1939-1945 IMPACT OF WAR Flashcards
Short term military tactics
Blitzkreig- Poland crushed, gave Germans accesss to valuable raw materials
Where did Germany originally conquer?
Poland, the Low Countries, and France
Which battle did Germany lose which was significant?
Battle of Britain 1940
When was Operation Barbarossa?
22 Jun- Nov 1941
Why did Hitler believe Operation Barbarossa would quickly defeat the USSR?
Believed that Blitzkreig tactics would work as they did against Poland and France
Reasons why German military was successful from 1939-1941 (5)
- France and Britain failed to take initiative so Poland had to fight alone
- Blitzkreig strategies overwhelmed at first
- French defensive strategy not prepared for Blitzkreig tactics
- Germany’s expansion from 1938 allowed it to exploit labour and resources
- USSR suprised and unprepared
When did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbour?
Dec 1941- turning point
What British victory ejected German troops from North Africa?
El Alamein
How did German strategy shift from 1943?
Defensive
Why was the German war economy inefficient?
Pressure from premature outbreak of war
Limitations of economic mobilisation
Germany’s air force only increased from 8000 to 10,000 from 1939 to 1941
Rationalisation Decree
Issued by Hitler to Todt, to eliminate the waste of labour and materials
When did Speer replace Todt as minister of armaments?
Feb 1942
‘Industrial self-responsibility’
To provide mass production- got rid of controls on businesses to fit with Nazi wishes
Speer’s initiatives (3)
- Employing more women in arms factories
- Making more efficient use of forced labour
- Preventing skilled workers to be lost to military conscription
How much did ammunition production increase in Speer’s first 6 months?
97%
How much did tank production rise in Speer’s first 6 months?
25%
How much did total arms production increase in Speer’s first 6 months?
59%
Effects of war on foreign workers
By 1944, foreign workers made up 25% of workforce
Treated badly- not very productive
Reasons for Germany’s early military success (3)
Britain and France slow to react
Blitzkreig strategies overwhelmed
USSR taken by surprise
By how much did German military expenditure increase 1939-41?
Doubled
Limitations of economic mobilisation (3)
Armaments productions remained low eg only 3500 tanks
Poor co-ordination and inefficiency
Political infighting between Nazi figures
By 1941, __% of the workforce was involved in war related projects
55%
Speer’s initiatives (3)
Employed more women in factories
Made forced labour more effective
Prevented skilled workers being lost to conscription
What policy did Speer bring in?
Policy of industrial self responsibility- helped improve mass production
Apr 1942 Central Planning Board
Centralised and co-ordianated
Gave industrialists freedom
War economy successes (3)
Ammunition increased 97%
Total arms production increased 59%
Tanks up 25%
War economy failures (3)
Had the capacity to produce more than it did
Did not exploit plundered lands with economic efficiency
SS remained a law unto themselves
Effect of allied bombing
Minimal- Speer’s production rate demonstrated that it did not break the economy
However may have prevented Germany from producing more
1939 invasion of Poland- about __,____ Poles executed
16,000
Policy for Polish Jews 1939-41
Ghettoisation
Example of a Jewish ghetto
Łodź, Krakow, Warsaw
Invasion of Russia- estimated ___,____ killed
600,000
The Wannsee Conference 1942
Decisive meeting for the Final Solution
Which meeting was the ‘decisive’ meeting for the Final Solution?
The Wannsee Conference
Example of consumer goods falling
Clothing fell by 25%
Policy for workers during war years
Working hours increased to 60 per week in 1944
1944 banned holidays
Peasantry during the war years
Growing shortage meant that forced labour from Eastern Europe was necessary- contrasted with Nazi ideology
By 1945 women made up __% of the workforce
60%
When was conscription for women introduced ?
1941
Youth during war time
Decline in educational standards
Formal exams ceased in 1943
HJ compulsory
Polarised
Propaganda during war time
War films like Kolberg- glorified war and increased patriotism
