Allied Bombing, anti-Semitism and Genocide

Question 1

What bombings were there against Germany?

Answer 1

• Air raids against Germany began in 1940 and by 1942 had become more frequent and intense causing many Germans to leave cities and move to rural areas
• The attack on Hamburg in 1943 caused a firestorm that killed 30,000 people and emergency services were unable to cope
• The intensity increased and in 1945 up to 150,000 were killed in raids on Dresden with 70% of properties destroyed
• Nearly as many civilians were killed by bombing as the number of soldiers killed fighting

Question 2

What was the economic impact of bombing?

Answer 2

• It can be argued that bombing prevented Germany from reaching its full economic potential
• They also caused industrial destruction and a breakdown in communications
• Germany was forced to move workers to construct anti-aircraft batteries and underground sites which further limited production

Question 3

What was bombing’s impact on civilian morale?

Answer 3

• Despite the bombing and, from 1943, the awareness that defeat was likely, many people’s morale remained strong until 1945
• Some shared Hitler’s belief that he would establish an 1,000 year Reich
• The Gestapo forced people to keep fighting
• Some believed that Germany would develop a super-weapon and win the war
• Bombing united people

Question 4

How were Jews dealt with from 1939-1941?

Answer 4

• The German occupation of Poland left 3 million Jews under Nazi control, war made resettlement difficult and so ghettos were created
• In June 1941, following the invasion of Russia, SS Einsatzgruppen followed the invading army and rounded up the Jews
• They carried out mass shootings killing 700,000 Jews from 1941-2
• From September 1941, Jews had to wear the yellow star of David so they could be identified

Question 5

What was the final solution?

Answer 5

• The final solution was agreed at the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, the policy had changed from resettlement to extermination
• The final solution outlined plans to use gas for extermination and set up extermination centres at Auschwitz, Sobibor and Treblinka
• In 1943, the Warsaw ghettos were destroyed and Jews were transported to death camps
• Over 6 million Jews were killed along with political opponents, homosexuals, gypsies and many others

Question 6

Was the final solution planned?

Answer 6

• Some believe Hitler was committed to the extermination of the Jews from early on and followed a consistent policy of gradually increasing persecution, also, many Germans did take pat in the Holocaust
• Others see the haphazard implementation of the final solution as there were no written orders for the killing of the Jews, this suggested the plan was only devised at the end of 1941