Social Policies

Youth in Nazi Germany

The Nazis had clear aims for young boys and girls. Boys were to be the future soldiers of the Reich. Girls were to be the future mothers.

Aims

Produce a new German citizen: obedient, physically fit, dedicated to the Führer, upholding the Volksgemeinshcaft. Girls to bear children, boys to fight.
Indoctrinate children with Nazi ideals.

Education

Nazis were anti-intellectual. More emphasis was placed on physical fitness and Nazi indoctrination.
By 1936 there was two hours PE a day. From 1935 all text books had to be approved.
Co-educational schools were discouraged. Girls’ education focused more on languages and ‘home crafts’ as well as history, biology and fitness training.
NAPOLAs: special leadership schools established 1933 for boys aged 10-18 to prepare future leaders.

Teachers

By 1936 over 30% of teachers were NSDP members. Teachers were pressured to join the National Socialist Teachers’ League (NSLB). 97% had joined by 1937.
November 1935: all university teachers signed a declaration supporting Hitler and the Nazi regime as well as having to join the Nazi Lecturers’ Association.

Youth groups

Girls: 10-14 Young Girls (JM); 14-18 League of German Girls (BDM); 18-21 Faith and Beauty (GS).
Boys: 6-10 Pimpfen (Nazi Cubs); 10-14 Young German Boys (DJ); 14-18 Hitler Youth (HJ).
As well as sport, camping and other activities, there was military training. As the 1930s wore on, Nazi youth groups focused more on military preparation.
In 1936 all youth organisations, other than Nazi ones, were abolished and membership of Nazi youth organisations became compulsory.

Opposition youth groups

There were two key opposition groups to the Hitler Youth.
The Edelweiss Pirates:
- Activities included camping, hiking, music and singing.
- Beginning in 1934, there were 2,000 by 1939.
- At first Edelweiss Pirates’ groups were warned, then raided or arrested. After World War Two began action against them was stepped up.
The Swing Youth:
- Upper middle class, anti-politics (including Nazism).
They listened to banned music such as jazz and swing.

Historical assessment

Wilt (1994):
- As many as 95% of German youth supported Hitler.
Fischer (1995):
- An entire generation was not only miseducated, but misused.
Housden (1997):
- For all its attractions, support for Hitler amongst German youth was ‘less than total.’
Peukert (1987):
There was a growing crisis in the Hitler Youth by the late 1930s and during the war it led to ‘a massive opposition movement’ of German youth.

Women in Nazi Germany

Women were expected to be the mothers of the Aryan race. Policies focused on their role as child-bearers and housewives.

Gleischaltung

NSF:
- Nazi Women’s Organisation. Coordinated all existing women’s organisation to ensure they were in line with Nazi policy and philosophy.
Reich Mothers Service:
- Looked after pregnant women and young mothers, including those who were unmarried.
DFW German Women’s Enterprise:
- The DFW ran Mothers’ School, teaching women how to be mothers and housewives, in line with Nazi ideology.
Gertrud Scholtz-Klink was leader of all Nazi women’s organisations.

Laws and policies restricting women

1933: Law for the Reduction of Unemployment. Marriage loans were given to women who gave up their job or remained unemployed.
1933: Women were banned from top civil service and medical jobs. Guidelines issued in October instructed the appointment of male applicants for teaching and civil service positions where equally qualified men and women had applied.
1936: Women were banned from being lawyers or judges.
University places for women were restricted to 10%.

Policies to increase Aryan births

1933: Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave newly-weds loans.
Higher-taxes for childless couples. In 1938, divorce was made easier, with the aim of freeing unproductive couples to find partners with whom to have children.
Information on contraception was restricted; penalties for abortion were raised.
Propaganda: Educating girls to be mothers; the Motherhood Cross.
Lebensborn programme set up in 1935. The state set up places where Aryan women could become pregnant by SS men.

Policies to limit undesirable births

January 1934: forced sterilisation of ‘undesirables’ began with mental hospitals. Some homosexuals, ‘asocial’ gypsies and mixed race children were sterilised.
October 1935: Blood Protection Law prevented marriages of an Aryan to a Jew, black person or gypsy. ‘Fitness to marry’ certificates were also required.

Impact on women

Nazi women’s organisations gave many girls and women more opportunities.
Most women were in low-paid, hard work and welcomed the financial incentives to marry and have children.
Health care and support for pregnant women and new mothers improved.
The number of women in the workforce actually increased, so women in non-professional jobs were not restricted.
However, women in the professions and higher education were very restricted.

