Assess Whether the Lives of German Workers Improved in the 1930s

In the 1930s, Hitler wanted to make Germany a strong nation ready for war. With unemployment rates very high, at 4.8 billion and the standard of living for German workers very low, he knew he needed to organise the state. Hitler and the Nazi Party made many changes and policies in the 1930s to try and improve the lives of German workers. But did these changes actually improve their lives?

On one hand, the lives of German workers improved dramatically from 1930-1939. In 1933, after the ban of trade unions (to eliminate political opposition), Hitler set up the DAF (German Labour Front) to replace the unions. The DAF's main role was to make sure that workers served the best interests of the Nazi regime. The DAF confirmed what the minimum working standards should be. This changed the lives of German workers because it prevented them from being seriously exploited of work by their employers.
Hitler felt it important to solve unemployment in Germany. He thought that unemployed men were potential communist supporters and that the unemployed men weakened Germany. He decided to put these men to work, to 'serve their country' and so in 1933, the RAD (National Labour Service) was set up by the Nazis. The RAD provided manual work
for the unemployed, such as: working in fields and building public buildings and motorways (autobahns). This improved the lives of German workers because it gave the unemployed a job. In 1935, it was compulsory for all young men to attend the RAD for six months. As well as giving men work, the projects by the RAD were good for Germany, which made better living standards for the people. Due to Hitler's 'Four Year Plan' the government's spending on rearmament increased. Production of things like iron and steel increased as a necessity of the army, because of this unemployment rates fell dramatically as production went up because Hitler wanted Germany to be autarky. The army grew to 500,000 in 1936 to 900,000 and unemployment fell from 4.8 billion...