Did the Nazis achieve a social revolution by 1939?/How did war affect Nazi ideology? Flashcards

1
Q

Describe Germany’s experience during WW2:

A
  • Food supply decreased (failed to be an autarky) ~ rationing.
  • Early years were characterised with success ~ Poland and the Netherlands fell quickly ~ but were unsuccessful after 1942.
  • Quality of life decreased.
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2
Q

Explain how Nazi policy was affected by the outbreak of war:

A
  • Had to focus on the war so didn’t enforce some of their ideologies.
  • Very large Jewish population in Poland ~ more Jews to persecute.
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3
Q

Analyse which groups were most affected by changes to Nazi policy during the war years:

A
  • Women - 1943 ~ all women between the ages of 17 and 45 had to register for work. Working hours increased.
  • Children = evacuated to the country ~ Nazis struggled to continue to influence them with Nazi ideals.
  • Young people ~ sent to war.
  • Soldiers = forced to fight.
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4
Q

Evaluate how the Nazis had to compromise on their principles during WW2:

A

They had to have more people working ~ women were influenced to go to work.

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5
Q

Which areas of German life were affected by WW2?

A
  • Civilians had to cut back on heating, work longer hours and recycle their rubbish.
  • The standard of living fell.
  • May 1942 - food shortages ~ reduced the weekly bread and meat ration. But a ration book did not guarantee that people would get food.
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6
Q

Which 4 groups of people were most affected by the war?

A
  • Children - evacuated.
  • German soldiers.
  • Women.
  • Minority groups living in Germany & the land they invaded.
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7
Q

How did the German experience of war change from 1942 onwards?

(6 points)

A
  • Morale fell as the German attack on Russia stalled in 1942.
  • 1943 - all women between the ages of 17 and 45 had to register for work.
  • Bomber attacks on German cities ~ Hamburg in July 1943 ~ 50 000 German civilians died in one week.
  • Country areas had to take evacuees from the cities.
  • Support for the Nazis fell - people stayed away from Nazi rallies and refused to give the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute.
  • Himmler = contacted the allies to ask about possible peace terms.
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8
Q

Why was censorship introduced?

A
  • Goebbels tried to get people to support the war by involving them in it by asking them to make sacrifices ~ donated 1.5 million fur coats to help clothe the German army in Russia.
  • All places of entertainment closed - except cinemas ~ Goebbels needed these to show propaganda films.
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9
Q

How did Goebbels try to get people to support the war and what did this lead to?

A

Involving them in it by asking them to make sacrifices ~ donated 1.5 million fur coats to help clothe the German army in Russia.

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10
Q

Why did Hitler distance himself from the people of Germany?

A
  • Concentrated on the details of the war and so the German people saw and heard less of Hitler.
  • In 1942 the ‘Final Solution’ began.
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11
Q

State Hitler’s attitude towards the Treaty of Versailles:

A

Unfair and the main reason for Germany’s problems.

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12
Q

Describe why Hitler wanted to launch a war:

A

Wanted to prove that Germany was strong and reverse the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

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13
Q

What did the Axis Allies want?

A
  • Territorial expansion by military conquest.
  • The destruction of communism.
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14
Q

What did Hitler want?

A

Domination over continental Europe.

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15
Q

What did Mussolini want?

A

Domination over the Mediterranean.

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16
Q

What did Japan want?

A

Domination over East Asia and the Pacific.

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17
Q

Between 1939-1941 why were the Germans were successful:

What were the USSR not expecting?

A

The German attack during Operation Barbarossa.

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18
Q

Between 1939-1941 why were the Germans were successful:

What did the Lebensraum expansion from 1938 allow?

A

Germany better access to labour and resources.

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19
Q

Between 1939-1941 why were the Germans were successful:

What did the French rely on?

A

The Maginot Line which was also overwhelmed.

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20
Q

Between 1939-1941 why were the Germans were successful:

What strategy of rapid advances did the Germans use and why was this successful?

A

Blitzkrieg strategy ~ overwhelmed all of their enemies in the first two years.

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21
Q

What was the Maginot Line?

A

Defence fortifications on the Franco-German border.

