Nazi rule transformed daily life in Germany, reshaping the economy, social structures, and culture through strict control, propaganda, and racial ideology.
Economic changes under the Nazis
Employment and the reduction of unemployment
When Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, Germany faced a major economic crisis with more than 6 million unemployed. One of the Nazis’ top priorities was tackling this issue to restore national pride and create a sense of economic stability.
To achieve this, the Nazis introduced several key measures:
The German Labor Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront - DAF) replaced all independent trade unions. Led by Robert Ley, the DAF regulated working conditions and wages, eliminated workers’ rights to strike, and promoted the idea of national unity over class conflict. While it ensured job security, it also removed bargaining power for workers.
Strength Through Joy (Kraft durch Freude - KdF) was a program designed to improve workers’ leisure time and increase morale. It provided discounted holidays, theatre tickets, cruises, sports events, and even the opportunity to buy a Volkswagen car (though most workers never received the car).
The Reich Labor Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst - RAD) became compulsory for all men aged 18 to 25 from 1935. It required six months of unpaid labor in infrastructure projects like road building and land reclamation. RAD emphasized discipline, physical fitness, and loyalty to the regime.
Unemployment figures rapidly decreased, and by 1939, official statistics claimed it had fallen to fewer than 0.5 million. However, these numbers were misleading. The Nazis removed various groups from the statistics:
Women were encouraged or forced to leave the workforce.
Jews were dismissed from their jobs and barred from many professions.
Men in military service were not counted as unemployed.
Temporary or part-time workers were often counted as fully employed.
Despite the manipulation, job opportunities did increase, particularly in sectors like construction and arms production.
Public works and infrastructure programs
Massive government investment in public infrastructure played a central role in Nazi economic recovery. These projects were not only economic tools but also served propaganda purposes, symbolizing the rebirth of Germany.
The most famous initiative was the building of the autobahn (motorway) network. Over 7,000 miles were planned, with thousands of workers employed in its construction. Although only a fraction was completed by the war's outbreak, the project gave an impression of national progress.
Large-scale building projects also included new schools, hospitals, Nazi party buildings, and sports facilities such as the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
These schemes not only reduced unemployment but reinforced the image of the Nazis as modernizers and saviors of Germany.
Rearmament and economic revival
From 1935, rearmament became a key focus of Nazi economic policy, even though it violated the Treaty of Versailles. The regime expanded its military forces and built up its stockpile of weapons in preparation for future conflict.
Key developments included:
Conscription was reintroduced in 1935, expanding the German army to hundreds of thousands of men, which both reduced unemployment and strengthened national defense.
The arms industry grew rapidly, with vast resources funneled into producing tanks, aircraft, submarines, and ammunition.
Heavy industries, such as coal, iron, and steel, boomed to meet the demands of rearmament.
By 1939, military expenditure made up more than 23 percent of Germany’s Gross National Product, and a significant portion of the workforce was employed in war-related industries.
Rearmament was supported by policies such as the Four-Year Plan launched in 1936 under Hermann Göring, aimed at making Germany self-sufficient in preparation for war. This included developing synthetic substitutes for rubber and oil and increasing agricultural output.
The wartime economy and its consequences
When war broke out in 1939, the German economy shifted further into a war economy. Resources were redirected to support the military, civilian consumption was limited, and the regime began using extreme measures to sustain production.
Factories that once made consumer goods were converted to manufacture weapons and military vehicles.
Albert Speer, appointed Minister of Armaments in 1942, improved efficiency by centralizing control, streamlining production, and promoting the use of mass-production techniques.
Working hours were extended, and wages were frozen, though wages often increased through bonuses or extra food rations.
Forced labor became critical. Millions of prisoners of war and civilians from occupied territories were deported to Germany to work in agriculture and industry under inhumane conditions.
Despite efforts, by 1943 Germany was struggling to maintain war production due to bombing raids, shortages of materials, and internal resistance. The economy suffered further from the destruction of infrastructure and the overextension of military campaigns.
Social policies in Nazi Germany
Women in Nazi Germany
Nazi ideology saw women primarily as mothers and homemakers, with their most important role being to preserve and propagate the Aryan race.
The regime promoted the three Ks: Kinder, Küche, Kirche (Children, Kitchen, Church).
Policies included:
Encouraging women to leave the workforce through propaganda and policy. In the early years of Nazi rule, many women were banned from working in law, medicine, and civil service.
Marriage loans were provided to encourage early marriage and childbearing. A portion of the loan was written off for each child born.
The Mother’s Cross (Mutterkreuz) honored women for having large families. It was awarded in bronze (4 children), silver (6 children), and gold (8 or more children).
Birth control and abortion were discouraged or banned for Aryan women, while compulsory sterilization was used on those considered “racially impure” or “unfit.”
