Society
If you were prepared to accept Nazi rule, it can be argued there were 'tangible benefits'. A sense of being part of a National revival, a sense of pride and unity and being part of a 'people's community'. The promise of employment, a sense that public works programmes were improving the state infrastructure e.g autobahns, schools, hospitals etc.
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If you were not considered 'Aryan' or did not fit the state would actively discriminate and persecute you. For example, Jews lost their citizenship (Nuremburg laws, 1935) and were persecuted, the mentally and physically handicapped were excluded from society and a sterilisation programme begun.
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political
You might argue that the Nazi regime provided a degree of strong government and leadership that replaced the chaos and disunity of the Weimar Republic. You had a sense of being part of a national revival and German honour was being restored under Hitler's leadership.
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Of course for anyone who believed in democracy, the regime was an oppressive one based on repression. Loss of basic civil rights such as freedom of speech, and having a society based on fear and oppression (Police State) whereby the Gestapo Concentration camps and the Kripo ensured you did not 'step out of line'.
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industry & business
By 1937 big business (which the Nazis had promised to tackle) controlled over 70 per cent of production.
Rearmament from 1935 onwards boosted profits and managers of the major industrial companies saw their wages rise by 50 per cent between 1933 and 1939. |
Small business: Rules on opening and running small businesses were tightened, which resulted in 20 per cent of them closing.
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farmers
Had the 'benefit' of being viewed by Hitler as the 'backbone' of the German Reich - as such he wanted to protect and support them.
Farmers benefitted under the Nazis. By 1937, agricultural prices had increased by 20 per cent and agricultural wages rose more quickly than those in industry. The Hereditary Farm Law of 1933 prevented farms from being repossessed from their owners, which gave farming families greater security. |
industrial workers
At face value one could argue industrial workers benefited from the fact that Nazi economic policies meant the reduction of unemployment and the 'guarantee' of work. There were only 300,00 unemployed by 1939.
Also, the regime introduced schemes for their benefit: Strength Through Joy. This scheme gave workers rewards for their work - evening classes, theatre trips, picnics, and even very cheap or free holidays. Beauty of Labour. The job of this organisation was to help Germans see that work was good, and that everyone who could work should. It also encouraged factory owners to improve conditions for workers. womenIt is often said Hitler did not 'value' women as his policies towards them were fundamentally 'sexist'. However, he talked of women being 'separate but EQUAL' so if you shared this traditional 'value' it could be argued women did gain certain benefits from Nazi rule. For example, they could receive a Marriage Loan of 1000 marks and for each child they had their loan was reduced by 20%. Motherhood was also celebrated and the reward of a 'mutterkreuz' was to some a symbol of their importance and value to the People's Community.
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As early as 1933 trade unions were abolished and their leaders arrested. The German Labour Front was established in their place and gave the Nazis strict control over workers. Also, the work schemes, such as KDF & Strength through Joy were paid for out of compulsory payments which were deducted from worker's wages.
living standards did not really improve for German workers under the Nazis. From 1933 to 1939 wages fell, the number of hours worked rose by 15 per cent, serious accidents in factories increased and workers could be blacklisted by employers if they attempted to question their working conditions. All the moves towards female emancipation and equality under the Weimar Republic were undone. Measures were introduced which strongly discouraged women from working. Female doctors and civil servants lost their jobs for example.
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