Chapter 2

The Rise of
authoritarian
regimes:
Case study
of Nazi
Germany
(Part 1) The Weimar Government
© Mr Jonathan Lau 2023
German housewife burning
German currency to heat her
home in the early 1920s,
 A group of Germans
scavenging for coal.

German civilians
cutting up a dead
horse for meat.
Street Clashes
and riots in
Berlin, January
1919,
A scene outside the German Parliament Building
 Class Discussion 1

1. What was German society like after

W.W.I?

2. How and why do you think the

Germans felt this way?
 Circumstances in Germany after W.W.I
• With Germany facing defeat in World
War I and with widespread unrest
throughout the country, the German
emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, decided
to give up his throne on 9 November
1918.
• Germany suddenly found itself
without a ruler. So a new government
had to be set up. However, the
violent riots in the capital, Berlin,
forced the politicians responsible for
setting up the government, to meet
in the small town of Weimar.
 Circumstances in Germany after W.W.I
• They wrote a constitution (Weimar
constitution) that established a democratic
system in Germany.
- Every German over the age of 20 could vote,
with women being included for the first time.
- Party representation in the Reichstag (German
Parliament) would be determined by
proportional representation.
• In January 1919, elections were held and
Friedrich Ebert, the leader of Germany's
oldest political party, the Social Democratic
Party, became Germany's first
democratically-elected President.
 Class Discussion 2

1. Having looked at the political structure

of the Weimar government, what are
some strengths and weaknesses of the
Weimar Government?
 Strengths
• Proportional Representation (political parties
won seats in the German parliament based on
number of votes won) resulted in most views
and interests being represented in the
Reichstag.
• Laws had to be approved by the Reichstag. The
Chancellor could not just push them through,
which prevented the abuse of power.
 Weaknesses
• Because of Proportional Representation, this
ended up with too many political parties and no
single party could gain total authority.
• Governments ended up as coalitions (government
formed by several different political parties
working together), which made it challenging for
the Reichstag to pass laws.
• This led to governments which were weak and
short-lived.
• There were 20 different coalition governments
from 1919 to 1933 and the longest government
lasted only 2 years and 2 months.
 Weaknesses
• Article 48 allowed the President to dissolve the
parliament and suspend freedom of the
Germans to rule as a dictator during
emergencies.
• The type of emergencies was not specified.
• Opened the window to powerful leaders like
Hitler who could misuse and exploit the article
to increase his political power.
 Treaty of Versailles
• For years Germany was told that there were winning the
war. The vast majority of the German people thought
the German army had ended the war undefeated and
even celebrated the return of the troops.
• Without knowing the truth, the German people were
expecting a negotiated treaty in which they were
treated with respect as equals.
• They were shocked and angry when the harsh terms
were announced.
• They called the treaty a diktat or a dictated peace
forced upon the Germans
• Ebert himself was very reluctant to sign the Treaty. He
had no choice but to sign it on 28 June 1919.
Protests against the Treaty of Versailles, 1919.
 Treaty of Versailles
• The Treaty undermined the Weimar Republic and
poisoned the attitudes of many Germans towards
it.
• In the minds of many Germans, Ebert and the
Weimar politicians were forever to blame for the
Treaty. They were often called the "November
Criminals".
• Most Germans also chose to believe in the
Dolchstoss theory, or that the German army had
been "stabbed in the back" by the Weimar
politicians who agreed to sign the armistice.
• As their unpopularity grew, extremist ideas, voices
and violence took root in the country.
 Opposition from both the Left-wing
and Right-wing groups
• Both the left and right-wing extremists wanted to
overthrow the Weimar Government.
• The left-wing was influenced by the Russian
communists and led the 1919 Spartacist rebellion in
Berlin.
• Ebert used the Freikorps (soldiers who fought in WWI
and were anti-communist) to crush the communist
uprisings that took place from 1919 – 1920.
• Despite this, the communists remained a powerful anti-
government force in Germany in the 1920s.
The Sparticists and the Freikorps clashing on the streets of Berlin in Jan 1919.
 Opposition from both the Left-wing
and Right-wing groups
• Right-wing groups (poor workers,
farmers, wealthy businessmen,
Freikorps) tried to overthrow the
government in the Kapp Putsch in
1920.
• In March 1920, Wolfgang Kapp led
5000 Freikorps into Berlin to stage
a rebellion known as the Kapp
Putsch.
• Kapp wanted a dictatorship to
replace the Weimar government.
 Opposition from both the Left-wing
and Right-wing groups
• Germany’s trade unions, civil servants,
government officials and 12 million industrial
workers did not support Kapp.
• Kapp realised he could not succeed and fled.
• Political violence from the right wing continued
after the Kapp Putsch, but the rebels were rarely
punished by the law.
 Economic Challenges – Hyperinflation

