Nazi economic policies Flashcards
(40 cards)
Why would people vote or join a political party?
-they picked one they believed would increase their wealth, power and prestige (widespread respect)
What was one of the most important reasons why the Nazi Party gained popularity in the late 1920s?
-due to the economic struggles going on in Germany at the time like hyperinflation and the Wall Street Crash->people became desperate
What serious issues did the Nazis realise they had to tackle to keep mass support?
-unemployment->had risen to over 6 million by 1932
-inflation and hyperinflation->Germany had faced devastating hyperinflation in 1923
-self sufficiency (autarky)->Germany relied on overseas trade for vital raw materials and food supplies->part of the reason Germany had lost WW1 was because it hadn’t been able to maintain these supplies->Hitler hoped to make Germany self sufficient
When were the Nazis relatively unpopular?
-between 1923-1928
How was Hitler viewed after the Wall Street Crash?
-was now seen in a new light after being considered a fool when predicting economic disaster->Hitler was seen as a hope to solve the depression
Who did the SA arrest on Hitler’s demand on 2nd May 1933?
-Germany’s trade union leaders
Who formed the DAF? When?
-Robert Ley
-1933
What was the only union organisation allowed in the Third Reich?
-DAF
What was the impact of a pay freeze being introduced? When was it introduced?
-a pay freeze was introduced in 19333 and was enforced by the Labour Front->wages were now decided by the Labour Front and compulsory deductions made for income tax and for its Strength Through Joy Programme
What were the Labour Front issued work-books?
-the Labour Front issued work-books that recorded the worker’s employment record and no one could be employed without one
What did the government ban the introduction of?
-the government banned the introduction of some labour-saving machinery
Who did employers have to get permission from before reducing their labour force?
-employers had to get government permission before reducing their labour force
Who did the government give work contracts to?
-the Nazi government gave work contracts to those companies that relied on manual labour rather than machines->true to the government’s massive autobahn (motorway) programme
What was the impact of the Nazis concentrating on rearmament?
-the Nazis concentrated on rearming->thousands of Germans worked in factories producing weapons
What helped reduce the numbers of unemployment?
-conscription into the German armed forces
Why did Hitler encourage the mass production of radios?
-in this case he was not only concerned with reducing unemployment but saw them as a means of supplying a steady stream of Nazi propaganda to the German people
How was youth unemployment dealt with in the formation of what service?
-youth unemployment was dealt with by the formation of the Voluntary Labour Service (VLS) and the Voluntary Youth Service (VYS)->they planted forests, repaired river banks and helped reclaim wasteland
What jobs were women dismissed from and how much money were married women paid to stay at home?
-women in certain professions such as doctor and civil servants were dismissed while other married women were paid a sum of 1,000 marks to stay at home
When did Hitler announce the German Labour Service, what was it and what was a result of it?
-in the summer of 1935 Hitler announced the introduction of Labour Service (RAD)->all men aged between 19-25 had to work for the government for 6 months->later women were also included and they did work like teaching and domestic service
What was the Strength though Joy programmes aims?
-encourage workers to work as hard as they could for Germany and the Nazis
What did the Strength through Joy programme do?
-offer cheap holidays and a car->good ways to win support
-cruises were common and affordable for many but the Nazi Party officials took it up
-in 1938 an estimate 180,000 people went on cruises to places such as Madeira and the Norwegian Fjords->others were given free holidays in Germany
-build sports facilities, paid for theatre visits and financially supported travelling cabaret groups
What was a benefit of the Strength through Joy programme?
-although the German worker paid for these benefits though compulsory deductions the image of people being given holidays and subsidised entertainment was of great propaganda value to the Nazi government
What did Hitler want every family in Germany to own? What did he do?
-a car because he loved them
-he designed the affordable Volkswagen
What scheme did the Nazis design to do with the Volkswagen to help accelerate WW2?
-workers would get a car through a hire purchase scheme->they paid 5 marks a week into an account->theoretically the person would receive the car once paid for but that didn’t happen->the millions of marks invested into this scheme were re-directed into the rapidly expanding weapons factories->accelerated WW2->no one complained as it could lead to trouble with the Gestapo
