Germany during the Second World War

Question 1

How were children impacted by the war?

Answer 1

• Evacuation scheme that was voluntary for kids under 14 and they would go to camps run by Hitler.
  -Kids under 10 would go with their mothers
  -40,000 out of 260,000 children were sent to these camps due to fears over indoctrination.

Question 2

Examples of Nazi Opposition

Answer 2

• White Rose Group
• Resistance in the Army (Military)
  -Anti-Nazi protests (Roseestrasse and Kreisau Circle)
  -Church opposition
• Swing Youth and Jazz Youth

Question 3

White Rose Group

Answer 3

• student led group from Munich Uni that were active between 1942 and 1943. Leaders were Sophie and Hans Scholl
  -Questioned Nazi’s and horrified by mass killing of Jews.
  -Produced and distributed Anti-Nazi leaflets tp encourage opposition.
  -Later arrested by Gestapo and tortured and exceuted.

Question 4

Church opposition

Answer 4

• Cardinal Galen (Catholic) critisized the Nazis for terror methods used, murder of disabled patients.
• Nazi’s refused to take action against him as he was a very prominent catholic.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Protestant Pastor) criticised the Nazi’s in 1930s. Ended up getting banned from public speaking and writing.
Ended up working with German military intelligence (Abwehr) who hated Hitler.
His actions were discovered and he was arrested and murdered by SS in 1945

Question 5

Resistance in the Army/Military

Answer 5

7July 20th 1944.
-Claus von Stauffenberg along with several German officers left a bomb in a briefcase by Hitler’s chair to kill him. The bomb exploded but the plan failed as somebody moved the briefcase.
-7000 people were arrested and almost 5000 executed for their part in the plot including Stauffenberg.

Question 6

How was daily life impacted by the War? (1939-1942)

Answer 6

• Very successful and had limited opposition
  -Food was being rationed (Diets mostly consisted of fruit and veg with meat consumption being 700 g per week. but still goods could be bought easily.

Question 7

How was daily life impacted by the War
(1943-1945)

Answer 7

1943 - Germany suffers heavy defeats in North Africa and Russia - more women and children had to work.
- Hot water is only allowed for 2 day of week.
-Food becomes repetitive - calories intake is reduced from 2000 to 1400 per day (weakness)
- Air Raids intensify

Question 8

Examples of Air Raids.

Answer 8

• Hamburg in late July 1943 bombed day and night and led to a firestorm that killed 40,000 civilians.
  -Berlin in November 1943 - 100000 injured and 500000 left homeless.
  -Dresden in February 1945 - 4000 tonnes of bombs were dropped and 25000 killed.