Nazi policies towards women Flashcards

All 7 cards in this deck

What were the 'three Ks' in Nazi policy towards women?

Kinder, Küche, Kirche – children, kitchen, church: the roles the Nazis said women should focus on.

Why did the Nazis make motherhood the primary role for women?

They were worried about the falling birth rate, and believed mothers were responsible for the future of the nation.

What was the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage (1933)?

Newly-wed couples were given a loan of 1,000 marks; a quarter of it was cancelled for each child born, so four children cleared the loan.

What was the Mother's Cross (Motherhood Cross)?

A medal given to women for having large families: bronze for four or five children, silver for six or seven, gold for eight or more.

True or false? The Nazis encouraged German women to wear make-up and dye their hair.

False. Women were expected to look natural – no make-up, dyed hair, trousers or smoking, with hair in a bun or plaits.

True or false? By 1939 the Nazis had removed all women from employment.

False. Most women were pushed out of professional jobs, but many still did unskilled and industrial work, especially as rearmament created labour shortages.

True or false? The birth rate in Germany rose after the Nazis came to power.

True. It rose from about 15 births per 1,000 people in 1933 to about 20 by 1939, and the number of marriages also rose, though most families still stayed small.