Germany wat war 1939-1945 - civilian morale

Question 1

Human consequences of the last 12 months of the war?

Answer 1

Food rationing led to real shortages and real hunger by 1945, boots/shoes were in short supply and small luxuries were stopped.

Question 2

Speer’s total war meant that people had to make sacrifices…

Answer 2

Working hours increased, millions of foreign workers were encouraged to work, non-essential businesses were closed.

Question 3

Women

Answer 3

Had to take more responsibilities as men were away at war, Speer even wanted to mobilise women into conscripted workers, but Hitler wished to retain traditional roles. The Nazis were caught in the contradictions of their own ideology between the theory and practice of female employment. They were motivated by military expansion which they needed women for.

Question 4

Bombing

Answer 4

During the winter of 1942-3 it became impossible for propaganda to hide the reality of the German military defeats. On the home-front, the Anglo-American bombing began to hit the urban areas of the Ruhr and Berlin. Most famously, a bombing raid on Hamburg on 24 July 1943 killed 300,000, injured 800,000 and destroyed 3.6 million homes.

Question 5

Dissent of the youth

Answer 5

Hitler Youth was made compulsory in 1939 with increased emphasis on military drills and discipline, the standard of teaching declined as many went to war.

Question 6

Dissent of the churches

Answer 6

Posed no threat to the regime but they were ideologically different. Church attendance increased during the war. Over 40% of the Catholic clergy and 50% of the Protestant clergy were harassed by the Nazis

Question 7

Living and working conditions

Answer 7

Nazi economy was not really ready for a major war in 1939, thus from the early stages rationing was introduced. By 1942, consumer goods began to decline and in the last 12 months things got worse…