germany a greater chance of recovering a successful economy because she would have more funds available to develop industry.

        The level of industrial production in Germany was very low compared to the glorious days of the Kaiser. Hitler planned to increase it in order to give Germany a chance in boosting her economy. If Germany could boost her levels of industry; she would gain more money and, therefore, have more money available to further develop industry, thus creating an exponential rise in production.

        Hitler believed that the Jews were responsible for the downfall of the great nation of Germany. He blamed them for the loss of World War 1 and believed they were taking part in a conspiracy to completely destroy the country. Therefore, he aimed to remove Jews from the economy to maintain a secure Germany. Jews also dominated many successful businesses and Hitler disliked this because it disagreed with his ideas about Aryans being the master race. Therefore, he aimed to remove them to give Aryans job opportunities and exclude Jews from Germany.

        The Treaty of Versailles had limited Germany’s armies and called for disarmament. This meant Germany had no means of protecting herself and was powerless and weak in the eyes of other nations. Hitler was a great believer in the use of weapons and the need for powerful armies. Therefore, he aimed to devote time and money to develop the army once again and make a visual impression of a more powerful Germany.

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        Hitler’s eventual aim was to make Germany a self-sufficient Country. This meant that he wanted Germany to be completely independent and manufacture everything she needed within her borders, not relying on foreign imports for any material at all. This was a very high aim indeed because she had lost her colonies as a result of the Treaty of Versailles and had limited access to many vital raw materials unless she imported them.

        The Nazi’s ambitious yet promising Economic Policy was very appealing to the desperate German citizens at the time and perhaps it was one of the main reasons people ...

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