Intro Quiz: How successful were Nazi policies at reducing unemployment?

Video: How successful were Nazi policies at reducing unemployment?

﻿Hi, and welcome to today's history lesson to be, Weimar and Nazi Germany. I'm Miss Shanks, and today we're going to be looking at methods used by the Nazis to reduce unemployment, and whether they were successful or not. For today's lesson you'll need a pen, piece of paper or something to write on, a pencil and a ruler. If possible, please try and find a quiet space to work with no distractions or turn off any notifications if you know how to do so. And I highly recommend that all you note of Weimar and Nazi Germany are kept together in a safe place. What I'd like you to do to begin with, please pause the video now, and copy down today's lesson title which is the question on your screen. When you're ready, please resume the video. So before we begin, let's have a look of what you can expect from the lesson today. We'll begin by looking at why unemployment was an issue for Hitler and the Nazis. Then we'll look at the methods used by the Nazis to reduce unemployment, before looking at something called, Invisible unemployment. All of this will be followed with an opportunity to consolidate your learning with comprehension questions and the exit quiz. So let's start with a week of our previous learning. On the screen, you'll see some people, key events or important groups. I want you to tell me what the connection is, the link between each of those things on your screen. When you ready, let's go. So what is the connection? German Young People, Hitler Youth, Young Maidens, League of German Maidens. Fantastic, these were all youth groups within Nazi Germany. Boys were members of the German young people between the ages of 10 and 14 before then joining Hitler Youth, whereas girls were part of the Young Maidens until the age of 14, when they would then join the League of German Maidens. Communist, Confessing Church, Swing Youth, and Edelweiss Pirates. What's the connection? All four of these are examples of oppositions to Hitler and the Nazis. The Communists provided political opposition, the confessing church were opposed to Hitler's treatment of religion within Germany in particular, the creation of the like church, where the Swing Youth and Edelweiss Pirates, were both youth opposition groups who opposed the restrictions on their freedoms and the ability to express themselves and their interests. So all four are example of opposition groups to Hitler. What's the connection? History, Geography, Eugenics, Race studies. Brilliant, these were all subjects taught as part of a curriculum in Nazi Germany. And finally, what is the connection? Military drills, Shooting, Hiking, Map reading. Brilliant, these were all activities that Hitler youth members would take part in. But which of those activities would also be done by a member of League of German Maiden? If you said hiking, well done. Hitler believed it was important for both boys and girls to stay physically fit and healthy. So sport and physical exercise played a big part in the lives of German young people, whether they were male or female, physical activity was still really important. So why did Hitler want to reduce unemployment? When Hitler became chancellor on the 30th of January, 1933, unemployment was extremely high. 5 million German people, roughly 25% of the general population who could work, were going unemployed. Hitler was concerned if people suffer in poor living conditions and he couldn't help them, then what they might do is they might turn to somebody else who they think could help them, his opposition in the Communist Party. Hitler also believed that, unemployed workers were a waste of resources, that they caused problems within society. Therefore, he worked to increase the number of people employed within Germany. And by 1939, unemployment had decreased significantly from 5 million in 1933, to approximately half a million by 1939. But how exactly did Hitler achieve this? That's what we going to look at in this lesson today. Today's lesson will involves filling in this table, which you can see on your screen. What we're looking at three main methods used by the Nazis in this table to reduce unemployment. The Reich Labour Service, Job-creation schemes, particularly building something called Autobahns which is motorways and also Rearmament. Please pause the video, copy down the table which will be appear on your screen again in a minute. On your screen, you'll also see I've given you some guidance on how to draw your table. We'll start by looking at the first strategy to reduce unemployment introduced by the Nazis together. And this is the Reich Labour Service or the R-A-D. There's an image on your screen there of the R-A-D in action. The Reich Labour Service or R-A-D and will refer to them as R-A-D from now on. The R-A-D was set up in 1933, and gave paid work for the unemployed. The R-A-D was made compulsory so you had to join it in July 1935 for all men aged between 18 and 25. Therefore, the R-A-D removed thousands of men for the unemployment figures. And by 1935, the number of people in the R-A-D had reached 422,000. The R-A-D provided men to repair roads and to complete all the projects or choose drain in the marshland of all the water in order to be used as farm land on the docile plunk trees. However, the R-A-D was not particularly popular. Workers wore uniforms similar to that of soldiers, they often lived in uncomfortable camps, did military drills and parades as well as work. One visitor to a labour camp in 1938, said that the only difference between the R-A-D and the German army, was that the R-A-D carried spades, whereas soldiers carried rifles. And you can see why he thought that when you look at the image on your screen. People in the R-A-D were also unhappy because of low wages, long hours of work, poor food, and just general poor working conditions. By the mid 1930s, there were still half a million unemployed people in the R-A-D who did then not cross on official statistics. They didn't show but they were unemployed. Let us use this knowledge of the R-A-D to complete the first section of our table together. So the first column is asking me to describe this method used to reduce unemployment. This doesn't need to be written in full sentences, it can be written as bullet points. So in my description of the R-A-D, I have included that it was sets up in 1933, it was made compulsory in July of 1935, they repair roads, drained marshlands, planted trees, wore uniforms and completed military drills. Next we need to see there's any evidence that the R-A-D were the success. So here I've included that, it did remove thousands of unemployed people from the figures. I've also included the 422,000 people were in the R-A-D by 1935, and that work was done as part of the R-A-D that actually improved Germany as a whole. There are reasons that it could be considered a success. Next we see if there's any evidence that would show that it wasn't entirely successful. Now for this you're not having to say that it failed, just that it was not a complete success. So for example, half a million unemployed within the R-A-D. So they didn't count on official statistics, but it still shows you that it wasn't a complete success. I've also included in that, the people in the R-A-D weren't happy with uncomfortable camps, low wages, poor working conditions. Again, another example of how it was necessarily a failure, but had limitations that wasn't entirely successful. What I might do now is pause the video here and copy down my example into your table. Resume the video when you're ready for your next instructions. What we are going to do now is to use the information in the worksheets from this lesson to complete the remainder of your table. There is some guidance on your screen, what type of information you could include in your description section. So look for things like what the method was, when it was introduced or who took part in it. So please pause the video now and complete this task. Please resume the video, once you've completed your table. So let's see what you've learned from the lesson so far. I'm going to say a statement, I want you to decide that that statement is true or false. You can point to the correct answer, think of the answer, whisper it, or show it at your screen, whatever you prefer to do. So first statement is that, the Nazis would use the funding given to job creation schemes like constructing Autobahns. Is that true? Or is it false? This was actually false. The Nazis increased the funding given to these schemes and then you would you say it increased it and the government actually increased it from 18 billion marks to 37 billion marks. An incredible amount of money put into this. A 7,000 kilometre network of Autobahn had been built by 1938, true or false. Fantastic, this again was false. The Nazis wanted