Explain the reasons for nazi policies towards women
The reasons for nazi policies were the growth of nazi Germany and its economy. Hitler decided that Germany had lost too many men and too much money in the First World War. Germany needed soldiers and workers. To provide these Hitler took women’s role in the old Germany and enhanced it further.
Women were to be housewives and obedient women. They were given medals for the number of children they had for example: when women had had four children they were awarded a bronze medal etc. Hitler did not think that women were not equal to men but that the women of Germany had a different role in life. As so as Hitler become in to power he put his plans and ideas in to Acton. Womens role in the new way of life was very important i.e. to look after the children, clean, cook and to be a good wife. Hitler said that women had 3 important thing in there life’s KKK K=Children K=Church K=Kitchens. Women found themselves forced to stay at home and do the KKK . When Hitler came to power nearly all of women doctors and civil servants were sacked from their jobs, lawyers and women teachers were then dismissed form work, there were very few women left in professional jobs by 1939. Women were not allowed to wear make-up and they could not smoke. Sliming and wearing trousers were frowned upon, because it was thought that slimming was bad for child bearing. Young girls were brought up to believe that child-bearing was their job. That they should settle down as soon as possible with a husband and to beget as many children as they could. They were given medals and awards for the most children they had produced. The honour cross was awarded to women for childbirth:- Gold for eight children, silver for six children and bronze for four children. Hitler wanted the women of Germany to have lots of children from a young age; he hoped to repopulate Germany from the beginning , breeding a new race of pure Aryans without alien races mingling in. Women were encouraged to have children because of the low population due to the First World War. In 1900 there had been 2 million childbirths per year which had dropped to one million. There was a big decrease in birth rate because abortion and contraceptives had recently come available to the general public.