Discuss the Aims and Impact of Economic Domestic Policies of one Twentieth-Century Authoritarian Leader

Discuss the aims and impact of economic domestic policies of one twentieth-century authoritarian leader

Hitler’s domestic policies were the core to the his successes as an authoritarian leader, dictator and fuhrer during the years 1933-1939. Basing the policies majorly on his own interests which was written in his book “Mein Kumf”, he emphasized racial superiority and nazi ideology subliminally and appealed to the people at a time of grave economic and financial distress of Germany’s economy. His policies revolved around a few particular areas with very structured aims.

Starting from the very core of the nation, he appealed to the youth through the creation of Hitler Youth in 1934. The nature or aim of the Hitler Youth was to indoctrinate children from the age of 14-18 that Nazi beliefs were the only true ideas and would result in Germany becoming the greatest country in the world. By teaching, often done by brainwashing the children, they would become nationalists and think all other countries and its people were inferior. The Hitler Youth was a clever way of creating young and devoted Nazi supporters to continue and support Nazism in the future to come. Hitler designed the organisation so that it would appeal among the majority of Germany’s youth. The movement became more intense in 1936 as membership of all other youth organizations were banned and the organization itself started involving more military like military like activities to create soldiers for the the future. The organization was very successful in creating a large 95% of youth loyal to the ideology. However, in some cases, the organization caused some youth to turn away from Hitler’s principles, especially because of the intimidating practices taken up later on with higher military involvement and making it compulsory for every youth

        Similarly, hitler used education as a tool to make nazi ideology as part of the lifestyle of students both in and out of classrooms from a very early age. Hitler believed that education served a sole purpose - to ensure that a child is loyal to the Nazi state and the Nazi ideology Textbooks have been taken under his control, emphasis has been put on physical strength for a stronger military force, and different skills needed for the German’s economy have been taught, mainly dividing skillsets for girls and boys. Boys were taught to be stronger, better soldiers for a more powerful army, and girls were taught to better homemakers, sewers, crafts workers. This divide was institutionalised to create an economy for the future with fixed roles and jobs for men and women so that it functions in a way in which Germany would grow towards a militarily strong economy, but with enough production of goods to sustain the needs of the population.

        Women and social control were indeed another one of Hitler’s patriarchal, one sided techniques to proliferate his profound interests and ideology. As hitler explains “ THe woman has her own battlefield, with every child she brings into the world, she fights a battle for the nation”. The undermining of women’s roles in society, alongside a creation of very distinctive sphere for men and women came from 2 very strong reasoning. One being his rejection of modern emancipation of women. And secondly, recognising the decline in birth rate of the population. He opted to prioritise population growth and believed it could prove to be crucial to Germany’s economic growth. One of the earliest laws passed by Hitler once he came to power in 1933, was the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage. This law stated that all newly married couples would get a government loan of 1000 marks which was about 9 months average income. The birth of one child meant that 25% of the loan did not have to be paid back. Two children meant that 50% of the loan need not be paid back. The aim of the law was very straightforward, to encourage young couples to have as many children as they could. Moreover, as hitler plans on populating and expanding into different areas through Lebensraum, he feels a dire need of more childbirths and an expanding population to populate the newly acquired areas. Consequent to the policy being put in place, there have been a massive rise in childbirths as more and more newlyweds take up the offer. He protected this interest by imposing a Sterilization law in 1933 which was in place to make sure that the population is healthy and able, without any sorts of diseases. This, not only increased the quantity of births, but also increased the ‘quality’ of them, as he phrased it. Moreover, Abortion was banned, to restrict any couples from potentially aborting an unwanted fetus, further ensuring population growth.

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