Germany at war 1939-1945 Flashcards
1
Q
What caused the second world war?
A
Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy:
- Hitler sought lebensraum (living space)
- Had expanded German military and annexed (gained) Czechoslovakia/Austria
- Britain+France acted when Hitler invaded Poland as he became too powerful
Weak international system:
- Hitler ignored the Treaty of Versailles due to this
- USA/USSR isolationist
- Depression had weakened Britain/France
- British policy of appeasement regarding TOV to avoid war
- USSR, France, Britain concerted effort may have prevented Polish invasion, but they wouldn’t cooperate. USSR nazi soviet pact to share poland, eliminated USSR threat
2
Q
German conquest
A
Conquest 1939-42:
- 1939, Poland goes
- Norway/Denmark taken by Spring
- Holland/Belgium/France in May-June 1940
- Couldn’t invade Britain as couldn’t control skies
- Closes in on Southern Eastern Europe
- Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria now ALLIES with Nazis
- Greece & Yugoslavia invaded
- Operation Barbarosa June 1941, Western Russia taken
- 1942 HEIGHT OF POWER
3
Q
Tide turns for German course of war
A
Decisive reverses 1942-3:
- Battles of Stalingrad (08/’42) and Kursk (07/’43) lost leading to retreat from Soviet Russia
- Forces diverted from Eastern front to aid Mussolini hold Libya/fight in oil fields in Middle east. Defeated at El Alamein (10/’42) - Desert war
4
Q
German retreat and defeat
A
Retreat 1943-45:
- Eastern front, Russian armys go West into Poland by mid ‘44 and Germany by 01/’45
- Western Allies land in Normandy 06/’44, in German territory by 10/’44. Germans fierce in retreat, keep fighting
- Hitler commits suicide 30/04/’45
5
Q
Radicalisation during the war
A
- 1937-8 Non nazi conservatives ie Schacht removed from influential positions for objections to war
- Genocidal policy - the holocaust and the murder of the Roma and Sinti, the murder of the mentally ill and disabled through the T4 euthanasia programme
6
Q
Hitler’s disappearance from public view
A
- Less public appearance
- Spent more time at military headquarters
- Fewer propaganda appearances (visits to soldiers/damaged areas)
- Replaced by Goebbels as face of PR
7
Q
Resistance to Nazism early 1930s
A
- Limited in 1930s due to Hitler’s popularity and success of Himmler’s Gestapo
- Gestapo destroyed Communist/Social democrat networks by 1933
- Exception was Communist “red orchestra spy ring” which was crushed 1942
8
Q
Resistance to Nazism later 1920s
A
- Increase in resistance to Nazism
- Communist resistance re-emerged from working class heartlands ie the ruhr
- “White rose group” - Idealistic Munich uni students horrified by Nazis. Anti-nazi leaflet/graffiti propaganda. Leaders, Hans/Sophie School, executed 1943
- ‘Kreisau Circle’ upper class political moderates, appalled by Nazi barbarity. Discussion for planning post-war Germany
- ‘Beck-Goerdeler’(s defeat/disaster for Germany. Planned to assassinate Hitler
9
Q
July Bomb plot 1944
A
- Beck/Goerdeler had many senior supporters who could get close to Hitler
- Claus Von Stauffenberg (ex field, now military planner) plants bomb in Hitler’s military headquarters
- 4 killed, Hitler escaped
- Those involved executed
10
Q
German wartime economy
A
- Gained territories=overcame some pre war difficulties
- New food/raw materials. France gave coal and iron ore, Romania gave oil, Russia gave wheat
- Took advantage of industrial materials in occupied countries (steelworks/munitions in france)
-Took french military/artillery equipment until 1945
- New labour: French/Russian POV’s worked
- German/French civilian slave labour in Germany, 8 mil by 1944, 1/5th of workforce
- Concentration camp prisoners used too
HOWEVER:
most foreign workers unskilled, little oil
- Defeat at Stalingrad in 1943 meant no access to Baku oilfield in Russia
11
Q
Albert Speer
A
Background:
- Member of Hitler’s inner circle
- Rose to prominence in 1930s
Armaments minister (1942-)
- Replaced Goering as economic supremo, who had failed to stop British Dunkirk evacuation, winn Battle of Britain or prevent British bombings
- Friend of Hitler’s and first class organisational skills. Realist, recognized necessity of “total war”
- Weapons production *3 by 1944
- Central planning board for economic administration
- Streamlined production with fewer, larger factories and purge of ineffective management
- Used foreign/female labour, prevented conscription of skilled
Success? -Ammo production ^97% -Total army production ^ 59% -Munitions productivity per worker ^60% ...However Anglo American bombing made this hard by 1943. He prolonged war but couldn't hold off defeat
12
Q
Why was Germany’s war economy a failure?
A
- Ineffective coordination, Gauleiter acted for personal gain
- Labour shortage: Women not fully mobilized due to nazi ideology. Poor foreign workforce productivity 60-80% less than German worker
13
Q
Military casualties
A
- 3 million KIA, 1.5 POW
- Russian POVs died in captivity
- More deaths in last four months than previous two years
- 1.47 killed in last year, never more than 1 000 000 before
Later years:
-People’s army (volkssturm) created. 16-60, Hitler youth encouraged
14
Q
Effect of bombing
A
-1943-45 Anglo-American bombing attack
-300 000 killed, 750 000 injured
-1/5th housing destroyed
-Infrastructure severely damaged
-7000 000 homeless in 1945
-Hamburg july43 and Dresden feb45 = 60 000 lives lost
Purpose:
-Break war economy (ruhr targeted)
-Break morale
15
Q
Refugees
A
- German armies committed atrocities in Soviet Russia 1941. When Russian troops entered Germany many fled Westwards
- Jan-May ‘45 5 000 000 fled homes
- Huge problem for authorities