a 7,000 kilometre network, but by 1938, they actually only managed to build 3,000 kilometres. Men were conscripted to complete two years of military service between the ages of 18 and 35, true or false. Brilliant, this was true. It was part of Hitler's Rearmament programme. And finally, the German army grew to a hundred thousand men in 1939, true or false. Well don't even say that this was false. The German army had a hundred thousand men in 1933, but by 1939, this had increased massively to 1.4 million in comparison. However, there are some problems with this statistics of unemployment. So it reduces from 5 million to just under half a million in a six year period between 1933 and 39. If I said something was invisible, what would you think I meant? Well something invisible means you can't see it. Not that it isn't there just that you can't see it. So what do I mean by Invisible Unemployment? And how does this cause us to question how successful Nazi policies were at reducing unemployment? Looking back the Nazis, did not actually reduce unemployment itself. Instead, the Nazis just found a way to reduce the number of people, actually recorded as unemployed. This is referred to as Invisible Unemployment, unemployment existed it was there, but it was just not recorded, it just wasn't seen. There are many reasons to explain how statistics may not be entirely accurate. As you previously learned, women such as doctors and teachers who were dismissed in their professions, are encouraged by loans like the loan given as part of a law for the encouragement of marriage in 1933. And that had the condition that women had to give up their job if they wanted this loan. So women are removed from employment. Jews were also forced out of employment, especially in professions like medicine, teaching and law. Both women and Jews were then not classified as unemployed. So were not included in those official statistics. Many opponents are the Nazis were sent to concentration camps. And so they didn't count official statistics and figures either. And in 1935, the Nazis changed the way they recorded certain figures to do with them employment. For example, people who could only find part time work, were then considered and counted as fully employed on the statistics. So go to a really good part in the lesson where I want to consolidate our learning by answering these comprehension questions that you see on your screen. But don't start answering just yet. I'm going to talk you through each question, explaining exactly what I'm looking for. So the question one, I'm looking for reasons, why did Hitler want to reduce unemployment? The question two, why would building Autobahn specifically help to reduce unemployment? The question three, how did rearmament helped to reduce unemployment? The question four. why do some historians dispute the accuracy of Nazi official statistics for unemployment? And by this, we mean, we talk about accuracy, we mean how correct it is whether or not it's true. So why does some historians dispute the accuracy, the truthfulness of Nazi official statistics? Our challenge question for today is, how far do you agree the methods used by the Nazis to reduce unemployment were a success? So now please pause the video, read the slides and the resource worksheet for this lesson and answer the comprehension questions in full sentences. The resume sentence starts is to help you for question five. So let's have a look at some responses and see where you can maybe make some improvements and develop your answers further. So question one, why did Hitler want to reduce unemployment? So in here I was looking for you to include, the high rate of unemployment in 1933, and mention that 5 million Germans were unemployed. If you want me to develop this further, you could say about why that would be a worry or a concern for Hitler. So if you look at the good answer at the bottom of your screen, I've developed it further by saying that, the 5 million unemployed would then worry Hitler because they may support the Communist Party instead of him, if he did not reduce it and improve their lives and improve the quality of their life. But question two, why would building off autobahn help to reduce unemployment? You could mention about the thousands of men that would need to be employed to build the motorways and to develop that further, use really specific details, such as 125,000 men were employed to build them. You can also mention that it isn't just the building of autobahns would then reduce unemployment by the nature of having workers building them, but also for wider construction industries that would also increase employment in those areas because you would need people to make the materials and the machinery needed in order to build these autobahns. Question three, how did rearmament help to reduce unemployment? You should have included something about the number of men in the German army increasing. So that 1.4 million men by 1939, that reduces unemployment because those men and now soldiers they are employed. To develop this further, don't just focus on the soldiers, but also focus on how rearmament would reduce unemployment in wider areas within Germany. So think about another industry. So building weapons and tanks, ships, aircraft for preparation for war. That also is part of rearmament and is reducing unemployment. But isn't necessarily what people think of when they think of rearmament reducing employment. People tend to go for soldiers, which is correct, but also think of it if for why to Germany, how would rearmament reduce unemployment? The question four, why does some historians dispute the accuracy of Nazi official statistics for unemployment? And for this we're talking about invisible unemployment. Showing you awareness and understanding that Nazi statistics didn't necessarily include everybody who technically was unemployed, but the Nazis didn't consider them to be unemployed. It's a development response further, you can then go into more detail about who these people were, who were excluded from statistics. So mention women and Jews being removed from their jobs by the Nazis and then not therefore being plussed as unemployed by the Nazis. The challenge question, how far do you agree that methods you by the Nazis to reduce unemployment were a success? Hate to agree with that to show what a success you could use employment statistics and unemployment statistics decreasing. So you could talk about the fact that there were 5 million unemployed Germans in 1933, and the Nazis reduced that to under half a million by 1939. That shows if the policies were successful and the methods used were successful, because the aim was to reduce unemployment and counter statistics unemployment reduced. You could also talk about the work of the R-A-D. Autobahns and rearmament and talk about the successes of those methods. Now to disagree, it doesn't mean that it's a failure. So the question says, how far do you agree that methods used by the Nazis to reduce unemployment were a success? Now if you are going to disagree, doesn't mean that it's a complete failure, just means that maybe isn't entirely successful. So examples of things you could have mentioned here, invisible unemployment, the R-A-D, the poor conditions, the inability of the government to maintain that spending. They spent a lot of money on some of the programmes and methods to reduce unemployment. They wouldn't be able to keep that up longterm. And you could also include rearmament here, we're expressing a bit more detail because I previously used that for the agreed that it was a success. So you could then say, rearmament actually did help to reduce unemployment, but it isn't successful, or it's highly successful because it's not a long term solution to solving unemployment. Hitler and the Nazis were preparing for war therefore, they were building weapons, they were building machinery, they needed more soldiers. But in peace time, the number of soldiers needed would reduce. And those workers needed in industries to build weapons and transportation methods, aircraft, tanks, ammunition, all those areas will need less workers. So ultimately this rearmament, may increase employment in the short term but isn't actually a long term solution. Thank you for joining me for today's lesson, where it looked at the methods used by Hitler and the Nazi party to reduce unemployment in Germany. But if Hitler manages to reduce unemployment from an astonishing 5 million in 1933, to just under 9.5 million in 1939, then what was the life like for the workers who are now employed in Nazi Germany? Did they benefit from this in any way? I hope you can join me next lesson to find out. Thank you again, for all your effort in today's lesson. Should be really proud of all your hard work. Please take the exit quiz to see what you've learned from today's lesson, and hopefully you'll join me next time.

