Nazi Germany, JD Vance and the Future of Women's Rights

“people without youth - people without future”, Joseph Goebbels speaks at the opening of the exhibition "The Woman" in March 1933 in Berlin. (Bundesarchiv Bild 102-14418, CC BY-SA 3.0 de)

For Patreon users: If you want to know more about what Propaganda Minister Goebbels said about the role of women in Nazi German society, read here.

Libertas Schulze-Boysen knew she was taking immense risks when she joined the organized resistance against the Nazis in Germany. Together with her husband, Harro Schulze-Boysen, an officer in the Luftwaffe, they initially organized discussion groups to foster resistance to the Nazi regime. By the late 1930s, they began actively resisting the Nazis. Schulze-Boysen documented atrocities committed by the Nazis, using photographs of war crimes forwarded by soldiers who had witnessed or participated in mass murders.

In 1941, their resistance group evolved into an espionage network that provided German military and economic information to the Soviet Union. Schulze-Boysen was a courier, writer of seditious pamphlets, and recruiter for the group. When her husband was absent, she deputized as the group's leader. In late 1942, the Nazis arrested her husband; her arrest followed a month later. The regime executed the couple on December 22, 1942.

Her story isn't only remarkable for her brave resistance against the fascist regime. It is also exceptional to see a woman in Nazi Germany in a leading role. In the eyes of the regime, the role of women was about following, not leading—a stark contrast to the evolution of women's rights and gender equality under the Weimar Republic.

Women in the Weimar Republic

In 1919, women gained the right to vote and hold office, significantly changing their social, political, and economic roles. Women entered the workforce in greater numbers and more diverse jobs. This greater freedom and independence was connected to the concept of the "new woman," who enjoyed more social liberties, including fashion, leisure, and professional opportunities.

The Weimar Republic was progressive regarding women's rights compared to other countries at the time. The Weimar Constitution granted women equal rights, the right to vote, and the ability to hold office. By 1932, 112 women had been elected to the Reichstag. Women also began to take on new kinds of jobs previously dominated by men, such as tram conductors, department store clerks, factory workers, lawyers, and doctors.

The appeal of Nazism to German women

Nearly a century later, it is hard to understand the appeal Nazism had for many German women. The Nazis had been clear from the beginning about their promotion of the exclusion of women from political and academic life and from all other positions of responsibility in Germany. Still, millions of German women supported the Nazis, even when the regime pressured them to fill the roles of mother and wife.

In 1935, during a speech to the National-Socialist Women's Congress, Hitler declared:

"In reality, the granting of so-called equal rights to women, as demanded by Marxism, does not confer equal rights at all, but constitutes the deprivation of rights, since they draw women into a zone where they can only be inferior. It places women in situations where they cannot strengthen their position with regard to men and with society—but it only weakens them."

This line of thought was inconsistent and confusing but worrying. Yet, it appealed to those who wanted to hear in it what they wanted to hear. This phenomenon is reminiscent of today's right-wing populists, who also formulate confusing thoughts that appeal to those who like to interpret them in their favor.

Parallels with modern right-wing populism

There is another element in the early years of German fascism that sheds light on what might be happening in the minds of some supporters of the MAGA cult and its recently more pronounced ideas about women in society. Historian Pierre Ayçoberry noted that the Nazi offensive against women's rights pleased their male colleagues worried about competition and returned to private life more than 100,000 people proud of their success, the majority of whom were voters who supported the political left.

I hadn't realized that this thought might play a role in the male MAGA minds: They may be motivated by a desire not only to send back migrants who take their jobs but also to send progressive women back into traditional roles, as they, too, are seen as competitors in the job market.

The appeal of JD Vance

JD Vance's recent comments about "childless cat ladies" and his views on women's roles may not directly relate to Nazi Germany's policies. Still, there are concerning parallels in the underlying ideology. Vance's comments suggest that women should prioritize motherhood, echoing Nazi Germany's ideology that confined women to domestic roles. As the Nazis focused on increasing the "Aryan" birthrate, Vance criticizes childless women and supports Hungary's pro-natalist policies. His suggestion that childless women should have fewer voting rights corresponds to a certain degree to the Nazi efforts to exclude women from political life.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz: the importance of vigilance

The increasing freedom and possibilities for women in the Weimar Republic and how Hitler reversed these positive developments once he came to power serve as a reminder that progress in society is often a process of two steps forward and one step back. But that is not a reason to give up fighting for equal rights. This historical lesson underscores the importance of continuing to fight for equal rights.

With Kamala Harris—and Tim Walz since today —voters in the US have a clear choice. Two charismatic leaders with strong communication skills represent the alternative to MAGA. Going back on women's rights is weird. Harris and Walz will remind voters that there is a real choice about essential issues and that they have the future in their hands.

Brave women like Libertas Schulze-Boysen showed the world that even in the dark brown nightmare of Nazi Germany in 1942, there was still decency and the strength to fight for what was morally right.

This time, it is easier—you have to vote, with the added task of ensuring a fair count of the votes afterward. If Trump gets his way, he will manipulate the US future so that the majority in the House and the Supreme Court get a far bigger say in who won the elections than the voters. In that case, more will be needed to preserve democracy than just casting a vote. History can guide us, especially in this crucial year. 

For Patreon users: If you want to know more about what Propaganda Minister Goebbels said about the role of women in Nazi German society, read here.

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Notes:

Wikipedia, NYT, Bundesarchiv