Word count: Date: 01/02/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: The treatment of women and the family in Nazi Germany was ideological. Discuss. I have donated a child to Hitler, Nazi slogans in the mid 1930s. The treatment of women in Nazi Germany was ambiguous in the sense there are many interpretations to the meanings of Hitlers policies to them. Many of Hitlers values included views on how women should fit into society. To begin with, Hitler believed womens roles should be limited to home-centered; dress conservatively with tradition German dresses and to reproduce children, supported by the 10 commandments of marriage for women. Hitler felt women should not be involved in important political positions that would be suitable for men to do, which explains why the Nazis were not in favor of the fact women employment was raising. Women were seen as an important part of the Nazi ideology in terms of Lebensraum, a fundamental value of Nazi ideology, the need to expand and gain land to the East from Russia. By having a high population, it would be an explanation for the need of more space. This supports what Hitler aimed to achieve. Therefore, he aimed to reverse the falling birth rate at the start of the twentieth century. He set up economic benefits to women who had children; they were given a loan of 1000 marks with interest free, the equivalent of six months pays. Having one child would reduce the return loan by 25%, so if the mother had four children the loan would be a gift. Furthermore, other nationalistic attempts included giving out medals to mothers who had children, such as a bronze for women bearing four children. This again emphasizes the importance of women in Nazi ideology to the extent they presented medals in the annual day of the birthday of Hitlers mother for encouragement fuelled with propaganda and fancy parades. The treatment of women as an ideological reason can be justified as the Nazis aimed to develop a pure Aryan race focusing on quality, not quantity. Great efforts were invested to ensure newborns were healthy, free from inherited defects of diseases from their parents, which also included records of anti-social behavior. To prevent these people from having children, they were sterilized. Furthermore, Nazis have had a history of developing hatred against disabled people. Women therefore were like animals used for selective breeding to create genetically healthy children in the belief of eugenics to the extent Nazis paired up guards from the SS with unmarried, racially pure German women to have children of blue eyes and blond hair. Eugenics is the practice of improving the genetic qualities in a population. This was an important value in Nazi ideology as they wanted to create a dominant pure Aryan race in order to keep the Volk strong and healthy. In addition, abortions, contraception pills and birth-control clinics were closed and restricted. Hitlers views on how women and family should work together become more supportive of Nazi ideologies after Nazi realism attached the roles of women to be at home. The painting, Family, by Wolf Willrich moreover emphasizes what women should be like. The mother has four children, which is considered sufficient from the Nazis because they wanted a large population. The women are cherishing traditional German culture by wearing conservative traditional clothes, hair in plaits and does not have make up. She cares for the baby. In addition, she is not thin, but quite physically fit, which supports Nazi belief pure Aryans (Germans) with blue eyes and blond hair are the dominant human race. It is seen by this interpretation women is used as a medium to enforce Nazi ideology. Speaking at a broad single party level, one characteristic of fascist states is the fact there are rampant sexism. Although women in general are not subjected to maltreatment in the sense 1

Word count: Date: 01/02/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: The treatment of women and the family in Nazi Germany was ideological. Discuss. they are no given quality medical care or the fact their treatment cannot be compared as the treatment the Blacks received during the times of Apartheid Africa before the modern Pan-Pacific movement. Because of this, it appears safe to assume the majority of treatments of women are due to the broadcast and support to Nazi ideologies. On the family level, sons and brothers of family members were to attend extracurricular Nazi Youth movement to understand and learn from these Nazi ideals. Although the Nazis idea is that this young generation would be the future of Nazi leaders, it is nave in the sense shooting guns and staying at camping sites do not place children into the highly knowledgeable positions of politics through Adolf Hitler schools and other movements and leagues designed by Von Shirach. They also believe men should create things. On the other hand, daughters were encouraged to accept and cherish motherhood and contain a set of very feministic characteristics. This was again influenced by Nazi ideologies to influence females to turn to the caring of families and to raise children as their fundamental duties. By comparing what the ideologies of Nazis had in mind for the two genders as they assimilate into a family status, where males produce and females reproduce, this suggest a family had many different duties. This form of treatment varies. Because Nazi beliefs suggest children would one day be the future generation of Nazi leaders, great emphasis was placed on education. Academically, there were several levels of schools. The best of the best students were placed into Adolf Hitler schools, where they were given special classes on physical training and military activities. Because of the great importance the Nazis had for physical education, the timetable was not equally distributed into physical education and academics. Although both boys and girls received much physical training, girls were taught practical skills related to home, such as how to make a bed. The treatment of both genders directly relates to the Nazi ideology. The leagues for girls prepared them for their roles in homes, as Nazis believed this should be their key role. The Hitler Jugend taught boys vital military skills, such as grenade throwing and gas defense as the Nazi ideology aimed to create a dominant strongest army in the world. However, we cannot say the treatment of women were all ideological as Nazis did not initially give out interest free loans to employed women in 1933. They did so due to the pressure for the greater demand of workers later in 1936. Although it is argued this encourages women to stay home, it is unnecessary to no longer allow women to hold senior positions in the Nazi Party as well as high profile jobs such as lawyers, doctors and senior civil servants. In addition, labor exchange agencies were instructed to give priority of jobs to men. Furthermore, the Nazis tried to convince women of their purposes by appointing Getrud Scholtz-Klink as the Reichs womens leader who stated womens role in society was one that was subservient to men, limiting to only bearing children and doing housework at home. This suggests women should be inferior to men without ideological proof. Furthermore, womens level of treatment varied by outside factors during the Third Reich. Because of the growing demand of workers for a bigger economy, regulations were changed in an effort to scramble more workers onto the industry sector. In 1936, Hitler abolished the 1933 regulation that prohibited employed women to receive loans. They were encouraged to work in the labour force. This increase in the rights and freedom of women to choose what they want to do is unrelated to Nazi ideology as it unrelated to outside factors such as the economy. 2

Word count: Date: 01/02/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: The treatment of women and the family in Nazi Germany was ideological. Discuss. Moreover, although the Nazi ideology states the roles of women to be inferior to men, the Nazis still recognised their vote. A good impression was needed to in order to get votes from women. Because of this, many other political sub-groups which fit under the Nazi Party were encouraged to be set up, such as the National Socialist Womanhood and the Reichs mother Service. These organisations aimed to further spread Nazi ideology to the feministic side of German society. Although regulations in 1921 which prohibited women holding political positions. However, this nevertheless was encouraged by the Nazi party themselves. This change in treatment also is not ideological, but rather as a necessity as they recognised the importance of gaining votes from the women society.