However, the demands of war forced the Nazis to change course. From 1943, women were conscripted into factories and auxiliary military services, though this contradicted earlier policies.
Youth and education
The Nazis viewed education and youth control as crucial for building a loyal, ideologically pure population.
Education system reforms
Schools were transformed into tools of Nazi indoctrination:
Teachers were required to join the Nazi Teachers’ League and deliver lessons aligned with party ideology.
Curriculum changes emphasized racial science, military history, and the greatness of German heritage.
History lessons glorified German military triumphs and portrayed Jews and communists as enemies.
Biology focused on eugenics and racial superiority.
Physical education became central to prepare boys for military service and girls for motherhood.
Jewish teachers were dismissed, and Jewish students were segregated and later banned from attending school.
Youth organizations
Two major organizations indoctrinated the youth outside of school:
The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) was mandatory for boys from 1936. It taught obedience, loyalty to Hitler, military drills, and survival skills.
The League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel - BDM) prepared girls for their roles as wives and mothers through physical training, community service, and ideological education.
These groups also functioned to undermine the influence of the Church, family, and other non-Nazi institutions.
Religious groups and Nazi control
Christianity under the Nazis
The Nazis had a conflicted relationship with Christianity. Although Germany was a majority Christian country, the Nazis aimed to control or replace religious influence with loyalty to the party.
Catholic Church
In 1933, Hitler signed the Concordat with the Vatican, promising not to interfere in Church affairs. In return, the Church would stay out of politics.
However, the regime quickly broke this agreement:
Catholic schools were closed or taken over.
Catholic youth groups were banned.
Priests who spoke out were arrested or sent to concentration camps.
Protestant churches
Many Protestant churches were merged into the Reich Church, led by pro-Nazi clergy.
Resistance emerged through the Confessing Church, which opposed Nazi interference. Leaders like Martin Niemöller were arrested, and some were executed.
Nazi attempts to replace religion
The German Faith Movement promoted a blend of pagan rituals and Nazi ideology, encouraging the worship of nature, race, and the Führer.
Traditional Christian holidays were transformed into Nazi festivals, and church influence over everyday life diminished.
Despite efforts, the Nazis never fully eliminated religious faith, and many Germans remained privately Christian.
Racial policies and the Final Solution
Nazi racial beliefs
Nazi ideology was rooted in the belief in Aryan racial superiority and the desire for a racially pure Volksgemeinschaft (national community).
Jews, Roma, Slavs, disabled people, and others were labeled “Untermenschen” (sub-humans).
The regime saw Jews not as a religious group but as a biological threat that had to be eliminated.
Early persecution of Jews
From 1933 onward, Jews faced escalating persecution:
Civil service law (1933): Dismissed Jews from government jobs.
Nuremberg Laws (1935):
Reich Citizenship Law: Stripped Jews of citizenship rights.
Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor: Forbade marriage or sexual relations between Jews and Aryans.
Kristallnacht (November 1938):
State-organized attacks destroyed synagogues and Jewish businesses.
Around 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.
Ghettos and deportations
After Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Jews were confined to overcrowded ghettos, especially in cities like Warsaw and Łódź.
Conditions were appalling, with starvation, disease, and violence widespread.
Many died in the ghettos before deportations to death camps began.
The Final Solution
In 1942, Nazi leaders formalized plans for the extermination of Europe’s Jews at the Wannsee Conference.
Mobile killing units, known as Einsatzgruppen, carried out mass shootings in Eastern Europe.
Jews were transported by train to extermination camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Sobibor.
Most were killed in gas chambers upon arrival. Others were used for forced labor until death.
By 1945, approximately 6 million Jews had been murdered in the Holocaust.
Other victims of Nazi racial policy
The Nazi regime also targeted:
Roma and Sinti peoples, who were deported, sterilized, and murdered in concentration camps.
Disabled individuals, victims of the T4 euthanasia program, which killed tens of thousands using gas, injections, or starvation.
Homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and political opponents were imprisoned, tortured, and often executed.
These policies demonstrated the regime’s complete disregard for human rights in pursuit of its twisted vision of racial purity.
FAQ
Propaganda was a crucial tool used by the Nazi regime to shape public opinion and ensure widespread acceptance of its social policies. Under the direction of Joseph Goebbels, the Ministry of Propaganda controlled all forms of communication, including newspapers, radio, film, literature, and the arts. The regime promoted ideals like Aryan superiority, traditional gender roles, and loyalty to Hitler through carefully crafted messages that were repeated across media platforms. For instance, posters glorified motherhood and large Aryan families, reinforcing the image of the ideal Nazi woman. In schools and public events, propaganda reinforced youth obedience and national pride. Films like “Triumph of the Will” and children's books depicted Jews and other minorities as dangerous, justifying exclusionary and violent policies. Radio broadcasts reached millions, ensuring that Nazi views became normalized. Through censorship and relentless messaging, the Nazis molded the way citizens thought and behaved, making opposition less likely and loyalty more automatic.
