Life in NAzi Germany

Essential information

1) Propaganda:

a) Every aspect of life was influenced by propaganda

b) Goebbels ran ministry of propaganda

c) People’s radio – all could afford radios but could only receive German stations.

d) Film used effectively e.g.. ‘Triumph of the will’

e) German culture, music also used to give a sense of community.

f) Showed Hitler as the saviour of the nation

g) Hitler seen as the Fuhrer, as a great leader.

2) Terror:

a) The SS became a dominant force, secret police the Gestapo

b) Nazi agents replaced local government.

c) Opposition was eliminated by force, e.g.. concentration camps.

3) Children:

a) Education controlled by the Nazis. Children were taught about the greatness of Hitler e.g.. on his birthday they had to place flowers behind the pictures of Hitler at home and at school.

b) Primary Schools – children were taught fairy stories of Nazi knights who saved maidens from bad Russian gnomes. In maths the young child had to count the number of SS guards.

c) From birth children were told that the Germans were the master race.

d) Secondary school teachers had to be Nazi members.

e) The secondary curriculum included biology, which emphasised the supremacy of the German race. In History Germans were taught how the Treaty of Versailles was unfair. In Maths questions included the area of a swastika.

f) Physical education was especially important, the Nazis wanted boys to be fit so that they could be good soldiers and girls to be fit so that they could be healthy mothers.

g) The Hitler Youth was an organisation that boys joined. Here they would go camping, do sports activities and be taught Hitler’s ideas.

h) The League of German Maidens – prepared girls for their role as housewives. They were taught how to do various household chores and went on weekend outings.

4) Women

a) Before 1933 many women had careers.

b) 1934 women were removed from various professions.

c) The idea of Kinder, Kirsche, Kuche was taught (children, church and home)

d) Women were encouraged to have lots of children and would receive medals when they had more than 4.

e) A marriage loan was introduced to encourage women to get married.

f) Women were discouraged from smoking and were not supposed to wear make-up.

g) In 1937 Nazi attitudes to women changed slightly when women were encouraged to work – Duty Year.

5) Religion

a) Germany was divided into a mainly protestant north and mainly catholic south.

b) The church was the one organization that was larger than the Nazi party.

c) Protestant churches were united into a Reich church led by a pro-Nazi Bishop, Muller.

d) A concordat appeased the Catholic Church in 1933 in which Hitler promised that Catholic schools and youth groups would be left alone.

e) There was opposition from church leaders such as Martin Niemoller and Cardinal Galen.

f) An alternative religion was created: The Faith movement.

Revision questions:

1) List the various methods used by the Nazis for propaganda.

2) List the various methods used by the Nazis to control people.

3) Describe the system of terror.

4) How were children indoctrinated?

5) Describe Nazi attitudes to women.

6) How had the role of women changed between 1933 and 1939?

7) Why did Hitler not try to destroy the church?

8) How did Hitler control the church?