How did the Nazis reduce unemployment in Germany?

Learning objective – to be able to assess the methods the Nazis used to reduce unemployment. I can describe some of the ways the Nazis used to reduce unemployment. Grade D I can explain the how successful the Nazis were in reducing unemployment. Grade B I can explain and assess the impact of the Nazis policy of reducing unemployment. Grade A

Starter – This cartoon was produced in 1934 by David Low Starter – This cartoon was produced in 1934 by David Low. What is the message of the cartoon?

How did the Nazis reduce unemployment? Reducing unemployment Huge building programme Increasing the armed forces Rearming Germany Putting all young men to work Removing Jews and women from the register

Why did the Nazis fear unemployment? The Nazis feared high unemployment as unhappy workers were a great source of support for Communism. Also, Hitler wanted to show that life would be better under the Nazis rather than the Communists.

What was the role of the Reich Labour Service? The Reich Labour Service was set up in 1933. This provided manual work for workers who organised along military lines, living in regimented camps. This became compulsory from 1935 as young men aged between 18 and 25 had to serve for six months in the RAD.

How did rearmament help reduce unemployment? From 1936, rearmament became a central point in preparing for the war economy. This was crucial if the Nazis were to achieve their central aim of expanding their borders. Rearmament had a significant impact upon Germans in a number of ways – Government spending on rearmament increased from 3.5 billion marks in 1933 to 26 billion marks in 1939. Production of raw materials for war increased so Germany would be self-sufficient [policy known as autarky]. German army grew from 100,000 men in 1933 to almost 1 million in 1939 through conscription. Conscription took many men off the unemployment register. Demand from army equipment, such as uniforms soared.

How did rearmament impact upon the German people? Rearmament had a significant impact upon unemployment figures. These fell to half a million by 1939, largely due to the switching of the economy to a war footing. This also has significant support from the German people. Germans felt they had, by 1939, recovered from the humiliations inflected by the Treaty of Versailles and were now on equal terms with other nations.

What job creation schemes did the Nazis implement? The Nazis invested heavily in job creation schemes. Spending on job creation schemes rose by nearly 20 billion marks during the 1930s. The Nazis subsidised private companies in creating jobs. For example, the Nazis heavily invested in the building of an autobahn system involving over 125,000 workers. Although, only 3,000 km of autobahns were built – 4,000 km short of the initial target.

How did the Nazis create invisible unemployment? The Nazis used dubious methods to keep unemployment figures artificially low. Jews were dismissed from their jobs and were not counted in the official unemployment figures. Unmarried men under the age of 25 were pushed into National Labour schemes. Women were pushed out of their jobs or gave them up to get married. Women, therefore, were not counted in unemployment figures. Part time workers were counted as fully employed. Opponents of the Nazi regime were placed in concentration camps.

Task Method Definition Effective? Reich Labour Service Complete the table which helps you assess the impact of the methods the Nazis used to reduce unemployment. Method Definition Effective? Reich Labour Service Job creation schemes Rearmament

Exam practice Write an essay plan for the following exam question. Plan each paragraph and bullet point what you would include in each paragraph. Explain why there was a great reduction in unemployment in Germany in the years 1933-39. You may use the following in your answer. Rearmament The Reich Labour Service. You must also use information of your own.

Plenary – a touch of Scrabble What are the three key words from this lesson that sums up your learning? Which word has the highest value if you used in a game of Scrabble? Compare with the person next to you. Which word has the highest value?