Hitler’s policies were a success for German people during the 1930s

I agree to a large extent that Hitler’s policies were a success for German people during the 1930s. Hitler’s economic and education policies were a success but his anti-Jewish policy/policy of using violence and intimidation was a failure.

Hitler’s economic four-year plan in 1936 emphasized rearmament and the production of local substitutes for raw materials. Hitler’s first step was to ban all trade unions as they were a possible source of opposition. Instead, he set up his own compulsory trade union called the German Labour Front which indoctrinated the workers in the Nationalist Socialist state mentality. He also set up 3 other organizations such as National Labour Service, Beauty of Labour to monitor work conditions and Strength through joy, to organize activities to keep the workers happy. This was to keep the support of the workers once it had been gained through the provision of jobs.

Hitler made sure consumer goods, like radios, were cheap and plentiful. However, he limited the amount of goods produced as less consumer goods in shops meant that people would not feel badly off if they could not afford them. This prevented them from feeling poor or unsatisfied with their standard of living. Hitler also pushed factories to produce war goods to prepare Germany for war. This would ensure the security of the Germans.

Hitler’s education policies were a success as he managed to condition the Germans into believing that the Nazi’s were the most powerful. Students were indoctrinated with Hitler’s ideas. This would ensure a country with no opposition in the future. Teacher’s were sacked if they did not have the right political opinions. Students had no opportunity to think for themselves, they even took race studies as a school subject. They were also expected to join youth organizations in their spare time such as “Pimpf” (little fellows) where they would learn about hitler’s ideas as children. As the boys grew up they would do military style training and girls would be prepared for motherhood. Joseph Goebbels who controlled propaganda and censorship, ensure that all books and newspapers censored political views differing from Nazi’s. Posters had pictures of Hitler as a wise leader and the poster campaigns gave particular ideas and images a very high profile. The radio was used to broadcast Hitler’s speeches. Hence, this ensured that the Germans admired the Nazi’s and so would not oppose them. Hence, it was in a way a success for the German people because they lived in a peaceful society without strikes.

However, Hitler’s anti-Jewish poicy was one of the worst aspects of the Nazi system. Hitler used the Jews as a scape goat for everything- the humiliation of the treaty of Versailles, the depression, communism. Because the German people were in such a desperate situation, they were prepared to accept the propaganda about the jews and were not sorry to see them removed from their jobs as teachers, lawyers and politicians. By 1945, Hitler had caused the death of 5.7 million jews, most of them in gas chambers in nazi extermination camps.

Furthermore, Hitler’s policy of using the violence and intimidation to get rid of opposition was a failure. Hitler used the SA and SS to break up opposition meetings in elections before 1933. After the Nazi’s formed the government, association with such criminal thugs was bad for their image and would damage their reputation with the army. Hitler needed the army’s support to become president and Chancellor when the President died. In 1925, he set up the SS, an elite section of the SA who were highly disciplined. On 30 June 1934, the Night of the Long Knives occured and leaders of the SS were arrested or executed. From1934 on, the SS became in the main security force, enforcing Hitler’s policies such as the one against the jews. It was given control of the Gestapo and the police force. In 1934, Hitler set up the People’s Court which ordered the execution of 534 people who opposed Hitler. Concentration camps Dachau and Oranienburg shut up political opposition to prevent them from influencing others. Fear of being sent to concentration camps or of being denounced by the SS or Gestapo kept silent many of those who did not support the Nazis.

Hence, I agree to a large extent that his policies were successful. With the success of the four year plan, inflation slowed, people could feel secure about saving again, unemployment decreased to 0.5 million in 1938 and wages rose. Hence, this is the most important factor as it was definitely a success for the Germans. His economic policies also ensured that the Germans did not feel dissatisfied because he limited the consumer goods produced. The second most important factor is the educational policies because if the people were indoctrinated into believing the Nazi’s were right then Hitler would not have to resort to violence and intimidation to ensure the success of his totalitarian state.