Hitler's Domestic Policies (1933-39)
Overall
Aims
Methods
Successes
Failures
Volksgemeinschaft
removal of non-Nazi influences
shape the attitudes of the population to support Hitler's aims
focus on foreign policy and military
people's community
build a classless society
replace individual liberty with securing the greater good of the nation
extreme focus on youth and women - they were to become Germany's future
imposing his ideology on the people
through this (and harsh rule) kept and received support necessary for Hitler's foreign interests
Hitler only in power for 12 years
Nazi ideology collapsed with Hitler's death
did not leave as big of an impact as he had hoped
Youth
Aims
Successes
Failures
indoctrinate with Nazi ideology
create loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good of the nations
nationalism and anti-individualism
separate spheres
boys to be strong fighters
girls were to bear children
Methods
1933: Government takes over and increases in supporters
expansion in movement
1936: Membership and all other youth organisations banned
camping, outdoor activities, fun and games
intimidation and oath to loyalty
later, greater focus on military drills and Nazi ideology
separate for boys and girls
95% loyalty to Hitler
rapid membership in youth groups after 1933
partly due to compulsory membership
children brainwashed into Nazi ideas
students were prepared to sacrifice themselves for Nazi loyalty
Hitler youth became the dominant monopoly over the German Youths' spare time
many youth avoided compulsory membership
rival groups emerged
many turned away from Hitler Youth in the lat 1930s
Hitler Youth became less successful when it began more military training and Nazi lectures
growing opposition to Hitler Youth
rejection of its and emergence of non-Nazi ideas
Education
Methods
Successes
Failures
Nazification - attempt to control teachers
97% of teachers joined Nazi Teacher's League in 1937
purge and discussion of unreliable teachers
politicised the curriculum to reflect Nazi ideology - control of textbooks
PE more important (for boys)
Anti-intellectual, pro-strong/healthy - future Aryan race ?
greater focus on needlework, music and home crafts (for girls)
1937: control over teachers
effective way of spreading Nazi ideology
poor quality of students
education was somewhat a hoax
created ignorant individuals who could not think for themselves - were dependent on Nazi ideology
Women and Social Control
Aims
Why?
Methods
separate spheres for men and women
men work for Reich
women work for the family
Kinder, Kirche, Küche - for women
had support for Church and traditional groups
but under Weimar women had had better rights - reversal of progress
ideological
Hitler rejected the modern and Bolshevik ideas of female emancipation
Pragmatic
birth rate was declining
Hitler considered his policies towards women as essential for the sustained growth of the Reich (if it was to conquer and populate lands in the East)
reduced no. women in employment
women excluded from civil service and other professions
employers told to favour men
restricted numbers of women permitted to university
increased amount of marriages and births
divorce made easier for childless couples
Aryan women offered an interest free marriage loan
marriage loans reduced by a quarter for each child a family had - only granted to women out of work
welfare payments for mothers
motherhood skills taught in workshops
medals given to mothers who had more than 9 children
abortion and birth control restricted
sterilisation law passed for those with hereditary diseases or other problems
Racial Policies
Nazi Beliefs
Persecution of Minority Groups
Euthanasia Programme in 1939
Persecution of the Jews
blonde haired, blue eyed Nordic Germans (Aryan race) were the superior/master race
all other races inferior and arranged in a hierarchy beneath them
black people near the bottom
below black people were non-peoples (e.g. gypsies and jews)
Nazis duty to keep the German race pure by restricting what other races could do
it was the destiny of the Aryan race to conquer the lands of the inferior Slavs in the East
Nazis persecuted undesirably minority groups such as:
homosexuals
gypsies
mentally ill
Hitler introduced a quiet easy death for the mentally and physically ill
5,000 children and 7,100 adults killed in the programme
in 1941, Hitler stopped the programme in the fact of Catholic protest
through propaganda, Hitler blamed the Jews for:
Germany's defeat in 1918
inflation of 1923
economic collapse of 1929-1932
in schools, children taught to hate the Jews - textbooks included anti-Semitic ideas
Nazi-controlled newspapers included anti-semitic articles and cartoons