What role did women had in Nazi society? Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the role of women in this and French revolution period.

The condition of the women in the Nazi society was worst. In other words, they had no role to play. In 1933, Hitler said: “In my state, the mother is the most important citizen.” But the actions showed that it was not true.

• In Nazi Germany, women were not treated equally to the men. It was taught that if women became the part of the democratic struggle, it would destroy the society.

• Girls were taught to become good mothers and remain pure in the race and bear racially desirable children. If they were not able to do this, they were punished and not favoured in society.

• The women who bore racially desirable children were even awarded; get concessions in movie tickets and railway fares, etc. They also rewarded women with the bronze, silver and gold depending on the number of children produced by the women.

Those who maintained relations with the Jews, Poles and Russians were made to walk in the town with shaved heads, blackened faces and placards hanging around their neck mentioning “I have sullied the honour of the nation.” For such criminal offences, women were even sent to the jail and had to leave their family and children.

The role of the women during the French revolution was completely contrasting as compared to the role of women in Nazi society. Women of France of the Third Estate were not given right to vote. Thus, they played an important role in the French revolution to improve their conditions which were:

• They thought that their involvement would make the revolutionary government to introduce measures which will improve their lives. So they started working to earn for living.

• They started working as laundresses, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables in the market and worked as servants in the houses of the wealthy people.

• They had no access to education, and working women were given fewer wages than men. So to express their views and to improve their condition, they started forming their own political clubs and newspapers; around sixty women’s clubs formed in different French cities, example – Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women.

• As they were not granted the right to vote according to the Constitution of 1791, they demanded the right to vote, to get elected in the assembly and to hold political office.

The above mentioned was the role of women in Nazi Germany and during the French revolution respectively. They played completely different roles. The women in Nazi Germany accepted the life being provided to them while the women in France fought for their rights and tried to improve their condition. They also acquired the Right to Vote at the end of the revolution.