• France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr in 1922 when

Germany failed to pay reparations in Jan 1923.
• The German government ordered the workers to go
on strike in protest and not cooperate with the
French.
• The sudden halt in industrial production caused the
German currency to collapse.
• The Weimar Government printed more money and
this resulted in Hyperinflation. The prices of
essential foodstuff skyrocketed.
 Economic Challenges – Hyperinflation

• Hyperinflation wiped out the savings of many

Germans who became poor overnight.
• Unemployment was widespread.
• Many starved and suffered as they could not even
buy a loaf of bread in 1923.
• Germans were angry and wanted to get rid of the
Weimar government.
Given the many weaknesses of
the Weimar government, how
then did it manage to stay in
power until 1933?
 Successes of the Weimar Government
➢ Despite its weaknesses, the Weimar Government did
not collapse until 1933.
➢ This was due to the efforts of Gustav Stresemann
who became the new Chancellor in Nov 1925.
➢ He replaced the old currency with the new
Rentenmark. This brought an end to hyperinflation.
➢ He was able to negotiate for a longer term for the
repayment of reparations through the Dawes Plan
and the Young Plan. (next slide)
➢ He also improved relations with the Allies and
Germany was admitted to the League of Nations in
1926.
➢ These positive developments led some people to
describe the years between 1924 and 1929 as a
golden age for Germany.
• The Young Plan of 1929 further reduced the payments.
 Successes of the Weimar Government

• His death in 1929 was a big blow to Germany.

• There were no good leaders in the Weimar

government to lead Germany after the death of
Stresemann.
• Many Germans turned to other political leaders
whom they felt were capable of leading Germany.
 Chapter 2
The Rise of
authoritarian
regimes:
Case study
of Nazi
Germany
The Rise of the Nazis
(Part 2)
© Mr Jonathan Lau 2023
The Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi Party
 The Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi Party
• Hitler overthrew
Drexler(founder of DAP) and
made himself the leader of the
Nazi Party in 1921
• Put Hermann Goering in charge
of the Stormtroopers (Brown
shirts/ SA / Sturmabteilung) →
they were Hitler’s private army
• SA→ helped Hitler fend off his
rivals
• Under Hitler’s leadership, the
Nazi Party gained more
members→ more popular
• Hitler aimed to overthrow the
Weimar Republic
 The Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi Party

The Munich Putsch

• In Nov 1923 Hitler & his
followers marched on
Munich in an open act of
rebellion
• Hitler expected local
government, police and
troops there to support
him but a battle broke out
• Hitler was arrested and
Nazi Party was banned
 The Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi Party
1 April 1924. A photograph of the leaders of the Munich Putsch as they were about to
be put on trial. All those in uniform are carrying swords, indicating officer status.

How are the

leaders of the
Munich Putsch
being
portrayed? If
you were a
German citizen
living in
Germany then,
how would you
feel about the
Nazis?
 The Aftermath of the Munich Putsch
• Hitler had celebrity status
• At the trial, the judge allowed
Hitler to make long speeches
criticising the Weimar
Government.
• Hitler was sentenced to 5 years
in Landsberg prison but served
only for 9 months
• Conditions in the prison were
very comfortable
• Allowed to have visitors and
access to books
• Wrote Mein Kampf (My
Struggle)
Life inside a Changi Prison cell
Straits Times 5 July 2022
Key ideas in Mein Kampf
 Rebuilding the Nazi Party &
Winning Support
• After the failure of the Munich
Putsch, Hitler realised that he would
have to work within the
democratic system to achieve
power.
• After his release from prison, Hitler
re-established his control of the
Nazi Party.
• Hitler created a Protection Squad
(SS/Schutzstaffel/Black Shirts) that
served as Hitler’s bodyguard
• Under the leadership of Heinrich
Himmler, the SS expanded.
• Hitler made it clear that he would
not tolerant any rivals or
disagreements.
 Winning Support for the Nazi Party
• Hitler was a powerful and
charismatic speaker.
• He prepared and
practised his speeches
and appeared sincere to
the people.
• He also chose to speak in
beer halls where people
were more at ease and
easily convinced.
• He also knew the
concerns of the Germans
and appealed to these
concerns.
 Winning Support for the Nazi Party
• He blamed the Weimar
government, the
communists and the Jews
for Germany’s economic
problems.
• Hitler won over big
business owners &
industrialists who has anti-
communist and anti-trade
union views → they
contributed to the Nazi
Party finances.
• By 1929, the membership
of the Nazi Party was over
100,000.
 The Nazi Party Hurdles

