GCSE History Revision

1. GCSE History Revision Life in Nazi Germany

2. The Purpose of Dictatorship • Hitler had 3 main purposes: • To rebuild Germany’s ruined economy • To make Germany powerful again • To make Germany ‘pure’ by eliminating ‘inferior races’

3. Work and Bread(1) • There were 6 million unemployed in 1933 • The National Labour Service provided manual work for thousands • Hitler put them into uniform and they lived in work camps

4. Work and Bread (2) • 1935 Reich Labour Service Law said all men between 18-25 must join Labour Service for 6 months • Nazis built motorways by hand • Rearmament – all 18-25 year olds had to do 2 years in Army

5. How successful was Hitler? • Unemployment fell rapidly • Workers were poorly paid – often they got little more than pocket money • Many were skilled men doing labouring jobs • Re-armament swallowed up many unemployed • By 1939 there was a labour shortage! • Workers lost rights eg to be in a union

6. Racism (1) • Hitler wrote about Germans being racially pure – Aryans • Jews had been badly treated in Europe for centuries • Anti-Semitism was a major feature of Nazi policy

7. Racism (2) • Key dates were: • 1935 The Nuremberg Laws • 1938 Krystallnacht • 1942 The start of the ‘Final Solution’ – the extermination of Jews in Europe • Other persecuted groups included gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses & homosexuals

8. How racism worked • Newspapers and magazines contained negative images of Jews • German girls with Jewish partners were publicly humiliated • Jews had to wear a Star of David badge • Children were taught that Jews were evil • Hitler blamed all of Germany’s problems on the Jews

9. Control (1) • Germany was controlled by the Nazi Party & the police • Police network run by the SS - one of mostfeared branches was the Gestapo • ½ million Party members snooped on their neighbours and informed on them

10. Control (2) • The Nazis made extensive use of propaganda • They controlled the press, radio and cinema • 70% German homes had a radio – “The People’s Receiver”

11. Women in Nazi Germany • Women were to bear healthy babies for the Army • “Kinder, Kirche & Kucher” • Early marriage encouraged • Women were sacked from jobs • Unsuitable mothers were sterilised

12. Young People (1) • Hitler and the Nazis worked hard to win the support of the young • Girls joined the League of German Maidens • The boys joined the Hitler Youth

13. The Hitler Youth • All youth groups merged into Hitler Youth Movement 1936 • 1939 Membership compulsory • Girls raised to be mothers • Boys trained to be soldiers

14. Young Rebels • Not all young Germans joined the HY • Groups like the Edelweiss Pirates deliberately challenged Nazi ideals • As the war went on sometimes they helped deserters and carried out acts of sabotage

15. Christianity & the Nazis • Concordat signed with the Pope 1933 • Nazis set up a ‘Reich Church’ - churches had pictures of Hitler • Martin Niemoller set up the Confessional Church • Other religious groups were banned

16. “Strength Through Joy” • KDF set up to encourage workers • The ‘People’s Car’ was launched • Thousands of German workers enjoyed cheap holidays abroad on new cruise ships