The reasons for Nazi policies towards women Essay Example

abortion were strictly enforced.

During the period of 1934-38, crimes related to abortion saw a fifty percent increase in conviction rates. Contraceptive advice and devices were severely restricted while birth control clinics were shut down. Propaganda campaigns aimed at promoting the role of housewives and mothers within society. The Mother's Cross was awarded at an annual ceremony held on Hitler's mother's birthday to the most productive mothers, with bronze given for five children, silver for six or seven, and gold for eight or more. Childless couples experienced higher tax penalties.

Under the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring law, individuals considered "undesirable" or those with hereditary illness or physical disabilities were subject to compulsory sterilization. This included people with conditions like depression, epilepsy, blindness, deafness, physical handicaps and alcoholism.

By 1937, roughly 200,000 mandatory sterilizations had been executed. The Nazis established 'Lebensborn' maternities in 1936 that aimed to produce pure Aryan babies. Essentially, they were institutionalized brothels that encouraged extra-marital births.

During the years 1933-9, measures were implemented to increase pure German births. As a result, the birth rate rose but eventually declined. It is possible that the increase was due to economic recovery rather than Nazi policies. Although the birth rate rose in comparison to the depression period, it did not reach the levels of Weimar Germany. Additionally, Nazi eugenics, which aimed to improve racial qualities, decreased the population potential.

One policy enforced by the Nazis was the promotion of marriages, which involved offering unemployed couples a marriage loan of 600 RM in 1933. This scheme aimed to encourage many young people to get married early. Later on, in 1937, the loan became available to working women as

well.

The Nazis implemented various laws and regulations to enforce their notions of family life and to promote their idea of a "Master Race." These included requiring a "Fitness to marry" certificate before issuing a marriage license, expanding grounds for divorce in 1938, and introducing the "Blood Protection Law" which prohibited marriages between Jews, Blacks or gypsies. Those of mixed race who attempted to marry after 1939 were sent to concentration camps, and couples who cohabited after their marriage had been banned were also punished in this way. Throughout these measures, the Nazi ideology surrounding family life remained a constant factor.

Tern's strict policies emphasized the importance of maintaining purity in body and mind for Germans, encouraging them to marry based on love and shared blood. Checking a potential partner's family history was common practice, as health was seen as crucial to physical beauty. The objective was to have many children, though labor services and conscription made it challenging for young men to start families. Despite penalties, marriages increased from 516,000 in 1932 to 740,000 in 1934; however, divorces rose after 1938.

During this period, the rise in marriage rates may have been influenced by economic hopefulness rather than governmental measures. Moreover, national goals were supported through the expansion of divorce legislation. The Nazi administration's treatment of females was inconsistent as their strategies frequently clashed with family interests. Due to rearmament taking precedence, suitable accommodations for raising large families were difficult to procure due to a scarcity of affordable housing and costly rents. Although increasing the population was a primary objective for the Nazis, they also stressed creating healthy German citizens and reducing mortality rates by emphasizing

eugenics in promoting Aryan offspring.

The National Socialist Welfare Organization (NSV) greatly expanded healthcare facilities, particularly in rural regions, with a focus on improving sanitation, preventative medicine, and genetic and racial care. The NSV also provided support for childcare facilities, benefiting working mothers during the war. While these developments led to a decrease in infant mortality rate from 7.7% in 1933 to 6%, welfare support remained restricted for those who were Jews, non-Aryans, political opponents, physically disabled, or mentally ill.

In 1936, the NSV had a 6% increase and was predominantly operated by women, leading to enhanced opportunities. The eugenic policies correlated with the Welfare policies. Nonetheless, the constraints were lifted during the war because educated women became necessary for work. Consequently, there was a decline in female enrollment in universities before World War II. Nevertheless, as the demand for workers and soldiers surged during the war, restrictions on women's opportunities were progressively relaxed.

During their regime, the Nazis linked university admission limitations and job opportunities. They specifically aimed to decrease female employment citing that women were needed at home for child-rearing purposes, which had a direct impact on population growth and welfare. Women holding high-ranking civil service or medical positions lost their jobs in 1933. Later, they were also barred from pursuing professional careers like law or judiciary roles.

Hitler declined to enforce conscription during the war due to his ideology and concern for soldiers' morale if their wives were drafted into factories. Also, some women opted not to work in factories and preferred staying at home. The contradiction between ideology and economic need resulted in Hitler's hesitation to impose conscription, particularly in 1936 when

key sectors faced labor shortages.

In 1939, mandatory agricultural labor service was imposed on unmarried women under 25 as an effort to encourage them to contribute to the war. It wasn't until 1942 that women aged between 17 and 45 were required to register for work, resulting in a significant increase in employed women throughout the war. Although Nazi policies had minimal effect on female employment overall, civil service professions experienced a notable impact by mobilizing fewer German women compared to those in the UK or US.

The Nazis aimed to include women in public life by organising them into the Nazi 'Volksgemeinchaft' and prohibiting female Nazi Reichstag members. To support the war, two women's organisations - NSF and DFW - were established to make clothes for the Russian Front. As a result, the Nazi restrictions on German women's public life led to an increase in female participation in Nazi bodies.

Despite being excluded from decision-making, women saw a significant increase in their involvement in public life during the Nazi regime. Many of their ideas were merely more extreme versions of already prevalent views. The Catholic Church and Conservation groups reinforced the idea that men and women had separate spheres and emphasized procreation, while Nazi policies served as both indoctrination and a small part of Hitler's plan to establish a "master race." However, these policies proved effective as evidenced by an increase in the birth rate in 1933.

Although the Nazi propaganda promoted the healthy Aryan family as a small unit of the 'Volksgemeinschaft', their policies had several contradictions. For example, the demands placed on young individuals to join the Hitler Youth took them away from their

families and encouraged them to challenge any non-Nazi attitudes of their parents, discouraging the family unit. Furthermore, despite supposedly promoting traditional family roles, Nazi attempts to drive women into various jobs increased due to economic recovery.

While the "totalitarian" Nazi state was not as efficient in utilizing its resources as liberal regimes in Britain and the USA, there were still some benefits to their policies despite their unattractive aims. For instance, women's organizations and youth groups were expanded, providing new experiences for women. Additionally, social services saw improvement.

Despite potential arguments attributing the increase in birth rate and marriage to economic factors rather than government policies, the overall impact of Nazi policies on German women was positive. This is evidenced by improvements in general healthcare and public life opportunities for women. Despite contradictions within Nazi policies, they encouraged greater involvement of women in public life and facilitated increased access to opportunities.