women

Question 1

Nazi’s definite ideas about the role of women in society (pre-1936)

Answer 1

• -in the home, as child-bearers and supporters of their husbands
• • According to Nazi propaganda, the duties of women were as mothers, housewives supporting their husbands, and community organisers.

Question 2

In what way did women lack freedom?

Answer 2

• -> Women squeezed out of a large number of jobs shortly after Hitler came to power.
• -> Nazis banned birth control clinics, contraception and abortion. (restricting women’s rights to choose whether or not to conceive a child)

Question 3

Post-1936

Answer 3

In 1936, labour shortage began to affect rearmament plans and women were once more drawn back into factories.

• -> Compulsory agricultural labour service was introduced for women under 25 in 1939
• -> From January 1943, women aged 16-45 could be conscripted for the war effort
• -> By the war years, women were encouraged to enter universities and train for professional roles.

Question 4

Contradiction

Answer 4

1. While the Nazis claim to promote the importance of family values, they encouraged an independent youth that placed the Party above the family.
2. While they extolled conventional morality and the importance of marriage, they also permitted illegitimate births, easier divorce and advanced compulsory sterilisation for those with genetic defects.
3. While they told women to stay at home, from 1936 women were encouraged to return to the factories
4. While female education was initially discouraged, by the war years women were encouraged to enter universities and train for professional roles
   - –> Shows that the end goal is simply economic development and rearmament.

Question 5

Effect on family life of other policies of the Nazis

Answer 5

1. Children were so active that they had very little home life
2. Fathers, with their increased workload, spend less time at home and less time enjoying family life.
3. Mothers have a harder time dealing with young boys who were taught to believe that women should always be subservient.

Question 6

How Family would help Nazi

Answer 6

Family: basic social unit in which Nazi ideas would be put into practice and the means by which Hitler would achieve one of his main objectives - the rapid expansion of the German population.

Question 7

How Nazis tried to increase birth rates and keep the Aryan blood pure

Answer 7

• Nazis banned birth control clinics, contraception and abortion. (restricting women’s rights to choose whether or not to conceive a child)
• In 1939, an award was given to women with many children.
• Financial inducements like marriage loans, family allowances and child subsidies were introduced to encourage large families.
• The word ‘family’ was only given to households with 4 or more children.
• Women encouraged to be ‘blessed’ with children
• In 1935, the Lebensborn project encouraged unmarried women with good racial credentials to become pregnant with selected SS men as fathers.
• Anyone suffering a hereditary defect such as mental illness, epilepsy or blindness, was sterilized.