Nazi Social Policy
How the Nazis reshaped German society: their policies for women, young people and workers, and the racial ideology behind the persecution of Jewish people.
Use it, the way the marks are given
Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
Reshaping German society
When the Nazis took power in 1933, they tried to reshape German society to fit their ideas. They gave women, young people and workers new roles that were designed to build loyalty to Hitler. At its darkest, Nazi social policy also persecuted people they wrongly claimed did not belong, above all Jewish people. This module looks at those policies and their impact.
Nazi organisations and laws
Learn these four names before you study Nazi social policy.
Women and young people
The Nazis set out different roles for women and for young people.
Racial policy and persecution
Nazi social policy was built on a false belief in a superior race. People the Nazis saw as outside this, especially Jewish people, faced growing persecution. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 took away the citizenship and rights of Jewish people. This persecution grew more severe and led to the Holocaust, in which millions of Jewish people and others were murdered. It is remembered as one of the gravest crimes in history.
Match the organisation
- the Hitler Youth
- the League of German Girls
- the German Labour Front
- the National Labour Service
- the youth group boys had to join
- the youth group for girls
- took the place of the workers trade unions
- gave young men jobs on public works
Match the policy to its aim
- marriage loans for young couples
- medals for mothers with many children
- cheap Strength Through Joy holidays
- a Nazi curriculum in schools
- to encourage couples to start families
- to reward women for having large families
- to keep workers content and loyal
- to teach children to follow Hitler
The role for women
What role did Nazi policy mainly want women to have?
- To be wives and mothers raising children for the nation.
- To lead the army and the government.
- To run large businesses and factories.
- To go to university and become scientists.
The aims of youth groups
Select the TWO things the Nazis used youth groups to do.
- Build loyalty to Hitler.
- Prepare boys to become soldiers.
- Encourage young people to question the government.
- Teach children to vote in free elections.
Control across a lifetime
Put the ways the Nazis controlled a young person in order, from childhood to adult life.
- Children learn Nazi ideas at school
- Young people join a Nazi youth group
- Boys are trained ready for the army
- Adults work under the German Labour Front
Complete the policy summary
A boy growing up in Nazi Germany would join the _____ Youth. His sister would join the League of German _____. Nazi posters told women their most important job was to be a _____. Workers could no longer join a free trade union, only the German Labour _____. After 1935, Jewish people lost their rights under the Nuremberg _____.
Count the years
The Nazis came to power in 1933 and passed the Nuremberg Laws in 1935. How many years after taking power were the Nuremberg Laws passed?
Find the youth groups
Tap the TWO Nazi organisations for young people.
- the Hitler Youth
- the German Labour Front
- the League of German Girls
- the SS police force
Which group was it for?
Read each Nazi policy and choose which group it was aimed at.
- Giving loans to young couples to encourage large families
- Training boys in camps and marching to build loyalty to Hitler
- Replacing trade unions and offering cheap holidays to keep people content
Explain Nazi control
Explain how the Nazis used social policy to control women and young people in Germany. Use examples in your answer.
- Describe the role Nazi policy gave to women
- Describe how the Nazis controlled young people through youth groups and schools
- Explain why the Nazis wanted this control over society