What was it like to live in Nazi Germany Essay Example

about weapon and explosive production. Even math classes were not immune to propaganda as Jews were often portrayed negatively.

A maths problem was presented to the students, involving the weight of a bomber aircraft carrying twelve dozen bombs weighing ten kilos each, taking off with 100 kilos of fuel and weighing approximately eight tons. The target destination was Warsaw, referred to as an international center for Jews. After bombing the town, the aircraft returned with 230 kilos of fuel remaining. The question posed to the students was to determine the weight of the empty aircraft. The statement regarding the Jews is deemed unnecessary, but was possibly included to portray negative connotations towards Jews to the students. (Source 1, see end)

According to Source 2, certain subjects were used to promote Nazism and convince young people that being loyal to Hitler was the right thing to do. Hitler himself spoke highly of young people, stating that with them, he could make a new world. This kind of speech made young people feel proud and more likely to support Hitler. In addition to indoctrination in schools, Hitler established the Hitler Youth Movement as a way to provide youth organizations that taught Nazi beliefs and trained young Germans to become strong and fit.

During out-of-school times, numerous young people were drawn to these gatherings, where they had the opportunity to gain new skills, meet new people, and travel without their families. This idea appealed to many parents as well. Because other youth groups were prohibited by the Nazis, the Hitler Youth Movement grew rapidly in size. In 1936, joining the Hitler Youth organizations was mandatory, and although some

children refused to participate, by 1939 the majority of Germany's youth were members. The primary objective of these groups was to instill Nazi beliefs in young individuals, however, the Nazis also utilized them to train young boys and men in hopes that they would develop into strong and effective soldiers.

The girls underwent rigorous training, which included participating in marches and cross country runs regardless of the weather conditions. They also endured outdoor camping in difficult situations to prepare themselves for future army conditions. Additionally, they spent extensive amounts of time practicing how to properly shoot. The training also focused on enhancing the girls' physical fitness so that they could develop into healthy and strong women, ultimately producing fit soldiers in the future. Furthermore, they learned how to maintain rifles and create ammunition.

When the Nazi regime took over, the lives of young people in Germany underwent a significant transformation geared towards Nazism. It is uncertain whether they enjoyed or benefited from this shift. However, at that time, many young Germans favored this alteration in their lifestyle because Hitler made them feel important and told them they were the master race.

Despite not joining the Hitler Youth Movement due to disagreement with Nazi ideology, some young people in Nazi Germany were able to improve their lives through the opportunities provided by their loyalty to the Fuhrer. The Hitler Youth Movement offered new social connections and skill-building activities. However, some middle-class teenagers who rejected Nazi beliefs formed the Swing movement. These groups attended parties featuring English music and American dances and welcomed Jewish members.

The 'Edelweiss Pirates', a group of working class teenagers who opposed Hitler's beliefs, went by

different names in each city but were identified by the Nazis as such. In contrast to the Hitler Youth, this group included both girls and boys and adopted a much freer attitude towards sex. They sang modified songs that mocked Germany and frequently attacked and taunted the Hitler Youth whenever they encountered them.

Although they did not disagree with Nazi politics, two groups were against the way Nazis were taking charge of young people's lives in Germany. They felt that they deserved greater liberty than what the Nazis allowed. Unlike Hitler's approach of reverting to Germany's traditional values, these factions were becoming more contemporary. In Nazi Germany, what was women's experience like? As we have previously observed, one of Hitler's primary objectives was to establish a powerful and extensive army. Since women could not fight, Hitler believed that their duty should be to give birth to as many potential soldiers as feasible for the future.

He instituted the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage to motivate women to begin families. The law provided newlyweds with a loan of 1000 marks which they could partially retain based on the number of children they had. A greater number of children led to an increased amount of retained funds.

Through the use of propaganda, Hitler successfully encouraged women in Nazi Germany to have larger families in order to increase the birth rate. To keep all her money, a woman needed to have four children. The regime employed posters, radio broadcasts, and films as vehicles for this initiative.

During the Nazi regime in Germany from 1933 to 1939, the percentage of women decreased from 5% to 2%. The focus on producing future

soldiers meant that even unmarried pregnancies were accepted, which reinforced traditional gender roles. This was in contrast to the efforts made by the Weimar Republic to challenge these roles. While women in other Western countries were gaining more rights, Hitler ensured that this did not happen in Germany and famously stated that a woman's role should be centered around 'Kinde, Kirche' and 'Kuche' (Children, church and cooking).