• Most industrial workers in towns supported either the

socialist SPD or the communists.
• Why did the Nazis enjoy little support in the years 1924 –
1929?
• It was the golden years of Weimar Republic → stable and
prosperous Germany (people had jobs, Weimar government
provided welfare benefits like old-age pensions and housing)
→ Nazi Party was not able to get the support of the majority
 Textbook page 56 – 62
• Impact of the Great Depression
• Rise in popularity of the Nazis and the
communists
• Hitler gets appointed as Chancellor
 Impact of the Great Depression

Impact of Growth in
Widespread the Great
Unemployment support for the
Depression Nazis

Failure of The Rise in

Democracy Communism
In 1929, the
US economy
crashed,
causing a
Great
Depression.
 Widespread Unemployment
• The 1929 Wall Street Crash
in USA affected Germany.
• USA stopped loans to
Germany, which Germany
needed.
• USA recalled its loans to
Germany.
• This put pressure on the
Germany economy and led
to an economic crisis in
Germany.
• Many businesses were
forced to close down and six
million Germans (40% of the
German workforce) lost their
jobs.
 The Failure of Democracy
• When the crisis struck, Germany was
under a coalition government led by the
SPD (largest political party in Germany
for much of the Weimar period).
• The SPD wanted to increase welfare for
the unemployed but its coalition partners
refused.
• As a result, the coalition collapsed in
1930.
• The President, Paul von Hindenburg,
used his powers under Article 48 to
appoint a new Chancellor, Heinrich
Bruning.
 The Failure of Democracy
• Apart from cutting government spending on
welfare, Bruning also cut the wages of civil
servants.
• The measures were so harsh that Bruning
could not get enough support in the Reichstag
to pass them into law. He had to ask
Hindenburg to use his emergency powers
again.
• From this point onwards, the Weimar
Republic effectively failed. The parties were
so divided that it proved impossible to form a
coalition with a majority of the seats. As a
result, Hindenburg continued to rule by
decree.
• He decided who became Chancellor and
passed new laws using Article 48, bypassing
the Reichstag.
 The Rise in Communism
• Between 1929 and 1932,
around 1 million workers
began to look to the
communist KPD.
• The rise of the communists
frightened many Germans.
• Business leaders feared the
communists because of their
plans to introduce state control
of businesses, just as the
communists had in the USSR.
• They were also concerned
about the growing strength of
Germany's trade unions.
 The Rise in Communism
• Many in the middle classes were afraid
because they knew the communists
were hostile to people like them.
• Landowning farmers were also alarmed
as the communist government in the
USSR had not only taken over all the
land, but also killed and imprisoned
millions in the process.
• Many Germans also had little trust in
the Weimar Republic's ability to deal
with the threat of communism seemed
to pose.
• As a result, many Germans began to
turn to the Nazi Party.
• The Nazis had a strong anti-
communist stand and Hitler used his
personal armed forces to fight the
communists.
 Growth in support of the Nazis
• Hitler was a persuasive speaker who used many different media (film,
radio, print) to get through to his audience.
• He portrayed the Nazi Party as modern party with modern ideas.
• Hitler was seen as the “man of the people”→ understood the people &
their problems.
• Joseph Goebbels was in charge of propaganda for the Nazi Party.
• Through leaflets, newspapers and radio broadcasts, he blamed the
Weimar Republic for causing hardships to the Germans.
• Promised Nazi Party can rebuild Germany. (strengthening the military &
jobs)
• Blamed Germany’s economic problems on the Jews.
 Growth in support of the Nazis
• Hitler promised the following in the Nazi campaign:
- End ineffective democratic coalition governments
- Restore the glory days of the Kaiser and authoritarian rule
- Fight the threat of communism
• Large number of Germans gave Hitler and the Nazis their
support.
• Wealthy industrialists provided the Nazis with campaign
funds.
 The SA and the SS
• There were frequent street
battles between communists
and the police.
• In contrast, the SA & SS gave
the impression of discipline &
order. They were better
organised by the communists.
• SA were welcomed by the
Germans to help get fight and
get rid of the communists.
• The SA had the support of the
police and army when they
beat up political opponents.
• Increased support for the Nazi
Party.
Hitler becomes Chancellor
 Hitler
becomes
Chancellor
(T.B pg 190)
How does this show Hitler’s skillfulness
at making deals with politicians?
• Hitler refused to join any coalition unless he was
given the position of Chancellor.
• Von Papen advised Hindenburg to give in to
Hitler's demands to be Chancellor.
• It was felt that Von Papen as Vice-Chancellor and
the other conservatives in the cabinet could
control Hitler and limit his influence.
• In return, it was hoped that Hitler's supporters
would support the policies of the Weimar
Government and that Hitler would be able to
remove the threat posed by the Communists.
Hitler becomes Chancellor
• Once Hitler became the Chancellor (30th Jan 1933), he started
abusing his power to take over the government.
 Textbook page 64 – 67
• Consolidation of Nazi rule in Germany (the
end of democracy)
• Hitler becomes Fuehrer and rules as a dictator
 Chapter 2
The Rise of
authoritarian
regimes:
Case study
of Nazi
Germany
How did Hitler
(Part 3) consolidate his rule?
© Mr Jonathan Lau 2023
What challenges did Hitler face when he
becomes Chancellor … …
 How did Hitler consolidate his power?

