22 - the Wartime Economy and the Work of Speer

Question 1

What did Hitler issue on the 3rd September 1939?

Answer 1

Decree of the Conversion of the Whole German Economy onto a War Footing

Question 2

When did the German economy reach a state of full mobilisation?

Answer 2

1942

Question 3

What problems did the war effort face in 1939 - 41?

Answer 3

Shortages of weapons and equipment, but this did not impact war effort as they’d achieved quick success through Blitzkrieg tactics

Question 4

Why was the economy not fully prepared by 1939?

Answer 4

Hitler had expected Britain and France to accept the invasion of Poland so therefore had not anticipated war starting in 1939, instead in 1941 when Operation Barbarossa was launched

Question 5

What did the 4 year plan focus on?

Answer 5

Building up Germany’s productive potential through increasing iron and steel production

Question 6

What weaknesses in production were there?

Answer 6

Armaments were expensive to produce in variety

Question 7

How did the proportion of labour force in armaments increase?

Answer 7

1939 - 21%
1941 - 55%

Question 8

Despite the increase in production, how was overall development slow?

Answer 8

The many different versions of similar weapons ordered made it difficult to standardise

Question 9

Why was Goering an ineffective economics minister?

Answer 9

He had poor relations with army leaders

Question 10

What was total war?

Answer 10

Any and all civilian associated resources and infrastructure becoming legitimate military targets

Question 11

What war time problems did Germany’s economy face?

Answer 11

• lack of standardisation limited equipment
• war broke out earlier than anticipated
• Goering was not an economist
• war on 2 fronts led to split resources
  = ultimately Goering was not an effective leader

Question 12

Who was Fritz Todt?

Answer 12

• appointed in 1939
• popular as built the Autobahn and West Wall
• by 1942 pessimistic about the war
• died in Feb 1942 in suspicious circumstances

Question 13

What did Todt do and what did Hitler order from him?

Answer 13

Was ordered to simplify arms production:
1. Ammunition
2. Weapons
3. Tanks
4. Engineering
5. Equipment

Question 14

Who was Albert Speer?

Answer 14

• former architect who took over the economy immediately after Todt
• massively streamlined economy

Question 15

How did Speer streamline the arms industry?

Answer 15

1. Put arms manufactures directly under his control
2. Cut back on unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy
3. Brought industrialists back into ministry for munitions
4. Combined small firms making specialist equipment together

Question 16

What improvements were seen in arms manufacture?

Answer 16

1. Construction times to build a U boat fell from 42 weeks to 16 weeks
2. Arms manufacturing costs declined
3. Efficiency advisors appointed to all major firms
4. Reduction in type of vehicles being made (151 types of lorries in 1939 to 23 by 1942, and then eventually 3)

Question 17

How drastically had efficiency improved from 1942-44?

Answer 17

50%

Question 18

How did production of aircraft in Germany match up to Britain and the USA?

Answer 18

Germany - 15,000 in 1942 and 40,000 in 1944
Britain - 23,000 in 1942 and 47,000 in 1944
USA - 48,000 in 1942 and 114,000 in 1944

Question 19

Who was Joseph Goebbels?

Answer 19

• Following the loss at Stalingrad in 193, became the face of the regime
• tried to use the loss to resume government control over economy
• announced that the next few years would be hard on the Germans

Question 20

What closures did Goebbels announce?

Answer 20

• nightclubs
• bars and restaurants
• luxury hotels
  These people would be sent to fight or be involved in the war effort

Question 21

What was the production miracle?

Answer 21

Between 1941 and 1943:
- aircraft production increased by 200%
- tank production by 250%

Question 22

What happened to Messerschmitt Bf 109?

Answer 22

• production got confined to 3 rather than 7 factories
• 180 to 1000 a month

Question 23

How was political infighting tackled?

Answer 23

• wanted his associate Hanke as Labour Deployment commissioner
• he was baulked by Bormann and Lammers

Question 24

How was Gauleiter empires tackled?

Answer 24

• some regional leaders did not want to comply
• said he would limit their coal supply if they didn’t help with food

Question 25

How was corruption and distorted figures tackled?

Answer 25

• some people were twisting figures to imply a greater need eg. Goering and Thierack
• passed a decree punishing manufactures that made false claims

Question 26

How was production of non essential goods tackled?

Answer 26

• Concerns that they needed to prioritise more effectively
• campaigned against allocation of non military causes getting essential goods
• rubber stamp ‘irrelevant to the war effort’ for orders

Question 27

How was inadequate mobilisation of labour tackled?

Answer 27

• by 1944, 25% or 6.5 million workers were foreign
• French, 1.1 million, Poles, 1.4 million

Question 28

Who was Fritz Sauckel?

Answer 28

• responsible for the mobilisation of labour
• created the horrific living conditions of labour camps
• workers were not overly productive as they were ill and starving