Was Preparing for War the Main Reason for Hitler’s Economic Policies

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Was preparing for war the main reason for Hitler’s economic policies Hitler believed that powerful trade unions could disrupt the economy, so the government banned these in 1933. In their place, Hitler set up the DAF. The DAF’s key role was to ensure that workers served the best interests of the Nazi regime. However to ensure that the economy worked for the best interests of the state, the DAF also controlled the power of the employers. It set out new employment rights of all workers in factories, mines, munitions plants and shipyards. It regulated working hours which increased on average by six hours a week and rates of pay. The DAP also had the power to punish workers. Although German workers lost their freedom to act collectively against employers, at least the DAF established what the minimum working standards should be which prevented serious exploitation of labour by employers Solving unemployment was important to Hitler for many reasons. Unemployed workers were potential supporters of the communists, Hitler’s rivals. Nazis also believed that unemployed workers sapped the strength of a nation. Men needed to be put to useful work, in the service of their country. So in 1933 the Nazis set up this provided manual work for the unemployed. At first it was a voluntary scheme but from 1935 it was made compulsory for all young men to serve for six months in the RAD. Men in the RAD were organised along the lines of an army. Workers wore uniforms, lived in camps and did military drills and parades as well as work. Rates of pay were very low and some complained of very poor food. Those in the RAD were used to work in fields, build public buildings and autobahns. Apart from giving men work, these projects were also good for Germany. By 1939, Germany had seven thousand miles of autobahns. The Nazi view was that the health of a nation depends upon constant struggle
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