1. How effective were Nazi policies towards women?

2.  Reference p298-p303 of Hinton and Hite

3. Key Points  Nazi Policy was full of contradictions – inc marriage and the family.  Main policy was to encourage the family unit and the foundation of Volksgemeinschaft

4. Problems  Hitler youth took children away from the family and encouraged children to question parents  The quest for the pure race led to an increase in divorce and sterilisation  Policy of Euthenasia  These policies engendered the opposition of the church.

5.  Lebensborn programme – children born out of marriage  Policy of driving women back to the home not successful – the number of women in employment increased  Economic recovery meant labour shortages; acute by 1939 – ideology conflicting with economic necessity – but the govt didn’t encourage this

6.  Female conscription in war did not happen until 1943. Women 17-45 conscripted but Germany far less effective than in Britain. Hitler had strongly resisted this.

7. Propaganda  The extent of the effectiveness of propaganda is hard to judge  Perhaps effectiveness differed with different classes? Why?  Nazi policies were conservative and traditional rather than radical – therefore may have reinforced attitudes.

8. Historical Debate  There is a debate about the merits and demerits of Nazi policy  There is a debate about the effectiveness or otherwise of the policy  Why was their policy a cautious one?

9. References  http://www.germanculture.com.ua/lib rary/weekly/aa080601b.htm http://www.germanculture.com.ua/lib rary/weekly/aa080601b.htm  http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.u k/GERwomen.htm http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.u k/GERwomen.htm

10. Activities  Do activity 1a and b about the effectiveness of Nazi policy – P298  Do activity 2 evaluating the sources.  Look at the statistical sources – what do they tell us about the effectiveness of Nazi Policy? P300

11. Overview  Examine the 10 Key Points on P 303  Discuss them as to whether they prove the effectiveness of Nazi policy or not.

12.  Prepare for the question ‘ Nazi policy towards women and the family was contradictory and incoherent and was essentially a failure’. How far do you agree with this statement?