The Nazi Economy
How the Nazis changed the German economy: cutting unemployment with public works and rearmament, aiming for self-sufficiency, and offering workers some benefits while taking away their freedom.
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Putting Germany to work 🏭
When Hitler came to power in 1933, millions of Germans were out of work. The Nazis set out to cut unemployment and to make Germany strong enough for war. They built roads, made weapons and aimed to produce everything the country needed. Workers gained some benefits, but they also lost their freedom. This module weighs up how successful the Nazi economy really was.
Key words 🔑
Learn these four terms before you study the Nazi economy.
Benefits or drawbacks? 🆚
The same policies had two sides that you must weigh up.
Grade 9 thinking 💡
Weigh both sides on the same evidence, do not just repeat Nazi claims. Unemployment did fall, but the drop was partly because Jews and women were removed from the figures and because men were forced into labour and the army. A strong judgement holds the benefit and the hidden cost together.
Match the policy 🔗
- public works
- the National Labour Service
- rearmament
- autarky
- building the autobahns and public buildings created jobs
- gave young men manual jobs such as planting forests
- building weapons created work in factories
- aiming to make Germany self-sufficient for war
Match the term 🧩
- invisible unemployment
- Strength Through Joy
- the German Labour Front
- Beauty of Labour
- jobless groups left off the figures, so the real total was higher
- cheap holidays and leisure for workers
- the body that replaced the banned trade unions
- a scheme to improve workplaces
What was autarky? ❓
What was the policy of autarky?
- Making Germany self-sufficient so it did not need to rely on imports.
- A scheme of cheap holidays for workers.
- A free trade union for workers.
Cutting unemployment ✅
Select the TWO ways the Nazis reduced unemployment.
- Public works such as building the autobahns.
- Rearmament and building weapons.
- Setting up free trade unions.
- Buying more goods from abroad.
Order the story 🪜
An interactive activity.
Summarise the economy 📝
The Nazis reduced unemployment through _____ works such as the autobahns, and through _____, building weapons for the army. Some jobless groups were left off the figures, which is called _____ unemployment. The policy of making Germany self-sufficient was called _____. Workers were offered cheap holidays through Strength Through _____.
Name the year 🔢
An interactive activity.
Find the job creators 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Which kind of policy? 🧭
An interactive activity.
Judge the economy ✍️
An interactive activity.