The farmers had been an important factor in the Nazis' rise to power. Hitler did not forget this and introduced a series of measures to help them. In September 1933, he introduced the Reich Food Estate. This set up central boards to buy agricultural produce from the farmers and distribute it to markets across Germany. It gave peasant farmers a guaranteed market for their goods and guaranteed prices.
The Reich Entailed Farm Law gave peasant farmers protection from banks. Bank could not seize their land if they could not pay loans or mortgages. It also had a racial claim. Part of the Nazi philosophy was Blood & Soil, the belief that the peasant farmers were the basis of Germany's master race so their way of life had to be protected.
However, some farmers were not so thrilled. The Reich Food Estate meant efficient farmers had were held back by having to go through the same processes of less efficient farmers. Banks were unwilling to lend money because of the Reich Entailed Farm Law. As a result, many children of farmers left to work in Germany's industries. Rural depopulation ran at about 3% per year in - the opposite of the Nazis' aims.

Strength throught joy (KDF) gave workers rewards for their work - holidays, entertainment, etc for people that worked hard
Beauty of Labour- The job of this organisation was to help Germans see that work was good, and that everyone should work. It encouraged factory owners to improve conditions for workers. They made conditions more clean and equipped more safety equipment.

Schacht was the Minister of Economics between 1933-36. He realised Hitler's plans for more weapons meant more materials and Germany did not have these materials so he waned to buy them from abroad. He signed deals with South America and South-East Europe. For a short period of time the economy was doing well but Germany was still dependent on foreign countries and change was happening too slowly for Hitler so he sacked him and replaced Schacht with Goering.

In 1936 Goering introduced the scheme called the 4 year plan. The main priority was to get Germany ready for war. The Nazis ordered large amounts of weapons and uniforms which created jobs in factories and shipbuilding. Germany stopped trading with other countries and relied on products they produced and if they were unable to find a resource they would find alternatives. Scientists found artificial subsitutes like wool and cotton from wood, flour and coffee from acorns
Successes: Four year plan was able to meet very high production targets in industries such as steel and and explosives. Substitutes were successfuly found
Failures: Four year plan did not meet targets in other industries such as oil production. They still needed materials from abroad. There was shortages in workers and growing risk of inflation.

Women were expected to stay home, look after family and produce children in order to secure the future of the aryan race. The role of women revolved around the 'Three Ks':
Kinder, Kirche, Kuche (children, church, kitchen)
Women were to wear no heels, jewellery or make-up. They had to have long dresses and look natural.

In 1933, Hitler introduced the Law of Encouragement of Marriage. This law stated that all newly married couples were entitled to a government loan off 1000 marks. The birth of a child meant 25% did not have to be payed back and two meant 50% didn't have to be payed back. Four children meant the loan was cleared. Couples could not apply for a loan if the woman was working.

12 August had been Hitler's mother's birtday. On this day each year the Motherhood Cross was awarded to women who had children: gold for 8 children, silver for 6 children and bronze for 4. Membes of the Hitler Youth had to salute to women who had received these awards
Women were discouraged from being slim as this was considered bad for child birth.
In Nazi Germany, it was not considered a social problem if an unmarried women had a child. In fact, it was encouraged, The Nazis created Lebensborns where women could go along to get pregnant by a SS man.

Success:

• Birth rates increases
• In the early 1930s women employment fell
  Failures:
• The number of women increased between 1933-1939 because the economy was not doing very well and during the war women were needed
• Employers employed more women than men because their wages were lower
• Most married Germans still had an average of 2 children per family.

Girls joined the League of German Maidenss and were taught domestic chores to prepare them for motherhood. They also did physical activities.
Boys joined the Hitler Youth. Activities in the Hitler Youth were centred around physical activities to prepare them for the armed forces.
Parents were worried because their children were forced to swear loyalty to Hitler before them.

Children were taught that the German race was superior and how other ones were inferior. History was rewritten to support Nazi ideas, depicting Jews as evil.