Germans gain from Nazi rule

Economic Recovery and Rearmament

Hitler and the Nazis came to power because they promised to solve the countries main problems - high unemployment and a farming crisis
In return for work and other benefits people gave up there political freedom
At first many people thought it was worth it particulary the 5 million unemployed
Hitler was lucky as by 1933 the Depression was mostly over - Even so there is no doubt that the Nazis acted with energy and commitment to solve the main problems
They organised the German economy to fund a huge programme of work creation - men were sent to public work projects and conservation programmes to build motorways and autobahns
One of Hitlers most cherished plans was rearmament - In 1935 he reintroduced conscription and in 1936 he announced a four year plan to get the German economy ready for war
Conscription reduced unemployment - the need for weapons, equipment and uniforms created jobs in coal mines and textile mills
Engineers and designers gained new opportunities particularly when Hitler decreed that they would have a world class air force
These things also boosted national pride and Hitler's popularity - they felt there country was emerging from the humiliation from the WW1 and Treaty of Versailles

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Hitler promised lower unemployment which helped to ensure popularity among industrial workers who were important to the Nazis as they needed workers to create industries that would help to make Germany great and establish a new empire - he won there loyalty by:
Propaganda praised the workers and tried to associate them with Hitler
Schemes such as Strength through joy which gave them cheap cinema tickets and organised courses, trips and sports events
Many workers saved 5 marks a week on the state scheme to buy a car
Another scheme was Beauty of Labour movement which improved working conditions in factories and introduced low cost canteens and washing facilities
The price for these things was that they lost there main political party (SDP) and there trade unions which was a bitter resentment
All workers had to join the General Labour Front which kept strict control of workers - they couldn't strike for better pay and conditions
Pay remained low although prices were strictly controlled
In the late 1930s many workers were complaining that their standard of living was lower than it had been before the Depression

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The farmers had been an important factor in the Nazis rise to power and Hitler did not forget this as he introduced measures to help them - In 1933 he set up the Reich Food Estate which set up central boards to buy produce from the farmers and distribute it to markets across Germany so farmers had a guaranteed market for there produce at good prices
He also introduced the Reich Entailed Farm Law which gave them protection for there farms so banks couldn't seize there land if they couldn't pay there loans
This is also had a radical aim as the farmers were seen as the basis of the master race so there life had to be protected
However, like the industrial workers, farmers weren't thrilled with the regime as go-ahead farmers were held back in production by less efficient farmers
It also meant only the eldest child would inherit the farm so there other children left the land to work for better pay in industries - Rural depopulation ran at 3% per year in the 1930s the opposite of the Nazis aims

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Many middle class business people were grateful to the Nazis for eliminating the Communist threat to their businesses and property and they also liked the way they were bringing order to Germany
For small business owners its was a mixed picture - if you owned a small engineering firm you were likely to do well from orders of rearmament spending in the 1930s but if you produced consumer goods or ran a small shop you might struggle despite Hitlers promises, large departments stores which took business away form local shops were not closed
It was big businesses that really benefited from the Nazi rule as they no longer had troublesome trade unions and strikes
Companies gained huge government contacts to make explosives, fertilisers and artifical oil from coal
Other household names such as Mercedes and Volkswagen prospered from Nazi policies

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Hitler wanted all Germans to think they were part of a national community
Under Nazi rule workers, farmers etc would no longer see themselves primarily as workers and farmers but as Germans
There first loyalty would be to Germany and the Fuhrer and they would be so proud to belong to a nation that was racially and culturally superior to others that they put German interests before there own
Hitler policies towards each group were designed to help win this kind of loyalty to the Nazi state
In the 1930s Germans did have a strong sense of national pride and loyalty towards Hitler
For the majority of Germans the benefits of Nazi rule made them willing to accept some central control in the interests of making Germany great again

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