Life in Nazi Germany became very limited for women, who were prohibited from following modern fashion trends such as wearing makeup, trousers or short hair, unlike the rest of the western world. Despite these restrictions, some women were content with their role and believed that supporting their husbands as a good housewife was more important than having a job, which was depriving men of employment opportunities. They believed that their contribution to their country was significant and beneficial, even though everything they did revolved around procreating more children.

Even though there were some content women with their role, the return to old ways was viewed by several as a constraint on their liberty. The workers in Nazi Germany were a significant concern for Hitler, who had pledged to resolve the unemployment issue within four years during the 1933 election campaign. This promise played a crucial role in his rise to power, since six million Germans were jobless at the time. The priority of Hitler's administration was to tackle the unemployment crisis, with many of the six million unemployed men joining the army to help build a large and powerful military force. In addition to soldiers, Hitler needed men to manufacture weapons and ammunition.

Hitler was able to significantly decrease unemployment rates

in a short time. He implemented public work programs that included constructing new schools, houses, hospitals, railways, and forests. The construction of a network of motorways, known as autobahns, was the largest public work scheme and resulted in the building of over 3000 kilometres of roads between 1933 and 1938. The National Labour Service (RAD), an organization established by Hitler when he became the leader, employed men to work on these projects and aid in reducing unemployment.

Men residing in camps were required to wear military uniforms and receive only pocket money as wages. Despite this, for many of them, it was a significant improvement in their lives. Hitler aimed for a powerful and self-reliant army, meaning that Germany could not depend on imported products. To address this, Hitler urged scientists to invent replacements for food and materials imported from various countries. This led to the creation of additional employment opportunities for the jobless as these substitutes had to be produced within Germany.

Between 1933 and 1939, unemployment in Germany dropped significantly from six million to just over three hundred thousand. However, this decline was not solely attributed to job creation, as many unemployed individuals took over roles previously held by Jews. Unfortunately, the names of those who lost their jobs due to this shift were not documented, thus Hitler's success in reducing unemployment rates is not entirely accurate. Upon taking power in 1933, Hitler dismantled trade unions, instead establishing the German Labour Front, which was led by former chemist Doctor Robert Ley.

Overall, workers experienced minimal improvements. Obtaining government permission was required to leave a job, and solely government-operated labour exchanges facilitated new job searches. Doctor Ley

enforced a ban on strikes and prohibited workers from demanding increased wages. Additionally, individuals faced no restrictions on the number of hours they could work.

Although there was only one improvement - bosses required government permission to immediately dismiss a worker - few workers complained about their conditions. In 1936, the average German worker earned 35 marks per week - ten times more than the six million unemployed earned in 1932. Additionally, many workers feared losing their jobs.

Similar to the restrictions faced by women in Nazi Germany, the lives of workers grew more constrained after the Nazis took power. German workers commonly worked up to seventy two hours per week without the ability to complain, forcing them to accept their conditions and find contentment in their employment. Despite the harsh conditions, Nazi efforts significantly reduced unemployment rates.

Despite Hitler's pre-power promise to spare the Church from harm, any opposition was not tolerated. The Church faced consequences if it hindered Hitler's agenda. In 1938, Nazis attacked the Archbishop of Vienna for preaching against them and a Protestant leader was imprisoned for seven years in a concentration camp after giving an anti-Nazi sermon. Thus, Hitler did not uphold his promise regarding the Church.

In 1936, Hitler created the 'National Reich Church', a distinct religious organization that set it apart from all others. It imposed restrictions on non-Nazi members speaking and banned the sale and printing of the Bible while removing religious symbols like crosses. The only object allowed on its altars was a sword bearing a copy of 'Mein Kampf' instead of the Bible. These actions demonstrate Hitler's strong stance towards religion.

It cannot be definitively stated whether Germany's population as

a whole benefited from the rule of the Nazis, as there were both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. Among the six million individuals who were unemployed in 1933, some would argue that their lives improved under Nazi rule. Over five million people were given job opportunities, despite poor working conditions, which allowed them to earn higher wages. Furthermore, the Nazi regime brought political stability to Germany.