Worksheet: How successful were Nazi policies at reducing unemployment?

Exit Quiz: How successful were Nazi policies at reducing unemployment?

Completed: How successful were Nazi policies at reducing unemployment?

In this lesson we will be exploring the different policies used by the Nazis to reduce unemployment. This lesson will include the Reich Labour Service (RAD), job-creation schemes such as the construction of autobahns, rearmament and the role of invisible unemployment.

History

Y11 History

Key Stage 4

Year 11

Miss

How successful were Nazi policies at reducing unemployment?

Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1919-1939

UNIT

The German Reich, 1871-1918

The Russian Revolution, 1917

How democratic was the Weimar Constitution?

Why did the German people feel stabbed in the back?

Why was there a rise in political extremism in Germany after WW1?

Why was 1923 known as a year of crisis?

How did Germany recover its economy in the years 1924-29?

How did Germany improve their international relations, 1924-29?

Were the 1920s a golden age for all Germans?

How far had the Weimar Republic recovered by 1929?

Why was the year 1929 a significant turning point for Germany?

The early development of the Nazi Party: what did Hitler believe in?

Who were the SA and what was their role?

What was the Munich Putsch?

What were the consequences of the Munich Putsch?

What were the Nazi Party strategies during the lean years?

Why were the Nazi Party so successful after 1929?

How did political developments in 1932 result in Hitler becoming Chancellor in January 1933?

History

How successful were Nazi policies at reducing unemployment?

Introductory Quiz

Video

Worksheet

Final Quiz

Lesson Complete