Life and Times under the Rule of Hitler

Turning the Nation into a Nazi Dream State

Hitler became very popular during the world depression of the 1930s. While other countries were suffering, Hitler was putting people to work and promising consumer goods for his people. New roads were built across the country, and he promised that all families would be provided with cheap cars to use on the new roads.

Hitler directed the production of a Volkswagen or Peoples' car. He selected the famous Austrian car designer Ferdinand Porsche to develop the vehicle. The car was to be shaped like a beetle, an insect Hitler admired because it was hard working and industrious, like the German people. Hitler provided the initial drawings that Porsche used to shape the vehicle.

The price of the new vehicle was to be priced at 900 German marks. The Nazi government even set up a special savings plan where a worker could contribute five marks a week to the fund. At 750 marks, the worker was assigned a number that represented his car, once it rolled off the production line. The entire project was never was realized. When war broke out, factories were converted to weapons production, and all money collected from the people was used by the Nazis to buy military equipment.

The Nazi Party also was interested in controlling all aspects of the lives of the people. The German government calculated that citizens had 3,740 hours of free time in a year. Free time can be dangerous in a dictatorship because the people may start to complain about how the country was being run. Therefore, Hitler wanted his people to busy and happy because happy people made happy workers.

To ensure worker contentment, the Nazi Party ordered the construction of special cruise ships so families could afford cheap vacations. Also cheap train fares were developed so people could travel throughout Germany to vacation. In addition, sporting events, theater and opera were made available for little or no cost.