While Nazi racial policies directly targeted Jews, Roma, and other marginalized groups, they also deeply impacted everyday life for non-Jewish Germans. Germans were constantly exposed to racial ideology through education, workplace rules, public posters, and propaganda that emphasized Aryan purity. Interpersonal relationships were closely monitored; marrying or even socializing with Jews could result in ostracism, job loss, or arrest. Citizens were encouraged to report anyone engaging in relationships deemed "racially impure," fostering an atmosphere of mistrust. Civil servants, teachers, and doctors had to prove Aryan ancestry to retain their positions. Children were taught racial science in schools and were expected to apply these beliefs in their personal lives. Participation in organizations like the Hitler Youth reinforced racial doctrine. Public facilities, transport, and housing were increasingly segregated. Overall, Nazi racial policy structured social life, dictated behavior, and pressured people into conformity, making racial ideology a deeply ingrained part of ordinary German life.
The Nazis employed a dual system of rewards and punishments to ensure conformity and loyalty among the German population. Rewards were used to encourage desirable behavior, such as loyalty to the party, participation in Nazi organizations, and compliance with social roles. For example, women who had multiple children received the Mother’s Cross, while loyal workers were granted holidays through the Strength Through Joy program. Youths who excelled in the Hitler Youth could access scholarships, career opportunities, and public praise. Conversely, punishments were swift and severe for dissent or deviation. Speaking out against the regime, showing sympathy to Jews, or refusing to join Nazi organizations could result in job loss, harassment by the Gestapo, imprisonment, or being sent to a concentration camp. Public denunciation campaigns encouraged citizens to report each other, and fear of surveillance led many to self-censor. This carrot-and-stick approach ensured that most Germans complied, even if they did not fully support Nazi ideology.
Under Nazi rule, cultural and artistic expression was heavily censored and reshaped to serve the regime’s goals. The Nazis established the Reich Chamber of Culture, which artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and performers had to join in order to work. Art considered “degenerate”—including modernist, abstract, or experimental styles—was banned, and many artists were forced into exile or silence. Instead, the regime promoted realistic, idealized art that celebrated rural life, family values, the Aryan physique, and military strength. Music by Jewish composers or jazz, labeled as “Negro music,” was banned. Films served propaganda purposes, either subtly reinforcing Nazi ideals or blatantly delivering messages, like in “Jud Süß.” Literature had to align with Nazi views, and book burnings of “un-German” works were widely publicized. Even architecture reflected Nazi ideals, emphasizing grandeur and permanence. Through total control of the arts, the Nazis created a cultural environment that reinforced obedience, racial purity, and loyalty to the regime.
Nazi policies created significant tension between the regime and religious institutions, affecting both observance and church attendance. While Hitler initially appeared to respect Christianity, he gradually undermined its influence. The Nazi state aimed to reduce the Church’s authority, replacing religious loyalty with devotion to the Führer. Catholic schools and youth groups were closed or absorbed into Nazi structures, and clergy who opposed the regime were monitored, harassed, or imprisoned. Protestant churches were reorganized under the Reich Church, which aligned with Nazi ideology, but resistance emerged through the Confessing Church led by figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Nazi propaganda portrayed traditional religion as outdated, and celebrations like Christmas were stripped of religious meaning and reframed as nationalistic events. Despite these efforts, many Germans continued to attend church, particularly in rural and Catholic regions. However, fear of state surveillance and declining public religious influence led to a more private, cautious practice of faith. Over time, religious life in Nazi Germany became increasingly suppressed and politicized.
Practice Questions
Explain two effects of Nazi policies on women in Germany.
Nazi policies had a significant impact on women’s roles and status in Germany. First, women were expected to focus on home and family, encouraged through propaganda and incentives like the Mother’s Cross. Employment restrictions pushed them out of professional jobs to prioritize childbirth and homemaking. Second, during the war, Nazi demands changed. Labor shortages led to women being drafted into factories and auxiliary roles, showing the regime’s flexibility when ideology conflicted with practical needs. Although initially excluded from public life, women became essential to the wartime economy, revealing contradictions in Nazi gender policies.
How did the Nazis use youth organizations to control young people?
The Nazis used youth organizations like the Hitler Youth and League of German Girls to indoctrinate young people with Nazi ideology. These groups became mandatory and focused on building loyalty to Hitler, discipline, and preparing boys for military service and girls for motherhood. Activities included physical training, ideological education, and military-style drills. Schools supported this effort by teaching Nazi values and removing Jewish influences. By monopolizing education and free time, the regime shaped beliefs and behavior, creating a generation that aligned with Nazi ideals and undermined the influence of families and religious institutions.
