German Economy During the Third Reich

How were each major areas of the economy organised during the Third Reich?

| What was the government’s role? | How were developments influenced ideology? | How far was this successful? |

Agriculture | * Higher process and cancellation of some debts * Food production that was vital for autarky – help with the waging of war | * ‘Blood and Soil’ – peasants were the ‘backbone’ of Germany. * The Reich Entailed farm law – lower interest charges and early tax concessions. (small farms declined) | * Arable farmers benefited from subsidies, but livestock farmers were hit hard by shortages. * Extra labour, lack of capital for investment, and more priority for the military rather than agriculture meant farms were increasingly harmed. * ‘Flight from the land’ * Production failed to meet growing demand |

Industry | * Industry brought under state supervision – national unity. * Industry remained largely privately owned | * Four Year Plan * Rearmament * ‘protect the small businessman’ | * Larger firms expanded – small businesses unable to compete with demands went bankrupt. |

Transport | * Greatest Nazi effort went into a massive autobahn creation scheme – to symbolize the ‘new Germany’ | * Planes, trains in need to support Jews and troops * War preparation * Transport supplies | * Great success with roads – boosted employment + car production * Show off to the world the ‘New Germany’ * Railways – comparative neglect and disorganization with competing demands for use. |

Trade | * No major growth in foreign trade in the 1930’s. * Schacht’s series of bilateral deals was replaced by more stress on autarky. * Looked onto more domestic production and foreign conquest to obtain the necessary resources | * Imports were controlled + foreign exchange * Bilateral trade deals with 25 separate countries (getting Germany ‘back on track’ as a great power | * World depression made exporting difficult * Planned...