United States and German Economy during WWII

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United States and German Economy during WWII

• By E. L.
• 11-27-07
• Mrs. Zelenak

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Research Question

• What were the conditions of the German and United
  States economies during World War Two?

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When Hitler came to Power

• German Economy was in ruins
• Germans feared no hope for revival
• Weimar Republic unemployment rate near 50
  percent, or 6 million people
• Hitler decreed that all should work under his
  regime, the Nazis

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Unemployment Rates

• January 1933 end of Weimar Republic 6 million
• January 1934 3.3 million
• January 1935 2.9 million
• January 1936 2.5 million
• January 1937 1.8 million
• January 1938 1 million
• January 1939 .3 million

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Policies

• Policies were introduced to lower unemployment
  rate
• 1. Women werent included in the statistics
• 2. Unemployed could either do whatever work given
  to them, or be put in a concentration camp

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Policies continued

• 3. Jews lost citizenship, thus eliminating them
  from the number
• 4. Young men were taken off the rate and put into
  the army

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RAD

• Stood for Reichsarbeitsdienst or National Labour
  Service in English
• Young men required to work by Nazis
• Work included digging ditches, building new
  autobahns (highways), and planting new forests

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RAD continued

• Men in RAD wore military -like uniform
• Lived near where they worked
• Received what we would term as pocket money
• Men thought that the Nazis were improving the
  situation

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German Labour Front

• Set up to protect workers in RAD
• Increased hours worked per week from 60 to 72
• Strikes were outlawed
• Leisure time also taken into view (info on next
  slide)

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Leisure time of workers

• Kraft durch Fruede created to handle leisure time
• Workers had 3740 hours per year for leisure
• Activities included theatre performances,
  concerts, hikes, sports events, cruises and
  exhibitions, among others

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An economic Miracle

• Hitler appointed Hjalmar Schacht Minister of
  Economy
• Came up with many plans to improve economy
• Plans included making Germany self sufficient
• Improve economy drastically

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United States economy

• Roaring 20s were a time of great prosperity
• Great Depression ended that time
• After Depression, U.S. entered War
• Labor Shortages brought millions to workforce

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U.S. Economy continued

• Before WWII, home front saw great prosperity
• Stock Markets leaped higher
• Easier access to stocks fueled financial industry
• Great Depression ended good times

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The New Deal

• Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced New Deal to get
  U.S. out of Depression
• In 1941, U.S. entered WWII
• Stock Markets stayed about even during war
• After War, U.S. saw great leaps and bounds

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Reflection

• The German economys condition increased
  throughout the War.
• Hitler did bad and good to economy.
• U.S. economy bad before War, good after War.
• U.S. OK, then Good.
• Germany Poor, then Great, then Good.

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Bibliography

• 1. U.S. Economy, Wikipedia, 25 Nov. 2007, 26
  Nov. 2007, http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of
  _the_United_States.
• 2. Nazi Germany, Wikipedia, 26 Nov. 2007, 26
  Nov 2007, http//en.wikipedia.org/Nazi_GermanyEco
  nomic_Policy.

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Bibliography 2

• 3. The Nazis and the German Economy, History
  Learning, 2007, 26 Nov. 2007, http//www.historyle
  arningsite.co.uk/nazis_and_the_german_economy.htm.
  .