Access the effectiveness of the Nazi policies for Women Essay Example
Access the effectiveness of the Nazi policies for Women Essay Example

Access the effectiveness of the Nazi policies for Women Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (466 words)
  • Published: November 9, 2017
  • Type: Article
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The Nazis wished to increase the number of pure German births and suitable marriages and to do this they provided financial incentives in the form of birth grants and marriage loans. In 1935 a marriage law required a certificate of 'fitness to marry' before the marriage could take place.

This was to help with purer births from marriages. The 1935 blood protection law, preventing marriages between blacks, gypsies and Jews was to help with this as well. Births were also encouraged as there were higher taxes introduced on childless couples and tighter penalties on abortion.The Nazis also used propaganda to raise status and self esteem of mothers and housewives as well as awards. These awards were in the form of the mothers cross in which medals were awards for the number of children they had given birth to, r

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eceiving bronze for 4, silver for 6 and gold for 8 children.

Although between 1931 and 1939 there was an increase both marriages and birth rates it is unclear as to how much the Nazis policy affected this as it could be due to the increase economic prosperity. Birth rates, although they did increase, never reached the levels which they were during the Weimar Government.Nazis also imposed restriction on women within employment and education. Nazis wished for women to stay at home and raise children and thus discouraged and attempted to reduce women employment. In 1933 women in top civil service and medical jobs were dismissed and in 1936 women were banned from being lawyers or judges.

But even with these restrictions and with the attitudes towards working women, the employment rates of women rose from 4

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2 million married working outside the home in 1933 to 6. 2 million in 1939.This rises occurred as many men were going into the army and with the war women were needed to work. But even with this women were less mobilised than those in the UK and USA.

Restrictions in women's education were also introduced with university enrolment limited to 10% and with restricted opportunities so women could prepare for the proper role of raising children. These restrictions though were dropped as the demand for well educated workers increased.The overall policies which were introduced by the Nazis were not that effective and the apparent success and increases in numbers e. . those in birth rates and marriages could be attributed to other factors.

Many of the policies also contradicted others aimed at other people. An example of this is the Nazis ideology of a family life and the encouragement of it, but then encouraging members of the Hitler Youth to dissociate themselves from families and to be raised by the state. Also policies of employment needed to be removed or relaxed later into 1939 as Germany entered the war. Therefore the Nazis policies toward women were not very effective in the long run.

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