Economy (P2) The Four Year Plan Flashcards
Why was Schacht not in charge of it?
- Hitler was getting impatient with his caution
- Hitler was unchallenged, why be cautious?
Who replaced Schacht and when?
- 4th September 1936
- Goering was in charge, example of dualism
- Goering is going to do exactly what Hitler tells him to do
- Total war and rearmament given priority - all factories now building towards war, people didn’t have much to buy
What was the Four Year Plan?
- Germany must be ready for war within 4 years
- ‘military development could not be too large nor its pace too swift”
Successes and Failures
S - aims of autarky were to increase production of key commodities iron/food
S/F - Develop ersatz products (using coal to make oil) - very inefficient - takes lots of coal to make little oil - therefore not sustainable, and is a short term fix
F - By 1939 - Germany still depends on 1/3 of imports. Expansionism replaced autarky, taking over those countries and taking those materials
Significance of it
- example of radicalisation by Nazi regime
- ‘ guns or butter ‘ - focus on rearmament or basic needs
How was agriculture organised?
- farmers were struggling
- gov measures to reduce high food prices
- attention was focussed on large estates
- some farmers benefited - arable farmers did from subsidies
- livestock farmers hit by shortages and lower prices and there was a need for food, higher demand
- production of agriculture fell - people were better off in cities
How was industry organised?
- brought under state supervision
- state controlled resources, but industry remained largely privately owned
- 300,000 small businesses went bankrupt (33-45)
Transport
- massive investment - travelling to boarders
- confusion and overlap with roads and railways
Foreign Traders
- Schachts bilateral trade agreements replaced by autarky
- Foreign conquests made up lack in domestic production
