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Hitlers Attempt to create a Volksgemeinschaft (peoples community) What were Hitlers aims? How far did he succeed?

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Tackled in different ways Women Youth Christian Churches Outsiders (not part of National Community)

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Definition of Volksgemeinschaft Peoples community - ideal German society Racially unified and hierarchically organized body Interests of individuals would be strictly subordinate to those of the nation, or Volk The people's community would be permanently prepared for war and would accept the discipline that this required

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National Community? Eintopf and Winterhilfe show how the idea of a Volksgemeinschaft worked. Eintopf: The Volk eat one simpe, meal a day one Sunday a month. They contribute the money saved to Winterhilfe, a welfare scheme to provide people with benefits at Winter 9 million received payments in 1938.

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Mystic Utopia Required that all its members be centred on the same goal, dedicated to hard work and prepared for self-sacrifice Those who would not fit in the asocial, the workshy, homosexuals, political opponents and those who could not fit in aliens, the ineducable, the incurable had to be excluded, even eradicated.

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Group 1: The Youth. Task 1: Read source 14.4 on page 276 and tell me what it tells us about Hitlers attitudes to the Youth?

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Aims: Idolise the Fuhrer Obedience Physical fitness Sacrifice self for national good Contribute to the nation Fight (boy) Mother (girl) A timeline of Youth in Nazi Germany on page 277

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How did it work? School Youth Groups (all Youth Groups except the Catholic groups protected by concordat taken over by Nazis) Task 2: Choose one of the sources in page 278/9. You have 5 minutes to read it and comment on what it says about Young People in Nazi Germany

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Education: The chief purpose of the education system is to train human beings to realise that the state is more important than the individual

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What was done? Teachers already sympathetic to Nazi Party (30% of teachers members by 1936) Pressured into joining the National Socialist Teachers Youth (97% by 1937). This included training courses stressing Nazi ideology. (by 1938, 2/3 had attended).

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What was done (2) Curriculum changed. Physical exercise stressed (2 hours a day) Nazi ideas incorporated into subjects like Biology and History Militarism of boys curriculum RE downgraded New textbooks

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Task: Look at either the History curriculum on page 283, source 14.24, 14.25 or 14.26 on page 284 and write in a few sentences what it tells us about Nazi attempts to create a Volsgemeinschaft

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What was done (3) Move away from co-educational schools. Girls focussed on needlework and music, language and home craft. By 1939, denominational schools had been abolished.

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What was done (4) NAPOLAs (new schools to train the future Nazi elite) Boarding school atmosphere, many features of norma schools were abandoned. The Adolf Hitler schools from 1937 These people progressed to the Castles of Order, Ordensjunkers (1,000 or so25-30 year olds)

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What was done? (5) Few changes to Higher Education 113,000 in 1933 to 57,000 in 1939 (what does this tell you?) University teachers influenced by Nazis too (Law for the Restoration of the Civil Service led to 1,200 dismissals in 1933). Made to sign a Declaration of Support of Hitler and the State. Ideology training camp for new appointees. Students forced to join German Students League (Fitness training Eugenic ideas in medicine, law and politics. Can you think of an adverse effect of promoting Eugenics in universities?

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Did it succeed? The focus route on page 288 is absolutely brilliant for making an assessment on this. My assessment: It kinda worked, but is hard to tell. Young people generally, but not completely, conformed (to Authority, not necessarily Nazism). The Youth groups who opposed, like the Edelweiss Pirates, Swing Kids, were quite small in numbers (but grew suring the 1930s). Primary sources will generally show that Young People were sold on Nazism, but there are issues with this. Modern Historians disagree, as the sources show. Generally, the fact is that they went along with Nazism- either because they genuinely believed in it or otherwise. That so many of these former Hitler Youth members died for the Fatherland during WW2, and that no serious opposition existed is surely evidence that the Youth policy worked as much as it could have been expected to.

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Section 2: Women:

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Hitlers policy on women "Take hold of kettle, broom and pan, Then youll surely get a man! Shop and office leave alone, Your true life work lies at home."

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"In the Germanic nations there has never been anything else than equality of rights for women. Both sexes have their rights, their tasks, and these tasks were in the case of each equal in dignity and value, and therefore man and woman were on an equality." Hitler in 1935

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"The mission of women is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world. This is not at all as.........unmodern as it sounds. The female bird pretties herself for her mate and hatches eggs for him. In exchange, the male takes care of gathering food, and stands guard and wards off the enemy." Joseph Goebbels, writing in 1929.

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From these quotes what can we learn about policy on women?

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Very specific policy: 25 points published in 1920 - disapproval of women working Good mothers bringing up children at home while their husbands worked 1933 Law for the Encouragement of Marriage Stated that all newly married couples would get a government loan of 1000 marks which was about 9 months average income 800,000 newly weds took up this offer This loan was not to be simply paid back. The birth of one child meant that 25% of the loan did not have to be paid back Two children meant that 50% of the loan need not be paid back Four children meant that the entire loan was cleared.

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What else was done? Divorce became easier- why? Organisations (Source 15B at the bottom of page 296)

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Nazi policy undemining the family? Hitler Youth took children away from the family It encouraged them to challenge their familys attitudes Lebensborn during WW2 (11,000 children born by SS men)

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Success (for women and for Nazis?) Mixed Women in all jobs increased, rather than decreased (labour shortage put ideology against economic need Mason highlights success (popularity among women) Widened experiences for women. Nazi views reinforced what other institutions had been preaching before (Catholic Church, France abortion, sterlilisation in Scandanavia and Americas

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Task: Choose a source on page 294: You have 5 mins to briefly summarise what it tells you about the Nazis relationship with women.

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Aim: Encourage birth of children: future soldiers and mothers of the Reich - Lebensraum Proposed law of 1943 - 4 children: extreme Female professionals sacked But: by 1937 skills shortage so "Duty Year - also marriage loans abolished

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