Reichstag Fire Enabling Act

Feb 1933 March 1933

One Party Rule

July 1933

Creation of the Fuehrer

Night of Long Knives
position June 1934
August 1934
2 (a) Reichstag Fire
• The German Parliament House, or
Reichstag, was burned down on 27th
February 1933 by a mentally unstable
communist called Marinus Van Der
Lubbe.
• Hitler immediately declared that the fire
was the beginning of a communist
uprising. This allowed him to convince
President Hindenburg to invoke Article
48 and give him emergency powers.
• Hitler ordered the arrest of many
Communist Party leaders.
• Hitler used these emergency powers to
suspend civil liberties (freedom of the
press, freedom to assemble in public)
and arrested the communists.
Source F: Execution of a German communist in March 6, 1933
2 (a) Reichstag Fire

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• Hitler was given total control over Germany and he used it to

destroy his strongest enemies, the communists.
• Hitler could thus take over more seats in the parliament in the
elections since the communists were arrested.
• In the elections of 5 March 1933, the Nazis won 44% per cent of
the votes in the Reichstag.

ENABLED HITLER TO CONSOLIDATE POWER

 How did Hitler consolidate his power?

Reichstag Fire Enabling Act

Feb 1933 March 1933

One Party Rule

July 1933

Creation of the Fuehrer

Night of Long Knives
position June 1934
August 1934
2 (b) Enabling Act
• After getting rid of the Communist
Party, the Nazis won 52% of the
votes in the 1933 elections with
support from the Nationalist
Party.
• Hitler wanted to pass the Enabling
Act, which would allow Hitler to
make and pass laws without
consulting the Reichstag.
• Hitler got his SA and SS to stop his
opponents from going into the
building where the voting of the
Enabling Act took place.
• The Enabling Act was thus passed
on 24th March 1933 as only Nazis
and their supporters were
allowed into the building.
2 (b) Enabling Act

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• Hitler could pass any law he wanted using the Enabling Act, without
the President’s permission.
• Hitler could thus create laws which help him to become more
powerful.
• The Enabling Act greatly increased the political authority of Hitler
and the Nazis.
• Hitler was now effectively a DICTATOR! There was nothing President
Hindenburg or anyone else could do. Democracy in Germany had
ended.

ENABLED HITLER TO CONSOLIDATE POWER

 How did Hitler consolidate his power?

Reichstag Fire Enabling Act

Feb 1933 March 1933

One Party Rule

July 1933

Creation of the Fuehrer

Night of Long Knives
position June 1934
August 1934
 2 (c) One Party Rule, July 1933
• Hitler continued to strengthen
his power in a process called
Gleichschaltung, or
‘Coordination’ (means bringing
all aspects of the state under
Nazi control)
• In April 1933, Hitler passed a
law which banned Jews from
the civil service.

