Nazi policies towards women, young people and workers, the economy and rearmament, the persecution of minorities, and the impact of the Second World War on the home front.

What this dot point is asking

This section of the Germany period study asks how the Nazis reshaped daily life: their policies for women, young people and workers, how they cut unemployment through rearmament, how they persecuted Jews and other minorities, and how the Second World War transformed the home front. Exam questions often ask you to explain the impact of a policy on a particular group.

Women and young people

The aim for both groups was the same: to produce a loyal, racially "pure" and obedient future generation. Boys were trained for war and girls for motherhood. Indoctrination was not total, however; some young people resisted, for example the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Youth, which is a useful balancing point.

Workers and the economy

The Nazis cut unemployment from about 6 million to near zero by the late 1930s through rearmament, conscription and public works such as the autobahns (motorways). For many workers this brought welcome job security after the Depression.

But there were costs. The Nazis abolished free trade unions, replacing them with the controlled German Labour Front (DAF), which fixed wages and hours, and the Strength Through Joy (KdF) scheme, which provided cheap leisure (holidays, concerts) to keep workers content and distracted. The economy was directed towards autarky (self-sufficiency) and preparation for war under the Four-Year Plan.

Persecution of minorities

The Nazis believed in a German "master race" (Herrenvolk) and persecuted those who did not fit, including the disabled, Roma, gay people, and above all Jews. Persecution escalated in stages, which is exactly what the narrative account question rewards.

The home front in the Second World War

Early victories (1939 to 1941) kept living standards relatively high, as conquered countries were plundered. But after the failure to defeat the USSR, from 1942 Germany shifted to total war under Albert Speer, who maximised arms production.

The reversal on women is a key point: Nazi ideology had pushed women out of work, yet the demands of total war forced the regime to reverse course, showing the gap between ideology and necessity.

Try this

Q1. State the "three Ks" of Nazi policy towards women. [Knowledge recall]

• Cue. Kinder, Kuche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church).

Q2. Explain why Nazi policy towards women changed during the Second World War. [Short explanation]

• Cue. Total war from 1942 created a labour shortage, so the regime reversed its earlier policy and drew women back into factory work.