Nazi economy Essay

Submitted By Charlie0308
Words: 1449
Pages: 6
Open Document
How did Nazi economic and social policy affect life in Germany?
Tackling economic problems
Measures to reduce unemployment
Unemployment was a major problem in Germany, with at least 6 million Germans unemployed. During the 1932-33 election campaigns Hitler had promised the people Work and Bread. Hitler’s intentions:
1. Reduce unemployment
2. Create jobs through rearmament (avenge the Treaty of Versailles and prepare to expand Germany)
3. Create an economically self-sufficient Germany (Autarky).
The person responsible for implementing these ideas was financial expert and President of the Reichsbank, Hjalmar Schacht.
He was sacked in 1936, and Herman Goering replaced him, with the Four Year Plan (1936-40).
The National Labour Service
The previous government had started many work schemes to reduce unemployment. One of these schemes was the Reichsarbeitsdienst (or the RAD, Reich Labour Service). In July 1935 the Reich Labour Service Act was passed, which forced every man aged between 18 and 25 to: complete 6 months training at the RAD wear military uniform live in camps receive pocket money only (no wages) do military/physical exercise every day.
The RAD's work included: planting forests digging ditches on farms.
June 1933 - The Unemployment Relief Act
Build a network of motorways (Autobahn)
Build hospitals
All this work was done manually, so more workers were needed. This meant it would take more time to do the work and created work for 80,000 over the following five years.
Rearmament
Rearmament created new jobs - manufacturing arms, supplying raw material and manufacturing military equipment, eg tanks and submarines.
The intention was: to increase the army from 100,000 to 300,000 to increase the navy and the number of submarines to construct two battleships to increase the air force.
Background
Remember that the Treaty of Versailles had prohibited all this, but from 1935 onwards Germany was openly rearming – every man aged between 18 and 25 had to spend two years in the armed forces.
The effect of this was:
1933 – 100,000 members in the armed forces
1939 – 1,400,000 members
The majority of Germans were glad to get secure and fairly safe jobs. Industrial workers had regular work, although they had lost their rights.
Whilst large businesses were prospering, small businesses and the middle classes were squeezed out of the market. The government provided aid to farmers, told them what they should grow and how much to grow, and dictated their prices.
The economy grew as the country prepared for war and rearmament.
Result: A reduction in unemployment
By 1939 there were fewer than 350,000 people unemployed. The SS would persecute the unemployed, calling them ‘lazy’. But, who weren’t included in these statistics?
Women
Jews
Men aged 18-25 (conscription/military service for two years)
In order to be economically self-sufficient, Germany searched for artificial ingredients to replace things like oil, rubber, textiles and coffee. This was not a success. Agriculture suffered due to a shortage of workers and machinery. Germany continued to import a lot of goods such as butter, oil and vegetables. In 1939, it was importing 33 per cent of its raw materials. There was a shortage of food in Germany.
Working hours were increased.
Wages were frozen.
It was impossible to show disapproval about this.
Strength through Joy Movement (KdF)
The workers had to be kept happy, and the Strength through Joy Movement, or theKdF, was established to provide workers with leisure opportunities. It was a popular movement which developed into a business company.
Through the KdF the state was able to control the individual, got everyone to conform and managed their leisure time. It was a way of removing social barriers. In the past, only the rich could afford a holiday.
The purpose of the KdF
To support the Führer and thank him
To keep everyone happy after abolishing the trade unions
The KdF's activities

Volkswagen Beetle
Cheap cruise holidays
Travel opportunities
Show More

Related Documents: Nazi economy Essay

Hitler: Adolf Hitler and Nazi Party Essay

opportunity to build the new political party, the Nazis, in order to take over and recreate Germany’s political system. Hitler planned to abolish the existing government and free German people from the neighboring countries’ strict restraints. Adolf Hitler’s charismatic attitude and approach to politics won over the hearts of the German people, and the Nazi Party continued to gain support after they abolished the Treaty of Versailles and improved the weak economy. When Germans learned of Germany’s exclusion…

