This document includes revision notes regarding Theme 4 of the Germany and West Germany module for History A Level. The well-organised notes include aspects of life in Germany and West Germany throughout 1918-89, from a consistent grade A student. The concise notes can be used as a good revision to...
TO WHAT EXTENT DID THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEM CHANGE
AND DEVELOP IN GERMANY IN THE YEARS 1918-1989?
ROLE + STATUS OF WOMEN: 1918-32
*DID CHANGE from Kinder, Kuche, Kirche = more women in jobs + given the vote = turnout shows how they
wanted to be a part of it*
1) PRE-WW1:
- German Civil Code of 1900:
- Women couldn’t vote.
- Single women could study for a profession but couldn’t take exams to qualify + practice.
- Married women had no legal status = a man had to do any legal business on their behalf.
- Weimar’s attitude was liberal in theory but more traditional in practice.
- 12th Nov. 1918 = emergency government = Council of People’s Representatives = Friedrich Ebert = gave
women the right to vote.
- Women turnout in the first election = 90%.
- 1919-32 = 112 women elected to the Reichstag.
- Women’s status under Civil Code of emergency gov. = pre-war women’s groups fought more for legal rights
than the vote.
- Article 109 = Constitution stated women had equal rights ‘in principle’ = marriage should be an equal union
= women should be able to enter professions BUT there was no change in their legal status.
2) IMPACT OF WW1 ON WOMEN’S JOBS:
- During war = women took over men’s places in factories/ farms etc.
- 1913 = armament manufacturer = Krupp = had no female employees.
- 1918 = Krupp = over 28,000.
- Women without men = ‘surplus women’ = increased = significant part of population = 1.6 million men killed
in war.
- Women forced to give up jobs for returning soldiers.
- Opposition to gov. = single women working was seen as temporary + professions needed long-term training.
- Post- war consensus = 1925 = 36% of the workforce was female = almost back to pre-war levels of 34%.
3) TYPES OF INDUSTRIES WOMEN WORKED IN:
- White-blouse jobs = clerical + shop work.
- Could qualify as lawyers = 1933 had 36 female lawyers.
- Idea of single women working = more accepted = married women still discouraged from working.
- 1925 = over 2500 female doctors.
- 1925 = over quarter of a million women were doing poorly paid work from home = to look after children.
- Women still faced hostility + discrimination from male colleagues = E.G. trade unions were male
dominated.
- Of the 36% in the workforce = over half worked poorly paid manual jobs.
4) NEW WOMAN:
- Came of age during WW1.
- Young/ educated/ unmarried women.
- Wanted independence = mostly worked in white-blouse jobs rather than industrial/ manual labour.
- Rebellious = wore revealing clothes = smoked + drank = behaved with the freedom of a man.
- City- based = opposition from media + politicians = called them immoral.
- Supported by the film industry + advertisement = produced glorified images for aspiring ‘new women’ to
look up to.
- Reality = faced wage + sexual discrimination = many ended up settling down to marriage.
5) EFFECTS OF GREAT DEPRESSION:
- Unemployment rose to 2 million = 1929-30 = 3 million 12 months after the Wall Street Crash.
- Increased hostility to working women.
- Desperation from women who were working as breadwinners in their family.
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