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22
Q

From 1942 German success changed:

What happened by December 1942?

A

German advance into the USSR had stalled at Stalingrad and losses were also experienced in North Africa.

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23
Q

From 1942 German success changed:

From 1943 onwards what was Germany fighting?

A

A defensive war and was subject to bombing raids.

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24
Q

From 1942 German success changed:

What did Germans do when Soviet troops marched in from the East?

A

Retreated westwards.

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25
Q

From 1942 German success changed:

When did Hitler commit suicide?

A

April 1945.

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26
Q

From 1942 German success changed:

When did Japan surrender after atomic bombs are dropped?

A

August 1945.

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27
Q

From 1942 German success changed:

What happened in Western Europe in June 1944?

A

Liberated from D-Day.

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28
Q

From 1942 German success changed:

When did Germany unconditionally surrender?

A

May 1945.

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29
Q

What led to USA joining the war in 1941?

A

Japan attack Pearl Harbour.

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30
Q

When did Nazi Germany invade Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa?

A

1941.

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31
Q

When did Germany invade France?

A

1940.

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32
Q

What happened in 1942-1943 and what did this lead to?

A

Battle of Stalingrad ~ Germany defeated in USSR.

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33
Q

When was the German Soviet Nonaggression Pact?

A

1939 August.

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34
Q

When was the rest of Czechoslovakia taken by German military?

A

1939.

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35
Q

When was Poland invaded by Germany?

A

1939.

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36
Q

When do Britain and France declare war?

A

1939.

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37
Q

What happened in 1938?

A
  • Czechoslovakia forced to surrender Sudetenland.
  • Anschluss.
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38
Q

Who does Hitler form Axis Power with in 1936?

A

Mussolini.

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39
Q

What did Hitler begin the expansion of in the years 1936-1945?

A

National borders to incorporate ethnic Germans.

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40
Q

By 1941, what percentage of the workforce were working in war-related projects?

A

55%

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41
Q

How did Germany attempt to overcome the labour shortage faced from 1939?

A

May 1939 (before the war had started) 24.5 million men were employed in the economy. By 1940, that had fallen to just 20.5 million as some 4 million had been called up to fight in the armed forces.

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42
Q

How had aircrafts increased from 1939-1941?

A

1939 = 1,290
1941 = 10,780

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43
Q

What was there a 20% decline in?

A

Civilian consumption of goods.

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44
Q

German military expenditure more than doubled in the period from…

A

1939 to 1941.

45
Q

A series of economic decrees were issued in December 1939. What did they outline?

A

Vast programmes for war production.

46
Q

When was Food rationing introduced for some products and when was clothes rationing introduced?

A

Food = start of war

Clothes = a few months later

47
Q

How had Plane production increased from September 1939-June 1941?

A

1939 = 8,290
1941 = 10,780

48
Q

Germany invaded the West in 1940, how many more tanks did they have when they invaded the USSR in 1941?

A

800

49
Q

Production was hit by inefficiency and poor coordination.

What is an example of this?

A

There were a number of key projects not due to be finished until 1942 by the time war broke out in 1939.

50
Q

Numerous agencies like Ministries of Armaments, Economics, Labour and Finance often had different what?

A

Interests and demands.

51
Q

Germany faced labour shortages.

In May 1939 how many men were employed in the economy and how had this fallen by 1940 and why?

A

May 1939 = 24.5 million men.

Fallen to just 20.5 million ~ some 4 million had been called up to fight in the armed forces.

52
Q

Where did Germany forcibly recruit foreign workers from?

Why did they have to be policed?

A

Both southern and central Europe.

To ensure that they worked and that there was no undesirable racial contact between German and non-German workers.

53
Q

Why did Germany use propaganda and what did this result in?

A

In an attempt to heighten morale of the German people, though this did the opposite, having people wonder why they were subject to such bad living conditions if they were, in fact, winning.

54
Q

What did propaganda presenting a false expectation that they would win the war result in?

A

German people slowly began to feel distrust towards Hitler due to the lies being spread regarding the war. Hitler was most likely aware of this, explaining why he hid away for the last years of the war.

