Nazi ideology greatly impacted German civilian life during World War II by advocating discriminatory practices such as antisemitism and the persecution of "undesirables." The government dominated the arts, media, education, and other facets of public life while using propaganda to cultivate a Hitler cult. Forced labor became a defining feature of the system, and women's possibilities were curtailed. German civilians endured escalating suffering as the war went on and the Axis forces lost, including resource shortages, bombardment, and, from 1944, mass expulsion from Eastern European regions.

During the Holocaust, Jews, Romani people, Slavs, homosexuals, and political opponents were all imprisoned and killed as a result of the Nazis' promotion of antisemitism and racial supremacy.  Films and anti-Semitic propaganda were distributed by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry in an effort to sway public opinion and foster a Hitler cult. While the government regulated artistic expression, favoring some types and outlawing others, education concentrated on race biology and military service.

As the German government gave military requirements top priority, women's access to school and employment prospects was restricted.  Large-scale forced labor and genocide were essential components of the regime's racial agenda. Leaders of Christian churches and civilians who opposed Hitler's reign were imprisoned and subjected to persecution. Allied response to the early "Blitzkrieg" phase gained territory blunted  its progression resulting in its falling short of its goals,  Bombings and eventual relocation were among the growing hardships that German citizens (and resident aliens) had to endure.