1. HITLER AND THE GERMAN ECONOMY

3. Three big questions 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?

4. What did he promise? Get rid of unemployment Economic prosperity
Autarky – self sufficiency – no need to import anything
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

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

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. SO
WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?

15. 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

16. 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.