IGCSE REVISION - GERMANY: YOUNG PEOPLE AND WOMEN

1. DEPTH STUDY
REVISION GERMANY
YOUNG PEOPLE
AND WOMEN
09

2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY – MR. D
INTRODUCTION
• The Nazis believed that to control the future they had to influence
children and their mothers.

3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY – MR. D
NAZIS CREATED POWERFUL YOUTH GROUPS
• Hitler knew that loyalty from young people was essential if the Nazis
were to remain strong.
• Boys aged 14 upwards were recruited to the Hitler Youth, which was
compulsory from 1939.
• Girls aged from 14 joined the League of German Maidens.
• Boys wore military-style uniforms, and took part in lots of physical
exercise.
• Girls were trained in domestic skills like sewing.
• The boys were being prepared to be soldiers, the girls to be wives
and mothers.

4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY – MR. D
THE NAZIS TOOK OVER EDUCATION
• Schools started teaching Nazi propaganda. Jews were banned from
teaching in schools and universities. Most teachers joined the Nazi
Teachers Association and were trained in Nazi methods. Children
had to report teachers who did not use them.
• Subjects like history and biology were rewritten to fit in with Nazi
ideas.
• Children were taught to be anti-Semitic and that World War 1 was
lost because of Jews and communists.

5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY – MR. D
WOMEN EXPECTED TO HAVE LARGE
FAMILIES
• Nazis didn’t want women to have too much freedom. They believed
women’s role was to support their families at home. Women existed
to provide children.
• The League of German Maidens spread the Nazi idea that it was an
honour to produce large families for Germany. Nazis gave awards to
women for doing this.
• At school, girls studied subjects like cookery. It was stressed that
they should choose Aryan husbands.
• Women were banned from being lawyers in 1936 and the Nazis did
their best to stop them following other professions. The shortage of
workers after 1937 meant more women had to go back to work.
Many Nazi men did not like this.

6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY – MR. D
EIGHT REASONS FOR HITLER’S POPULARITY
• He gave the Germans jobs after the struggles and unemployment of the
1920’s.
• The people were taught the Nazi way from an early age.
• He made them proud internationally – Germans had felt humiliated for
a long time.
• People felt much better off as industry expanded.
• Massive rallies every year gave the impression of a strong, prosperous
nation.
• The army supported his aim to make Germany strong again.
• Businesses liked the prosperity and the way Hitler attacked the
communists.
• People were frightened to protest against Nazi methods.