‘Reducing unemployment was the main aim of Nazi economic policy.
Level
A Level
Year Examined
2022
Topic
European history in the interwar years, 1919–41
👑Complete Model Essay
‘Reducing unemployment was the main aim of Nazi economic policy.
Reducing unemployment was the main aim of Nazi economic policy. Discuss this view.
The assertion that reducing unemployment was the primary objective of Nazi economic policy is a complex one, requiring a nuanced analysis. While undeniably a crucial factor for the Nazi party’s rise to power, unemployment reduction was only one element within a broader framework of economic goals driven by ideological and geopolitical ambitions. This essay will examine this multifaceted approach, highlighting the interplay between unemployment reduction, autarky, rearmament, and the overarching goal of securing Germany's foreign policy objectives.
The Importance of Unemployment
The economic devastation of the Great Depression, leading to soaring unemployment rates, was a key contributing factor to the rise of Nazism. The Nazi party effectively exploited this hardship, promising a solution to the problem as a central plank of their platform. This promise resonated deeply with the German population, who sought a way out of their economic despair. Therefore, upon assuming power, the Nazis felt compelled to deliver on their promises and address the unemployment crisis.
However, it’s crucial to recognize that unemployment reduction was not simply an altruistic endeavor for the Nazi regime. It served as a necessary step towards achieving their wider economic and geopolitical aims. Full employment was seen as a vital prerequisite for the expansion of production and rearmament, which in turn would facilitate the realization of their ambitious foreign policy goals. In essence, employment was a means to an end, a tool for achieving a self-sufficient and militarily powerful Germany.
Beyond Unemployment: Autarky and Rearmament
While the Nazis implemented some policies directly targeting unemployment, such as public works projects and the creation of the Reich Labour Service, their economic policy extended far beyond simply providing jobs. The "Four-Year Plan", implemented in 1936, aimed to achieve autarky, making Germany self-sufficient in raw materials and resources. This was crucial for the Nazis, who saw dependence on foreign imports as a vulnerability that had contributed to their defeat in World War I.
Rearmament was an even more central focus of Nazi economic policy. The Nazis believed that Germany’s future lay in military expansion, and they poured vast resources into building up their armed forces. This rearmament effort, fuelled by the "Mefo Bills" and other financial mechanisms, significantly contributed to a reduction in unemployment. However, it also created a strain on the German economy, ultimately leading to economic instability and a reliance on forced labor in the later stages of World War II.&x20;
Ideological Considerations
The Nazi economic policy was also influenced by an ideology that prioritized the state's interests over individual freedom. The “Führerprinzip” emphasized the role of the state as the supreme authority, and economic decisions were made with the aim of strengthening the state's power. This led to the implementation of policies such as the reduction of women and Jewish workers in employment, which had more to do with ideological aims than with pure economic motivations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, reducing unemployment cannot be considered the sole aim of Nazi economic policy. While it was a significant element, it was a means to achieve broader objectives of autarky, rearmament, and the fulfillment of their ambitious foreign policy goals. The Nazis understood the importance of economic stability and job creation for their political survival, but their primary focus ultimately shifted towards building a militarily powerful Germany capable of achieving its expansionist ambitions. This approach, while initially successful in generating employment, eventually led to economic and political instability that ultimately contributed to Germany's downfall.
**Sources:**
**The Nazi Economy: 1932-1945*by Albrecht Ritschl (2007)
**Nazism: A New History*by Richard Evans (2004)
**The Economic Policy of Nazi Germany*by David Schoenbaum (1988)
**Hitler's War: Germany's Path to World War II*by Richard Overy (2008)
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Introduction
Briefly introduce the context of the Nazi rise to power and their economic promises. State your argument - that while reducing unemployment was important, it was ultimately subservient to wider geopolitical aims, particularly rearmament and autarky.
Early Economic Policies and Mixed Priorities
Discuss the early economic policies under Schacht, highlighting his focus on traditional economic recovery rather than solely targeting unemployment. Mention policies like removing women and Jews from the workforce, arguing that these were driven by ideology rather than a pure focus on unemployment reduction.
Rearmament and the Shift in Focus
Analyze the shift towards rearmament and the Four-Year Plan. Acknowledge the reduction in unemployment as a by-product, but argue that the primary motivation was achieving autarky and preparing for war. Emphasize Hitler's view of the economy as a tool for the state, with full employment being a secondary concern.
Conclusion
Reiterate your argument that while the Nazi regime did reduce unemployment, it was not their main economic aim. Their primary goals were rearmament, autarky, and ultimately, territorial expansion. Briefly discuss the consequences of this economic policy.
Extracts from Mark Schemes
Reducing unemployment was the main aim of Nazi economic policy. Discuss this view.
The rise in unemployment was a major reason for the growth in support for Nazism and could not be ignored when Hitler gained office and power. Despite the use of force, the new government had to deliver on its economic promises but full employment was part of a wider economic aim to increase production to allow for rearmament to fulfil wider foreign policy and geopolitical aims which would lead to an expansion of the Reich to ensure self-sufficiency. Full employment would be a result of this projected expansion, so it was both an aim and a means to wider economic aims – autarky and military expansion.
Also, in the period before war preparation became a much more central and overt aim, economic policy was directed towards more than simply providing direct projects to reduce unemployment. Schacht was concerned less with deficit finance and public works than more orthodox plans for recovery through trade and private enterprise. The new Plan might have had unemployment reduction as an aim as part of a general economic recovery but did not target this. So measures such as the reduction of women workers and Jews in employment and policies towards department stores had ideological aims and while might have created some jobs did not play a major role in unemployment which was falling in any case as a result of a cyclical upturn.
The creation of a Reich Labour Service and some public workers schemes did target disguising and reducing unemployment. Also financing schemes for rearmament like the famous Mefo Bills and then the Four-Year Plan and moving away from fiscal orthodoxy with the dismissal of Schacht might have reduced unemployment in practice – indeed there was a labour shortage from 1936 in some areas and women returned to the work place. However, it is more plausible to see these policies being driven by concern about the dependence of the Reich on foreign imports which had been seen as one of the reasons for the loss of the Great War. Also, the mobilisation of the economy for a future war was more of a priority for Hitler who was explicit in his view that the economy is there to serve the state and not the other way round. So, neither full employment in its own right or even economic stability which might have protected full employment was the aim by the late 1930s, as the economy overheated with rearmament pressuring the supply of labour and raw materials.