NAZI POLICIES TOWARDS WOMEN ACHIEVED THEIR AIMS 1933
“NAZI POLICIES TOWARDS WOMEN ACHIEVED THEIR AIMS 1933-45”. HOW FAR DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT? (24 MARKS)
Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazis put in place various policies towards women in Germany. The Nazis believed that ‘women should have the task of beautiful and bringing children into the world’ (Joseph Goebbels, 1939). The general areas in which these policies aimed to cover covered included births, marriage, welfare, education, employment and public life.
In terms of births, between 1933 and 1939, the Nazis main aim was to increase pure German Births. In order to achieve this, the Nazis brought into play financial incentives, for example marriage loans, birth grants etc. In addition to this, the Nazis improved maternity services and used methods of propaganda to raise status and self-esteem of mothers and housewives. One method in which they did this was through awards, such as the ‘Mother’s Cross’. Furthermore, penalties were introduced to encourage people to have children. These penalties included: higher taxes on childless couples; tighter penalties on abortion; and restrictions on contraception information. Measures were also introduced for compulsory sterilisation of ‘undesirables’ (i.e. those with hereditary conditions).
Additionally, in the years 1939-45, the lebensborn programme was extended, and births outside marriage were encouraged. The effects of this legislation lead to and increased birth rate, between 1933 and 1939, which then slowly declined towards the end of the 1930’s. However, it can be argued that the increase may have been due more to economic recovery, as opposed to Nazi policies/measures. The birth rate may have risen, compared to during the depression, but it did not get back to levels of Weimar Germany. As well as this, Nazi eugenic policies reduced the population potential. I would therefore suggest that the Nazis policies towards women and births were successful in increasing the rate of pure German births, however, some of
Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazis put in place various policies towards women in Germany. The Nazis believed that ‘women should have the task of beautiful and bringing children into the world’ (Joseph Goebbels, 1939). The general areas in which these policies aimed to cover covered included births, marriage, welfare, education, employment and public life.
In terms of births, between 1933 and 1939, the Nazis main aim was to increase pure German Births. In order to achieve this, the Nazis brought into play financial incentives, for example marriage loans, birth grants etc. In addition to this, the Nazis improved maternity services and used methods of propaganda to raise status and self-esteem of mothers and housewives. One method in which they did this was through awards, such as the ‘Mother’s Cross’. Furthermore, penalties were introduced to encourage people to have children. These penalties included: higher taxes on childless couples; tighter penalties on abortion; and restrictions on contraception information. Measures were also introduced for compulsory sterilisation of ‘undesirables’ (i.e. those with hereditary conditions).
Additionally, in the years 1939-45, the lebensborn programme was extended, and births outside marriage were encouraged. The effects of this legislation lead to and increased birth rate, between 1933 and 1939, which then slowly declined towards the end of the 1930’s. However, it can be argued that the increase may have been due more to economic recovery, as opposed to Nazi policies/measures. The birth rate may have risen, compared to during the depression, but it did not get back to levels of Weimar Germany. As well as this, Nazi eugenic policies reduced the population potential. I would therefore suggest that the Nazis policies towards women and births were successful in increasing the rate of pure German births, however, some of