• From this point onwards, it became almost impossible to be

promoted in the civil service if one did not belong to the Nazi
Party.
• In may 1933, trade Unions were banned. All local councils and
state assemblies had to have a Nazi majority.
2 (c) One Party Rule, July 1933

• Hitler also passed a law

to make the Nazis the
only legal party in
Germany.
• The Nazis took over the
government.
• The SA and SS arrested
opponents and sent
them to concentration
camps.
2 (c) One Party Rule, July 1933

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• Hitler no longer had any opponent in the German

government. Hitler was thus the only leader in the German
government.
• Germany became a one-party dictatorship.

ENABLED HITLER TO CONSOLIDATE POWER

 How did Hitler consolidate his power?

Reichstag Fire Enabling Act

Feb 1933 March 1933

One Party Rule

July 1933

Creation of the Fuehrer

Night of Long Knives
position June 1934
August 1934
2 (d) Night of Long Knives, July 1934
• The SA had been helping Hitler to break
up the other political parties and enforce
his will as Chancellor.
• However, other Nazi leaders felt that
Ernst Roehm, the leader of the SA, was
too powerful.
• The army also saw the SA as a threat.
Roehm also talked about taking over the
army.
• Hitler made a deal with the army to get
rid of Rohm and the SA leaders. In
return, the army would be loyal to Hitler.
• During the Night of the Long Knives, the
SS arrested and killed Rohm and other
SA leaders. Hitler accused Rohm of
plotting to overthrow and murder him.
The SS then took over the SA.
2 (d) Night of Long Knives, July 1934

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• Hitler had a tighter control over the Nazi Party without the SA and
Rohm.
• He also won the loyalty of the army and SS.
• Hitler could thus control Germany more tightly with the help of the
SS and the army.

ENABLED HITLER TO CONSOLIDATE POWER

 How did Hitler consolidate his power?

Reichstag Fire Enabling Act

Feb 1933 March 1933

One Party Rule

July 1933

Creation of the Fuhrer

Night of Long Knives
position June 1934
August 1934
2 (e) Creation of the Fuhrer Position,
August 1934
STORY:

• Soon after the Night of the Long

Knives, President Hindenburg died in
1934.
• Hitler combined the positions of
President and Chancellor and named
himself Fuehrer, or leader.
• This allowed him to invoke Article 48
as the President.
• The German army had to swear
loyalty to Hitler instead of the German
constitution.
2 (e) Creation of the Fuehrer Position,
August 1934

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• Hitler was now above the law in Germany.

• Hitler was thus able to do whatever he wanted in Germany
without being accused of breaking the law.
• This enabled him to gain total control of Germany.

ENABLED HITLER TO CONSOLIDATE POWER

 Summary of Political Impact
• By consolidating his power, Hitler gained complete control of
the state. Germans could no longer replace him as the leader
of Germany.
• After gaining political control of the state, he proceeded to
gain tight control over the people in order to achieve his
goals. Germans lost their freedom.
• The courts were also under the total control of the Nazis.
Hence, it became impossible to get a fair trial in Nazi
Germany.

95
 Textbook page 68 – 70
• Nazi economic policies
• Impact on the different segments of the
German population
 Chapter 2
The Rise of
authoritarian
regimes:
Case study
of Nazi
Germany
(Part 4) What was life like
under Nazi Rule?
(economic impact)
© Mr Jonathan Lau 2023
 What was the economic impact of
Hitler’s rule?

Economic Recovery & Living standards in

Re-employment Nazi Germany

Rearmament and the Working conditions in

move to a war economy Germany
 (a) Economic Recovery &
Re-employment
• Germany had 5 million unemployed
workers in 1933 and a major crisis in
the farming sector when the Nazis
came to power.
• The Nazis involved the Reich Labour
Service (RAD) to help Germany reduce
unemployment.
• The RAD sent men to work on public
works programmes such as the
building of roads, highways
(autobahns), railways, hospitals and
schools.
• There were major house-building
programmes and new public building
projects such as the Reich Chancellery
in Berlin.
Reich Chancellery
in Berlin
 Dr. Hjalmar Schacht

• President of the
Reichsbank and
Minister of Economics

• Played a critical role in

reorganising and
stablising German
finances so as to fund
public works
programmes
 (a) Economic Recovery &
Re-employment

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• Germans could find jobs through the help of the Nazis.

• The Germans thus were able to earn a stable income and improve their
standard of living under Hitler.
• These public works programmes provided infrastructure and facilities for
the public.

POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HITLER’S RULE

 (b) Rearmament and the
move to a war economy
• The Nazis introduced
conscription in 1935.

• In 1936, Hitler announced a Four-

Year Plan under the control of
Goering. The plan aimed to get
Germany ready for war within four
years.

• Priority had to be given to

rearmament and Germany had to
be made as self-sufficient as
possible in food and industrial
production, a policy known as
autarky.
 (b) Rearmament and the
move to a war economy
• 1.4 million men were in the army by
1939.

• This created many jobs as men

were needed to make war
materials such as weapons,
equipment and uniforms.

• Hitler also decided that Germany

needed a modern air force – the
Luftwaffe.

• Developing and modernizing the

German air force also boosted the
economy and provided
employment.
Rearmament and the move to a war economy

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• The Germans were able to get more jobs through militarisation.

• The Germans thus could get a stable income and improve their standard
of living.
• Rearmament helped to renew national pride. Germans began to feel that
their country was finally emerging from the humiliation of W.W.l and the
Treaty of Versailles. Germany was now able to put itself on an equal
footing with the other great powers.

POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HITLER’S RULE

(c) Living standards in Germany – Positive
• Big companies benefitted the
most from Nazi rule.
• They no longer had to worry
about troublesome trade
unions (Nazis banned them)
and strikes. Companies such
as Mercedes and Volkswagen
made massive profits from
government contracts.
Businessman, Industrialist,
• As these companies Gustav Krupp and his wife
flourished, so did their with Adolf Hitler in the
managers. Their incomes rose Villa Huegel on the
much faster than those of their occasion of Krupp's 70th
workers. birthday.
(c) Living standards in Germany – Negative impact
• However, life in Nazi Germany was not
always as prosperous and comfortable
as experienced by the big businesses or
as the propaganda machine liked to
portray.
• For groups such as the farmers and
middle classes, it was a mixed picture.
• Farms were owned by the state and
most farmers remained poor.
• Middle classes: Owners of businesses
connected to rearmament (for example,
engineering or textiles) benefitted from
government contracts. However, many
small businesses did not benefit from
Nazi economic plans as they were not
treated as favourably by the Nazis as
the large companies.
(d1) Working conditions in Germany

• All trade unions were banned by

Hitler.
• Workers were forced to join the
DAF, or German Work Front
(labour organisation that replaced
trade unions), which was strictly
controlled by the Nazis.
• Workers could not strike or
bargain for better pay or better
working conditions.
• They also need the government’s
permission to change their jobs.
• Wages of the workers remained
low and working hours increased.
3 (b) Control of trade Unions

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• Workers lost their main political party – SDP (Social

Democrats).
• German workers were forced to work under strict conditions
and had no freedom. The DAF completely took away German
workers rights (to strike, for higher pay and to leave jobs)
• The Germans thus suffered under the harsh working
conditions.

NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HITLER’S RULE

 (d2) Organizing worker’s leisure time

• Nazi propaganda praised workers and the DAF

set up schemes such as KdF, or “Strength
through Joy” to provide cheap theatre and
cinema tickets, courses and sports events.
(theatre trips, summer holidays, skiing
holidays, cruises and outdoors activities. )

• The government also helped workers save

towards having a cheap car – the KdF Wagen.

• The ‘Beauty of Labour’ scheme helped to

improve conditions in factories. Washing
facilities and low-cost canteens were set up.
• A state scheme was introduced to help workers buy the Volkswagen
Beetle, the "people's car”.
It became a symbol of the prosperous new Germany - even though no
worker ever received one because the war halted all car production in 1939.
Due to the shift of wartime production, no private citizen ever received a
"Kdf-Wagen.
• Strength Through Joy (KDF) was set up in Nazi Germany so that all
aspects of a worker’s non-working time were looked after.

• Strength Through Joy supervised after-work activities, holidays and

leisure time. Strength Through Joy served two main purposes. The
first was to ensure that no one had too much time on their hands
to get involved in anti-state activities.

• The second main purpose of Strength Through Joy was to produce

an environment within Nazi Germany whereby the average
worker would be grateful to the state for providing activities and
holidays that in ‘normal’ circumstances they could not afford as
individuals.
 3 (e) Organizing worker’s leisure time

EXPLAIN + LINK:

• The German workers were given economic benefits through

leisure and better working conditions.
• The Germans workers thus had their working conditions
improved.

POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HITLER’S RULE