Nazi Social Policy (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

Summary 

Women and children were the main focus of the Nazi social policies. Women were seen as key in reversing Germany’s declining birthrate. Hitler and the Nazis wanted German women to have more children to provide the state with future soldiers and mothers. To do this, they passed laws that barred women from entering higher education and many professions. At the same time, they introduced several incentives to encourage women to stay at home and have children. 

The changes introduced for children affected both schools and youth groups. Both aimed to prepare boys for a future in the army and girls for a future in the home as mothers. 

Both the policies aimed at women and children had mixed success. The impact of the war meant that, with so many men away fighting, it soon became necessary for women to return to the workplace. Although many children enjoyed the adventure and opportunities the Hitler Youth organisations offered, others resented losing their free time and strict rules. 

Women and the three K’s 

• The Nazis were determined that the changes that had occurred in women’s lives in Weimar Germany should be reversed

• The Nazis believed a German woman’s life should be focused on the ‘three Ks’

  • Kinder (children)

  • Kirche (church)

  • Küche (cooking)

• They also had strong views on the appearance and ambitions of women

Laws about marriage and family

• The birthrate in Germany had declined from around 2 million per year in 1900 to less than 1 million by 1933

• Several Nazi laws and policies were introduced to reverse this and increase Germany’s birth rate

1933 - The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage 

• Loans of 1,000 marks (equivalent to eight months’ wages) were available to women if two requirements were met. The women had to:

  • Get married

  • Quit their jobs or stay unemployed

• Mothers who gave birth to four children did not have to pay the loan back

  •  Each child removed a quarter of the loan

1935 - The Lebensborn Programme 

• This programme was started by SS leader Heinrich Himmler

  • It paired SS men with single women to create ‘genetically pure’ children

  • Only women and men with a clear ‘Aryan’ ancestry were allowed to join

  • Special Lebensborn homes were created for women to rest after giving birth

1938 - Divorce Laws 

• Husbands could legally divorce their wives for failing or refusing to have children

  • Women caught having abortions could also be divorced

1939 - The Mother’s Cross 

• Awards presented on Mother’s Day in Germany were available to women who had four or more children

  • Mothers with gold medals were saluted in public by the Hitler Youth

  • Hitler was named the godfather of the tenth child in any family

• The Nazis also passed laws to attempt to ensure that any children born would grow up to be soldiers and mothers

Laws about Reproduction

1933 - The Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring

• Forced sterilisation of any woman who had:

  • Any experience of mental illness

  • Hereditary diseases

  • Physical disabilities

  • Any incident of "anti-social behaviour", such as alcoholism

• This law only allowed 'racially fit' and 'desirable' women to have children

  • In the Nazi's opinion, this made the German race stronger and more genetically 'pure'

Laws about employment

• The Nazis reduced the career opportunities available to women to encourage them to stay at home and raise children

  • This also created job opportunities for the millions of unemployed men

Laws about behaviour

• The Nazis aimed to 're-feminise' women

  • They believed that developments in the Weimar era had corrupted women

• Nazi local governments banned women from publicly:

  • Smoking

  • Singing or dancing

  • Appearing bare-legged

• Cabaret and jazz clubs were closed in 1935

• Whilst not illegal, the Nazi government strongly advised women not to:

  • Wear trousers or high heels

  • Wear excessive makeup

  • Have short hair

  • Pursue weight-loss

The German Women’s Enterprise (DFW) 

• All women-related organisations had to join the German Women's Enterprise (DFW):

  • Organisations that failed to join were banned

  • Members were enrolled on courses about childcare, cooking and sewing

Impact of Nazi policies on women

• Nazi policies on women initially succeeded in increasing the marriage rate, the birth rate and the number of women unemployed

• However, at the outbreak of the Second World War, many women had to work in factories and other industries to replace men who had gone away to fight

Controlling Education

• Hitler knew that control of children’s education would allow him to create a generation of Nazis loyal to him 

• Bernhard Rust was made Education Minister in 1934 and made several changes to teachers and schools

Teachers 

• Those teachers not loyal to the Nazi regime were sacked

• They swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler and joined the Nazi Teachers’ League

  • Membership of the Nazi Party was also compulsory

• They attended political education courses outlining key Nazi ideas

  • Around 200,000 teachers had attended courses by 1939

• Teachers had several responsibilities at school

  • Taught students the Nazi salute

  • Began and ended each lesson with ‘Heil Hitler’

  • Placed posters, Nazi flags and a picture of Hitler in each classroom

Curriculum 

• Boys and girls were educated separately

• The Nazis took control of the curriculum so that they could influence children’s beliefs

Changes to the curriculum in Nazi Germany

• After 1935, all textbooks had to be approved by the Nazis

  • All books contained pictures of Hitler

  • Mein Kampf became a compulsory text

  • Events like the First World War were reworded to blame Jewish people and the "November Criminals"

Napolas

• Napolas were schools for the most ‘gifted’ and racially pure children:

  • SS members replaced the traditional teachers

  • The emphasis was on sport and physical training

  • Students went on to join the SS or police services

  • By 1939, there were 16 Napolas schools

Universities

• Universities were under the same strict control as schools

• Nazi officials selected university lecturers

  • Any lecturers who did not conform to the Nazi's political or religious ideas were fired

• Universities adapted their courses to teach in line with Nazi ideas

• A university education was not highly regarded in Nazi Germany

  • Focusing on education was seen as distracting from a man's military obligation or a woman's commitment to the home

  • Highly educated citizens may be more likely to criticise the Nazi regime

The Hitler Youth Movement

• The development of Nazi youth groups showed how important the youth were to the Nazis

  • Nazi policies encouraged, and finally forced, all young Germans to attend Nazi youth groups

The activities of the Hitler Youth

The League of German Maidens

• The Bund Deutscher Mädel or League of German Maidens (BDM) was the female equivalent of the Hitler Youth

• They shared some similarities with the Hitler Youth

The activities of the League of German Maidens

How similar was the League of German Maidens to the Hitler Youth?

How popular were the Nazi youth organisations?