Economy - Nazi Wartime (Total War) Economy Flashcards
Percentage increase in ammunition production due to Speer’s policies
Ammunition production increase by 97 percent
Percentage increase in tank production due to Speer’s policies
Tank production increase by 25 percent
Percentage increase in total arms production due to Speer’s policies
Total arms production increased by 59 percent
By how much did German war production increase between 1942 and 1944?
German war production increased by three times between 1942 and 1944
Germany probably had the capacity to produce a level of output close to that of the USSR or USA. What problems did Speer face in implementing his policies?
Speer faced the problems of the Gauleiters at a local level, whose power he was not always able to counter. Speer also face problems from the SS, who remained a law unto themselves in conquered lands, preventing them from being exploited with real economic efficiency
However, Speer’s biggest difficulty was the Anglo-American ‘blanket bombing’ of 1943, which prevented Germany from increasing its levels of arms production further. The bombings caused industrial destruction and breakdown in communications, and Germany was forced to divert available resources towards the construction of anti-aircraft installations and underground industrial sites. Because of this, Germany was unable to achieve a total war economy, its arms production peaking in August 1944 at a level way below its full potential
What did Speer’s Central Planning Board (April 1942) do?
Speer’s Central Planning Board distributed raw materials, decided whether to build new factories or expand existing ones, and organised transportation
The Central Planning Board had a variety of committees, each responsible for a type of armament, e.g. ammunitions, tanks, etc.
What was the function of the Central Planning Board?
Each committee looked at all of the factories producing the same equipment, closing any smaller factories and concentrating production into a few larger ones. Factory machinery was standardised, so there was only one model for each part, making construction and repair easier and more efficient.
Factories were adapted to the most efficient mass production techniques and machinery. Production had to become more mechanised as thousands of skilled workers were being conscripted into the armed forces and being replaced by less-skilled women and foreign workers.
It took time for these changes to happen, but when they did, the result was spectacular. During 1942, for example, the monthly production of 200cm searchlights was 20, which rose to 80 by the end of 1943 and 150 by the end of 1944.
Production in 1944 was almost three times that of 1940.