Historical assessment

Average number of children per marriage fell from 3.6 in 1933 to 3.3 in 1939.
The birth rate rose slightly compared with the depression (1929-33) but could have been due to economic optimism.
Women working outside the home: 4.2 million in 1933; 6.2 million in 1939. This was 35% of married women aged 16-65.
Frevert (1988): Life for women did not change hugely. Women gained more opportunities.
Pine: The Nazi state aimed to mould the family into ‘a breeding and rearing institution'

Historical assessment continued

Paul Ginsborg (2000): Official policy for regimes was that married women could not work outside the home but economic realities meant that it was not effectively enforced. Nevertheless, housewives in Nazi Germany were 'encouraged to celebrate their domestic role'. The weekly 'stew day' offered them the chance to contribute to the regime.
Hitler gave a speech at Nuremberg in September 1934 about "separate spheres": 'We do not find it right when the woman presses into the world of the man. Rather we find it natural when these two worlds remain separate . . . To the one belongs the power of feeling, the power of the soul . . .'

1The Weimar Republic 1918-1933

1.1Establishment Of The Weimar Republic 1918-1924

1.1.1Post WW1

1.1.2Weimar Constitution

1.1.3Peace Settlement

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Germany Post WW1

1.1.5Economic Issues

1.1.6Economic Issues 2

1.1.7Social Issues

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Economic & Social Issues

1.1.9Extremist Threats

1.1.10Extremist Threats 2

1.1.11End of Topic Test - Extremist Threats

1.1.12Political Instability & The Invasion of the Ruhr

1.1.13Weimar Government by 1924

1.1.14End of Topic Test - Weimar Government by 1924

1.1.15A-A* (AO3/4) - Germany Post WW1

1.2The 'Golden Age' Of The Weimar Republic 1924-1928

1.2.1Economic Developments

1.2.2Industry & Agriculture

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Economic Developments

1.2.4Social Developments

1.2.5Social Developments 2

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Developments

1.2.7Political Parties

1.2.8Political Stability

1.2.9End of Topic Test - Weimar Politics

1.2.10Germany's International Position

1.2.11Germany's International Position 2

1.2.12End of Topic Test - International Position

1.2.13A-A* (AO3/4) - The Weimar 'Golden Age'

1.3The Collapse of Democracy 1928-1933

1.3.1The Impact Of The Depression

1.3.2Politics After The Depression

1.3.3The Appeal Of Extremism

1.3.4End of Topic Test - The Depression & Politics

1.3.5'Backstairs Intrigue'

1.3.6'Backstairs Intrigue' 2

1.3.7End of Topic Test - Backstairs Intrigue

1.3.8Political Developments

1.3.9The State by March 1933

1.3.10End of Topic Test - Political Developments

1.3.11A-A* (AO3/4) - The Collapse of Democracy

2Nazi Germany 1933-1945

2.1The Nazi Dictatorship 1933-1939

2.1.1Hitler's Consolidation Of Power

2.1.2The Terror State

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Consolidation of Power

2.1.4Opposition

2.1.5Propaganda

2.1.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Terror State & Propaganda

2.1.7End of Topic Test - Propaganda

2.1.8Economic Policies

2.1.9Economic Policies 2

2.1.10Impact Of Economic Policies

2.1.11Impact Of Economic Policies 2

2.1.12End of Topic Test - Economic Policies

2.1.13Social Policies

2.1.14Social Policies 2

2.1.15Volksgemeinschaft

2.1.16End of Topic Test - Social Policies

2.1.17A-A* (AO3/4) - Economic & Social Policies

2.2The Racial State 1933-1941

2.2.1The Radicalisation Of The State

2.2.2Anti-Semitism

2.2.3Development Of Anti-Semitic Policies

2.2.4Development Of Anti-Semitic Policies 2

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Anti-Semitism

2.2.6Treatment of the Jews in the Early Years of War

2.2.7Deportation & Anti-Semitism Evaluation

2.2.8End of Topic Test - Early Treatment of the Jews

2.2.9A-A* (AO3/4) - The Racial State

2.3The Impact Of War 1939-1945

2.3.1Home Front

2.3.2Impact On Society

2.3.3Impact On Society 2

2.3.4End of Topic Test - Impact of the War

2.3.5War Economy

2.3.6War Economy 2

2.3.7Policies Towards The Jews & Untermenschen

2.3.8A-A* (AO3/4) - Impact of the War

2.3.9End of Topic Test - War Economy

2.3.10Opposition

2.3.11Opposition 2

2.3.12Nazi State by 1945

2.3.13End of Topic Test - Opposition

2.3.14A-A* (AO3/4) - Opposition & The State in 1945

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