55
Q

What did Britain not experience?

A

A setback on morale.

56
Q

What was Blitz Spirit?

A

The phenomenon in which people band together when times are difficult.

57
Q

How did Germany try to lower Britain’s morale?

A

Bombings so that they could invade and take over, though they failed and didn’t manage.

58
Q

How did Goebbels gain popularity?

A

By visiting bombed areas, though Hitler stayed away ~ kept up a good reputation for the Nazis.

59
Q

What happened on 13th February 1945?

A

British aircraft launched an attack on Dresden.

60
Q

What happened in the following days after the Dresden bombing on 13th February 1945?

A

Britain and their US allies would drop nearly 4,000 tons of explosives in the attack ~ death of tens of thousands of people.

61
Q

How many dwellings had been completely destroyed after the Dresden bombing on the 13th February 1545 and what did this lead to?

A

Around 78,000 ~ people were made homeless and lost everything, including their lives.

62
Q

When was German morale destroyed beyond repair?

A

The bombing of Dresden.

63
Q

How did Communists oppose and resist during the war - The Red Orchestra?

A
  • Students, Artists, Journalists and many were women
  • Discussed political and artistic issues.
  • It intensified their political education and work by distributing leaflets and letters.
64
Q

How active were the Communists during the war?

A
  • The movement was still active but not prominent, and they went underground.
  • Were particularly revived after the invasion of the USSR (a communist country)
65
Q

How successful were the Communists in opposition and resistance develop during the war?

A
  • Didn’t develop any serious threat during the start of the war.
  • Did begin to increase their influence.
  • Weren’t that impactful as they were youth and women who were seen as less important.
66
Q

How did Students & the White Rose Group oppose and resist during the war?

A

Student group in Munich that distributed anti-Nazi leaflets.

67
Q

Who were the White Rose Group and what were they meant to be a symbol of?

A

The only passively resistant youth group that was opposing the Nazis directly.

  • Peace.
68
Q

How successful were the Students & the White Rose Group in opposition and resistance develop during the war?

A
  • Lack of security
  • The six leaders were arrested, tortured and executed.
69
Q

Who were the Kreisau circle?

A
  • Middle class and women.
  • Officers, Academics, Aristocrats and Churchmen.
70
Q

What did the Kreisau circle want?

A
  • To rid themselves of a populist dictatorship.
  • To Christianize the country.
71
Q

How successful were the Kreisau circle in opposition and resistance develop during the war?

A
  • Had influential figures that could gain support.
  • Posed a threat as they had more power than youth/university students.
72
Q

How did the Stauffenberg Plot oppose and resist during the war?

A
  • Stauffenberg placed a bomb in a suitcase in an attempt to assassinate Hitler.
  • Seized the capital.
73
Q

How successful were the Stauffenberg Plot in opposition and resistance develop during the war?

A

Plot wasn’t successful and 7,000 were arrested and 5,000 were executed.

74
Q

Which opposition group was the only passively resistant youth group?

A

White rose group.

75
Q

How many were arrested/killed as a result of the Stauffenburg plot?

A

7,000 arrested of which 5,000 were executed.

76
Q

Why was the Kreisau Circle more of a threat to the Nazis than the communists?

A

The Kreisau Circle was made up of the Middle class, Aristocrats and Academics rather than the communists containing youths and women making the resistance more significant.

77
Q

How were women impacted by war?

A
  • They were sent back to work and in 1943 all women aged 17-45 had to register for work.
  • They needed to help with the war effort.
  • They were working in armaments factories and as medics.
78
Q

Why did women have to work long hours?

A

Food shortages, price rises and helping with the war effort.

79
Q

Why were women’s lives arguably changed the most during the war?

A

They had to adapt to a work environment, care for their children after not being allowed to work for years ~ working long hours and caring for children and helping with the war effort meant that their lives were very different to what they were before the war.

80
Q

How were children impacted by war?

A
  • Education ~ lack of education impacted children’s knowledge on things and their futures.

-

81
Q

How were girls impacted by war?

A

Had to prepare for work.

82
Q

How were boys impacted by war?

