Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Workers in Nazi Germany 1933-1945
- Nazi ideology
- Weimar
- The workers represented the largest
socio-economic group making up 46%
of the population
- Tended to vote for socialists or communists
- Weimar re-organised workers
rights and trade unions were
allowed
- Nazis adopted the name National
Socialist German Workers Party
showing that they wanted to represent
and support the workers
- 40% of Nazi voters
were members of the
working class
- In 1933, many working class
communities were beginning to
break down
- In order for the Nazis
volksgemeinschaft the working
class couldn't be ignored
- However, the Nazis
couldn't use
oppression or
repression
- Nazi organisations
- German Labour Front
Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF)
- Set up on
the 6th of
May 1933
- Independant
trade unions
were banned
and the DAF
took over
- Employers and
employees had to
sign up to it by 1939
- Its leader was Robert Lay
- 1933: 5 million
- 1939: 20 million
- Provided a range of
facilities and bring social
peace
- Initiated the Volkswagen
scheme in 1938
- National Socialist Factory Cell Organisation
NSBO
- These were the leaders of the Nazi workers organisation in the 1920's
- Were expected to play a major
role but many were imprisoned for
being Marxist Gangsters
- Declined into insignificance
- Beauty of Work
Schonheit der Arbeit
- Improved work facilities
- Community spirit associated with physical
exercise
- Strength through Joy
Kraft durch Freude (KdF)
- Set up by Robert Lay and DAF
- Provided workers with leisure
opportunities
- Holidays
- Hikes
- Sport
- Theatre
- Cinema
- Was based on the idea
that workers gain strength
for their work by
experiencing joy in their
leisure time
- Encouraged workers to see
themselves as part of the
volksgemeinshaft
- Leisure time and Work time
regulated by the Nazis
meant that there was no
private time for the workers
- Used to indoctrinated
workers and their families
into Nazi ideology
- Encouraged
a spirit of
social
equality
- Was organised on a one class basis
- Brought together Germans
from different regions
- Reich Labour Service
Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD)
- Made it compulsory that all men aged between 19 and
25 did 6 months of labour
- Most were employed in agriculture or
on public works
- Trustees of Labour
- Had the power to set wages, fix holidays and
regulate working conditions
- Over saw the Councils of Trust
- Councils of Trust
- Replaced work councils
- Discussed plant output, safety and
workers welfare
- How successful were the Nazis?
How much did life change for the
German workers?
- Workers were paid on
how much they worked
- This was fine for the younger workers who could work
harder for longer but not the older ones who couldn't
work that hard for that long anymore
- Trade unions were
replaced with the DAF.
these were responsible
for the work place
- It was compulsory and so you
had to join up and pay the
expensive membership fee
- They represented both
employees and employers
- Ran the KdF and SdA
- Provided workers with
activities and hoped they
would work harder in return
- Few managed to go a cruise
- Many activity
centers had to
be built by the
workers
- Tried to improve working conditions
- This didn't happen
- No one ever got a
Volkswagan from the
scheme because by
this point the factories
had been converted to
war production
- Food shortages
- Longer days 42.9 hours to 47 hours
- st of living went up but wages still remained relatively low
- Removing the trade unions
meant that it removed workers
rights
- Trade unions were
supposedly linked to
communism