Defeat of Germany

Question 1

What were the reasons for Germany’s defeat

Answer 1

1. ENTRY OF USA, WAR ON 2 FRONTS
   - Contribution of manpower & resources
   (Largest industrial power, cash & carry, lend lease war supplies to Britain)
   - Collaboration with allies
   (Operation Overlord 6/6/1944, Naval & Aerial superiority)
2. GERMAN WEAKNESSES & CALCULATIONS
   INEFFECTIVE COMMAND STRUCTURE
   - Hitler made final decisions, against generals, confusing system w overleaping authority
   - Chose attacking civilians instead of RAF
   MISUSE OF RESOURCES & FUNDS
   - wasted on variety & untested weapons
   - hinder production & repair
3. ALLIED RESISTANCE
   - Reorganisation of Soviets, Russian winters of 41-42, gave them time to rebuild & reorganise
   - British resistance to Blitz, strengthen their resolve
   - Resistance movements

Question 2

How did entry of USA/ war on 2 fronts affect Germany’s defeat

Answer 2

MANPOWER & RESOURCES
In 1941, USA was the largest industrial power -> converted its factories to military production faster than any Axis Power -> bolstered the Allied war machine.
Lend-Lease: $31.4bil of war supplies provided to Britain
Contributed 11mil soldiers to the war effort, second only to the USSR’s 12.5mil, -> aid Allied military campaigns.

CASH & CARRY + LEND-LEASE ACT

COLLABORATION IN STRATEGY
‘Operation Overlord’ -> played a key role in the D-Day landings (6 June 1944) to recapture Nazi-occupied Western Europe.
Collaborated with Britain in the regular long-range bombing of German cities to weaken vital industries and destroy synthetic oil plants -> control of the air.
Combined navies allowed them to gain control of the Atlantic. -> control of the sea.
Allied control over the air and the sea -> prevented essential resources from reaching Germany -> helped the Allies to reduce Germany’s military capabilities and resources -> weakened Germany’s war effort.
Greatly bolstered by US involvement and military intelligence -> strengthen the Allies military offensive campaigns against Germany -> led to Germany’s defeat.

Question 3

How did German weakness & miscalculations led to their defeat?

Answer 3

INEFFECTIVE COMMAND STRUCTURE
- Confusing system of overlapping authority,
- Hitler insisted on making final decisions, often ignoring advice from experienced generals, making poor military decisions
eg. Choosing to bomb civilian areas instead of RAF, giving them time to recover their losses
- Undermined Germany’s military campaign, allowed Allies to gain the upper hand

INAPPROPRIATE USE OF RESOURCES & MILITARY FUNDS
- Wasted on many different types of weapons, V2 rockets, Gustav Gun, requiring many spare parts, making repair & resupply difficult
- Women did not work, factories run by slave labourers, inadequate personnel
- Reduced resources, lack of equipment for war effort, lost war in numbers & resources to allies, giving them a disadvantage,
- Allies manage to overwhelm Germans

HEAVY RELIANCE ON PETROLEUM
- Had very little natural oil, but oil was the main driving force of the German war machine, relied on synthetic oil & imports
- >1943, subjected to allied bombings, Ploesti oilfields in Romania, (main exporter) out of service by Soviet Red Army & USA Air Force in Aug 1944
- Could no longer drive German war machine, putting it to a halt, could no longer counter Allied attacks

WAR ON 2 FRONTS
- Eastern Front (USSR) + Western Front (GB)
- Declared war on USA, war against 2 formidable opponents
- Stretched for resources, wanted a short war via Blitzkrieg but war was lengthened

Question 4

How did Allied resistance led to German defeat?

Answer 4

USSR REORGANISATION
- Soviets defeated 80% of German forces on the Eastern front,
- Bitter ‘41-‘42 Russian winters + Strong resistance + German tac. errors, few logistics, gave Soviets time to reorganise & rebuild economy
- Winters bought time for Soviets to reorganise army, rebuild economy, had fierce resistance, improved communications & weapons
- Germans were ill-prepared for the winter, not enough logistics or fought in cold; low morale

BRITISH RESISTANCE
- Strengthened their resolve, Churchill rallied the British during the Sept 1940 Blitz
- Strengthened British resolve & morale instead of weakening it, RAF had time to recover
- Undermined military effectiveness, Failed German attempt to achieve air & sea supremacy, gave up on invasion of Britain, focusing on USSR

RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS*
- Yugoslav, Polish, Soviet, French resistance
- Sabotaged factories, blowing up rail links, gathered info, helped POWs, engaged in non-cooperation