Germany at War 1939-1945 Flashcards
What countries did Germany capture between 1939-41 using Blitzkrieg ?
Norway, Holland, Poland, Belgium, France, Finland, parts of Russia
What was Blitzkrieg ?
A tactic used by the Germans in WW2 where bombing and tanks struck first into an area then troops would follow in behind
When was Hitler at the Height of his power ?
1942
When was the Battle of Stalingrad ?
1942-43
When was the Battle of Kursk ?
1943
What were the Name of the Battles that Germany lost in Africa and when were they ?
Tunis ( May 1943 ) & El Alamein ( October 1942 )
When did Germany start to be bombed ?
May 1943
When was Itlay taken over by the Allies ?
July 1943
When was D-Day ?
June 1944
When did Germany start to fight on two fronts ?
Spring 1945
When did Hitler commit suicide ?
April 1945
When did the Soviets enter and slaughter Germans ?
May 1945
Who replaced Hitler as a public figure for Germany as the war progressed ?
Josef Goebbels
During the War what were the few organisations that opposed Nazism ?
Communists
“White Rose” group
“Kreisau Circle”
“Beck-Goerdeler”
Who were the “White-Rose” group ?
Group of students from Munich University, they distributed anti-nazi leaflets and spread anti-nazi graffiti
What happened to the “White-Rose” group ?
Arrested & executed in 1943
Who were the “Kreisau circle” ?
A discussion group who knew Nazi would fall so planned the democratic future of Germany
Who were the “Beck-Goerdeler” ?
Old-fashioned upper class that also knew Nazism would fall and planned to assassinate Hitler
What was the July- plot ?
Close Supporters to the Beck-Groedeler in the army planted a bomb at a Nazi conference. 4 killed but Hitler only seriously injured
What year was the July-plot ?
1944
How did Germany use the captured countries of Europe ?
- Gained access to new food supplies and raw materials
- Used their military equipment
- Took civilians to work in slave labour
What did France & Romania provide once Germany had taken it over ?
France = coal & iron Romania = oil
Which countries military equipment was taken and used by the Germans ?
France till 1945
What companies used slave labour ?
BMW & Krupps
How many slave labourers were there in Germany by 1944 ?
8 million
What % did slave labourers make up of the German workforce in total ?
20%
How did the SS use prisoners of war ?
They used prisoners of war to work in concentration camps, eventually it built up so much that they had their own companies
What was the problem with the slave labourers ?
Few were skilled
Who was Albert Speer ?
Armaments minister 1942-1945
What did Albert Speer do that was so great for Germany during the war ?
He kept Germany in the war for longer, he did this by organising Germany’s resources. He made more efficiency of the Slave labourers
How many soldiers fought in WW2 ?
16 million
How many German soldiers were KIA ?
3 million
How many soldiers were taken prisoner in WW2?
1.5 million
What was the pattern of air raids on Germany by the Allies ?
America by day, Britain by night
How many civilians were killed by air raids ?
300,000
How many civilians were homeless as a result of air raids ?
7 million
Where did the infamous fire bombings take place ?
Hamburg & Dresden
Because they feared soviet persecution after defeat, how many German civilians moved to west Germany safe from them ?
5 million
How many women were raped by Soviets in Berlin ?
100,000
Why was it difficult for women in WW2 ?
They had to feed children and clothe them despite rations and they were expected to work
What were the main reasons why Germany lost the war ?
Economic comparison to enemies
Effective allied fighting
Hitlers mistakes
Bombing of Germany
What made it clear that the USA and Allies were stronger than Germany economically ?
The USA could provide not only for its own economy but for the Allies also .
How many tanks did USA produce between 1939-45 compared to Germany ?
USA = 105,000 GERMANY = 61,000
What were key allied fighting advancement’s ?
D-Day
Mistakes made, but lessons learnt by the Soviets and British
What were Hitlers 4 great mistakes ?
- Assumed that after invasions Britain would back down
- He thought that Russia would be a pushover
- He declared war on USA when they possibly might not have
- Underestimated the mass economic production of USA
- He carried on fighting at Stalingrad when they were besieged
How did the Anglo-Ameircan bombing lead to Germany’s defeat ?
- Cut factory output in later stages of war by 20%
- 1. Few resources as they had all been destroyed had to be used to construct factories - Luftwaffe had to be used to protect skies not to be used in combat
Was it an “Allied victory or a German defeat” ?
You decide in the exam