Although the German citizens achieved political and employment success, they paid a heavy toll during Nazism. The regime affected all aspects of their lives, resulting in the loss of numerous rights and no political opposition. Nazis prohibited trade unions, which caused workers to work longer hours for less pay. Censorship was imposed on media, films, music while Nazi propaganda infiltrated education, church, youth organizations and courts leading to lack of free speech.

While limitations were imposed on German citizens, the treatment of minority groups, especially Jews, was far worse. The Nazis believed that Germans were a superior race known as Aryans and possessed greater intelligence and physical strength than other races like Eastern Europeans, blacks, and Jews who they considered inferior. Hitler had numerous reasons for his hatred towards Jews. He despised the fact that Jews held high-paying jobs and ran successful businesses due to their intelligence which infuriated him. Furthermore, he saw Jews as impure Germans who hindered the country during World War I by sitting comfortably at home while others fought for the nation.

Hitler held several reasons for hating the Jews. One reason was his belief that the Jews and Communists were responsible for many historical disasters. This conviction was augmented by the fact that numerous Communist leaders were Jewish. Additionally,

Hitler blamed the Jews for Jesus Christ's death due to religious grounds. The Jews were also accused of causing Germany's economic crisis, and some Germans held them responsible for the Treaty of Versailles as Jewish bankers had ceased funding Germany in World War One.

Although there was minimal backing for Hitler's anti-Semitic beliefs before he attained dominance, the Nazis were swift to inflict retribution against Jews after taking control. Hitler promptly enacted legislation preventing Jews from holding positions in the Civil service and initiated a boycott of Jewish shops and enterprises. Additionally, civil servants, lawyers, teachers, and judges were dismissed by the Nazis with their personal belongings publicly burned. Moreover, Jewish students encountered limitations on admission into schools and universities with only a mere 5% permitted entry. After six years of anti-Jewish propaganda, by 1939 numerous Germans approved of the Holocaust.

During the 1930s and 1940s in Germany, Jewish individuals were subjected to severe persecution and discrimination. They were required to visibly display the Star of David on their businesses as a means of identifying themselves as Jewish. The German government also passed laws that prevented them from acquiring citizenship, leading to social exclusion. Children experienced bullying at school and Jews were segregated from other members of society. Additionally, they were forbidden from engaging in sexual relations or marriage with pure-blooded Germans. In 1938, a young Jewish man assassinated a German diplomat in Paris which served as an excuse for the Nazis to exact revenge on Jewish individuals during what is now known as the 'Night of Broken Glass'.

55 SS men, dressed as civilians, destroyed Jewish businesses and synagogues during the Night of Broken Glass. The

violence caused 91 Jewish deaths, and Hitler falsely portrayed it as a response from ordinary Germans. Those who spoke out against this brutality were also killed, demonstrating that dissent would not be accepted in Nazi Germany. During WWII, Germany employed blitzkrieg tactics which led to swift victories with minimal losses.

Germany's early and effortless victories during the war resulted in gaining more raw materials, expanded land, and access to slave laborers. The nation was filled with optimism for a prosperous and mighty Germany as envisioned by Hitler. However, harsh winter conditions struck the German army in 1941 and 1942, leading to a sudden realization of the consequences of losing a war. In order to meet increased supply demands, factories were compelled to work longer hours while food rations were further reduced - causing a decline in morale among Germans. Consequently, at the start of 1942, Albert Speer was directed to prepare the country for "total war".

German civilians suffered even more during World War II due to the actions of the Allies. To stop supply production, factories were bombed and cities were attacked to reduce morale and force surrender. This resulted in catastrophic bombings in February 1945, particularly in Dresden and Berlin where about 135,000 people died and millions became homeless and went hungry.

Despite the majority of Germans wishing to end World War II, opposition to the Nazi regime increased during its final year. The country had experienced significant losses including over three million civilian deaths, food shortages and widespread destruction of cities. However, Hitler remained unwilling to relinquish power. Although Allies were aware that Jews under Nazi control were subjected to inhumane treatment, they did not

know the full extent due to secrecy surrounding Concentration and death camps as well as favorable propaganda films. As Germany faced defeat, there was a concerted attempt to conceal their atrocities against Jewish people.

Although the railways used to transport Jews to the Death camps were dismantled, this did not prove to be effective as the Allied forces discovered numerous deserted concentration camps with thousands of malnourished and sick Jews, including individuals suffering from tuberculosis.