Modern History - Nazi ideology - Assignment Example

Women Women The women in Nazi Germany at the time of the Third Reich adapted to the ever changing demands that were placed on them by economic and political restrictions. Also, the events of the World War II played a role in their transformation. It is apparent that in Nazi history the German women have played a part in the development of the Nazi Party as well as contributing to the war effort. The German women developed their place in history through their dedication to their families and country.

This paper clearly explains the role of women in Germany in 1933 to 1945. Six weeks after Hitler was appointed Chancellor on March 18, 1933 the Nazi Minister of propaganda spoke to the German women. His speech set out the expected image of women and proper duties that were to be carried out by them. It is apparent that Goebbels made a strong statement when he said that women are not significant in terms of history and the things they do have no effect on society. He was of the view that the only thing that women do in history is to raise men who create it.

This view was the same for the Nazi Party about women and their roles in society. Goebbels explained the idea of defining women only as a mother was because of the respect, and that is why Nazis kept them out of the political sphere (Ascheld, 2010). The women supported the party and the leaders even with the strong idea about women. It is evident as many women became party members. Also, through various avenues of propaganda, Nazi officials were able to convince women that their place in society lay in the private sphere.

The act of placing enough of a priority for women as mothers to the nation, Nazism gained strength and grew across Germany. Teaching Nazism to the youth was one of the main Nazi ideologies hence it was essential to gain support of mothers and young women in the country. Pamphlets and propaganda posters were distributed to preach the values of Nazism for women and their need to raise strong “Aryan” children (Ascheld, 2010). The difference between the private and the public sphere during the Third Reich is a key concept when talking about the image of the German woman.

In the public sphere of the Nazis party, women were not expected to have a role in the Reichstag or hold any other political office. It was also evident that women would not work as doctors or lawyers. Nazi officials emphasized that women were to take care of their husbands and children. Hitler in his speech of 1934 Party Day he said that the man’s worlds were the sate while the woman was the home. He also was of the view that the two worlds complimented each other (Papen, 2006). The Nazis simultaneously appeased both the old women’s sphere and the new dynamic generation of young women who found their old gender expectations stifling.

They were also attracted by the revolutionary character and national involvement offered by National Socialism. It is apparent that a network of women-only organizations enabled women of all ages to escape from the pillars of their traditional lives, such as their families and the church. Women were offered an opportunity to achieve something on their own in a male dominated state. National Socialism created a plethora of public offices that allowed women to participate in the exercise of state power (Papen, 2006).

In conclusion, it is evident that women were never given full equality as in the Third Reich they remained the second sex. The Nazism position of women was a blend of traditionalist and modernized elements. It is in the 1930s and 1940s that motherhood, marriage, and family were prioritized ideology that women were lifted out of their traditional lives into an elevated position.ReferencesAscheld, A. (2010). Hitlers Heroines: Stardom & Womanhood In Nazi CinemaCulture And The Moving Image.

Philadelphia: Temple University Press.Papen, M. (2006). Women’s History. Opportunities and limitations: the new womwn in third reich cinema. Tand. Web. Retrieved on 4th Feb, 2015: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09612029900200225