Nazi Social Policy

Sophia Viteri, Sydney Howard, Franco Contreras

Any prior social policies? Weimar RepublicIn 1919, legislation provided for a maximum working 48-hour workweek, restrictions on night work, a half-holiday on Saturday, and a break of thirty-six hours of continuous rest during the week.

Laws were passed to regulate rents and increase protection for tenants in 1922 and 1923.

Health insurance coverage was extended to other categories of the population during the existence of the Weimar Republic, including seamen, people employed in the educational and social welfare parts, and all dependents.

Overall, there were not many social policies in Germany before Nazi rule. The format of society during Hitler’s reign was conformed to his complete controlled rule. From regulations ranging from education to women, the only coherent policies were during Nazi Germany.

Impact of Nazi Party Social Policies on GermanyLebensraum: Defined as living space, this states that Germans needs more space for its superior Aryan race. They want their rightful land to keep their citizens happy. This also made Jews and other minority groups the inferior.

Nuremberg Laws (1935):

● Excluded Jews from Reich citizenship● Prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with anyone of German

Blood. ● Derived them of their civil rights

Impact of Nazi Party Social Policies on GermanyKraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy): The Nazis wanted to control the workforce to maintain peace. It offered leisure activities such as concerts, museums, and sporting events.

Militarism: The Nazis wanted Germany be a militarist state. The Nazis launched a rearmament program. They relied on the education system to prepare young men for military service, both physically and mentally. The Hitler Youth developed survival skills and physical strength. It taught boys military skills which they would use when entering the army. Men under 25 had to carry out at least two years of military service.

Impact of Nazi Party Social Policies on GermanyEducation: This was controlled by the state and aimed at developing young adults who believed fully in Nazi ideals. Teachers and university lecturers had to join the National Socialist Teachers' League, which would question their suitability to teach and were forced to teach a very specific curriculum. History was taught to glorify Germany. Biology taught that pure Germans were superior. Textbooks were rewritten to emphasise militarism, as well as Nazi political and racial beliefs. Girls attended classes that taught them how to be good mothers and wives. Specialist schools were set up for those destined to become future leaders of Nazi Germany.

Youth groups: Boys were encouraged to join youth groups which progressed to the Hitler Youth. It taught survival techniques, military skills and the importance of physical fitness. Girls were encouraged to join youth groups which progressed to the League of German Maidens. It taught the importance of motherhood and how to be a good wife. Women were expected to have large families and would earn rewards based upon how many children they had.

Impact of Nazi Party Social Policies on GermanyExpectations of women: They were the center of family life, as housewives and mothers. Female doctors, teachers and civil servants were forced to give up their careers. Women were never asked to serve in the armed forces. Their job was to keep the home nice for their husband and family. Hitler wanted Germany to have a high birth rate, so the population would grow. Nazis even considered making it law that families should have at least four children. The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave newly-wed couples a loan of 1,000 marks, and allowed them to keep 250 marks for each child they had. Mothers who had more than eight children were given a gold medal. Women were supposed to copy traditional German peasant dress, hair in buns and flat shoes. They were expected not to wear makeup or trousers, dye their

hair or smoke in public. 

Nuremberg Rallies: From 1923 to 1933, Nazi rallies were held annually at built grounds in Nuremberg.These military gatherings would involve hundreds of thousands of Nazis, including members of the Party, armed forces and youth groups. The rallies are seen as propaganda aimed to show German people and those abroad that their country was powerful, ordered, and under the complete control of the Nazis. Features of the Nuremberg Rallies included Nazis in military dress, marches by soldiers with flags, accompanied by drums, torchlight processions, and speeches by Hitler and other leading Nazis

To What Extent did the Nazis have a Coherent Social Policy?

The Nazis’ social policy was centered towards reaching a unified and structured Aryan nation a concept known to them as Volksgemeinschaft or people’s community. The Nazis did in this regard have a coherent social policy that was true to their dogma, which is evident through the Nuremberg Laws, their social expectations for Aryan people living in Germany, attempts to manipulate German society to coincide with Nazi beliefs, and other discriminatory laws and actions against perceived social undesirables.

“The act of the community helps the construction”

To what extent was there a social revolution in Germany between 1933 & 1939?● From 1933 to 1939, there was somewhat of a social revolution in Nazi

Germany. ● Women

○ Hitler’s expectations for women was successful in creating the ideal women, through the actions he took.. Done so by implementing the marriage loan, the birth grant, and by reducing the education of the average female meaning they had to remain in the house.

○ However, while Nazi’s wanted to restrain female employment as much as possible, they couldn’t stop it from rising. Female employment had risen from 11.8 million in 1933 to 12.7 million in 1939.

○ There was also increased political participation in Nazi bodies, despite the fact that no female could be a member of the Reichstag. Some women refused to conform to Nazi ideals.

○ Overall, the Nazi Regime failed in their campaign to confine women to the home, although their policy initially seemed successful as the ideal woman was created. However, women were defiant and went against Nazi policies, proving that the “Nazification” of German women can’t be classed as totally successful.

To what extent was there a social revolution in Germany between 1933 & 1939?● Youth

○ By 1939, The Hitler Youth had membership of more than 7 million, compared to 99,586 members in 1932.

○ Education saw a drastic change, teaching Nazi ideologies. ○ However, there was some resistance as groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates

sprung up showing that Nazi indoctrination wasn’t entirely successful. ● Employment

○ Nazi Germany wanted full employment. ○ Trade unions were banned and the DAF (Nazi Socialist trade union) was set in

place. ○ Membership went from 5 million in 1933 to 22 million in 1939. ○ Employment went from 12.9 million in 1932 to 18.9 million in 1937.

To what extent was there a social revolution in Germany between 1933 & 1939?

● Religion○ Hitler had denounced Christianity from the start as it took away from Nazi

ideology. ○ In order to shift from popular Christianity practices, Hitler created the Reich

Church. However, few people joined and the Church Split. ○ He was unable to overcome the practices of Christianity. This was a total failure

for Hitler and the Nazi regime.

To what extent was there a social revolution in Germany between 1933 & 1939?● In conclusion, Hitler and the Nazis did not manage to create a complete

social revolution in Germany during their rule. While successful in increasing employment, the Nazi rule was somewhat or not at all successful in implementing a revolution through women, the youth, and religion. They did not manage to achieve their “people’s community” and opposition stopped them as well as the contradictory nature of some of their policies.