The Impact of Nazi Racial, Social and Religious Policies (1933-1945)

The Impact of Nazi Racial, Social and Religious Policies (1933-1945)

Introduction of Racial Policies

  • The concept of racial purity was central to the Nazi ideology. This gave rise to numerous policies aimed at promoting the supposed superiority of the Aryan race and suppressing other ethnic groups, particularly Jews.

  • The instigation of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 represents a key development in this area. These laws stripped Jews of their rights as citizens and aimed to isolate them within German society.

  • The Euthanasia Programme, initiated in 1939, targeted those with physical and mental disabilities, marking them as “life unworthy of life”. This led to an estimated 70,000 - 275,000 deaths.

  • The period of 1941-1945 saw the largest and most horrific manifestation of Nazi racial policy - The Holocaust, through which six million Jews were systematically killed in concentration camps and death camps across Europe.

Social Policies and Their Impact

  • The societal structure that Nazis envisaged was aptly reflected in their policies, many of which focused on promoting traditional gender roles. Women were driven towards roles of motherhood and homemaking, backed by the policy of Kinder, Küche, Kirche (Children, Kitchen, Church).

  • Male citizens were indoctrinated into military-oriented roles from a young age through organisations like the Hitler Youth. This was aimed at delivering a nation ready for war and underpinned by unquestioning loyalty.

  • The Nazi state used Gleichschaltung, or the process of ‘forced coordination’, to synchronise all aspects of German society with the ideals of the Nazi Party. Key social institutions, including schools, universities, and the media, were manipulated to this end.

Religious Policies and Their Consequences

  • Although Hitler initially sought to control the Churches, efforts to create a unified ‘Reich Church’ and introduce the Nazi-inspired ‘Positive Christianity’ met with significant resistance.

  • The Nazis suppressed the Catholic Church and Protestant Churches who spoke out against their ideology. Many clergy were arrested, churches were interfered with, and religious teachings were manipulated in schools.

  • Jehovah’s Witnesses were disproportionately targeted, due to their refusal to swear allegiance to the Nazi state or serve in the military. They were often persecuted severely, with thousands being sent to concentration camps.

  • Ultimately, the Nazis aimed to supplant traditional Christian values with their own racial and political ideologies. This intended to secure greater control over the German people and reduce any threats posed by powerful religious organisations.