From the point of view of unemployment and work, life in Nazi Germany was excellent as Hitler’s policies created many jobs and the schemes which he set up helped employ thousands. Between 1933, when Hitler came to power and 1939 unemployment levels fell by over 5.5 million.
Young People
After the Nazi’s came to power in 1933 they were particularly anxious to win the hearts and minds of the young in Germany. The Nazi’s knew that there was always going to be some people who would not conform with Nazi Germany but if they could embed into the minds of the German youth, Nazi ideology then it was much more likely that those views would stay with the youth for the rest of their lives. Adolf Hitler once said “whoever has the youth has the future”.
Organisations were set up for the youth of Germany to join. Girls aged between 10 and 14 joined the Young girls. Girls aged 14 to 17 then joined the League of German maidens. Boys between 6 and 10 joined the Little Fellows. Boys aged 10 to 14 then went onto become part of the Young Folk and finally Boys aged 14 to 18 joined the Hitler Youth, this was the most well known organisation for the youth due to the fact that members usually went onto join the army. Throughout these groups great emphasis was placed on fitness through physical activity and military training, this was not so much in the girls groups but they were still encouraged to keep fit as one day they would carry a German baby. The ideology for all of these groups was the same and all members were encouraged to inform their teachers if they heard their parents discussing anything anti-nazi.
The Hitler youth was set up in 1926 and by the time the Nazi’s took power in 1933 100,000 members were part of the group. The group was really a training ground for the army and prepared the young men of Germany for the ideology of the Nazi’s when they joined the army. For young people in Nazi Germany life was reasonably comfortable and was never boring due to the many activities organised by the state through the various youth groups.
Below are some pictures of the Hitler youth and propaganda posters encouraging teenagers to join the organisation.
Below is a Hitler Youth Card.
Leisure Time
As I have mentioned Hitler dramatically increased employment as well as working hours but in order to keep the workers happy they must have leisure time. Hitler believed strongly in this theory and set up the KDF or the Kraft durch Freude. This group organised many trips and leisure activities and made it affordable for the German workers to go on as holiday abroad. Cheap holidays and the offer of them was a good way to win the support of the average person in the street. A cruise to the Canary Islands cost 62 marks, which was easily affordable to many, though most cruises were taken up by Nazi Party officials. Walking and skiing holidays in the Bavarian Alps cost 28 marks. A two-week tour of Italy cost 155 marks.
Leisure in Nazi Germany was relatively cheap and there were plenty of options available
The table below shows Leisure activities provided by the state, in Berlin between 1933 and 1938. All leisure activities were carefully logged by the KDF.
Women and the Family
The Nazi ideology believed strongly that women were inferior sex to the male. To sum up the Nazi attitude towards women in three words I would say Kinder, Kirche und Kuche that translated mean Children, Church and Kitchen. Women were seen as homemakers and any women, which did not take this role, were considered to not be true German women and were persecuted.
Women played a key part in Hitler’s aim on creating a racially pure society and the falling birth rate made women an even more important part of Hitler’s plan. Measures were taken to encourage larger families such as offering rent or water rebates for large households. Not all German mothers benefited. Women who were not Aryan or considered to be racially pure were sterilised and Nazi family policy meant that those who were considered to be racially useless were not allowed to have children.
Once war preparations started in 1937 the Nazis revised their policies. Conscription meant that there were labour shortages and this caused a change in policy. Women now had to be encouraged back into work and the traditional role of homemaker was now being abolished. Women were not very impressed by this and the maternity leave that was introduced along with the Kindergarten provision failed to win back much support.
Life in Nazi Germany for woman was very limited to what was expected of them at certain times. When they were not needed they were swept aside and only kept as homemakers but when there were labour shortages women were called upon to work in factories. This made the women’s mind-set very confused and unstable that made life very difficult for woman in Nazi Germany.
The ideal Nazi family
Control
Hitler kept control through fear and violence. He took out his enemies indiscriminately using the SS, he even managed to take out the leaders of the SA. Selective repression was used to control the masses. Powerful groups such as the bankers, landowners and industrialists were left alone due to the power that they had over German economy. Hitler set up a number of internal organisations to ensure internal control. In 1936 Hitler gave the control of the SS and all other law enforcement agencies to Himmler. Earlier in 1933 Himmler had set up the Gestapo that was an agency to seek out Germany’s internal enemies by any mean necessary. This meant the law did not apply to them. This privilege was abused regularly. Hitler also introduced laws to protect himself. For example in 1933 he introduced the Malicious Practises act which made it illegal to criticise Hitler or the Nazis. Hitler also took a very keen interest in internal affairs but this became less and less as he became occupied with the war. The Nazis also used culture and mass media to control the minds of the people. Hitler and his associates also used propaganda to justify the and prepare for the war.
Hitler used the following things to control the people without force:~
- Nazi propaganda
- Controlling Culture
- Censorship
- Literature
- Radio
- Music
Life in Nazi Germany was very controlled and limited freedom of speech.
Below is an example on Nazi Propaganda.
Evaluation
Life in Nazi Germany was good at times and also bad at times, it all depended upon your position in society and if you were part of the Aryan or pure race. If you were socially or physically challenged life in Nazi Germany was very difficult. Especially if you were a Jew due to the fact that Hitler believed in anti-Semitism. Overall life was good for the majority of the people in Nazi Germany. Living standards were reasonable, employment was high, and Germany was starting to become self-sufficient and also began to gain living space that was one of Hitler’s main aims. Nazi Germany also began restoring pride into the people of Germany, mainly by re-taking land that was taken from Germany at the end of World War 1 of The Great War. Germany’s rearmament program was extremely successful with Hitler controlling a vast empire at one point in Nazi Germany’s history.
Life in Nazi Germany was difficult at times but was also extremely prosperous due to Nazi policies pioneered by Adolf Hitler.
Bibliography
Many sources were used for reference while making this project.
/history
Core Modern World History – Nigel Kelly & Greg Lacey
Germany 1918 – 1945 – Paul Grey & Rosemarie Little
History Notes – Mujibur Ibrahim, dictated by Mr Lofthouse