Words 794 - Pages 4

Germany Economy In The 1900's Research Paper

Germany had a very weak economy throughout the 1900’s. After the first world war, no one knew how to fix Germanys economy. Due to the blame being placed on Germany for world war two, they were forced to pay their debts back to the other countries such as the US. The treaty of Versailles was what lead to all of the blame and debt being placed on Germany. The people of Germany were in need of a leader, and that is where Hitler came in and was able to get his power. He told everyone he would be able…

Words 1423 - Pages 6

Adam Tooze The Disadvantages Of Destruction

German economy between World War I and World War II. Tooze argues that the failure of the Nazi economic plan, and the World War was wholly the result of the Nazi party's ideology that considered rearmament and expansionism (Lebensraum) through war, as the only economically viable policy for self-sufficiency in the wake of international isolation that they imposed on themselves. This argument is supported by Jonas Scherner he argues that the Nazis had completely mobilized the German economy to be…

Words 189 - Pages 1

The cool cats and dogs Essay

khkj,n m Between 1933 and 1937, about 129,000 Jews fled Germany and Nazi-controlled Austria. Nazis Adopt the “Final Solution” Nazis Build Concentration Camps In 1933, the year he became chancellor, Hitler opened the first Nazi concentration camps. The Allies and the Holocaust Early Response Was Weak Before the war, the United States could have done more if it had relaxed its immigration policy. American Government Takes Action Once the war started, news of the mass killings had filtered…

Words 491 - Pages 2

Essay on Weimar Republic and Von Schleicher

Hindenburg could however see that Hitler and the Nazis could prove helpful so he appointed von Papen as Chancellor. Von Papen had no support in the Reichstag but he hoped that he could form a right-wing coalition with the Nazis and other right-wing parties. Hitler said no, and so Hindenburg called another election in which the Nazis lost 34 seats and all was looking dark and gloomy for the Nazis. But then luck came around as General von Schleicher turned against von Papen and stopped supporting…

Words 1375 - Pages 6

Holocaust Research Paper

Holocaust movements were based on the anti-semitic ideologies. Adolf Hitler, one of the most famous anti-semite, was the leader of the Nazi party and believed Germany should be a country of a single race. The Holocaust led to the death of two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population, around six-million Jews in Europe. The leading factors of the Holocaust were the uprisings of the Nazi party and Anti-Semitism. The Holocaust occurred during the time of World War 2 as a result of anti-semitic beliefs. The German…

Words 741 - Pages 3

Nazi Party Dbq

Hitler and the Nazi Party promoted a sense of hope to end an economic crisis in Germany, which appealed to the average German citizen. An economic disaster struck Germany after World War I where a majority of the population struggled financially. According to a German Woman who was a university student, “the middle class was hurt more than others, the savings of lifetime and their small fortunes melted into a few [pennies]” (Doc 1). The middle class especially, faced many damages from the stricken…

Words 431 - Pages 2

World War Ii vs. Relatable Book Essay

During World War II, there were a lot of significant events like death, loss of faith, poor economy, and invasion of everyone’s personal space due to Nazism. Nazism is the ideology and practice of the Nazis, especially the policy of racist nationalism, national expansion, and state control of the economy (Thesaurus, 2011). The time era that Nazism occurred was mostly during World War II and a little before it as well in Germany from 1934-1945. The effects and aftermath of Nazism can be seen in the…

Words 551 - Pages 3

Essay on Nazi Germany

defeat in the First World War the country was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles that limited Germany’s power. Many Germans hated this idea specifically Adolf Hitler, he was disappointed with what Germany had become. Hitler quickly joined the Nazi Party and found that he was a great speaker and rose rapidly to become the leader of the party. Using Germany’s problems to his advantage, Hitler gained more and more supporters and eventually became dictator of Germany by 1934. Due to the Treaty…

Words 758 - Pages 4

Essay on Nazi Propaganda

Nazi Propaganda Kennedy Starnes 4th Block The technique of propaganda used by the Nazi party in Germany contributed to their success as a political party and got them support from the people and their power. Propaganda also contributed to their recognition first starting out, the support they needed from the people of Germany, and kept the people under their control by giving the Nazis influence over the minds of the people. Several groups and organizations aided the Nazis in their propaganda;…

Words 1800 - Pages 8