Diplomacy: Evaluate the reasons for the defeat of the Axis powers in Europe in the Second World War Flashcards
Intro/thesis
-Key to the Allies’ victory was their strategic allocation of resources, combined with the Axis’ poor economic position from the outset that was exacerbated by failed military strategy
Paragraphs
-Weaknesses of Axis powers: economic & material weaknesses
-Weaknesses of Axis powers: military strategy
-Strengths of the Allies: economic & material strengths
-Strengths of the Allies: military strategy
Economic & material weaknesses of Axis powers- examples
-German industry was not fully mobilized until 1943.
-Italian factories could not produce weapons without steel, coal, or oil, and, even when raw materials were available, production was limited because the northern Italian factories were subject to heavy Allied bombing, especially in 1942–43.
-Germany increasingly suffered from material shortages as the war continued, particularly in rubber, cotton, nickel, and, after mid-1944, oil.
Economic & material weaknesses of Axis powers- explanation
-Germany’s emphasis on the diversification of weapons (such as working on the V1 and V2 rockets) reduced the effectiveness of its efforts in this area and caused its funds and resources to be channeled into experimentation, rather than mass production.
Weaknesses of Axis powers: military strategy- examples
-Germany’s Blitzkrieg tactics were successful in the beginning stages of the war on mainland Europe, but Germany struggled as it was designed for short campaigns and Germany did not have sufficient mechanized forces or supplies to maintain long campaigns such as that on the eastern front.
-Declaring war on the USA in September of 1941 was a major error on Germany’s part, and it showed a serious lack of judgment on Hitler’s part. He was also too dismissive of the US’ capabilities and believed that the USA would remain in the Pacific fighting the Japanese. However, President Roosevelt made the defeat of Hitler his top priotity, and the US and British forces worked together to achieve this task.
Weaknesses of Axis powers: military strategy- explanation & historiography
-The USA’s entry into the war allowed the Allies to invade Italy and carry out devastating bombing raids on Germany. Meanwhile, Hitler was unable to attack the USA directly, and also did not face the same unity with his allies (Mussolini was actually a constant drain on Hitler’s resources).
-Hitler’s mistakes in the conduct of the war ensured that it went on much longer than he had expected, further amplifying the material shortages that the Axis powers faced.
-Andrew Roberts argues that unlike Stalin, Hitler did not adhere to the advice given by his generals, which led to the German Army not being able to conduct strategic retreats as much as they wanted to.
Strengths of the Allies: economic & material strengths- examples
-The USSR’s economy rapidly transformed to a wartime economy and, in the factories east of the Ural mountains, Russia was producing more armaments and better-quality armaments than Germany by 1943.
-When the American war industry reached full capacity, it turned out over 70,000 tanks and 120,000 aircraft a year.
Strengths of the Allies: economic & material strengths- explanation
-The centralized state economy of the USSR proved more able than Hitler’s Nazi state to produce what was needed to fight a prolonged war.
-Stalin’s autocratic and dictatorial rule forced Soviet civilians to contribute to the war effort. This meant that they could eventually outproduce the Axis forces.
-Interconnection with Axis military failures- bringing the USA into the war greatly aided the Allies due to the US’ economic prosperity
Strengths of the Allies: military strategy- examples
-The Allies made the decision to concentrate the mass of their attack on Germany; they realized that this was central to success.
-The Allies poured massive amounts of money and effort into the strategic bombing campaign. For example, in February 1945, over 1,200 Allied bombers of the RAF and the US Army Air Forces launched four aerial attacks against Dresden.
-The Allies broke the secret codes of the Axis with their enigma machine. They were able to see where future attacks were planned and ensure their forces were sufficiently defended as a result.
Strengths of the Allies: military strategy- explanation & historiography
-For five years, the Royal Air Force bombed German cities with the purpose of destroying infrastructure, factories and civilian morale. This, in turn, helped the Allied morale (their propaganda exaggerated the destruction) and forced their enemy to use both men and weapons to defend the country – they could have been fighting the USSR instead.
-Richard Overy points out, however, that greater economic resources and more armaments did not in themselves guarantee victory for the Allies. Key to Allied success was the fact that they ‘turned their economic strength into effective fighting power’. He also argues that ‘the war was won in 1945 not from German weaknesses but from Allied strengths.’
