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During Hitler’s maintenance and consolidation of power, women played a critical role which shaped his success in taking and maintaining control over Germany. Before the control of Nazis in Germany, the status of women was depicted by the Weimar Constitution. The Weimar Constitution declared Marriage is based on the equality of the sexes . This meant that women did have the right to vote, there would be no discrimination towards women working in certain areas and they would have maternity rights. However, women were still not well represented and had very minimal power, motherhood still dominated as a womans main job because a wife was they had to follow the will of their husbands, a patriarchal government. Hitler saw women as a great opportunity to increase his military and the population of Germany to grow the ARYAN race. During Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, his charisma was what mainly won women supporters however attaining power brought changes to women’s roles in Germany politically and socially. Throughout Hitler’s control of Germany, he stated that a woman’s job was Kinder, Kuche, Kirche meaning children, kitchen, and church should be their only focus. However, many women disagreed with Hitler’s views on their role in Germany. Many historians argue how valuable the role of women in Germany was and claim that women did not play a factor in Nazis control or success.
At the beginning of Hitler’s control over Germany, Hitler had said in public, that women were equal but they were different than men. Many women in Germany supported Hitler because of his charisma and propaganda spread in Germany. However, Hitlers and the Nazis expected that the women in Germany would stay and look after their homes, support their husbands, and bear children. In 1934, Hitler stated in his speech to the women of the Nationalist Socialist Womens Organization that a woman’s value to society was to support men who were fighting against the world and to bear kids who could eventually integrate part of the SS. For women to consider themselves German or Nazi women was according to Nazi ideology of Aryanian women, which meant being blonde, blue eyes, tall and marrying an Aryan man, and to have kids pure racial Aryanian kids. It also meant not having a job/career, educating their children, and housekeeping. The core message from the Nazis to women was to be a mother first, preferably a married mother of several children which connected to the other aspects of a valuable Aryan woman. Historian, Jill Stephenson argues that women play a role in a patriarchal society in which they are subordinate to men in public and private aspects of life (supporters to their family). However, what she perhaps fails to consider is the aspects of certain roles women in Germany later occupied. Not all women were married, some were single and peer pressured by Nazis to get married or to at least have kids. Hitler had created an employment policy that caused many women to leave their jobs and men to take over. However, in 1939 there was a shortage of workers due to women’s employment dropping earlier in 1933. Hitler needed more teachers, nurses, and women in factories. This caused the Nazi’s employment policy to reverse and the rate of employment to go up. Such events suggest women played a bigger role than just supporters and mothers to their families.
Feminine roles during Hitler’s rise and maintenance of power included going to school for domestic work, teachers, and nurses. School programs were changed to discourage girls and women from pursuing a career. Hitler believed their only focus was to prepare for motherhood. Nazis schools were closed for girls and entry to universities was limited. Girls and women were allowed to pursue studies only in domestic sciences to train for marriage and motherhood. Lower states that girls were given the question What is your racial background to help pick a husband. In 1936, the recruitment of women teachers stopped, however, the teaching profession was still viewed as a female virtue. Teachers were strictly given rules on how to educate the youth. Teachers had to go through a training camp, report any students with disabilities, how to observe a Jew, and mostly learn about the Nazi way and German power. Nursing brought the most number of women into the war. They helped with counseling, injuries, and infirmaries of concentration camps, some virtues of nurses were discipline and loyalty. Throughout Hitler’s rained women played various roles, Lower reflects on how Germany changed over time and shows how not all of Hitler’s policies and actions were successful which shows limits to his power. Lower supports the status of how women played a critical role and served as witnesses during Hitler’s reign. Lower emphasizes how German women were required to work; teachers, nurses, secretaries, welfare workers, and wives.
The results of birth rates caused fear in Hitler because a decrease in birth rates meant that the Aryan race could be outnumbered. The results caused abortion to be made illegal and there was a reward system placed that targeted women having babies. The cross of honor of German women 4 kids bronze medal, 6 kids silver medal, 8 kids gold medal, and 10 kids had the honor of having Hitler as his godfather. These benefits were only for Aryan Germans, no socials. There was also the Lebensborn program started in 1935 which was for unmarried German Aryan women to have children with Hitler’s SS men. Any race outside of German or Aryan looking enough was banned or sent to concentration camps outside Germany. The racial policy of Nazi Germany implemented the superiority of the Aryan race. There was discrimination against any other race such as Jews, Afro-Germans, Poles, and anything not pure Aryan. Germanization occurred between 1939 and 1945 and was defined by the measurement of the size and proportions of the body and certain characteristics of beauty such as head size and eye color. Historians Harvey and Wildenthal argue that many people opposed race mixing because of inferiority. Hitler especially believed that certain races were inferior however Aryan race was superior. Both historians suggest it was very hard to avoid because of colonialist people trying to expand their control. However, with Hitlers ideologies people in Germany were careful to follow Nazism rules until the end of his reign over Germany.
Womens role in Germany from 1930-1945 can be seen as mixed implications for Hitler’s success and control over Germany. It is undeniable that during Hitler’s reign period, women played a critical factor in empowering Germany. Women allowed the effectiveness ofNazis’s policies and actions. With women compiling and following policies such as their traditional role as a mother and wife and gained supporters and increased the Aryan population. However, some policies contradicted what Hitler initially wanted for women such as setting up the Lebensborn and changing the employment policy because of the drop in employment rate. Overall, women played a critical role in Germany which provided Hitler the chance to grow and keep ruling over Germany.
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