The Control of Women

The Nazis used a mixture of propaganda and terror in order to encourage women to fit into what they wanted.

Propaganda

• Loans - Women were given marriage loans of 1000 Reichmarks. The more children they had, the less they had to pay back.
• Medals- Women were awarded the iron cross for having children. Bronze= 4 children and Gold= 8. Women were given a high status for having children.
• Dress- High heels and fashionablle dress were frowned upon, propaganda showed this to be wrong.

Terror

• Sacked- Women were sacked from all jobs under government control eg. teachers, doctors etc.
• Forced Abortions- Women were encouraged to abort or euthanize handicapped babies.
• Sterilisation- Women with hereditary handicaps were forced to be sterilised.

Back to work

• With men going to war, women were suddenly needed in the workplace again
• Women manned arms factories, industy and farms
• This was heavy, physical work that women weren't used to.

Difficulty to meet Nazi Ideals

• Having to work meant that women could not stay home with their children or teach them Nazi morals.
• The stress of war caused women to start drinking and smoking
• No men = No children
• Women had affairs because their husbands were away.

Better off

• Marriage loans
• Women who wanted to stay at home benefitted.
• "Motherly" women were given a higher status
• Medals for lots of children
• Higher rate of marriage
• Looked after by state- if married.

Worse off

• Educated or career women much worse off
• Sterilisation for women with inherited weaknesses
• Encouraged abortion
• Fashion and individuality taken away
• Seen as "baby factories"

• Kinder- They were expected to be Mother's to large families, and encourage to have as many children as possible by recieving iron crosses (4 kids) and gold medals (8 kids)
• Kirche- They were expexted to teach Nazi morals and values to the family 
• Kuche- They were expected to be good housewives to their husbands, they shouldn't work
• Make up and trousers were frowned upon
• Should be Aryan, with simple, tied back hair.
• Slimming was discouraged because being slim was not thought to be good for child bearing.
• Should be strong and athletic but with wide, child bearing hips
• Should not drink or smoke as this could harm the family
• Should wear simple clothes made from availabe materials (prepartion for war)
• Should be able to cook using leftovers and small amounts (prepartion for war)
• Homes for unmarried women called "Lebensborn" were set up for ** men to impregnate women (basically brothels).
• Expected to allow husband to impregnate single women and sometimes bring up the child.