22 - The Wartime Economy And The Work Of Speer Flashcards
When did Germany begin wartime preparations?
Since the launch of four year plan in 1936
September 3rd 1939, Hitler issued a decree for the conversion of the whole German economy onto a war footing.
Didn’t reach a state of full mobilisation in 1942
What was the state of the wartime economy 1939-41
Armed forces suffered shortages of weapons and equipment
Didn’t affect them too negatively as success was achieved through the use of blitzkrieg tactics
How was the situation made more difficult in 1941?
German forces became stretched with war in the Mediterranean and the start of operation Barbossa, supply problems began to hinder the german war effort
What assumptions were made when planning the economy
Assumed war wouldnt start in 1939, france and england would accept the invasion of poland and the war wouldn’t start until the launch of operation Barbossa in 1941
What structural weaknesses were there is German armaments production
Different branches of armed forces demanded highly specialised equipment of high quality
Production of many diff weapons was expensive and required highly skilled labour
What were the issues with Goering’s management of the economy
He lacked the technical and economic knowledge neeeded to do his job effectively
He had poor relations with military leaders and leaders or large companies/ businesses
The war needed more centralised control but he was busy building his own empire
What improvements was Speer able to make
Centralise the coordination of the allocation of labour, equipment and materials to armaments factories
Concentrate the production in fewer factories and a narrower range of standardised products
Greater use of mass production techniques
More shifts working to keep factories operating 24 hours a day
How was spears policy reflected in production figures
‘Production miracle’
German aircraft production increased by 200%
Tank production increased by 250%
What impact did bombing have on wartime production
Damaged supply lines
Factories has to be dispersed
Worker morale affected
Evidence of bombing impact on production
January 1945 it led to
35% fewer tanks
31% fewer aircraft
42% fewer lorries
Why was there a shortage of labour in the munitions industry
Shortage of male labour as men were conscripted into the army
Hitler opposed to the increased use of women in the industry
What decree was made on the 13th January 1943
Decree for the comprehension deployment of men and women for reich defence tasks
How did the decree impact labour
Established a small committee to oversee the mobilisation of labour for war effort
All men aged 16-65 and women 17-45 had to register for work with their local labour office
Small non essential businesses closed and labour transferred to war effort
How was the use of slave labour organised
October 1941 Hitler agreed Russian prisoners of war could be used for slave labour
March 1942 general for labour allocation was established to organise and control foreign labour
1942-45 Sauckel rounded up and transported 2.8 million workers to Germany from eastern euroupe
How were the foreign workers treated
Conditions were harsh
Wages were low
Living conditions harsh
Discipline was severe
Prisoners of war/ concentration camp inmates used as slave labour without any payment and on starvation rations.
