Social Policies 2

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Workers

The workforce was the largest single group in Germany to have Gleichschaltung imposed upon them.

Illustrative background for DAF ?? "content

DAF

6 May 1933: All independent trade unions were banned. DAF now represented all workers and employers in one national organisation. Led by Dr. Robert Ley.
Membership rose from 5 million in 1933 to 22 million in 1939.
1936: DAF provided 2.5 million vocational training courses.
1938: Workers could put aside RM5 a week towards a VW car. In 1939 car manufacturing was switched to military needs. No cars were ever received.
DAF’s aims: for workers and employers to work together to achieve Volksgemeinschaft.

Kdf and SdA

KdF (Strength Through Joy): created by DAF in 1933 to improve workers’ fitness and morale through subsidised leisure activities, including holidays.
In 1938 over 10.3 million holidays provided by KdF. Sports were the most popular activity – the Volksgemeinshcaft must be fit and healthy.
SdA (Beauty of Work): its role was to improve working conditions, e.g. better lighting, heating, proper work clothes, lockers, improved hygiene, canteens.

Illustrative background for RAD ?? "content

RAD

Reich Labour Service: from June 1935 every male aged 18-25 must serve six months working for the community, usually on farms or public works.
RAD was regimented, often time was spent away from home in barracks.
In 1939 RAD was extended to women.

Workers' pay and conditions

Trustees of Labour were established in 1933 under the Ministry of Labour. They set wages, holidays and regulated working conditions.
Councils of Trust were established in January 1934. They replaced the workers’ councils of the Weimar era and were subordinate to the Trustees of Labour.
Councils of Trust discussed workers’ safety and welfare, workplace productivity.
Grunberger (1971): -Real hourly wages rose only 1% under the Nazis.

Controlling workers

DAF brought the Nazi Party into the workplace and leisure activities. Work breaks could be supervised, for example, with organised keep fit activities.
The NSBO (Nazi Factory Cell Organisation) was purged of radical or left-wing elements and brought under DAF.
February 1935: workers were given workbooks, recording their skills and employment history.
The government could direct or allocate workers to jobs, though rarely did so.
There was an illegal trades union HQ operating in Berlin.

The Church in Nazi Germany

The vast majority of Germans were Christians, most of whom also supported Hitler, but forcing them to choose between their ancient religious faith and a new political ideology was too risky.

Religion in Nazi Germany

Protestant = about 60%, especially northern, central Germany, Württemberg, East Prussia. Catholic = about 40%, especially Bavaria, eastern Germany.

Gleischaltung and the Reich Church

The Nazi's long term aim was to replace Christianity with the German Faith Movement:
- In 1936 all Church youth groups were banned.
- Parents faced pressure not to send their children to faith schools. By 1939 faith schools had all but disappeared.
- ‘Church Secession Campaign’ urged Germans to leave the church. In 1939 3.5 million members of the German Faith Movement.

Nazism vs the Protestant Church

July 1933: Reich Church established to co-ordinate Protestant Churches.
1934: the Confessional Church breaks away from the Reich Church. Two Protestant bishops were arrested but released in the face of public opinion.
1936: Confessional ministers criticised Nazism and its policies. Hundreds were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Most were released.
Under Nazism approximately 800 Protestant ministers (about 5%) were arrested; 50 had long prisons sentences for opposition.

Nazism vs the Catholic Church

July 1933 Concordat: the Vatican promised not to interfere in politics, the Nazis not to interfere in Church issues, including schools and youth clubs.
In 1936 all religious youth groups were banned. By 1939 faith schools had all but disappeared.
1936: an order banning crucifixes from classrooms was withdrawn due to public outcry.
1937: a papal encyclical was smuggled into Germany and read from pulpits. It accused the Nazis of breaking the Concordat.

Impact of Nazi religious policy

Hundreds of ministers and priests were arrested. Few had long prison sentences.
Religiously-based opposition to the Nazi regime increased during World War Two, and especially over issues of sterilisation and euthanasia.
The war also saw Germans returning to the Christian churches. This suggests any apparent success of Nazi religious policy was superficial.
Faith schools all but disappeared, as did religiously based youth groups.

Historical assessment

Geary (1993):
- Church leaders shied away from conflict.
Noakes and Pridham (1984):
- The Church was a major obstacle to Gleichschaltung.
Housden (1996):
- Church opposition was on an issue by issue basis.
Wilt (1994):
- Its timid response led to their own decline in influence.

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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