HITLER AND THE GERMAN ECONOMY

Three big questions 1.What did Hitler do for the German economy? 2. How far were the improvements genuine? 3. Was life better or worse for the ordinary German?

What did he promise? 1.Get rid of unemployment 2.Economic prosperity 3.Autarky – self sufficiency – no need to import anything 4.A four year plan from 1936 to prepare for War. 5.Farming was encouraged 5. The German Labour Front DAF run by Dr Robert Ley replaced Unions and improved conditions. 6. Strength through Joy provided social facilities 7. The State ran the economy

DID HE REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT? Yes – it fell from 30% in 1933 to nothing by 1938

BUT Lots of people were removed from the register: Women, Jews, political prisoners. Young men did a year in the German Labour Front – then joined the Army The Nazi bureaucracy employed thousands in office jobs and the police Re-Armament and big building projects employed loads The unemployed were found work in Labour camps on unemployment benefit levels of pay

What was good? 1.No unemployment 2.Law and order 3.Better food and conditions from the DAF and the Beauty of Labour 4.Workers and bosses were together – no them and us 5.Beer and sausages evenings 6.Strength through Joy – subsidised holidays cruises or walking in the Alps, concerts sports films etc

What else was good? May 1 for a holiday No homelessness Pay 5 marks a month and you got a car Spending on new autobahns and public transport People felt proud and confident to be Germans

SO WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?

The downside Trade Unions were abolished – replaced by DAF – no right to strike You didn’t really get a car – money went on tanks Pay went down by 20% and hours were up by 40%. Harder work was needed for building armaments Jews and anyone who didn’t cooperate were punished By 1939 Nazi Germany was running out of money - they had to go to War

There is no doubt that for many Germans Nazi Germany in the 1930’s was a period of prosperity and happiness when compared with what came before (and after). Hitler was popular. However many suffered terribly and Nazi Germany led to the Second World War – not a happy time for Germany. It is also true that rearmament and all this State spending on benefits and public works was extremely expensive. By 1939 Germany was running out of money which made going to War to conquer more countries the only option.