after 1933 the Hitler Youth Movement took control over every other children’s publications and ensured that the only publications available to them were the ones from the which gave out the ideas of the Nazi party they were expected to have unquestioning obedience and loyalty to carry through to a adult life.
To the world outside of Germany the Hitler Youth seemed to represent their discipline, this image was far from accurate because school teachers complained that the boys and girls were so tired from attending their evening meeting of the Hitler Youth, that the next day they could barley stay awake in school. Also by1938, attendance at the Hitler Youth meetings was so poor – barley 25%, then the authorities had to make law –making attendance. The Hitler Youth learned too little for them to make their own choice and they also were brainwashed by propaganda.
- Explain the reasons for Nazi polices towards women.
Women in Nazi Germany had an general role, all the women were told to do by Hitler was to become good wife’s and mothers and Hitler had some methods that would deal with people who wouldn’t want any kids like who ever had children were awarded, The reason Hitler didn’t want women to work was because he wanted them to stay at home and look after their children. Hitler had education programmes organised so that young girls will know their future lifestyle.
One of the first laws that Hitler pasted on when he came in power was the Law for the encouragement of marriage. This law states that all newlywed couples would get a government loan 1000 marks (around 9 months average wages at that time), nearly 800,000 newlyweds took the offer, there was another condition that was if the newlywed have 1 child 25% of the loan they don’t have to pay back and if they have 2 children then 50% of the loan they don’t have to pay it back and if they have 3 children they don’t have to pay 75% of the loan back and if they have 4 children then they don’t have to pay back anything. This is how Hitler encouraged people to have more children and the only reason he was doing this was because he knew that all the children were going to join the Hitler Youth.
Hitler needed the population to grow because he needed to fill the spaces gained in Eastern Europe. But Hitler’s idea was not working as he planned so he decided to ban abortions and contraception. The desire to increase Germany population grew so a new law was discussed among Nazi leaders that all women-married or single should have at least 4 children and the fathers of these children had to be racially pure. This law had never been pasted on because even the Nazi leaders knew that it would cause social anarchy.
In Germany there had been a lot of women working before Hitler became in charge but after Hitler became in charge he didn’t want women to be so he started to sack female teachers, doctors, lawyers and civil servants, by the start of the Second World War there was few women that were working. But there was a law passed because of shortage of skills that was called Duty Year. This meant that women could work in factories ect. The marriage loan law was abolished that year.
Housewives and mothers lives were controlled. They were not allowed to wear make-up or wear trousers. The dying of hair was not allowed and only flat shoes were expected to be worn, women were discouraged from trying to get slimmer as it was considered bad for childbirth. They were encouraged to have a well built figure as slim women. Women were also discouraged from smoking because it was considered non-German to do so.
August 12th had been the birthdays of Hitler’s mother, so on this day each year the motherhood cross was awarded to women who had given birth to the largest number of children. The gold cross had gone to women who had produced 8 children; silver was given to women who had 6 children and bronze was given to the women who had 4 children.
That is another way of convincing Germans to have more children.
(c)The most important reason why there was little opposition in Germany towards the Nazi regime was its use of propaganda. Explain how far you agree with this statement.
It is uncertain that propaganda is the most important reason why Hitler had little opposition because there were also other factors that played a big part in Hitler’s success.
The Wall Street crash and economic depression were major factors in Hitler’s rise to power. Germany already suffering from the First World War and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles also had to suffer from bad harvests, many thousands of Germans were unemployed and terribly poor. In 1923 Germany couldn’t pay the war reparations, so France and Belgium took some of Germanys land they took Ruhr – the richest industrial part of Germany to take the resources, these involved the coal fields. This was extremely humiliating to the Germans and led to fury among the German people. The depression encouraged the people to turn away from the political parties, but what encouraged the people to look for answers with the Nazis rather than the communists was Hitler’s oratory. The Nazis seemed to provide them answers. Hitler offered them revenge on the Treaty of Versailles and he also offered them jobs ect.
Hitler owes his rise to power to the economic crisis. Once in power Hitler moved quickly he made the Reichstag give him the power to pass laws without consulting them (dictatorship). The Gestapo (secret police) was used to gather up opponents such as Jews and communists which were imprisoned in concentration camps, All the teachers had to belong with the National Socialist Teachers league and all schools taught that the Germans are a superior race to others. Text books were re-written to include subjects like race studies and the Nazi version of history.
Pro-Nazi propaganda was flaunted in nearly every aspect of German life; in cinemas there were pro - Nazi themed films, where they were based on or around the Nazi idea. The Nazis controlled the Radio and newspapers. Songs were also written with pro-Nazi lyrics, when Hitler gave a speech thousands of people were either listening to him on the radio or watching him live. Posters of Hitler were everywhere. Hitler banned trade unions because there were a few known communists in them and by his reasoning it would make sense to get rid of them all to remove their threat to the Nazis entirely. Hitler’s use of propaganda and brutality were not the only factors at work making sure that there is little opposition, Hitler also dealt with the unemployment problem as well. Hitler employed about 6 million people with his public works programme. Motorways were being built and they had plans for public buildings, including a stadium that would hold the 1936 Olympics. The German people either just didn’t think seriously about what Hitler was aiming for or just didn’t ask, they were more interested in what was in it for them, money, jobs for example the loan service.
In conclusion I don’t agree with the statement that propaganda is the main reason there are other reasons that are more important.