A
  • Hitler Youth laws ~ made the Hitler Youth mandatory because numbers were dropping.
  • Hitler Youth: more training for combat and increased sports - perfect for a German soldier.
  • They were impacted by having to go to war if they were of age ~ they had been prepared when being in the Hitler Youth.
  • The Nazis prepared the youth for war which meant that they were prepared to fight or help at home.
  • Most young males 17+ would have to fight for Germany due to lack of men in the army (either those who died or are injured during the war).
83
Q

How were rations used and what did this lead to?

A
  • Meat rations dropped from 750 grams per week in 1939 to 250 grams per week in 1945.
    State was in massive debt ~ inflation rising.
  • Average calorie consumption had dropped from the recommended 2000 per day to about one-half of that.
84
Q

What did price rises mean for Agricultural workers/farmers?

A
  • Struggled even more with buying things.
  • Food consumption per person fell 25% by 1941.
85
Q

Why were there food shortages and what did this result in?

A

Food shortages like meat due to lack of imports from the US ~ foods like bread and potatoes -​​ Germans’ diet was lacking in variety, with lots of bread, potatoes and preserves.

86
Q

How were Workers affected by war?

A
  • Increased working hours.
  • Workers were given extra rations as they were vital for the war effort (links with farmers)
87
Q

What did the Nazis keep the war effort going through workers?

A

Forced labour ~ transporting hundreds of thousands of civilians and prisoners of war from Eastern Europe and elsewhere to Germany to keep the war effort going.

88
Q

At the end of the war, how many enslave labourers and other ‘displaced persons’ became refugees inside Germany?

A

8 million.

89
Q

How many ethnic Germans were either refugees or had been expelled from the countries surrounding Germany in the East?

A

11 million.

90
Q

Who were given extra rations?

A
  • People considered important to the war effort, such as workers in heavy industries.
  • There was also extra food for pregnant women and blood donors.
91
Q

What was the impact of workers being forced into labour?

A

Probably weren’t paid enough to get by so quality of life decreased.

92
Q

Money from the public went where and what did this do?

A

Money for war ~ increased inflation.

93
Q

What percentage of housing had been destroyed by 1944 and how much had been badly damaged?

A
  • 20% = housing destroyed.
  • 30% = badly damaged.
94
Q

What did civilians have to do?

A
  • Cut back on heating.
  • Work long hours.
  • Recycle their rubbish.
95
Q

What added to the problem of transporting what food remained?

A

Fuel shortages.

96
Q

In 1942, all places of entertainment were closed besides cinemas. Why?

A

Goebbels needed them to show propaganda films.

97
Q

Where did certain foods disappear into and what did this mean?

A

‘Black Market’ ~ too expensive for most people to buy from.

98
Q

How was standard of living affected during the start of the war?

A

Declined rapidly.

99
Q

Why did standard of living decline during the war?

A
  • Many foods became too expensive.
  • There were many things people had to cut back on.
  • People had to work longer hours and were most likely paid less.
  • No places of entertainment besides cinemas ~ people didn’t have many leisure activities they could do ~ majority of their time = work.
100
Q

What did the Rationalisation Decree intend to do?

A

Eliminate the waste of labour and materials.

101
Q

Who took over from Todt after his death?

A

Albert Speer - previously Hitler’s personal architect - now minister of armaments in February 1942.

102
Q

What did Speer use Hitler’s authority to do?

A

Cut through the mass of interests and to implement his programme of ‘industrial self-responsibility’ to provide mass production.

103
Q

What did Speer do to controls and constraints previously placed on business in order to fit in with Nazi wishes?

A

They were relaxed.

104
Q

Who was the 1942 Central Planning Board supported by?

A

A number of committees, each representing one vital sector of economy.

105
Q

What did the 1942 Central Planning Board give the industrialists?

A

A considerable degree of freedom.

106
Q

How was the 1942 Central Planning Board able to maintain overall control of the war economy?

A

Ensured Speer as the director of Central Planning.

107
Q

Who did Speer encourage to join his ministerial team?

A

Industrialists and engineers.

108
Q

Who did Speer exclude from the production process?

A

Military personnel.